The churning of the wort from yeast activity pretty much guarantees even temperatures on the inside of the carboy. Heat transfers from liquid to the glass much better than from the glass to air, so the temperature of the glass itself should be virtually the same as the wort.
[quote=“ed_brewer”]Mike,
So you tape the temp probe to the outside of the carboy? How would that provide an accurate temp of the wort?[/quote]
It’s the closest you can get without it actually being inside the wort. It’s just as accurate as a stick on thermometer, probably +/- 2 degrees. The only way to be 100% accurate is to have a thermowell going into the fermenting wort with your probe in it. Most people will say that’s not needed and just a bit too much trouble.
I would say it’s way more accurate than a probe in a completely different bottle of liquid.
Ok, well, I have three remote thermometers I use for BBQ’g so will use one and tape to the outside.
I’m running a test again with the swamp cooler. The first one I did was with a 5 gal bucket. Didn’t wrap the bucket in insulation. Just wrapped the container with a shirt. The temps fluctuated quite a bit.
So this time I used an ice chest, one of the 5 day chests. Placed the container with 1 gallon of water, wrapped the container with a shirt and filled the cooler with water to within an inch of the water line in the container.
Initially I added a frozen liter bottle. Two hours later the temps dropped to about 68 degrees. Original water temp was 78 degrees.
I then added two frozen 20 oz bottles. Two hours later the temps were approx 56 degrees and held that temp through the night. I checked the temps at 5:30am and the temp was still 56 degrees.
The recipe kits I ordered show the range of the yeast to be 60-70 degrees. For the first 4 or 5 days during active fermentation, the wort will be warmer so I estimate the actual wort temp to be in the low 60’s, which would be where I want the temps to be.
Once i finish the boil and cool the wort to 70 degrees, then pitch the yeast, could I continue to cool the wort to say 60 degrees then transfer to the carboy and into the swamp cooler?
Or would it be best to place the wort in the carboy at 70 or so degrees and use cold water to fill my cooler to the appropriate level?
Also, if the wort temp stays in the high 50’s to low 60’s during the first 4-5 days of fermentation would that affect the final result?
I would assume that fermentation would not be quite as active and my prolong fermentation, so instead of two weeks, would possibly be closer to 3 weeks before bottling.
Thanks again for all the assistance for everyone. It’s great to know there is a place to ask newbie questions.
If you can only get the wort to 70 with your chiller, I would put it in the swamp cooler, let it drop to near 60, then pitch the yeast.
Which yeast is it? Most will work best at the lowest end of the range and many work fine below the manufacturers recommendations. They typically do ferment out a little slower, but the beer is much better. I normally keep it near the low end for the first several days then slowly let it rise after that. How far low to start and how high to finish would depend on the yeast and the style.
Even when they do finish active fermentation in 7 to 10 days, I still give it a minimum of 3 weeks before I move the beer off the yeast. The yeast will clean up some of the fermentation byproducts.
Another option for fermentation temp controls is “son of fermentation chamber.” Apparently they work awesome and can be built for $70 or $80 bucks. There is a pdf of the plans on the web if you just Google what’s in quotes. (For some reason, I never heard of it until recently.)
How are you measuring the temperature? If you’re thermometer or probe is right on your carboy, then reading at 56 degrees is a bit low. There’s a big difference when looking at the air ambient temp and wort temp, but not on the outside of the carboy and the wort temp. You’re using a 1 gallon jug right? I can tell you that there is not much temp difference between the outside glass on the jug and the liquid inside. Maybe 1 degree but probably less than that.
You could chill to that temp (56 or so) and pitch, then let it free rise to about 60-64 degrees and hold it there. That would be ideal for your yeast. I wouldn’t hold it any lower than 60, but that’s just me. I have read about slow starts and stalls at temps in the 50’s. Remember, with one gallon of wort it doesn’t take much to chill it, so find a happy medium with the ice and keep it consistent.
Lower temps usually keep fermentation a little more controlled, yes. Risk of blow off is lower and you’ll get some of the better flavors out of the yeast. Yes, it also may take a little longer, but you can let it rise into the low 70’s at the end to help finish up. Higher (above recommended) temps at the initial start of fermentation result in wild and quick fermentations and lots of hot alcohols.
The best way to tell when fermentation is complete is to measure the specific gravity using a hydrometer. That is kind of a waste of beer to do that with only a one gallon batch IMO, but with five gallon batches I always take a few samples. In your case, I would wait 3-4 weeks then bottle. It’s best not to rush it. You’re almost always rewarded for waiting a little longer.
I use a Rubbermaid tote for most of my brews. I found I get better control if I put in enough water to where the fermenter will almost float. Over the last year I have been measuring the temp of the water and comparing it to the actual temp of the wort and it’s always within a half of a degree. I use 2 frozen one liter bottles and swap them out every 12 hours or so and I cover the tote with a sleeping bag. The sleeping bag is key. I currently have a mead going and have maintained 62 degrees for the past week. 3 years ago I did a Vienna Lager at 50 degrees and it turned out great.
:cheers:
[quote=“Templar”]How are you measuring the temperature? If you’re thermometer or probe is right on your carboy, then reading at 56 degrees is a bit low. There’s a big difference when looking at the air ambient temp and wort temp, but not on the outside of the carboy and the wort temp. You’re using a 1 gallon jug right? I can tell you that there is not much temp difference between the outside glass on the jug and the liquid inside. Maybe 1 degree but probably less than that.
