[quote=“ed_brewer”]Here’s another rookie question. In regards to the swamp cooler. If I use an ice chest with ice packs/frozen water bottles, how do I know what the actual temp of the brew is? Can I use a stick on thermometer and if that’s the route would be submerged in water affect the reading?
As for the 1 gallon batches, I agree with the posters that I will probably want to expand fast but I’ve never tried home brew plus have no clue as to a recipe for a particular type of beer and quantities for 2.5 gallons. The pre-made mixes are for 1 gallon or 5 gallons. I guess I could check out the recipe section and get the ingredients but I really feel like right now the 1 gallon batches are the way for me to get my feet wet and see if this is something I would want to pursue.[/quote]
I use the stick-on tape like thermometer (Fermometer?) on the carboy. There is discussion about it’s accuracy but I figure it’s better than nothing and it seems fairly consistent.
It is placed at about the 4 gallon mark so it’s above the water bath.
I take a temp on the water bath periodically with a Thermopen. It’s not tough to keep the water in the 50’s with a decent ice chest and especially with the foil insulation above.
I understand your thoughts on the 1 gallon start up. Everything is easier to manage and less intimidating. I did the same thing and now have a 1 gallon jug and little auto siphon I don’t use.
I forgot to mention. The little bottle filler that comes or used to come with the 1 gallon kit is not good. It works on gravity and does not switch on and off effectively so it leaks. I would suggest a basic spring loaded filler so you don’t waste too much of that one gallon batch.
[quote=“Lost Hop”]I forgot to mention. The little bottle filler that comes or used to come with the 1 gallon kit is not good. It works on gravity and does not switch on and off effectively so it leaks. I would suggest a basic spring loaded filler so you don’t waste too much of that one gallon batch.
[quote=“mattnaik”][quote=“Lost Hop”]I forgot to mention. The little bottle filler that comes or used to come with the 1 gallon kit is not good. It works on gravity and does not switch on and off effectively so it leaks. I would suggest a basic spring loaded filler so you don’t waste too much of that one gallon batch.
Interesting. My gravity bottle filler worked so good I bought another one. The spring loaded ones are harder to clean IMO[/quote]
Pro tip… the end of the spring loaded one just slides off, giving you access to the plunger and spring for cleaning. Not “dunk and rinse” easy, but not difficult by any means.
[quote=“mattnaik”][quote=“Lost Hop”]I forgot to mention. The little bottle filler that comes or used to come with the 1 gallon kit is not good. It works on gravity and does not switch on and off effectively so it leaks. I would suggest a basic spring loaded filler so you don’t waste too much of that one gallon batch.
Interesting. My gravity bottle filler worked so good I bought another one. The spring loaded ones are harder to clean IMO[/quote]
My problems could have easily been operator error due to inexperience on maiden bottling voyage but the spring bottler has been a breeze in my skillet hands.
An ambient temp of 70 degrees with no help cooling your fermenter means the brew is probably 75 or higher. Fermentation produces heat. You need to actively cool the brew.
I have an old chest freezer big enough to fit two carboys and a Ranco temperature controller with a probe. I tape the probe to the side of a carboy and insulate a little with some bubble wrap to ensure it doesn’t fluctuate as much. This usually results in a temperature that matches the stick on thermometer pretty closely. Looking up “fermentation chamber” on google will give you quite a bit of examples of tons of different things.
For one gallon, I still would only do the swamp cooler method. A bucket with some water and a little bit of ice, plus an old t-shirt around the jug (with the bottom of the shirt in the water) will cool your beer drastically. I’ve never ruined a stick on thermometer this way.
Like I said, if you can focus on it for a few days, when the bulk of fermentation takes place, you’ll be fine. I changed ice packs out in the morning before I went to work and then when I got home, so it was a good 8-9 hours. This kept the beer cool enough easily. You will need to do that, though. If you want a “set it and forget it” method, you’ll need a bit more technology on your side. I set my temps to low 60’s, then after about a week I start to slowly raise it. After two weeks, I’m usually in the low 70’s to help finish it up.
An ambient temp of 70 degrees with no help cooling your fermenter means the brew is probably 75 or higher. Fermentation produces heat. You need to actively cool the brew.
I have an old chest freezer big enough to fit two carboys and a Ranco temperature controller with a probe. I tape the probe to the side of a carboy and insulate a little with some bubble wrap to ensure it doesn’t fluctuate as much. This usually results in a temperature that matches the stick on thermometer pretty closely. Looking up “fermentation chamber” on google will give you quite a bit of examples of tons of different things.
For one gallon, I still would only do the swamp cooler method. A bucket with some water and a little bit of ice, plus an old t-shirt around the jug (with the bottom of the shirt in the water) will cool your beer drastically. I’ve never ruined a stick on thermometer this way.
