Winter brewing advice

[Bigcol49]

I brew in the old washhouse; it's unheated, but I have a temperature controlled brew fridge. I noticed during the winter months that the cooling cycle hardly ever kicked in, so I knocked up a fermentation chamber from t&g board and insulated it with corrugated card and bubble wrap. It works a treat with an Inkbird controller and a tubular heater.
I wondered whether a large cardboard box (washing machine size, say) could be used as a fermentation chamber in a bedroom? Lined with polystyrene or bubble wrap and heated with a tubular heater controlled by an Inkbird unit, it would hold the heat in when the room is cold and keep the heat out if the radiator kicks in.

 

[Clint]

A chap I met just this year after getting an allotment and after a few conversations told me he brewed his own beer..and got me into brewing (take a breath!) told me he brews with his fv sitting in a heated propagated tray covered with a big cardboard box. ..even through all the hot weather we had! He does Caxton real ale and drinks it faster than he can make it!

Cheers

Clint

 

[Pirate_Pete]

A chap I met just this year after getting an allotment and after a few conversations told me he brewed his own beer..and got me into brewing (take a breath!) told me he brews with his fv sitting in a heated propagated tray covered with a big cardboard box. ..even through all the hot weather we had! He does Caxton real ale and drinks it faster than he can make it!

Cheers

Clint

bloke up the road from me just like this. He just puts his brew on in his shed with the sun shining through the window. In the winter he wraps a couple of blanket around it. A tin of whatever he and get and a a kilo of sugar. Bloody lovely. There's a couple of his mates in our small village who do it the same way.

Apparently I'm wasting my time with a brew fridge, and adding malt & hops.:whistle:

 

[Sandimas]

The problem with fermenting in a shed or garage is temp fluctuation, fermentation works best at constant temps. I'd be tempted to put the FV in a trug filled with water to limit temp changes.

 

[nigelnorris]

I brew in the old washhouse; it's unheated, but I have a temperature controlled brew fridge. I noticed during the winter months that the cooling cycle hardly ever kicked in, so I knocked up a fermentation chamber from t&g board and insulated it with corrugated card and bubble wrap. It works a treat with an Inkbird controller and a tubular heater.
I wondered whether a large cardboard box (washing machine size, say) could be used as a fermentation chamber in a bedroom? Lined with polystyrene or bubble wrap and heated with a tubular heater controlled by an Inkbird unit, it would hold the heat in when the room is cold and keep the heat out if the radiator kicks in.

If you're going to the trouble and expense of an inkbird then wouldn't it be easier to get a belt type warmer? Then there's no need for the box or insulation other than some lightproofing.

Same for the water bath type solutions. The only advantage to a fish tank heater is the built in thermostat so if you're sacking that off and using an inkbird then a belt takes all of the moisture and faff out of the equation.

Not criticising, these are genuine questions since I've not tried it myself and I'm looking for ideas for my own setup.

 

[Clint]

I think the goal is keeping everything stable...the inkbird on the heat belt would be OK in low ambient temps but would be pointless if it was boiling hot like it was earlier this year. Then the brew fridge would be the best option. As for the chaps just bunging it all together with a kilo of sugar if it works for them fine...I showed the chap on my allotment a few pictures of my hb pints and he was amazed at the head...I'll have to take him a bottle to try..

Cheers

Clint

 

[nigelnorris]

I think the goal is keeping everything stable...the inkbird on the heat belt would be OK in low ambient temps but would be pointless if it was boiling hot like it was earlier this year. Then the brew fridge would be the best option. As for the chaps just bunging it all together with a kilo of sugar if it works for them fine...I showed the chap on my allotment a few pictures of my hb pints and he was amazed at the head...I'll have to take him a bottle to try..

Cheers

Clint

No I didn't mean instead of a fridge, I meant instead of a cardboard box full of bubblewrap or a water bath.

 

[Pirate_Pete]

I think the goal is keeping everything stable...the inkbird on the heat belt would be OK in low ambient temps but would be pointless if it was boiling hot like it was earlier this year. Then the brew fridge would be the best option. As for the chaps just bunging it all together with a kilo of sugar if it works for them fine...I showed the chap on my allotment a few pictures of my hb pints and he was amazed at the head...I'll have to take him a bottle to try..

Cheers

Clint

You're right about keeping it stable. There was a thread on the Coopers site the other week, where one of the more experienced blokes reckoned for ales it didn't matter if you brewed at 18 or 20C. As long as it was constant.

Although I did do a couple of brews in the winter with an STC and heatbelt I'm not sure how constant that temperature is. Obviously not as good as a fridge.

My mate doesn't worry about the head on his beer. He just drinks it straight from the bottle.

 

[Bigcol49]

Not criticising, these are genuine questions since I've not tried it myself and I'm looking for ideas for my own setup.

I've always understood that a heat belt was not perceived as a good way to keep a FV at a constant temperature.
I'd be interested to see comments on this from members who do use heat belts, if only to correct my perceptions.

 

[nigelnorris]

I've always understood that a heat belt was not perceived as a good way to keep a FV at a constant temperature.
I'd be interested to see comments on this from members who do use heat belts, if only to correct my perceptions.

I think it would be the way to go for me since I want to try to use cold spaces such as my garage or conservatory in winter to try to make lager. I have an inkbird so I'm not worried about maintiaining the right temp, only problem is I can only find 25W versions which wouldn't provide enough heat, and I really don't fancy the idea of boxing and lagging and turning it into a project. Well there exist higher wattage ones but they're the 6 quid ebay from china imports which I don't fancy the look of much, more likely to just burn my garage down.

 

[Pirate_Pete]

I think it would be the way to go for me since I want to try to use cold spaces such as my garage or conservatory in winter to try to make lager. I have an inkbird so I'm not worried about maintiaining the right temp, only problem is I can only find 25W versions which wouldn't provide enough heat, and I really don't fancy the idea of boxing and lagging and turning it into a project. Well there exist higher wattage ones but they're the 6 quid ebay from china imports which I don't fancy the look of much, more likely to just burn my garage down.

I've used a heatbelt in conjunction with an STC1000 during the winter. I've also thrown a blanket over the FV. I don't use an airlock so no issue with knocking it off. I've read that heatbelts aren't ideal as they heat up one part of the FV. However if it's all you've got, go with it. I wouldn't use a heatbelt with an STC or inkbird though.

If you're brewing Lager with proper yeast it shouldn't need much heating anyhow.