You could chill to that temp (56 or so) and pitch, then let it free rise to about 60-64 degrees and hold it there. That would be ideal for your yeast. I wouldn’t hold it any lower than 60, but that’s just me. I have read about slow starts and stalls at temps in the 50’s. Remember, with one gallon of wort it doesn’t take much to chill it, so find a happy medium with the ice and keep it consistent.
Lower temps usually keep fermentation a little more controlled, yes. Risk of blow off is lower and you’ll get some of the better flavors out of the yeast. Yes, it also may take a little longer, but you can let it rise into the low 70’s at the end to help finish up. Higher (above recommended) temps at the initial start of fermentation result in wild and quick fermentations and lots of hot alcohols.
The best way to tell when fermentation is complete is to measure the specific gravity using a hydrometer. That is kind of a waste of beer to do that with only a one gallon batch IMO, but with five gallon batches I always take a few samples. In your case, I would wait 3-4 weeks then bottle. It’s best not to rush it. You’re almost always rewarded for waiting a little longer.[/quote]
I’m using a thermapen to measure the water temp inside of the plastic jug. Once I get my kit, I’ll tape a temp probe to the outside of the carboy but for this I only used the thermapen.
My kit should arrive on Thursday and I’m trying to get the temps within a certain range during the day. I leave at 6am for work. My wife goes home for lunch around noon so I can have her add a frozen bottle to keep the temps stable. At this point just trying to determine if the 20 oz bottles are better than the liters or 2 liter bottles. I find the 20 oz bottles do not last so I’m going to try the liter bottles tonight through tomorrow, hoping I can get the temps to hold steady around 60 degrees.
If I can’t get the temps to hold steady then the only other options are to get a fridge/freezer with a temp comtroller or build a Son of fermentator. I looked at the plans but can’t get the 2inch insulation board. The thickest I can find locally is 3/4 inch so I would have to double up but still would not get to 2" unless I use 1/2" plywood in between the foam board.
Without a doubt.
I thought the 2nd thing that improved my brewing was a wort chiller.
[quote=“JohnnyB”]If you can only get the wort to 70 with your chiller, I would put it in the swamp cooler, let it drop to near 60, then pitch the yeast.
Which yeast is it? Most will work best at the lowest end of the range and many work fine below the manufacturers recommendations. They typically do ferment out a little slower, but the beer is much better. I normally keep it near the low end for the first several days then slowly let it rise after that. How far low to start and how high to finish would depend on the yeast and the style.
Even when they do finish active fermentation in 7 to 10 days, I still give it a minimum of 3 weeks before I move the beer off the yeast. The yeast will clean up some of the fermentation byproducts.
Another option for fermentation temp controls is “son of fermentation chamber.” Apparently they work awesome and can be built for $70 or $80 bucks. There is a pdf of the plans on the web if you just Google what’s in quotes. (For some reason, I never heard of it until recently.)[/quote]
I have not started the brew process yet. My kit should arrive Thursday. Would like to make a batch on Friday but I’m trying to get the temps stable or within the low end of the range for the yeast.
As for the yeast type, not sure as it was included in the kit. I’m certain it is dry yeast.
I want to try and keep the temps in the 60-62 range for the first 4-5 days then I can let it slowly rise but don’t want to get any higher than 70 degrees.
I’ve been trying to find a used compact fridge or chest freezer but nothing in my area. When I’m not looking for them they are everywhere. I can get a new compact fridge for about $119, which is a 3.3 cubic foot. I’m sure a 6.5 gallon bucket with the airlock would fit but I need to measure the inside to make sure. In addition to the fridge cost, the temp controller is about $65-70.
I also looked at the plans for the son of fermentation chamber. It would be much less cost than a fridge and temp controller but I cant find 2 inch foam board. I could use the 3/4 inch board and glue 1/2 inch plywood in-between the foam to make up 2". I think it would work and may try that first before going the fridge or freezer route.
I have picked up some Danby keg fridges. They’re good as a 2nd fridge for beer bottles, kegging, and fermenting.
I recently picked up a 2nd keg fridge since my first one usually had 2 kegs and wanted to extend my brewing season. I normally did most of my brewing during the non-summer months. My job and family made it a little harder to focus so much time on brewing during the winter.
[quote=“s2y”]I have picked up some Danby keg fridges. They’re good as a 2nd fridge for beer bottles, kegging, and fermenting.
I recently picked up a 2nd keg fridge since my first one usually had 2 kegs and wanted to extend my brewing season. I normally did most of my brewing during the non-summer months. My job and family made it a little harder to focus so much time on brewing during the winter.[/quote]
I saw those at HD or Lowes. what size you have? and will a 6.5 gal bucket fit with the airlock?
Before I left the house this morning, the bottles of ice had melted. So I figured the temps would start to rise so I added another 20 oz frozen bottle. My wife checked the temps around noon and the temp had dropped to 53 degrees. So I asked her not to add any bottles so I can see how the temps look when I get home.
Since the ice chest is insulated, might only have to add one bottle in the am and maybe one at night to get my temps closer to 60.
Need to figure this out soon as I would like to brew my first batch Friday or Saturday.
[quote=“ed_brewer”]
I saw those at HD or Lowes. what size you have? and will a 6.5 gal bucket fit with the airlock?[/quote]
Mine is a little more than 28 inches tall inside. My newer one has a thermostat inside, but it’s to the right and not in the center.
Some of my glass carboys have been a snug fit.
