Insulating bottles

[wherespete]

So I've got my bottled mild upstairs in the spare room for a week or so to condition further before I send it packing to the shed to clear.

On the carpet I have a large beach towel folded in quarters. I've got 12 bottles in one cardboard box, another 12 bottles in another cardboard box, another 12 bottles in a plastic crate and four bottles loose in between the boxes. All standing on the towel.

Over that I have another beach towel (SWMBO doesn't need them at this time of the year so I use them to wrap my FVs ) draped over that, and another towel over that.

This isn't really a strategy, it's just that I can't work out where the towels are kept and I don't want to admit that I'm using them for brewing.

Anyway, to the point. I've got my fridge thermometer on top of this little bundle with the probe inside one of the boxes.

Room temperature is 19.0 degrees, inside the box temperature is 17.6 degrees.

Now, I'm no scientist, but I would have thought that it would be warmer inside that wrapping than outside! :wha:

Is my thermometer broken or is it more that the temp inside the box will stay higher overnight when the central heating is off and the room temperature drops?

'Cos at the moment it seems that I might as well open them up to the air rather than keeping them wrapped up.

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[Vossy1]

I suppose it depends how cold it was when you wrapped them, as you say they should be well insulated so might be colder for that reason. Other thoughts, were the towels completely dry, if not the avap of the water could cool the inside down :hmm: They could also just be holding the colder air from the night before like you say.

 

[wherespete]

I suppose it depends how cold it was when you wrapped them, as you say they should be well insulated so might be colder for that reason. Other thoughts, were the towels completely dry, if not the avap of the water could cool the inside down :hmm: They could also just be holding the colder air from the night before like you say.

Yep, absolutely dry towels.

This calls for further research, tomorrow morning first thing where i hope the bottle temp is warmer than the room temp!

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[PD]

when you first wrap them up...shove a hot water bottle in with them.....

Whatever the temps settle on...it will be constant. the room temp will fluctuate...the sun passing across the window draughts under the door etc...

 

[bomberns127]

insulation keeps in the cold as well as hot, over the night the temp will drop and because of the extended time in the cold it will stay cold for a long time, even the temp in your dining/room kitchen will vary greatly from floor to ceiling, the cold will help to clear your beer quicker so all to the good!
i brew ag and i have custom made insulation mats to use for my mash tun and boiler, helps even when im brewing in the garage.

 

[wherespete]

It is now 9am and the temperature in amongst the bottles is warmer than the surrounding room temperature.

As wisely noted by bomberns127, the insulation has kept the warm in and the cold out; and as piddledribble says: the temperature should remain constant.

Thanks for the advice, I feel more reassured!

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