Winter Cellar

[Brownbeard]

I ferment my beers in the cellar of my 90 year old house. It gets pretty chilly down there in the winter, but I don't want to switch to lagers. I really prefer drinking ale. I know I will be in the mid 50's for temps most of the winter. Any tips on how to keep my fermenter at a warmer temp in those cold months? I am considering a "brewing belt", but they do not suggest using it with glass carboys. I have also considered the opposite of the wet t-shirt, using an old heavy winter coat around the carboy. Any other northern states brewers got any clues?

[YamahaXS]

1) allow more time for ferment.
2) keep the beer off the floor.
3) I use a belt on my carboys.... i didn't know i wasn't supposed to...in conjunction with a warm towel to stabilize the temp and keep cold drafts off the vessels.
4) consider an ale with a lager yeast. Wyest california lager yeast is nice, but give it plenty of time to age.
5) I have the luxury of a bit of duct work, so I can open a vent that warms my fermentation area.

[b3s]

another option -- space heater with a little barn switch timer...but not too close!

also, well, fermentation will raise the temp of the beer.

[frspinale]

I've heard of people building a box large enough to hold 4 or 5 carboys. Covering the carboys with a blanket and heating the inside of the box with a lightbulb. Increasing the wattage of the bulb to raise temp to desired level or vice versa.
The blanket keeps the light away and helps insulate the carboys.

[YamahaXS]

Originally posted by frspinale
I've heard of people building a box large enough to hold 4 or 5 carboys. Covering the carboys with a blanket and heating the inside of the box with a lightbulb. Increasing the wattage of the bulb to raise temp to desired level or vice versa.
The blanket keeps the light away and helps insulate the carboys.

i wonder if my mom would knit me some Carboy Coats. :)

[Brownbeard]

I am seriously considering heading to goodwill and getting a heavy coat for the carboy. It should not get any colder than the mid to low 50's.

[Tweek]

The problem wih the heavy coat or blanket idea is that it will not work for a long time. Once the beer is done fermenting it will be done generating heat, and the heat will dissapate, having a coat on it will slow this process (carefull you dont get it too warm during high krausen) but will not keep them warm for more than a little while.

edit- I too have never heard that you are not supposed to use brewbelts with glass. I think that may not be true, hopefully the belt is never heating past the tolerance of the glass or your beer would cook.

[Brownbeard]

But once the beer is finished fermenting, is the temperature as important?

[Brownbeard]

Originally posted by Tweek
edit- I too have never heard that you are not supposed to use brewbelts with glass. I think that may not be true, hopefully the belt is never heating past the tolerance of the glass or your beer would cook.

This came from the Northern Brewer web site and catalog, where I would be ordering from. B3 has a carboy heater that looks a little more advanced.

[kevin]

couldn't you just put it behind a chair in the livingroom and when the better half ask "what is that doing there" you just reply "I wonder how that got there?" then you could say "he looks busy I better leave it there for a couple more days"

[Brownbeard]

Wyeast Scottish Ale 1728! I am going to be a Scotch ale drinking son of a gun this winter. Temps run 55-70. Wonder if you could do a stout with scotch ale yeast? It says it is good for all high gravity ales.

[ray m]

Could be an interesting plan, brownbeard.....give it a try!