Guest Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 Hi guys & gals. Where I live we are now heading into our Summer period. Temperatures reach 32\xb0C with regularity, maxxing in the low 40's Celcius at a whims notice. I do currently have a temp controlled brew fridge that is able to brew one FV a fortnight (roughly). I would still like to be able to utilize my second FV through this period, even if it means brewing simpler brews. I have read many of the methods that members of the forum goto to regulate the FV's externally from a fridge, & although I haven't commented in those threads, I have certainly taken note of what was written. I've done a little reading about aluminium layered bubble wrap as a form of insulation of both heat & cold. Claims are made of heat reductions of approx. 2.5\xb0C & with the addition of a Gel pack inside these temperatures can be maintained within a 1-2\xb0C fluctuation over a 24hr period at w/e the Gel pack was able to impact on the product after an exposure of 1 hour. Excluding the Gel pack theory, has anyone ever used this aluminium sided bubble wrap on their FV? Maybe with a towel around that? If so, was it effective? etc.. I need two FV's to keep brewing! [pouty] Beer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Von Blotto Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 I haven't used that. I just sit my FV in an old plant pot saucer, fill the saucer with cold water and ice, wrap a towel around it and tip cold water over the towel, it usually works fine. In fact last time it made it too cold and stalled the ferment. [lol] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DamianM2 Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 The problem I see is that in the first 4 days or so fermentation is proceeding rapidly and is producing it's own heat. So if you insulate the fermenter, as much as you are insulating heat from coming in, you are insulating heat from going out. Could be an issue? Damian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 31, 2012 Author Share Posted October 31, 2012 The problem I see is that in the first 4 days or so fermentation is proceeding rapidly and is producing it's own heat. So if you insulate the fermenter, as much as you are insulating heat from coming in, you are insulating heat from going out. Could be an issue? Damian. Hi Damian. Thanks for the reply. You make a good point. It is documented that during ferment it is expected that a 1-2\xb0C temperature rise will occur naturally as part of the fermentation process. I have witnessed this in a practical sense to be true. However, what I am asking/requiring is a "barrier" against external temperatures. I am not particularly concerned with internal temperature changes coming from the elevated internal temps of the brewing FV, more the ambient temps that a solid AUS summer will give. The internal elevated temps I believe can be controlled via a "gel pack" re-chilled on a daily basis. It is the external temperatures I am more concerned with blocking/neutralising. Beer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Von Blotto Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 The internal elevated temps I believe can be controlled via a "gel pack" re-chilled on a daily basis. It is the external temperatures I am more concerned with blocking/neutralising. This is why I use the towel method - cooling by evaporation. Sometimes on a real hot day I'll put a fan on it to help it along. Of course, it only works if the towel stays damp, hence the saucer full of water. Saves a lot of mucking around re-chilling things and whatever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 1, 2012 Author Share Posted November 1, 2012 Hiya Otto Man! [happy] As I mentioned earlier in this thread, although I didn't comment in certain threads that talked about external cooling of a FV, I did read all of the comments. I did take note of yours amongst all comments & methods posted. I have no doubt that your method works. However, I am sure that at times it does require the use of a fan as you state, more often than you care to disclose. I am looking for a low maintenance, 24hr routine that can achieve temp control without having to resort to electrical interference. Beer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
***** Posted November 1, 2012 Share Posted November 1, 2012 With temps hitting 40'C in South Australia I can't see a 2.5'C temp drop being of any advantage. Option 1 Brew a week apart, after a week swap FVs in and out of Fridge, then use your bubble wrap and ice blocks for the second week. Next two options involve refrigerated temp control [devil] Option 2 Get another fridge Option 3 Get a bigger fridge or Option 4 Brew some Gosh Ale [innocent] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted November 1, 2012 Share Posted November 1, 2012 Brew saisons in the other FV during summer. They are nice to throw back after a hard day working on the farm. Note: I think the Gosh Ale may be an aquired taste. