Temperature for fermenting

[herbiedax]

Awaiting delivery of Coopers Canadian Blonde and I have doubts about the temperature that it will be kept at while fermenting.
My 1st batch was ace and the temp did not drop to less than 65 degrees. Now autumn is here the house can drop to around 55 degrees and I know that is too low. Can't fit the fermenter in the airing cupboard as it is too big.
Hope other members have this problem and hopefully methods around it
: Elaine

 

[pyroboris]

Hi Herbiedax,

I've been wondering exactly the same as you. I've got a Canadian Blonde kit to do once my Coopers IPA is out of the fermenter in a week or so, and the temperature indoors is definitely colder than during the summer months.

Although my heating isn't on at the moment, when I do switch it on (which will be soon) the timers will only really warm the house up for when me and the lady are back from work.

The only thing I've thought of at the moment is to wrap it up in a blanket, put the thermostat in the room with my fermenter (or put your fermenter in the same room as your thermostat) and set it to somewhere between 18 and 21 degrees Celcius. Maybe turn some of the other radiators down a bit so as not to warm the whole house. I'd probably bottle a little bit sooner as well, but at least a couple of days after the the hydrometer readings have stabilised.

Anyway, I'd be interested to hear what others might do, and as this is my first attempt at advice, I don't expect it to be the best idea either!

good luck

 

[graysalchemy]

Ideally you need to keep the temp down to 18-21c. Above that you will get funky flavours and fusal alcohols which will give you a hang over. Also bare in mind that in the initial stage of fermentation it produces quite a bit of heat so if you have it in a warm room or wrapped up snug it may get to hot especially if you have insulated it.

 

[Wendy1971]

Yep 18-21 deg c is good :thumb:

 

[Hollow Legs]

I have a brew belt plugged into a thermostat (aquarium heating regulator) Wrapped around the FV and set it at 20degC so if it rises above that it turns the heater off and visa versa, works really well.

 

[Pipey]

I use immersion heaters they are ideal for the winter months with a thermostat in them they will keep your beer fermenting at a constant temperature

 

[craigite]

I use a temp controller connected to a heating belt.

A quick and easy setup is to put an aquarium heater in a large basin with water, set the FV in said basin. The aquarium heater heats the water which warms the brew.

I never worry about lower temp, I try to avoid high temps (22c+) or temp variations. :thumb:

 

[herbiedax]

I am thinking of getting a single electric blanket set to no 1, poss no 2 if really cold, surely this would keep it at a constant temp?

 

[graysalchemy]

No it may rise to much as the thermostats won't be that good. The best way is to build an insulated cupboard with a tube heater in it and a temp controller like an atc800. Better still an old freezer with a heater and an ATC800. You can plug the freezer into the cooling circuit so you will get cooling when it over shoots the temp.