Temp control..

[Clint]

Hello all,
ideally I like to keep my brews in the fermentation fridge as they ferment to maintain a stable temperature.
When this is full I'll use a heat pad on the bench in the garage during cooler weather...I don't really like doing this with ale temp beers and worry about the temp swings with others.
I have read somewhere that these temp swings are most detrimental during the early stages of fermentation.
Is this correct? Would it be a bad move starting a brew in the fridge at the required 19c for 5-6 days then move to the heat pad to finish to release the fridge for a new brew?

Cheers

Clint

 

[Ajhutch]

I’ve always understood it exactly as you describe and have done something pretty similar, for example when brewing on consecutive weekends, the first brew will get a week in the fermentation fridge and then get moved into the house to free up the fridge. By that stage fermentation is probably done and the “yeast cleans up after itself stage” is fine at a higher temperature. I think what you described is fine to do

 

[Slid]

I also think that your beer will be fine with this, Clint. The first three days or so seem to get most of the real action out of the way and after that it's just rolling through the full fermentation cycle, which only really ends when one "tips it down one's neck".

When I have space to get a cooling fridge, and get SWMBO to set it up for me, with the thingy-whats-it-controller, that will be my approach.

 

[Smileyr8]

Before I got my brew fridge I used to use a builders trug with a tropical fish tank heater, I suspect this would be better at controlling the temperature than a heat pad.

 

[Clint]

Thanks all. That's me brewing on the days off then...