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Von Blotto Posted November 1, 2012 Share Posted November 1, 2012 Actually the only time I've really used a fan on it was when the yeast was first pitched when I was doing kit/extract brews. If I sat the fermenter out in the sun then it might be different. LOL. It sits in a reasonably central location under my house between the laundry and garage areas, and it tends to stay relatively cool in there compared to outside. At least cool enough that I don't really need to do anything once I achieve my required temp. The only thing I do like to do is pour cold water over it every morning before work, just to help keep the temp down. But whether it's necessary or not is another story. [lol] But yeah, it works for me. It might not work for everyone, it just depends on their conditions. EDIT: There's no way I'd be able to get it cold enough by that method for lagers though. It works well for ales. I just brew my lagers in winter with no temp control - it's almost the perfect temp naturally for them in winter here. [biggrin] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LloydB Posted November 1, 2012 Share Posted November 1, 2012 [roll] I reckon you should go with Will Amette's option 1. After the first week in your primary, temp controlled fermenter, decant the wort into your second FV for the second week when temps aren't so important. Then get a new brew going in your primary straight away. This way you keep 2 FVs going all the time. The downside is that you won't have the second FV to use for bulk priming if that's what you do. (Correction: you will still be able to use the second FV for bulk priming, just use the temp controller for the first week of each brew.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrahamB8 Posted November 1, 2012 Share Posted November 1, 2012 Doesn't answer your question mate but may solve your problem. Ive see cruder versions but the one in this link looks to be a good project.......Cold box Alternatively I use a chest freezer and can fit heaps of stuff in there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 1, 2012 Author Share Posted November 1, 2012 I am looking for a low maintenance' date=' 24hr routine that can achieve temp control without having to resort to electrical interference.[/quote'] Use a water bath that will accommodate whatever you want in it i.e. 1 or 2 fermenters. Put in a couple of frozen milk cartons and change daily. Where will your fermenters be... outside in the 40C heat?... I somewhat doubt it. My guess is maybe inside where the ambient temps will be a bit more comfortable. (unless in a shed of course) I know a few people who use the water bath with the frozen milk bottles without any additional effort. Of course you need to monitor them a bit closer though just as you would any other method without automated control. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 1, 2012 Author Share Posted November 1, 2012 the problem with any system that isnt controlled is that Yeast when they start off fermentation give off heat, as that process slows, so does the heat they are producing, the result is that in the end, the goal posts are moving all the time, whats applicable for the yeast today is not what they will need tmoz. nor will it be consistent with brews.. get another fridge. get another controller. You will spend alot of time and effort and mistakes will be made, temp fluctuation is to be avoided. That said, I do know a bloke who wins comps with his beer and to date I think he uses his laundry tub + water to increase the thermal mass. Too much mucking about for me though, thats why I have 3 fridges [roll] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 1, 2012 Author Share Posted November 1, 2012 Hi guys. Collectively, you are all on the money, & thanks for the variety of ideas put forward & advice given. What I probably should of added in my first post was where I brew. I actually brew inside my house. I have a spare bedroom that I primarily use for storage & brewing. The recent addition of a temp controlled brew fridge was placed in the large living area at the rear of my house where it fits in with the rest of my furniture without looking like an eye sore. The spare bedroom I have been using for brewing is carpeted so I don't really want to have open containers of water in them for use in cooling FV's in case of accidental spillage. The FV's themselves are housed in a 3/4 incased wooden cubical. On a hot day this room would probably max at about 25-27\xb0C. A second fridge, as much as it is the proper thing to do, just isn't an option. I was tossing up whether to brew for a week in the temp fridge, then alternate a new brew in & let the week or so aged brew finish it's ferment outside the fridge in my spare room. Will & LloydB also see it as a viable option, & at this junction it looks the only one really open to me. I'm still going to look into the insulation wrapping & potentially a gel-pak type scenario for the external FV, & see where that leads me. Thanks for the input. I'll update about the insulation wrap etc, if anything noteworthy comes from it. Cheers, Beer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.