Summer is coming.....

[brewmonkey]

Well the warm weather is upon most of us and soon it will be for everyone else. Well there are many posts about wort cooling and warm weather brewing, I thought I would start a sticky thread on methods people are using to beat the heat. I know here where I am ambient water runs into the high 70's and low 80's making cooling difficult.

So lets hear your methods and ideas on cooling solutions for both wort and how to keep fermentation temps down during the warmer months.

[wortchillergoal]

I use a long lead hose, from faucet to chiller, and use the ice cream making trick. I fill sink with ice and rock salt to get a very cold ice bath. I stuff as much of the hose possible into the sink.

My fermentation is easy as my cellar only gets to 70 at best no matter the outside temp.

[laneto]

Living in AZ its already over 100 degrees for the highs. I use a pre-chiller before sending the water into my immersion chiller to cool wort. During fermentation I wrap my carboy in a tee shirt and then wrap a swamp cooler pad around that and put it in a tub of water. I use a small fountain pump to pump water to the top of the carboy and put holes in some tubing so the water disperses evenly and soaks the cooler pad. I then use a small desk fan to blow air across the cooler pad and can usually drop the temp 10-15 degress. I keep my thermostat set at 78 so it works pretty good for me.

[tyesai]

I ususally just have to quit brewing, here in Arkansas it is really almost already to warm to keep brewing, the house is around 80-85 during the day, but this year I think I am going to get a fridge. As far as cooling the wort, I use the sink as an ice tub method also.

[wild]

I'm in the same boat as laneto. Living in the heart of AZ brings on some extremely warm weather. At this point I'm only doing partial boils and can chill my wort in a sink full of ice water with a slow runoff into the second sink. It'll be down to 110 in 20 minutes then I can top it off with refrigerated water to finish it off at 70 degrees.
As for fermenting, I'm lucky enough to own a second chest freezer to act as my fermenter.

W

[fuji6100]

I typically leave my fermenter/carboy in a water bath with the t-shirt method and a fan on it. This usually keeps it about 3-4 degrees below room temps, which I try not to let get above 75 (but sometimes it happens when I'm not at home... we get temps in the 90's in Georgia, sometimes 100+)

For cooling my wort, I use the same method I use in the winter. I put my pot into cold tap water (fill up the sink) and let sit 10 minutes. I let the water down the drain, put new water in, stir the wort with a sanitized spoon, and let sit 10 more minutes. Drain, add more water, add Ice this time, let sit 20 minutes.

I usually get it down to about 75-80 degrees this way, and since I only boil 3.5 gallons, I have another 1.5 gallons of room temp sterilzed water in my fermenter, so the final temp for pitching comes out around 72-74.

[BeerBelly]

I made a PreChiller out of copper tubing. I put it is a cooler full of ice (and beer) I run my water hose thru it into my wort chiller. Works pretty well. Right now my carboy is in the hall closet in the house, it stays about 72-74 with the AC running. I might have to figure out something better when we move into the new house. I dont think my wife will let me keep it in the new house.

[Dropzone]

I use a wort chiller hooked up to my cold water outlet for my wash machine. The outlet of the wort chiller goes into the wash machine. So once my wort is 75*F, I aerate , pitch the yeast, toss it in the primary, and do a load of laundry. :D

Of course, the ambiant temp that day was 72*. If the temps were warmer... around 80*F, I'd do the same as above, and then chill it down atleast another 5 degrees w/ an ice bath.

Does anyone have a chiller large enough to run wort through copper coils immersed in an ice bath? Eventually, I wouldn't mind converting to that method of cooling....

[O2 Mash]

Originally posted by Dropzone
I use a wort chiller hooked up to my cold water outlet for my wash machine. The outlet of the wort chiller goes into the wash machine. So once my wort is 75*F, I aerate , pitch the yeast, toss it in the primary, and do a load of laundry.

Of course, the ambiant temp that day was 72*. If the temps were warmer... around 80*F, I'd do the same as above, and then chill it down atleast another 5 degrees w/ an ice bath.

