bluedog1525229115 Posted February 9, 2023 Share Posted February 9, 2023 I have home brewed Coopers lager. it is carbonated okay but wont retain head. i live in tropics so it is hard to keep temp down. It is below 28deg when started.i use wet towel and fan to try to keep temp down.Is there a solution to this?Regards Bill 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozdevil Posted February 9, 2023 Share Posted February 9, 2023 If you can't use temp control to keep lagers fermenting around 14°c you would be best to stick with ales and using kveik yeast that can handle high temps . Seriously a cheap working fridge with a temp controller would be ya best friend 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malter White Posted February 9, 2023 Share Posted February 9, 2023 3 hours ago, bluedog1525229115 said: I have home brewed Coopers lager. it is carbonated okay but wont retain head. i live in tropics so it is hard to keep temp down. It is below 28deg when started.i use wet towel and fan to try to keep temp down.Is there a solution to this?Regards Bill Did you mix it with brew enhancer 1? That could be part of the head retention issue. Next time try BE2 or BE3. They have a higher malt content which will assist with head retention. BE1 has no malt content. Aside from using the wet towel and fan, when mixing the brew together it pays to have a few litres of refrigerated water on hand especially during summer. Your tap water will be quite warm, the fridge water will get your brew at a lower starting temperature. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennyss Posted February 11, 2023 Share Posted February 11, 2023 On 2/9/2023 at 3:40 PM, Malter White said: it pays to have a few litres of refrigerated water on hand This is a very good tip. I live in a hot area too - 38 deg today! I now keep three 2 litre bottles of water in the frig ready to use when mixing. Our tap water is lukewarm! I am not tekky, so the idea of having to grapple with inkbird temperature controllers scares me; but perhaps I'll have to bite the bullet before next summer. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malter White Posted February 11, 2023 Share Posted February 11, 2023 44 minutes ago, jennyss said: This is a very good tip. I live in a hot area too - 38 deg today! I now keep three 2 litre bottles of water in the frig ready to use when mixing. Our tap water is lukewarm! I am not tekky, so the idea of having to grapple with inkbird temperature controllers scares me; but perhaps I'll have to bite the bullet before next summer. The Inkbird can seem a bit daunting at first but it's fairly simple to use once you learn how. I'm not very technology inclined either but once I read the instructions it was pretty straightforward to use. Currently my Inkbird is serving purely as a thermometer because I haven't replaced my broken fermenting fridge but I'm getting fairly stable temperatures by using ice blocks in it on hot days. It's not ideal but it's working OK. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregT5 Posted February 11, 2023 Share Posted February 11, 2023 The Coopers OS Lager that comes in the Home Brew kit comes with an ale yeast so it is not critical to ferment it at normal Lager fermenting temperatures. It is included in that kit as most brewers starting out don't have access to good temperature control. Have a look through this forum for threads on temp control, there are some good suggestions on how to moderate your temp if you don't have access to a dedicated brew fridge. Keeping your fermentation temp at about 18 degrees will improve your beers. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennyss Posted February 11, 2023 Share Posted February 11, 2023 1 hour ago, GregT5 said: The Coopers OS Lager Hi @GregT5Can you tell me what is a Coopers OS Lager please? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uhtred Of Beddanburg Posted February 11, 2023 Share Posted February 11, 2023 3 minutes ago, jennyss said: Hi @GregT5Can you tell me what is a Coopers OS Lager please? Original seriers lager the photo on his profile. Supplied with an ale yeast but a nicer brew If use a Lager yeast 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NBillett09 Posted February 21, 2023 Share Posted February 21, 2023 (edited) On 2/11/2023 at 4:46 PM, jennyss said: Hey @jennyss, the Inkbird controllers are seriously SUPER simple to use. The instructions are very easy to understand. I think that if you can use a normal calculator you’ll have no problems using the inky! Edited February 21, 2023 by NBillett09 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennyss Posted March 1, 2023 Share Posted March 1, 2023 On 2/11/2023 at 5:38 PM, Malter White said: The Inkbird can seem a bit daunting at first but it's fairly simple to use once you learn how Hi @Malter White and others, I'm after more tips and any good references/videos about how to use an inkbird temperature controller. I think I need to find someone in Dubbo who uses one in a fermenting fridge, so I can go and have a look at what plugs into what etc. I see pictures on the Coopers Community of fermenters with straps and boxes wrapped around them. In other pictures there is nothing on the fermenter. What is happening here please? Does the Inkbird plug into the same power point as the fridge and override the fridge's temperature unit? On another front: How do people get around lugging full fermenting vessels in an out of the fridge? I think that's enough questions for now! