Temperature control

[ImperialDrHops]

I do not use a temperature controlled chamber because I don't have the equipment yet. But my last brew got me thinking. I used wyeast 1056 and set my fermenter in the usual spot where it's always 67 degrees in my kitchen. The thermometer strip on the carboy confirmed this. By day 2 at high krausen the temperature read 74. This is very normal for my beers, about a 6-7 degree spike in temperature.

Theoretically, why wouldn't this same thing happen in a temperature controlled chamber? I have central air conditioning and this spot I use is always 67, which although much larger a space, is a temperature controlled "chamber". Is a small chamber better at cooling the internal temperature spike that's natural from fermenting yeast? Seems like you would have to account for this spike when setting the temperature.

 

[mongoose33]

It does happen--but the idea is to have refrigeration that can offset the temperature increase. When the fermenting wort/beer rises above the set point, the refrigerator cools it. I'm able to maintain a 1-degree differential doing this.

The warmer you ferment, the more likely you'll get off-flavors you didn't intend (with the exceptions of styles like farmhouse ales intended to be fermented warm, or Kveik yeasts that can go very warm w/ no bad consequences).

I have two ferm chambers--one a tall dorm-style refrigerator, one a larger fridge with the freezer compartment on top.

Here's a pic of the larger one; note the Fermwrap wrapped around the fermenter to raise temp as needed (such as at the end of fermentation when ramping up temp to allow the yeast to better clean up after themselves). Also note the temp probe from an Inkbird 308 held against the fermenter by a bungee cord and a piece of blue foam.

Most experienced brewers will tell you ferm temp control was a huge leap forward for their brewing. I'd never use 1056 in a beer fermented at 73 or 74; I typically do it at 65 or 66, and with the use of ferm temp control, I can keep it there.

In this pic, I have two fermenters going in the same refrigerator (if you stagger the brew days, you can control two in one chamber). The set point is 63, and the system is maintaining both at, oddly at almost the exact same temp.

 

[davidabcd]

To reiterate, the refrigerator wouldn't stay at the 67°F ambient temperature you set it for in the fridge. Because of the equipment used, the refrigeration system reacts to the temperature of the liquid in the fermenter and cools accordingly.

 

[Jag75]

Nothing like temp controlling fermentation! I've tried to keep cool with ice jugs , then wrap a blanket if it was too cold . It's so much easier with an inkbird , fermwrap, glycol . Just set it and forget it . It's amazing how accurate these things are. I'm with Mongoose , fermentation temp is dang near as important as cleanliness.

 

[burntchef]

I put off a ferm chamber till just recently. I would propose it made as big a difference as my own grain mill.
Eric

 

[ImperialDrHops]

I'd never use 1056 in a beer fermented at 73 or 74

I think I misrepresented this. My normal process is to wrap the carboy in a keg-glove ice pack. I swap these out over the 2-4 days of high krausen which does a great job of keeping the temp down at 66. It's only when my timing is off or I forget and I see how much the temperature spiked.

But now I see how the chamber keeps the temperature down. It's because of the probe being placed on or in the fermenter. It's definitely one of my next investments.

 

[sleev-les]

I'm using temp control with my Spikes system. It has been a great addition and keeps temps within a degree. I've got an IPA going now at 67 degrees and its in my garage so only using the heating option. Once it hits 66 it kicks on and gets right back up to temp. This is my second brew with temp control and love it. I'm actually going to go grab another Flex plus with the heating pad and jacket I've liked it so much.

 

[mongoose33]

I do not use a temperature controlled chamber because I don't have the equipment yet. But my last brew got me thinking. I used wyeast 1056 and set my fermenter in the usual spot where it's always 67 degrees in my kitchen. The thermometer strip on the carboy confirmed this. By day 2 at high krausen the temperature read 74. This is very normal for my beers, about a 6-7 degree spike in temperature.

Theoretically, why wouldn't this same thing happen in a temperature controlled chamber? I have central air conditioning and this spot I use is always 67, which although much larger a space, is a temperature controlled "chamber". Is a small chamber better at cooling the internal temperature spike that's natural from fermenting yeast? Seems like you would have to account for this spike when setting the temperature.

Just to give you some ideas, here's what I have. These decisions come down to resources, space available, type of fermenter used.

Here are pics of the two ferm chambers I have:



The large one I bought from a guy who had a baby and was selling his brewing equipment, so don't be critical of the paint job. The small one I bought used for $60, though I've since seen them for less on Craigslist and Facebook.

You can probably find a regular refrigerator for cheap, maybe even free. The minis are nice in terms of their footprint, but you have to take your fermenter when you buy it to make sure it'll fit. Some will cut of the plastic shelving stuff on the door to allow it to fully close; I got lucky with mine in that it just BARELY will close without that.

One note on that: some people will bend the freezer unit down and back to make room for the airlock. The problem is if you kink the lines, your fridge is toast. So I got around that by using a drilled stopper, a short piece of rigid plastic tubing, and some silicone tubing to run the CO2 out of the fermenter to an airlock jar. I drilled a couple holes right in the front of the fridge, where there are no cooling lines, so I could run that tubing as well as the wires for heat mat and controller out of the top.

You *can* run the wires for the heat mat and controller between door and fridge on the hinge side, many brewers do that. But since I had to drill a hole for the silicone tubing anyway, I decided to do a second one for the wires.

I then terminate that tubing in a jar on top to act as airlock. One added advantage of doing that is I can see it bubbling away on the outside without opening up the ferm chamber. That gives me an oddly satisfying feeling.

Here's a link to the Inkbird 308 I'm talking about. Sometimes Inkbird (a sponsor here) does a 20-percent off sale on them. I actually have 5 of them, three for ferm chamber control, one on my keezer, and a spare.

One more thing about the large ferm chamber: It actually serves triple duty for me, as a ferm chamber, as a place to store extra kegs, and as a place to carbonate kegs. I run CO2 in there with lines, and have one bulkhead shank that allows me to pass CO2 from fermentation outside the refrigerator to an airlock jar to monitor what's happening. Yeah, I'm pretty ridiculous on all this.

Anyway, hopefully the above gives you some ideas for what might work in your space, with your resources.