Does anyone have a chiller large enough to run wort through copper coils immersed in an ice bath? Eventually, I wouldn't mind converting to that method of cooling....

Wow!! You get the Homebrewer Environmentalist Award for that one! Good Job :D

[Dropzone]

Originally posted by O2 Mash
Wow!! You get the Homebrewer Environmentalist Award for that one! Good Job :D

Hehe, thanks. Can't waste all that water since I'm paying for it. ^-^ Uncle Sam doesn't pay me all that much. ^-^ Hey, I like your signature block, btw. If that were true, then I should be able to get my own brewpub when funds become available since the wife supports my homebrew 100%. When I get myself a beer, I gotta make sure to pour her one or else there will be hell to pay. 'course, she also helps, which is nice when I need another set of hands. ^-^

[O2 Mash]

Hey thanks. The signature block quote is stolen, but I just couldn't help myself. Saw it on a website once.

You gotta love the wife being behind you 100% on the homebrew. My wife is pretty tolerant, but she has no interest in helping. She may fetch a spoon or thermometer now and then, but that's as far as it goes. The important thing is she lets me spend the money, finding the time is what kills me. I will often wake up at 5:00AM to brew on a weekend, that way I'm done by 10:00AM to do family stuff.

[stronk]

Ha! I've just had a (brilliant?) idea:

Fast cooling is essential for precipitating proteins, yes?

Oxygenation of the wort is useful for short lag-times.

So: why not fill a keg with enough water to dilute the boiled wort to the batch size (leaving at least 2/3 head space in the keg) and then pressurise the keg with oxygen. You could then cool the water in a freezer to less than 0*C without it freezing (because it is under considerable pressure). To cool the wort, depressurise the keg quickly and pour the contents directly into the hot wort. If you got the water temperature right, the wort would not freeze and would bubble with oxygen, oxygenating the wort fantastically well. This would cut down on cooling times and on the proteins left in the wort due to the extremely quick cooling. Pitch the starter directly after dilution (and temperature reading!) and away you go!

Would that work?

[Fast_Eddy]

Originally posted by stronk
Ha! I've just had a (brilliant?) idea:

Fast cooling is essential for precipitating proteins, yes?

Oxygenation of the wort is useful for short lag-times.

So: why not fill a keg with enough water to dilute the boiled wort to the batch size (leaving at least 2/3 head space in the keg) and then pressurise the keg with oxygen. You could then cool the water in a freezer to less than 0*C without it freezing (because it is under considerable pressure). To cool the wort, depressurise the keg quickly and pour the contents directly into the hot wort. If you got the water temperature right, the wort would not freeze and would bubble with oxygen, oxygenating the wort fantastically well. This would cut down on cooling times and on the proteins left in the wort due to the extremely quick cooling. Pitch the starter directly after dilution (and temperature reading!) and away you go!

Would that work?

I had to read this a couple of times to get the idea -- I've been drinking a little bit - it is Thursday after all..

So you're proposing cooling the wort with very cold highly oxygenated water, right? I can't think of a problem with this approach for partial boil extract brewers.

Recently there have been some grumblings about excessive oxygenation of a wort - but I don't think this would approach those boundaries. Maybe slightly cost prohibitive.

[stronk]

It's the oxygen tank that'd be expensive. The rest of the stuff is standard fare for kegerators.

[Fast_Eddy]

Originally posted by stronk
It's the oxygen tank that'd be expensive. The rest of the stuff is standard fare for kegerators.

The O2 and maybe an additional keg and room to cool the keg(I keep four beers on tap at all times - so no real room to cool down a keg of water). Seems to me the added benefit might be small compared to using a chiller and aerating it by hand.

[I'mRocketMan]

So far I've only done mini-mashes... I chill 3 gallons of spring water in the freezer while I'm brewing (they end up at ~34*). I pour 1 gal into the fermenter and then while I pour the wort in, my assistant pours the other two gallons into the 'stream' of wort to help oxygenate and cool. Aerate well while stirring, take a temp reading and if it's still too warm, put the wort chiller in..