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennyss Posted March 1, 2023 Share Posted March 1, 2023 And @NBillett09, Thanks, I just looked again, and you recommend that an Inkbird is easy to use. I can use a calculator, and I'm not too bad at reading instructions. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Classic Brewing Co Posted March 1, 2023 Share Posted March 1, 2023 (edited) 38 minutes ago, jennyss said: Hi @Malter White and others, I'm after more tips and any good references/videos about how to use an inkbird temperature controller. I think I need to find someone in Dubbo who uses one in a fermenting fridge, so I can go and have a look at what plugs into what etc. I see pictures on the Coopers Community of fermenters with straps and boxes wrapped around them. In other pictures there is nothing on the fermenter. What is happening here please? Does the Inkbird plug into the same power point as the fridge and override the fridge's temperature unit? On another front: How do people get around lugging full fermenting vessels in an out of the fridge? I think that's enough questions for now! Jenny, I have a Mangrove Jacks STC -1000 Temperature Controller but I am sure the Inkbird would be similar/same. You unplug the fridge & plug into the unit & plug the Inkbird's power cord into the power point, there is a heating & cooling function that is controlled by the unit, you set it to the desired temperature & the unit simply switches on & off as needed to maintain your brewing temperature. If you buy the Wi-fi model you can control it with the app on your phone. https://cdn.shopifycdn.net/s/files/1/0550/0977/1584/files/ITC-308-WIFI_70x130mm_103.01.00312_20220711_V8.0.pdf?v=1667987043 Edited March 1, 2023 by Classic Brewing Co 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Classic Brewing Co Posted March 1, 2023 Share Posted March 1, 2023 (edited) hthttps://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=youtube+inkbird+308+wifi+instructions&view=detail&mid=F59F003213BE24B50733F59F003213BE24B50733&FORM=VIREtps://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=youtube+inkbird+308+wifi+instructions&qpvt=youtube+inkbird+308+wifi+instructions&FORM=VDRE Edited March 1, 2023 by Classic Brewing Co 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NBillett09 Posted March 1, 2023 Share Posted March 1, 2023 @jennyssi just sent you a dm with a couple of vids and some detailed instructions. Could be a bit long to put here, as @Classic Brewing Cos description and vid links probably achieve the same outcome! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malter White Posted March 1, 2023 Share Posted March 1, 2023 @jennyss The Inkbird really is quite simple but it does look like a labyrinth of cords which can look confusing at first. 1st cord goes to powerpoint. You then plug fridge into "Cooling" socket of Inkbird. That's the second cord. If you need to use a heat belt/pad you plug it into the "Heating" socket of Inkbird. Also on the second cord. The thin cord is your temperature probe - tape the probe to your FV for a fairly accurate reading of your wort temp. I know from reading your posts you are no fool so you'll pick up how to use one fairly quickly. I have just the basic Inkbird (no wifi) and it suits my needs fine. I can't recommend the wifi version for this reason but if it's affordable I'd suggest to get the wifi version because it will give you more options in the future once you've mastered how to operate it and I know you will. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennyss Posted March 1, 2023 Share Posted March 1, 2023 Dear @Classic Brewing Co, @Malter White, @NBillett09, Thank you very much for your replies to my queries about temperature controlling using Inkbirds. Lots of things are clearer to me already, and lots to go on with. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidM Posted March 1, 2023 Share Posted March 1, 2023 I purchased the WiFi inkbird, not realising how good it was! Out of the box setup looked daunting, to begin with, I plugged the Heat pad into the Fridge pin and rectified that not long after. Once I had the Fridge in the Fridge plug and the Heat pad in the Heat plug, it worked fine. didn't have to adjust any setting's I just left it as "Default" all good. Took awhile to work out the "WiFi", this was my fault because I was using 5g WiFi, it only handles 2.4 WiFi. Once that was sorted, so much simpler, to change temp, open the app. Tap the temp setting and scroll to the new temp wanted. All of my Brews are Simple, I don't do complicated, I don't cold crash, I don't raise or lower temp. I Brew at 21 deg, I put a new Brew in the fridge and tape the heat probe to the