How to keep cool

Gioginnelli · Jun 23, 2020

I've recently bottled my 2nd homebrew [Youngs IPA].

Currently following guidelines of keeping in a warm ish place for 2 weeks, not a problem as we're now in for some hot weather.

After the 2 weeks i'll need to keep cool for a while, although there is no place available that is going to be under 21 degrees, certainly not with the hot weather now due. Realistically, how cold should i achieve and what options are there to reduce the temperature of bottled beer? Keeping them in a tub full of ice, and topping it up? Putting a fan on them? Some sort of specialist product like a heat jacket in reverse?

Help and opinions much appreciated!

Bobtheblob · Jun 23, 2020

Fridge?

Galena · Jun 23, 2020

Im thinking I am going to buy a fridge just for this purpose

MmmBeer · Jun 23, 2020

Put them in a large bowl of water and drape a towel, or similar over the bottles and dangling into the water. As the water evaporates off the surface of the towel, it will chill the bottles.

Gioginnelli · Jun 23, 2020

Yes, fridge is ideal, but I've got the conditioning phase to do and the fridge isn't allowed?

Gioginnelli · Jun 23, 2020

MmmBeer said:
Put them in a large bowl of water and drape a towel, or similar over the bottles and dangling into the water. As the water evaporates off the surface of the towel, it will chill the bottles.

I have the fermenting bucket I can use!

RGeats · Jun 23, 2020

Gioginnelli said:
Yes, fridge is ideal, but I've got the conditioning phase to do and the fridge isn't allowed?

The fridge will be fine for conditioning

cushyno · Jun 23, 2020

With bottles you need to place them somewhere warm enough for the yeast to become active, consume your bottling sugar, and carbonate the beer. Depending on the yeast this may be achieved at different temperatures, a lager yeast will work happily at 8-12 degC, whereas an ale yeast may not be happy unless above 18 degC. There's a sweet spot for carbonation, and it generally sits 2-3 degree higher than the sweet spot for fermentation. If you're carbonating a lager, expect it to take longer. With an ale yeast, carbonation can be as good as done in 1 week at 22degC. Some yeasts may stall even for carbonation. If you've fermented a Saison at 28degC don't expect it to carbonate fully at 18degC, it will need to be at the top end of it's temperature range to carbonate quickly. Luckily most ale yeasts are happy around 20degC.

The benefits of a fermenting fridge (i.e. a fridge with temperature controlled by a ST-1000 or Inkbird 308) is that you can keep it at your desired temperature, whether that's for fermenting, carbonating or cold crashing.

General rule for an ale yeast, ferment at 18-20degC, crash to clear at 0-3 degC (if you're into cold crashing), carbonate at 20-22degC, condition at 12-16 degC.

Galena · Jun 24, 2020

cushyno said:
With bottles you need to place them somewhere warm enough for the yeast to become active, consume your bottling sugar, and carbonate the beer. Depending on the yeast this may be achieved at different temperatures, a lager yeast will work happily at 8-12 degC, whereas an ale yeast may not be happy unless above 18 degC. There's a sweet spot for carbonation, and it generally sits 2-3 degree higher than the sweet spot for fermentation. If you're carbonating a lager, expect it to take longer. With an ale yeast, carbonation can be as good as done in 1 week at 22degC. Some yeasts may stall even for carbonation. If you've fermented a Saison at 28degC don't expect it to carbonate fully at 18degC, it will need to be at the top end of it's temperature range to carbonate quickly. Luckily most ale yeasts are happy around 20degC.

The benefits of a fermenting fridge (i.e. a fridge with temperature controlled by a ST-1000 or Inkbird 308) is that you can keep it at your desired temperature, whether that's for fermenting, carbonating or cold crashing.

General rule for an ale yeast, ferment at 18-20degC, crash to clear at 0-3 degC (if you're into cold crashing), carbonate at 20-22degC, condition at 12-16 degC.

Great info. However a question; Let's say I have carbonated for a couple of weeks and then put it into a conditioning fridge at 12 deg for a few weeks. The fridge is now full but I have another brew that has carbonated and needs to go in the conditioning fridge. Is it okay to remove the first batch and store it at room temperature and then stick it in the fridge a few hours before drinking or do I need to buy another fridge or dig a cellar? :)

cushyno · Jun 24, 2020

Conditioning at room temperature will be fine. I don't bother putting mine in a fridge for conditioning. Time seems to be more important than temperature for conditioning.

foxy · Jun 24, 2020

Gioginnelli said:
I've recently bottled my 2nd homebrew [Youngs IPA].