Cheers! Rocket

[BREWERDLUX]

I chill mine using my well water.. My well is 54 foot deep and the water comes out cool, even in the middle of summer...

[dirt1016]

I have the same delima, I live in an apartment ABOVE a barn so it gets hot. I am trying to think of a way to keep the carboy cold enough for fermenting. I am searching for a mini fridge that will hold a 6.5 gallon carboy but I don't think one exists. I don't think my landlord will like having my ac on all day to keep my beer cool!

[fretlessman71]

I've heard of people setting their carboy in a big plastic washtub, taking a sweatshirt and placing it over the carboy (as if it were cold), and filling the washtub with enough ice to reach the sweatshirt and top off with water. Might work....

PS: Welcome to the forum! :)

[BREWERDLUX]

I built me a small walk-in fridge that I keep my draft beer in. Same principle could work for a mini fridge. I used a full size fridge and removed both doors. I built a wooden box the same height as the fridge and about 3 foot deep. Insulated it and mounted it to the front of the fridge with banding material. mounted the original doors on the outside of the box for access. With the fridge and the freezer it stays about 38 degrees. Add you a thermostat and you can ferment as high or low as you want.

[dirt1016]

What do you use for insulation? I am thinking of that thin, hard stuff. I don't know what it is called.

Thanks For welcoming me to the site. I just found it. I have been making home brew for about a year but have been a beer lover since my first sip!!!!!!!

[BREWERDLUX]

I went a refrigeration shop and bought the stuff they actually line fridges with R- level out the a$$. Was kinda expensive, but works well. I bet home depot has something close. I just stapled mine in and then covered it with thick plastic so it is easy to clean. I can sit 9 corneys in it all on the floor and I could stack more if I needed.

[Fast_Eddy]

Originally posted by BREWERDLUX
I went a refrigeration shop and bought the stuff they actually line fridges with R- level out the a$$. Was kinda expensive, but works well. I bet home depot has something close. I just stapled mine in and then covered it with thick plastic so it is easy to clean. I can sit 9 corneys in it all on the floor and I could stack more if I needed.

Damn - 9 cold kegs - next time I'm going to your house ;)

[BREWERDLUX]

Bring it on Brother! Road trip to the Metropolis of Clyde, Texas.
Kind of bare in there now. I only have 4 kegs.

[toneyc]

Originally posted by BREWERDLUX
Bring it on Brother! Road trip to the Metropolis of Clyde, Texas.
Kind of bare in there now. I only have 4 kegs.

I'm in the same boat! I need to take a week off from work and brew every day so I'll have some in the pipeline long enough to let it sit in secondary for 3-4 weeks. Hmmmmm, or go to 10-gallon batches...

Edit: Metropolis! You ain't kidding! You are *way* out in BFE!

:)
Toney.

[BREWERDLUX]

I have spent allot of time in Bastrop when I was in the Guard. Camp Swift if I remember. Not much in Bastrop proper, but a good area.

[davesarman]

Originally posted by toneyc
I need to take a week off from work and brew every day so I'll have some in the pipeline long enough to let it sit in secondary for 3-4 weeks.

I did that once...I had entered a homebrew competition and one of my entries, a wheat beer, won it's category. One of my prizes was 30 lbs. (!) of wheat malt extract in a single container. Not wanting to open the container and then reseal, I decided to use it all up by brewing about 4 or 5 different styles of wheat beer. (I think I did a hefe, a dunkel, a Belgian Wit, a raspberry wheat, and a Berlinner Weisse) That was a fun few days, and much wheat beer was had that summer! :p

[O2 Mash]

Originally posted by BREWERDLUX
I built me a small walk-in fridge that I keep my draft beer in. Same principle could work for a mini fridge. I used a full size fridge and removed both doors. I built a wooden box the same height as the fridge and about 3 foot deep. Insulated it and mounted it to the front of the fridge with banding material. mounted the original doors on the outside of the box for access. With the fridge and the freezer it stays about 38 degrees. Add you a thermostat and you can ferment as high or low as you want.

