Re-starting kit brewing, temperature control, ideas please.

[ericmark]

OK this time of year not really a problem, I have a demo under floor heating tile, about 20 watt, I put the fermenter on the tile, a sensor under a belt pressed hard against the side of fermenter, a home made controller a MH1210A and a STC-1000 and I just put a coat around the fermenter with the air lock through the neck. The whole thing is in an old garage converter to granny flat, used as store rooms.

Where the problem arises is as summer returns, and when I need to remove coat to stop over heating, and when I need to stop and have a summer break?

I have no real way to cool the brew, did try putting the fermenter in the bath, (we have two so bath in flat not used) but then it got too cold. So it is cooling I am looking at, without buying another brew fridge/freezer. All sorts of ideas I have had, including a load of pipe and a pump to pump bath water if getting too hot, but at moment it is simply I stop brewing in the summer.

So ideas please, to extend the brewing season. Old method was fridge freezer, started brew in freezer, which held temp down to 20ºC once 5 or more days had gone, moved to fridge with heating only, so could have two fermenters running at same time, worked on a 20 day brew time, first 5 at 20ºC rest at around 22ºC then bottled and bottles kept with the top fermenter in fridge at 22ºC I had it all cracked, then moved house, and fridge freezer has gone, did stop brewing and drank Morison's bitter at 4 cans for 90p, just not worth brewing at that price, then the Welsh government stepped in, and in Wales not £1.78 for same 4 cans, still 90p in England, so returning to home brewing, use 2 litre pop bottles, so Welsh government laws means about double the alcohol average per day, glad to say reverse to their intention. But don't want to get another brew fridge. So looking as easy method.

 

[Graz]

To be honest a brew fridge is your best bet so not sure why it's been ruled out and you already have an STC-1000 you could use to control it.

Under counter larder fridge - free (Freecycle, Gumtree, Facebook etc.) or minimal cost second hand from eBay.
Tube heater - 1 ft / 40W job around £15 eBay.

Pretty much all you need Fermentation Fridge Build - Brew Fridge.

 

[ericmark]

In fullness of time, Covid19 permitting I have a spare fridge freezer, house moves stalled, old house in lock down area, so don't want to get some thing which will at end of day be surplus to requirements.

Also the insulation on a fridge is too good, so start a brew off in a fridge even when 4 degs C and the fridge still runs, where with a simple coat over the fermenter the on time gently increases as the brew nears the conditioning stage, I actually cheat and use an energy monitor so I know when completed as power use increases.

So was looking at a cheap temporary way to brew, should I still not have my fridge/freezer back by when it start to warm up again. I have had all sorts of ideas, but no point re-inventing the wheel, so was hoping to see how others do it without a brew fridge.

 

[obscure]

Have you considered using Kweik yeast. Quite a few of them can be fairly neutral, I have had decent results with WHC Ubbe in my stouts and bitters it’s pretty neutral and ferments quite happily at 30 degrees plus. Also a lot of them the flavours can be quite complimentary I.e. I really like Omega Hot House in golden ales.

If you are looking for dried at the moment I think it’s just Voss that is widely available as a dry yeast (though I am happy to be corrected in this) with most of the commercial ones being liquid yeasts.

 

[terrym]

Consider using a water bath.
https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/how-to-set-up-a-water-bath-for-your-fv.66407/When you are done with it you can pack it away if it suits.
I use mine in all but the hottest of weather, which in the UK means only about four weeks a year. And even then you can change the water by replacing some of the water with chilled and/or using a wet towel to provide evaporative cooling.
But I normally just avoid brewing when its going to be really hot, or occasionally switch to a yeast that can handle the higher temperatures.
The other only thing I can't do with my water bath is brew lagers except in winter ambient temperatures, but thats not a problem because I rarely brew lagers using lager yeasts anyway.

 

[Clint]

The insulation could be a foot thick...the fridge will not kick in unless you programme the controller. If you put a brew in there at 20c and set the controller it'll probably not even switch the heater on.

 

[ericmark]

The insulation could be a foot thick...the fridge will not kick in unless you programme the controller. If you put a brew in there at 20c and set the controller it'll probably not even switch the heater on.

I found with old fridge the reverse was the problem, set at 19°C and with no cooling with garage at 10°C the brew it 25°C clearly the heat from the fermenting. but in the flat at around 15°C on a workmate with a 24 watt underfloor demo heating tile and a coat over fermenter set temp from 20°C to 22°C to condition, and 24 hours latter still not at 22°C.

There seems to be a balance, too much insulation and you need cooling, not enough and can't keep it warm enough, and to reach where beer is brewing it is down a set of steps and in the flat built in old garage under the house, one way good, as normally cool, so should be able to work with only heating, once at day 5 not a problem, one the brew does not produce much heat by day 5 and two even if it does warm up, does not really matter, temperature does not seem to be a problem after day 5 when conditioning.

But up to day 5, it is do I put a coat on it or not? Is 24 watt enough to regulate temperature.

 

[ericmark]

Well think it is a case of using some maths, 18ºC ambulant, set temperature to 24ºC and the energy meter shows

so it seems likely I can with a simple coat deal with around 8ºC to 10ºC with the 24 watt heater, it says I am using an average of 16 watt to hold at 6ºC over ambient.