Fermentation Temperature

[DandyMason]

Hey Guys,

So i've just recently moved out, and at this point I am really just gathering equipment to start some all grain brewing. I have a "brewroom" in the new house that is actually just a 4th bedroom in the basement. The temperature of this room all through the summer was pretty constant at about 70 F ... Well I went ahead and bought an older fridge to cool my beer and kegs and stuck it in the brew room and the damn fridge heated the room up by like 8 degrees F. I assume ~76-78 F isnt an ideal temperature for brewing ... Moving the fridge isnt much of an option either.

I have read about some fermentation chillers and what not ... and fermenting in a bath of cold water... Could also just buy an air conditioner?

Just wondering what the best option is here - through the winter the temperature of the room will clearly be much lower, so maybe the best option is nothing right now.

Also if youre ever in need of a host for one of these meetings then you can always consider my place ... although I currently do not have any home brew to offer! But it would be good to get some input regarding home brew equipment and setting it up in the brew room!

[Dave Savoie]

AC would be exelent as your going to get them cheap now 5000 BTU should be all you need

[DandyMason]

Yeah I think im liking that option... What temp should I be shooting for here? 65-70?

[Dave Savoie]

well keep in mind that during fermentation the temperature of your wort can increace by up to 10 degrees so Id shoot for 60F that way even if it does raise up youll still be within the proper range for Ale yeast ( spikes in temps are bad after your fermentation has started to go hard drop the temp in your room 3-5 F and once fermentation slows return to normal )

[pliny]

Another suggesiton: wrap your fermentor in wet towels and place a fan in front of it. Wet the towels every 12 hours or so, and you should get a steady fermentation temperature in the 66-68F range.

[fakr]

I used an air conditioner in the summer time for a constant 20 degree temp.  Winter time, electric heat for the same 20% temp.  works great.  regardless of temp, it's a good idea to cover your fermentors and carboys...I use old dark t-shirts.

[Richard]

Always cover your fermentors (protect them from light) or you'll get photo-reaction of the hop compounds into something that's chemically identical to the stink of a skunk. I just wrap a black bin bag around them.

I'm also a big fan of the air-conditioner for temp control. If you use one of the 5K BTU window ones, you can shove your fermentors right in front of it and maintain a steady 16-18C (pretty much perfect for ales). I have verified this with a computerised (not just digital - actually connected to a computer for recording a graph) thermometer.

[DandyMason]

Thanks for the input... Im thinking a 5000 BTU AC will be plentyy to cool that room... ill shoot for 60 F ish... Let me know if you know of any deals!