Like I said, if you can focus on it for a few days, when the bulk of fermentation takes place, you’ll be fine. I changed ice packs out in the morning before I went to work and then when I got home, so it was a good 8-9 hours. This kept the beer cool enough easily. You will need to do that, though. If you want a “set it and forget it” method, you’ll need a bit more technology on your side. I set my temps to low 60’s, then after about a week I start to slowly raise it. After two weeks, I’m usually in the low 70’s to help finish it up.[/quote]
I agree with your comments. If / when I graduate to the 5 gallon kits, I will go with the freezer and temp controller route. For now, I will try a 5 gallon bucket with ice packs and a shirt. I do have some reflective house wrap left over from when I built my house I could use to lay on top of the bucket to give a little extra insulation. I’ll also get a stick on thermometer just to get an idea of the temps.
I’ll experiment with this tonight and tomorrow to see where the temps are.
I do five gallon and three gallon batches. I use my laundry sink for my swamp cooler. One of those deep plastic ones. I raise the water level in the sink to about an inch below the level of the wort in the fermentor (so the fermentor won’t float). I place frozen water bottles–some 20 oz., some quarts, some 1/2 gallon–in the surrounding water till I get the temp of the water to the temp I want my fermenting wort. With experience you’ll know about what size and how many bottles at a time you need. Did an experiment once with a five gallon batch. At high krausen, beer temp was only one degree higher than the water temp in the cooler. This was with us-05 and temp was around 56 or 57. Turned out to be a great faux kolsch.
Did a test today with a 5 gallon bucket and a 1 gallon water jug. Filled the jug with 1 gallon water and the bucket about an inch or two below the level of the water.
Placed 3 20 oz frozen water bottles. Placed the bucket in my spare bath tub, covered with a towel. The ambient temp of my house during the day was 77 degrees. The temp of the gallon jug dropped to 68 degrees. Not sure how long the temp was at that level. When I returned home about 5 hours later the temp rose to 72 degrees.
So I replaced the two bottles with three and the temp dropped to 57 degrees. I will check the temp in the am to see where it stands.
My plan is to wrap the bucket with reflective foil wrap and place a piece over the top of the bucket. Hoping that will help with maintaining a more constant temp.
That leads to my question. How much harm will the temp fluctuation do to the beer if the temp swings 5 or so more degrees?
I will probably get a small fridge, like a 4.4 cu ft but would prefer one a little larger to accommodate a 5 gal jug or bucket when i upgrade.
For those who use a small fridge for fermentation, would a 5 gallon jug or bucket fit in a 4.4 cu ft fridge?
If I get a fridge, I’ll get a temp control to maintain constant temps.
If I was you and you’re already planning on purchasing a temp controller I would look at chest freezers. I think around $250 you can get one that will fit 2 carboys.
I’m sure that could be a problem. Using it as a fermenter you could just dry it out and clean it up between batches.
I’m about to fire up a kegerator built from a chest freezer and plan to try dessicants and/or a wireless dehumidifier. I also have a computer fan wired into it to move air around. No personal experience to relate yet.
Looked at a few. Heard the freezers have issues with mold. Any info on that?[/quote]
Keep it clean, and you’ll have no worries.
Clean any blow-off ASAFP, but with or without a freezer, focus on blow-off prevention more than clean-up.
My last blow off, over a year ago, was a light dribble through the airlock that was done before I found it. After removing the little puddle, I wiped everything down with Lysol wipes, replaced the airlock, and proceeded happily. The hard surfaces in the freezer were fine, but within a few days it was the brew-hauler that had a thick coat of fur. Gross.
Every now and then I’ll touch the freezer with a Lysol wipe, or some Clorox Clean-up, and in two+ years with the thing, that was the only mold incident. – and 20-20 hindsight says THAT was my own stupidity for not removing the brew-hauler.
Ordered my one gallon starter kit. Once I figure out the process, then I can upgrade to the 5 gallon kit for $60.
My question: once the brew is in the carboy and placed in the swamp cooler, would it be ok to place a 20 oz plastic bottle with a hole drilled in the top with a temp probe inserted to monitor the brew temp?
I realize for the first few days during the beginning stages of fermentation the brew temp will be higher then the temp in the 20 oz bottle. From what I read, the temp difference can be approx 6+ degrees higher, correct?
I am aiming for the lower end of the yeast temps (60-63 degrees) for the first 3-5 days or until bubbling is reduced or stopped.
I have a big Home Depot water cooler and simply made a top out of plastic saucer for a large plant. I drop a temp probe from a cheap Taylor panel mount thermometer(not mounted) into the water alongside the carboy and just sit it on top. Add ice or cold packs as needed for temp range desired. Works great. :cheers:
Just to be clear, you’re going to have a separate bottle in the swamp cooler with a temp probe in that bottle to monitor the brew temp?
You’re correct that the brew temp will be warmer than what temp your probe is reading. I would just tape the probe to the side of the jug, above the water line but in line with the wort in the jug. That should be close enough and skips an extra step that seems unnecessary.
In my chest freezer, all I do is tape the probe to the carboy below the wort line, then tape some bubble wrap around it so it doesn’t feel the direct cold from the freezer or heat from the seedling mat I have in there.