new brew, close the door. I don't open the door till I want to get a brew out or add Hops, i know it's sitting at 21 deg. For many people here who do complicated brews, it would be amazing to be able to change temp any where you are, just by opening the app. @jennyss it's a great bit of kit, that takes a lot of the work out of temp brewing. it's not hard to use and you won't regret it. My 2 Cents 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozdevil Posted March 1, 2023 Share Posted March 1, 2023 @jennyss Inkbird is getting a bit obsolete but still a very good unit and great for a beginner or intermediate brewer that wants temp control its pretty well self explanatory part from the settings The homebrew network (AKA Gash/Gavin Elicott) runs through the settings on how he sets it up for his brewing but generally to show you how I started with an inkbird but i have sinced moved on from these and now have 2 rapt Temp controllers which this unit can do alot more then just what inkbird does but if you just want the basics and simple Inkbird is definitely the way to go and they are cheap , i sold 2 off these and got my money back on them thats how good tese inkbirds are 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tricky Micky Posted March 1, 2023 Share Posted March 1, 2023 15 hours ago, Malter White said: I can't recommend the wifi version for this reason but if it's affordable I'd suggest to get the wifi version because it will give you more options in the future once you've mastered how to operate it and I know you will. I've got both models. The WIFI version is way more user friendly once you've set the app up on the mobile phone or iPad. The interface is so much easier to use than the non WIFI version IMO. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldbloke Posted March 3, 2023 Share Posted March 3, 2023 (edited) Here is the basic version. $40 delivered. Need an old fridge first though. https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/233566155796?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20190917065201%26meid%3De46fae12822a42938b998b43da56bc3b%26pid%3D101096%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D12%26sd%3D322424108911%26itm%3D233566155796%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D0%26pg%3D2332490%26algv%3DSimplAMLv5PairwiseWebWithBBEV2bAndUBSourceDemotionWithUltimatelyBoughtOfCoviewV1%26brand%3DInkbird&_trksid=p2332490.c101096.m3021&amdata=cksum%3A233566155796e46fae12822a42938b998b43da56bc3b|enc%3AAQAHAAABMIep8YrnpoI5Ip1Fr26ya5Zdwg2V78Yl01uYLsdPZcFTvxKxDts2M2LiSIpUM3yyPCg4I%2FI%2F%2BBr%2B3lbC%2BxYqInYGBmzIxc4EMw3YF0EDxTKyD1%2B1T%2FhZGtpfqWhefyYPFycmFhmhSjBVDZYbUkV2uQuZNWlZB0ESrevSeAkESQQGFsjQRWzsFdvfjU3P%2BgHmWtGw%2Blcx5qJw7CkBvATUdMp3yPFWJysV0LkwYtKMhtzU5P6XuRIj62o0xTjpA%2FG9q3eeUAT3pRn5E8kG7QfxxsFUHbG4wNSIpRzc0zvPXdKPjzAYIL91reatmlbtWkvKPblT0LH1WLvEh2BYdtLUuaOMzNzukpRD%2Bin%2Fyb4wc5vpCaFX%2BbtTRHXRopOOr5y9zWa9iULSnleh1ykdo5Uv7DA%3D|ampid%3APL_CLK|clp%3A2332490 Edited March 3, 2023 by Oldbloke Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennyss Posted March 3, 2023 Share Posted March 3, 2023 2 hours ago, Oldbloke said: Need an old fridge first though. Round about June I will start keeping my eye out for a second hand frig for sale within 200kms of Dubbo. There don't seem to be many available at the moment. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Classic Brewing Co Posted March 3, 2023 Share Posted March 3, 2023 53 minutes ago, jennyss said: Round about June I will start keeping my eye out for a second hand frig for sale within 200kms of Dubbo. There don't seem to be many available at the moment. Jenny it may also be worth checking in some Supermarkets on their community notice boards & even surrounding country stores as they always have items for sale. A mate of mine scored a perfectly good bar fridge for $40.00 at his local Foodland. Apart from Gumtree, Facebook Market Place there are also places like Lion's Club Secondhand Markets etc, although some of them are not permitted to sell electrical goods. Good luck with your search, it will make an awesome difference to your brewing. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldbloke Posted March 4, 2023 Share Posted March 4, 2023 (edited) A basic inkbird plugged into a heat pad then wrap it all up in a blanket would fix any low temp issues in the mean time. Perhaps save a bit of power too Edited March 4, 2023 by Oldbloke 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennyss Posted March 4, 2023 Share Posted March 4, 2023 8 hours ago, Classic Brewing Co said: Jenny it may also be worth checking in some Supermarkets on their community notice boards & even surrounding country stores as they always have items for sale. Excellent tip - thanks @Classic Brewing Co 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldbloke Posted March 5, 2023 Share Posted March 5, 2023 Jenny, You might get a cheap fridge here. https://www.facebook.com/groups/2194067327569218/?ref=share&mibextid=NSMWBT 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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