Advice for Brewing in a Sub Zero Winter, Ambient room temperature advise for brewing in the winter months.

[RØARS]

here in the UK at the moment, the outside temperature where I live in the south hasn't risen above 0c in weeks.
and the house stays at about 15c, should I be looking at getting a heater, Brew Belt Heater, heating pad, barrel sleeve? im worried its too cold to brew at the moment without them.

 

[Obadiah Boondoggle]

I agree it's a challenging time because of the ambient temperatures

I brew in the garage which today is at an ambient temperature of -4C with ice on the inside of the window

Nevertheless I have a brew in a fv, which is on a heat pad, has a heating belt around it and is wrapped in a carpet and several towels

It is maintaining the right fermenting temperature but as you say it is too cold without them

 

[Rodcx500z]

Cml kentucky yeast has a range 13c to 22c so should be ok for you Yeast Specs | brewstore (crossmyloofbrew.co.uk)

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Brew fridge with a tubular heater and an Inkbird is the answer.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

My problem in these temperatures is not the fermentation it's the upstream process of boiling the wort. In the warmer weather I either brew in the garage or utility room with windows open to vent the steam. However it's too cold for both. It gets a bit warmer next week so I'll have a go.

 

[RØARS]

"windows open to vent the steam"

The Homebrew Challenge guy had a fix for that by using a special lid. sorry, couldn't remember which video specifically it was in.

 

[AXW123]

I brewed out on the deck yesterday afternoon - it took a while for my new Brewmonk to get up to temp but it did eventually- which I was pretty impressed with.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Brewed today with the window open and a fan blowing the steam out, worked ok. Guernsey isn't it 25C at this time of year?

 

[AXW123]

Ha, ha, wish it was. Slightly warmer than Warrington though. The main thing in our favour is no lockdown. But it’s a bit like the Hotel California nowadays- you can check out any time you like ... but you can never leave!

 

[An Ankoù]

here in the UK at the moment, the outside temperature where I live in the south hasn't risen above 0c in weeks.
and the house stays at about 15c, should I be looking at getting a heater, Brew Belt Heater, heating pad, barrel sleeve? im worried its too cold to brew at the moment without them.

This is perfect brewing weather. Brew outside and let the weather do most of the cooling. Bring the beer in while still around 20C and pitch. 15 ambient is fine since the fermentation is exothermic. Wrap it in an old towel or sleeping bag.
If you're making lager you're also in luck. Just put the fermenter in a cooler part of the house once fermentation has well and truly kicked in.

 

[George Hawkins]

Just finished a brew. This is my solution, underneath all the insulation is a Fermzilla with a heat belt around it. Find it works quite well, the temperature fluctuation is marginal.

 

[GhostShip]

If you really want to improve the quality of your beer and you have the space, look at a brew fridge. I got my fridge for £12 off eBay. The tube heater cost a few quid from Amazon and though the Inkbird was a bit more (around £30 from memory), it’s a really great piece of kit. I then just knocked up a platform from wood that I had lying around in the shed, drilled some holes to allow the warmth from the tube heater to rise up to the FV above, and that was about it.

To be able to maintain the correct temperature consistently, is a major factor in producing good beer in my opinion, and honestly, it’s so easy to achieve.

 

[Clint]

If you really want to improve the quality of your beer and you have the space, look at a brew fridge. I got my fridge for £12 off eBay. The tube heater cost a few quid from Amazon and though the Inkbird was a bit more (around £30 from memory), it’s a really great piece of kit. I then just knocked up a platform from wood that I had lying around in the shed, drilled some holes to allow the warmth from the tube heater to rise up to the FV above, and that was about it.

To be able to maintain the correct temperature consistently, is a major factor in producing good beer in my opinion, and honestly, it’s so easy to achieve.

He's right you know...

 

[RØARS]

this seems more doable

20C and pitch. 15 ambient is fine since the fermentation is exothermic. Wrap it in an old towel or sleeping bag.

than this

a brew fridge, tube heater, & Inkbird

for someone new / just getting back into homebrew.

 

[An Ankoù]

this seems more doable than this

for someone new / just getting back into homebrew.

If it's really cold indoors, you can brew with lager yeast. The Fermentis Saflager range have a recommended lower temperature of 12C. Saflager 34/70 is particularly versatile as it'll happily ferment in the range 12C or lower up to the mid-20s. Using lager yeast won't make your bitters and stouts taste like lager, nor will it make them over-fizzy, they'll just have a "cleaner" taste.
Good luck.

 

[RØARS]

thanks, I think cold-resistant yeast might be the way to go. as much as im tempted to go down the buy all the gear rout, im trying to do this on a budget.

 

[RØARS]

the Inkbird

ghostship do you know if you can use the inkbird a thermometer? while brewing. i can't seem to find my glass one so I'm wondering if i can invest in an ink bird to do two in one even if a new thermometer is only sub £10.

 

[GhostShip]

ghostship do you know if you can use the inkbird a thermometer? while brewing. i can't seem to find my glass one so I'm wondering if i can invest in an ink bird to do two in one even if a new thermometer is only sub £10.

If I’m honest, I don’t know, but I don’t think so. I think the probe is designed to measure air temperature rather than liquid, but I’m happy to be corrected.

 

[An Ankoù]

If I’m honest, I don’t know, but I don’t think so. I think the probe is designed to measure air temperature rather than liquid, but I’m happy to be corrected.

The inkbird I've got looks like something you'd stick into a joint of meat to see if it's cooked enough. If yours has a probe like that then It's good for liquids, too.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Inkbird-Th...hermometer+rechargeable&qid=1610222137&sr=8-9
But the Inkbird temperature controller is a different kettle of fish altogether.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Inkbird-Te...231&sprefix=inkbird+temperatur,aps,192&sr=8-5

 

[Rodcx500z]

This is in the range 16 to 25c and is very good