Currently following guidelines of keeping in a warm ish place for 2 weeks, not a problem as we're now in for some hot weather.

After the 2 weeks i'll need to keep cool for a while, although there is no place available that is going to be under 21 degrees, certainly not with the hot weather now due. Realistically, how cold should i achieve and what options are there to reduce the temperature of bottled beer? Keeping them in a tub full of ice, and topping it up? Putting a fan on them? Some sort of specialist product like a heat jacket in reverse?

Help and opinions much appreciated!

Rule of thumb for carbonating and conditioning keep at fermentation temperature, 17-18 C keep at that temperature.

Galena · Jun 24, 2020

foxy said:
Rule of thumb for carbonating and conditioning keep at fermentation temperature, 17-18 C keep at that temperature.

I was going off Greg Hughes, most of his recipes state 6 weeks at 12 deg. C conditioning ( I am assuming carbonation at fermentation temperature prior to that)
I think David Heath says similar in one of his videos

Cwrw666 · Jun 24, 2020

I'm with Foxy, once carbonated just condition at room temperature. OK, find the coolest room in your house and condition there. I use the back room in our place - it's currently hovering around 20c while in winter it's more like 10c. Can't really say there's any noticeable difference in the quality of the beer.

Galena · Jun 24, 2020

Cwrw666 said:
I'm with Foxy, once carbonated just condition at room temperature. OK, find the coolest room in your house and condition there. I use the back room in our place - it's currently hovering around 20c while in winter it's more like 10c. Can't really say there's any noticeable difference in the quality of the beer.

Thanks, everywhere pretty warm at the moment, the garage is perhaps a bit cooler, that may do but what happens in winter if it fluctuates a lot?

Neil Whittaker · Jun 24, 2020

Just an observation;
I condition my Ale in the fridge and is works a treat. In fact a recent batch i was going to pour down the drain, after a week at 4c it was drinkable, after another week it was great.
Maybe the temperature you condition at effect the duration of the conditioning time.

Galena · Jun 24, 2020

Neil Whittaker said:
Just an observation;
I condition my Ale in the fridge and is works a treat. In fact a recent batch i was going to pour down the drain, after a week at 4c it was drinkable, after another week it was great.
Maybe the temperature you condition at effect the duration of the conditioning time.

As I mentioned above, some of the idea I had regarding temperature came from a video by David Heath who I have to say has a fantastic Youtube channel and nearly always answers any questions very quickly.
Anyway in a video I watched he said he carbonated at a warm temperature but then put it in his cellar at 12-14 degrees. In light of the comments on here I asked him directly on his channel and he replioed within 5 minutes saying that he used to do that as he had a cellar but now he can't do that but keeps it in a room and as long as it is 18-20 deg it should be fine but may take a bit longer than if at cellar temperature. So I dare say you are correct.
His channel which I find has lots of useful tutorials is HERE

Neil Whittaker · Jun 24, 2020

Yeah I've watched most / all of his videos, very good information. He is also a member of this forum to.

dwhite60 · Jun 24, 2020

I keep my beer at ~25C, room temp. As I keep a variety on hand it may take me four months to go through a batch. I keep about a weeks worth in the fridge. One comes out, one goes in. This gives it a week to kind of cold condition.

Works for me. I don't have room for a second fridge anyway.

Guess you could get a large, well insulated cooler and just ice pack them every day. Once you have a cooler full cold it shouldn't take a lot to keep it cold. You could even wrap the cooler in a blanket for extra insulation.

Druncan · Jun 24, 2020

In my old house I created a cellar under the floorboards. 3ft max height, excavated to past the foundations, so super stable and with the air bricks ventilating it. When I couldn't get down through the trap-door contortions I knew it was time to stop drinking. Amazed my ex didn't just lock me down there,,,,, wink...

In fact, I could have ended up buried down there,,,, ashock1

glennturner83 · Jun 24, 2020

Druncan said:
In my old house I created a cellar under the floorboards. 3ft max height, excavated to past the foundations, so super stable and with the air bricks ventilating it. When I couldn't get down through the trap-door contortions I knew it was time to stop drinking. Amazed my ex didn't just lock me down there,,,,, In fact, I could have ended up buried down there,,,,

I need to find out more about this

Just about to get some drawings done for an extension...I wonder a. how much more it will cost to include a cellar, b. how much the cellar itself would cost and c. if SHMBO will notice

How to keep cool

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