BREWERDLUX:
Can you post a picture of your setup? I just got a used standard size refridgerator and my plans are to do exactly what you did, except I was planning on leaving the freezer door in place. I was only going to extend the refridgerator section. Your idea sounds great (more room), but I'd worry about it getting too cold.

[BeerBelly]

Originally posted by BREWERDLUX
I built me a small walk-in fridge that I keep my draft beer in. Same principle could work for a mini fridge. I used a full size fridge and removed both doors. I built a wooden box the same height as the fridge and about 3 foot deep. Insulated it and mounted it to the front of the fridge with banding material. mounted the original doors on the outside of the box for access. With the fridge and the freezer it stays about 38 degrees. Add you a thermostat and you can ferment as high or low as you want.

Man we have GOT to have pictures!!! This sounds like a stroke of engineering genius.

[thebeerbellian]

Hello, new to the forum. I've read some of the threads and found them interesting. I live in Ohio so the weather here is pretty much unpredictable in the spring and early summer, I also happen to work as an H.V.A.C. service tech which makes it possible for me to get my hands on second hand cooling equipment. I am just putting the finishing touches on a chamber made from an window air conditioner and a packing crate, it can house my fermenter and keep it at 70 to 50 degrees F. I also have an idea for chilling the wort which involves a sump pump (small one) and an ice bath. Just put the pump in an immersion of ice and water and run it through the chiller. I do have a question for some of the more experienced out there. I have been having trouble with Imperial Stouts, I can't seem to get good carbonation from them any ideas?

[BREWERDLUX]

I will take couple of pictures and try and post them for ya. I have had mine for about 5 years now and (knock on wood) I have had no trouble. Mine sits out in the garage. I will take a digital camera home from work and shoot a couple. I am technically challenged when it comes to photograghs.

[BREWERDLUX]

L

[BREWERDLUX]

L

[BREWERDLUX]

Lets see if I can figure out how to put in these photos. First otwo should be outside shots of my fridge setup and then the third one is of the inside. There is only three cornys in here now but with proper placement I have had nine in there at one time. I need to add more taps I think.
first A:\Mvc-001f.411
second A:\Mvc-002f.411
third A:\Mvc-003f.411

[BREWERDLUX]

help me here folks... How do I attatch these images

[Fast_Eddy]

Do "Post Reply" then click the attach file button.

[BREWERDLUX]

lets see

C:\WINNT\Profiles\bellj\Desktop\Mvc-001f.jpg

[BREWERDLUX]

Still cant access them.Im doing something really wrong.

[BREWERDLUX]

Desktop\Mvc-001f.jpg

[fretlessman71]

OK... seems to work. Here's very direct instructions for you brewerdlux:

At the bottom of the Reply box, you'll see 3 sections: Options, Attach file, and Rate this Thread. Attach file is the one you want.

Click the "Browse" button next to the text window, and a screen should pop up showing you your files in your computer. If you know where these pics are filed, simply go to that file, and select the pic you want, and click "Open". The file directory will appear in the text box.

Submit your post, and the pic should appear as an attachment, as my post did just above.

Hope this helps!

[BREWERDLUX]

lts see again.

[BREWERDLUX]

thanx Fret..... Im soooooo stuuupid.

[BREWERDLUX]

and third

[fretlessman71]

Originally posted by fretlessman71
I'm going to try to post a pic and see if I know how to do it...

