Ambient brewing and conditioning : Scottish Summer

[DocAnna]

Suggestions please .

With my son at home my beer is being depleted faster than I can condition it at the moment. Just over a week ago I put about 50 litres of lager on and I’m doing an accelerated lager ferment (really cool first 8 days then v slow rise to ambient over a few days) but it will need at an absolute minimum a couple of weeks at really cold for me to be happy with it. So that’s my brew fridge going to be tied up with cold conditioning a lager in summer - yes I know I hadn’t thought this through.

So suggestions on a postcard please what can I make that I can ferment and condition at a Scottish garage variable ambient - about 12 overnight, 18 during the day. It will be a 50- 60 litre container so will be fairly resistant to rapid temperature fluctuations though. I know I ‘could’ make just about anything, but I don’t know if there’s a particular style that tolerates that sort of temperature range well? Thanks .

 

[SMP Brewery]

I brewed a Kolsch at 15 degrees that went down well

 

[Davvy]

Welcome to the obscure Scottish brewing method called "Airing-Cupboard brewing" !!

For myself, temperature control is usually a best practice guideline rather than a hard and fast rule....

Can I suggest basing your brew around an ale yeast that is resistant to these kind of conditions ; Crossmyloof varieties seem to suit my failings, and coupled with the fact that they usually ferment at such a rapid rate around 18-22 deg. celcius.
Alternatively I have had experience with AEB Fermolager from Geterbrewed which tolerates ale yeast conditions.

All the best,
David.

 

[Sadfield]

I think styles that have low yeast esters, robust malt and hop flavours as part of their profile would be the best, although like you said you could brew anything. Using yeasts that tolerate the lower temperature would help. I'm thinking Nottingham, W34/70 or WLP028.
Style wise, Porter, Baltic Porter, American Wheat, American Brown Ale, Wee Heavy....

 

[Clint]

I occasionally brew on the garage work bench during the summer. I still put a probe on the fv and wrap it up as,as you know the insulation works both ways. I don't switch the heat pad on though unless a snow storm is forecast.
As for beer styles...wheat,American wheat,SAISON!,English Ales.. pales or golden,yeasts as per style. All have been fine but I do weather watch and tend to put wheat or SAISON! on when it's hot. My go to yeast for English style Ales is Notty which seems happy at top or bottom end of temp range. What I've also used is kviek and pitched straight in at high 20's as that's as low as I could get it with my chiller! It throws a bit of orange marmalade flavour but it's not bad at all. For the others I chill as much as I can,put an airlock on it and pitch next day. With your temps you'd be ok for a pseudo lager with MJ cali lager which I've used loads and makes easy fake lager which I suspect your lad would chuck down his neck quite easily.

 

[Deadhead]

My method of temperature control for a long time was a fish tank heater, connected to a controlled, bucket into a big tub of water. Worked a treat for keeping temps around 20-22C. You may have most of these things lying around. Insulation helps (bubble wrap!) too prevent some of the swings, if you're using the heating pad method. If you can control to around 17C, I'd do a hefeweizen. You get great results at that temperature.

Otherwise, if not able to control at all, I'd a Scottish ale would probably work very well!

 

[dad_of_jon]

12 would be a bit cold for a cali common. otherwise that would be my choice.

 

[Nicks90]

A typical generic pale ale using Nottingham yeast would work well on these conditions
As you say, a 50l brew is pretty tolerant to ambient temp changes
Do a typical pale ale using MO and maybe a bit of crystal - hops to suit your taste and dose it with 2 packs of notties finest and leave it alone.

Job jobbed..

At those temps notty is a really clean fermentation and will give a really clear neutral brew, letting the hops show through

 

[Buffers brewery]

Suggestions please .

With my son at home my beer is being depleted faster than I can condition it at the moment. Just over a week ago I put about 50 litres of lager on and I’m doing an accelerated lager ferment (really cool first 8 days then v slow rise to ambient over a few days) but it will need at an absolute minimum a couple of weeks at really cold for me to be happy with it. So that’s my brew fridge going to be tied up with cold conditioning a lager in summer - yes I know I hadn’t thought this through.

So suggestions on a postcard please what can I make that I can ferment and condition at a Scottish garage variable ambient - about 12 overnight, 18 during the day. It will be a 50- 60 litre container so will be fairly resistant to rapid temperature fluctuations though. I know I ‘could’ make just about anything, but I don’t know if there’s a particular style that tolerates that sort of temperature range well? Thanks .

Not answering your question, but I had the same problem after brewing my first Pilsner. I got another secondhand (larder) fridge for £50 and another inkbird that I use for conditioning, freeing up the brew fridge. I’m sure it’ll come in handy at Christmas as well

 

[Clarence]

Suggestions please .

