Not even at the newby stage questions

[dan7hughes]

I've not bought any kit yet, just considering trying some home brewing. Excuse if I cover things already answered. But have a few doubts/questions:

1) Would I be able to brew in my unheated garage (linked to house so not completely freezing in winter but can get pretty cold)? I have read ales need warmer temperatures but what I have found is a bit vague about lager temperatures other than they ferment at lower temperatures. I guess it will take longer if colder, but not sure what would be a point where it wouldn't ferment at all.
2) If temperature is an issue would a heat belt be a reasonable solution? And how much electric do they use, I wouldn't want something that's going to cost a fortune.

3) With the ready made kits do you need to use the whole can in one go? Or could you use half a can, then use the remaining half of the can in the next batch? I prefer the idea of experimenting slightly so would prefer to do more smaller batches.

 

[BarnsleyBrewer]

Hi, and welcome to THBF.. :thumb:

You need to ferment beer anywhere between 18c and around 22c for best results.... Put a bowl of water in your garage overnight and check the water temp in the morning, if it's below 14c your way to cold..
As for heater belts or mats they cost very little to run because they're thermostatically controlled and very small heating elements, maybe around 100w??? :hmm: :hmm:

Best place to ferment this time of year is in a downstairs lobby with a stone or tiled floor..

Happy Brewing!! :drink:
BB

 

[rpt]

Welcome to the forum.

1. Saflager S-23 (a dry lager yeast) works from 9-22C (although 12-15C is recommended). Maybe other yeasts can go cooler.
2. A heat belt doesn't have a thermostat so risks getting your beer too warm. You can adjust the temperature by changing its height on the FV but it doesn't sound very reliable to me. You would need to add some sort of temperature controller e.g. STC-1000.
3. You could buy a two can kit and only use 1 can.

 

[bobsbeer]

Welcome : For ale you want to try and keep the temp between about 18-22c. If you can't keep it inside, I would consider a waterbath with a garden trug and a fishtank immersible heater keeping the waterbath at the right temp. A brewbelt or heated mat will also work but they tend to be less accurate or stable. All of those use very little electricity, If you are making a lager kit, they generally use ale yeast rather than lager yeast, so lagering is not required. As for using half the kit, no problem. You would be better off getting the more expensive 2 can kits and just use 1 can in half the volume. Malt extract is thick and sticky, even when warmed, so measuring half a can is neigh on impossible. But the good thing about homebrew is that there are only 2 rules. Keep everything clean, and don't worry. That's it. So go for it.

 

[Jester]

Brew Belts are good in this weather however as they are not thermostatically controlled the fermenting vessel can get too warm, a cheap trick for me was to use a mechanical timer and plug the belt into that - screwfix do one for a fiver.

Its a 24 hour clock that has a pin every 15 minutes - push the pin in to supply power and lift the pin out to turn off.

The best setting for me was to power up for 45 mins then turn off for 75 mins this seems to give a stable 18-20C and should the weather get colder I can tweak the timer to turn on for longer during the night.

Not the best solution I know but it a cheap way of having a bit more control over a brew belt

 

[BarnsleyBrewer]

Brew Belts are good in this weather however as they are not thermostatically controlled the fermenting vessel can get too warm, a cheap trick for me was to use a mechanical timer and plug the belt into that - screwfix do one for a fiver.

Its a 24 hour clock that has a pin every 15 minutes - push the pin in to supply power and lift the pin out to turn off.

The best setting for me was to power up for 45 mins then turn off for 75 mins this seems to give a stable 18-20C and should the weather get colder I can tweak the timer to turn on for longer during the night.

Not the best solution I know but it a cheap way of having a bit more control over a brew belt

Good Idea... :thumb:

BB :drink:

 

[mcc111]

If you like experimenting and a bit of DIY you could build yourself a brewing fridge to keep the temperature constant - there are a few guides on how to do that on this forum.
If you're doing kits, you won't need to worry about lager temperatures as even lager kits come with ale yeast (fermenting between 18 and 22 degrees C). Given that fermentation is exothermic, you might get away with simply using a small under-counter fridge from ebay (without a freezer compartment) and simply using it's insulation to keep the barrel warm - maybe a couple of blankets for extra protection from the elements as well.

I wouldn't use half a can and keep the other half as you risk getting it infected. You could, though, if you planned on using the two halfs at the same time - just use scales to ensure you get your amounts correct.

 

[rpt]

Some kits do come with true lager yeast so you need to check the instructions for the recommended temperature.

 

[dan7hughes]

Thanks for the replies - what an active, friendly and helpful forum you have got here! :