Heeheehee.... "Hey buddy! You ever seen a picture of a Guinness in a pint glass?" "HUH??!!?!?!??! You got one of those?" "Sure! Here, buddy, take a look...." SHEESH! It's just a beer, guys.... maybe to keep it interesting, I'll edit the post and change the attachment just to keep you guessing. Then again, maybe it's the homebrew IPA talking.... :p

[Fast_Eddy]

Originally posted by fretlessman71
Heeheehee.... "Hey buddy! You ever seen a picture of a Guinness in a pint glass?" "HUH??!!?!?!??! You got one of those?" "Sure! Here, buddy, take a look...." SHEESH! It's just a beer, guys.... maybe to keep it interesting, I'll edit the post and change the attachment just to keep you guessing. Then again, maybe it's the homebrew IPA talking.... :p

Errrrrr.....OK? WTF are you talking about fret?

[toneyc]

Breathe, Fret, Breathe! Obviously, the higher altitude and lower oxygen content of the air in Fort Collins is getting to him.

:D
Toney.

[fretlessman71]

I'm talking about the fact that people have downloaded my test pic of a beer 13 times! OK, nobody knows what the pic is until they download it, but it's still funny. What if I changed the pic every so often? What if the next time you clicked on that pic there was a very strange looking man holding a bass and jumping around with an evil look on his face? Or maybe there's going to be a guy holding his cat on a serving tray? Or MAYBE....... :D

[O2 Mash]

Originally posted by BREWERDLUX
help me here folks... How do I attatch these images

Brewerdlux:
Nice setup. I have been looking for this link for a while, but could not find it. I am doing the same thing and will be done with my project by the end of the weekend, I just hope that the temperature is turns out okay. I guess I won't know until I try it out.

A question for you.... I have taken off the freezer door and the refridgerator door and have built a plywood box around the opening. I will be reattaching only the fridge door to the front of the plywood box. Now, there are two temp controllers inside the fridge, one for the fridge and one for the freezer. Does anyone know the best way to set these controls to give me optimum temperature? I also don't want to burn out the compressor by doing something wrong. Any refridgeration guys out there?

Thanks, O2

[BREWERDLUX]

O2 my set uses an older fridge and it only had the one control knob, but as long as it is insulated well and is close to air tight it will be fine. You do want it to shut off so you dont burn it up I would think.

[thebeerbellian]

Hey, got a kick out of all the entrys since my last post. A lot of creative thinkers out there. Like I said last time. I found a window air conditioner and a crate. With a little electrical knowledge and some beer inspired creativety man can do anything. Does anyone out there have a recipe for Sam Adams Summer Ale? Please let me know.

[SoxyinMO]

Oh man! We decided that being low on beer sucked, (two batches bubbling in the basement, one batch in bottles, but nothing ready) so we did a batch in the kitchen last weekend when it was 50 bazillion degrees. Not the end of the world except a certain someone pointed a fan at the stove! It took FOREVER (like three hours) for the brew to reach the right temp. We couldn't figure out what was going on. ARG! We were sweating like, er, sweating things. It was awful! It will be interesting to see what cooking all that time did to the flavor.

The chilling went pretty fast thanks to the well water...and once it was over we were quite happy to have another batch in the basement, but sheesh.

p.s. we were obviously looking ahead, not counting on having the beer now. You knew that, and I know you knew that, but I wasn't sure if you knew I knew that. I don't even know if I know my name at this point.

[Neill]

Sorry about coming in pretty late on this thread.

For an extract brewer is there any problem with directly iceing the water in the bin fermenter?

Thats what I just did the other week after my first summer brewing and getting a couple of hot fermentings. I froze a three food frade freezer bags and dumped the large ice blocks straight into 2 gallons of water in the bin. When the wort had finished boiling I strained and sparged it directly onto the iced water and stired until the ice had melted. The temperature reached 20°C in about 2-3 mins. Then I controlled the fermenting with the wet t-shirt method.
The fermentation seemed very healthy and sustained.

One of my problems outside the hot weather is that the tap water here is rarely cold, I supose I'll have to use a pre-chiller for a wort chiller when I move on to a full mash, but I haven't got all the apparatus yet. Then again we just got a new fridge and I managed to convince the missus to keep the old one, just got to find a good place for it.

[Neill]

I froze a three food frade freezer bags

That should of course read < I froze three food grade freezer bags> :D