With my son at home my beer is being depleted faster than I can condition it at the moment. Just over a week ago I put about 50 litres of lager on and I’m doing an accelerated lager ferment (really cool first 8 days then v slow rise to ambient over a few days) but it will need at an absolute minimum a couple of weeks at really cold for me to be happy with it. So that’s my brew fridge going to be tied up with cold conditioning a lager in summer - yes I know I hadn’t thought this through.

So suggestions on a postcard please what can I make that I can ferment and condition at a Scottish garage variable ambient - about 12 overnight, 18 during the day. It will be a 50- 60 litre container so will be fairly resistant to rapid temperature fluctuations though. I know I ‘could’ make just about anything, but I don’t know if there’s a particular style that tolerates that sort of temperature range well? Thanks .

It seems to me that speed is of the essence and extended cold fermentation and conditioning are not really ideal. Why not knock up a psedo lager with lutra yeast? Say, 90% pilsner malt, 10% melanoidin light and bitter to about 35 ibus. Find a nice, fruity NZ hop for late additions. Get the heat mat out and try to ferment it in the very low 20s, it should take about 4 days, and then clear at ambiant for a week. Cold crash, package and condition. No need for a diacetyl rest. And Bob's your uncle. If you're using kegs, you could have it ready in a fortnight. Don't forget this yeast need loads of nutrient to be happy.

 

[prog99]

I brew, condition and store all my beers in the garage. I'm a bit further north but doubt it makes a difference.
Apart from a Czech lager I brewed last winter I think everything else (elderflower ipa, Belgium dubbel & a double dog kit) were summer brews.
Beware unexpected secondary fermentations in the warm weather.

 

[hoppyscotty]

I've just brewed a 'lager' with novalager at around 15 degrees C not under pressure, but the temp rage of nova lager covers the range in your OP so would work fine I'd imagine. My lager came out great. Riped through the beer in a few days, and I left it for a few more days to be sure and give it time to clean up. I then dryhopped for 36hrs before cold crashing and kegging.

 

[Druncan]

Just something to think about for the future,,,, I started out with 30L HDPE Speidel cider fermenters. Eventually I picked up some Acask keg jackets real cheap. They are brilliant Piped Cooling Jacket (30 Litre) and I discoverd they are very flexible how you can use them. I then got a Brandels sub zero shelf chiller and STC1000 modded it with a 100w electric radiator heater. Using glycol I could daisy chain three to a 300w chiller! The chiller now works on my conicals. Neat cost effective flexible system.

 

[DocAnna]

I'm just catching up after being away from all things digital yesterday - it was my son's graduation so we were out all day in Edinburgh, so a wee bit footsore today.

There's a lot of really good suggestions here and things to consider for longer term brewing capacity as well. @Buffers brewery - I already have two large fridges, one for fermentation temperature control and cold crashing, and one for the kegerator. I rather suspect another one might be pushing my luck for garage space, but some other form of temperature control is looking like the next logical step. @Druncan, those cooling jackets are interesting, and yes for the future something similar worth thinking about. Most of the time it's heating that's the issue rather than cooling for me as I usually brew lagers Autumn to spring. @Deadhead I'd forgotten I had a couple of mat heaters so I suspect the bubble wrapped insulation approach is probably the way to go.

I hadn't thought about a lager with something like Novalager or Lutra as haven't used these before, though using Nottingham and just fermenting at ambient as a neutral yeast is also appealing. @Clarence, you are right speed does come into this, but I'm also a bit of a fuss pot and want to make sure I make something I'd like rather than just for speed. I'm tempted to try and make a golden ale or best bitter style that will work for the summer if we do see that again in Scotland (It's been very wet the last 2 weeks).

 

[Cwrw666]

You could do a Czech pilsner using cml hell yeast - it has a temperature range of 12 to 19 and I couldn't tell much if any difference in the result at these extremes.
Also good for drinking young for getting most aroma from the saaz.

 

[Buffers brewery]

I already have two large fridges, one for fermentation temperature control and cold crashing, and one for the kegerator. I rather suspect another one might be pushing my luck for garage space,

Hi Doc. Not bragging but my fridge count is now standing at three and a half! . One in the conservatory for my barrelator, two in my shed for fermentation and conditioning and one in the garage that is our overflow food fridge/freezer where I store my hops. The secret is to spread them out so they're not so obvious

 

[Druncan]

If you don't have space for a house full of fridges,,hidden or otherwise disguised,, a STC1000 Elitech STC-1000HX Temperature Controller Thermostat, Upgrade STC-1000, Automatic Switch Cooling and Heating, ℃/℉, With NTC Temperature Probe Sensor and https://www.amazon.co.uk/Valdern-EL...47f-9478-f07063a0a7fa&pd_rd_i=B0816S98SR&th=1 in a shelf chiller/heater is possibly more compact?

 

[Clint]

"Footsore"
adjective,origin Scotland
Meaning,stinking hangover.

 

[DocAnna]

"Footsore"
adjective,origin Scotland
Meaning,stinking hangover.

TBH that a bit as well

 

[Clint]

On my "to do" list over the next couple of days.