Advice for fermenting while carbonating

[Stephenj]

I have/expecting delivery of enough grain for 4 ale brews. I bottled one on Saturday and they are in the temp control freezer at 20c carbing up. Trouble is I have the time to brew but not the space to ferment and carb at the same time. Other than buying another heating tube, or the expense of cornys/PBs, anyone have any ideas they could suggest?

 

[johncrobinson]

Well stephenj i am kinda in the same boat.
I hoped to get into beer brewing in my new home but the virus has put things on hold.

I make wines and have done for many years now,Even with the logistics of wine being smaller than beer its still a problem.For supply to meet demand.

TBH i can only advise "bite the bullet" and scale up to whatever suits your need.One perfect bottle of beer is not after all is said and done,Going to cut the mustard is it.???

Think big,All your mates will want some ( I can guarantee that.)

 

[chrisb8]

Unless I'm missing something then I would just put the bottles somewhere reasonably warm in the house to carbonate and use the fermentation fridge for fermentation only. I put mine in the boiler cupboard.

 

[Stephenj]

Our airing cupboard is small and full of about 30 towels. The kids don't think it's a good idea using one more than once cheers for input though.

 

[johncrobinson]

Bet when the kids grow up it will be all dad "get brewing"

 

[Stephenj]

They love helping me brew and bottle actually, but I'm way down the list of importance in the house behind the wife, them two, 2 cats, 2 Guinea pigs, and I'm sure we have a goldfish somewhere more influential than me.

 

[Dutto]

I quite often carb for a limited time (3 days) in the Brew Fridge. The main purposes of the carbonation process are:

1. To prevent air getting into the bottle or keg.
2. To give the brew a "head".

After three days I have no problem in removing the brew from the fridge.

By this time the carbonation process will have completed 1. above ...

... and 2. above will just take that much longer and is added to the Conditioning part of brewing.

 

[An Ankoù]

I have/expecting delivery of enough grain for 4 ale brews. I bottled one on Saturday and they are in the temp control freezer at 20c carbing up. Trouble is I have the time to brew but not the space to ferment and carb at the same time. Other than buying another heating tube, or the expense of cornys/PBs, anyone have any ideas they could suggest?

Biottles? PETs? Sure it takes six weeks or so. but you seem to have some conditioning capacity already.

 

[Oldfieldbeer]

i have a brew fridge big enough for two king kegs or two FV's. I have one ale fermenting in there as we speak. Does anyone know if it would be ok to keg the first one when its ready and leave it in the same fridge whilst the next batch is fermenting?
sorry to hijack the thread

 

[Stephenj]

So @Dutto and @An Ankoù you reckon that 3-5 days at 20c will be enough time to get the carb going? They would then be sitting at garage temp until drinking. I still have beers so won't need to touch these for a couple of weeks any way.

 

[An Ankoù]

So @Dutto and @An Ankoù you reckon that 3-5 days at 20c will be enough time to get the carb going? They would then be sitting at garage temp until drinking. I still have beers so won't need to touch these for a couple of weeks any way.

Depends on the weather and the yeast. Not much will happen with an ale yeast below, say, 12-13C, a lager yeast will ferment much colder. We're having a cold snap, I don't know what the weather's like over there. Six weeks will take us to the middle of May so things should be just fine.

 

[Stephenj]

Temp in garage about 10c at max at the minute. Ale yeast so wouldn't expect anything to happen when they leave the warm freezer. I might see if I can get another heater tube delivered in next 7 days, only prob is only 1 inkbird. Might need to get stc box thingy as well.

 

[cushyno]

Just been carbing a brown ale in PB last week. Gave it 3 days at 20degC before removing to the garage at 10degC. After pouring 3 or 4 sample pints all pressure was gone. Moved it back into 20degC and within hours there was pressure building again. That was with Nottingham yeast doing the carbing work.

 

[Stephenj]

Anyone know what sort of temps a 40w and a 60w 1foot tube heater kicks out?

 

[Dutto]

Temp in garage about 10c at max at the minute. Ale yeast so wouldn't expect anything to happen when they leave the warm freezer. I might see if I can get another heater tube delivered in next 7 days, only prob is only 1 inkbird. Might need to get stc box thingy as well.

Anyone know what sort of temps a 40w and a 60w 1foot tube heater kicks out?

I refer you to what SWMBO named "The Contraption".

I used it for over a year and sorely miss it because the Brew Fridge is too small to hold everything. It sat on the worktop in the garage and was heated with a 40W tube heater. I controlled the temperature manually (it had a small dial on the end) before I wired it up to the STC1000.

It's knocked up from a variety of duvet covers, BBQ covers and some old metal shelving units. Enjoy!

 

[terrym]

If its any help to anyone on here, I can fully carb up my bottled beer from nearly clear beer from the FV modestly primed with table sugar in a room at about 18/19*C within about 5-6 days. I know this because I use PET bottles. No brew fridges, or airing cupboards required.

 

[Stephenj]

Think until I can make a more permanent addition to the garage/existing fridge I'll take the bottles out after 4-5 days and sit at garage temp. I'll crack one in a few weeks and if flat whack them back into a warmer chamber. Gives me a couple of weeks to sort the garage, make space and geta 'contraption' made.