Winter Brewing and Maintaining Correct Fermentation Temp

[jmadway]

I live in Northern California and the temp in my house when the heat is not on is in the high 50s to low 60s during the day and drops into the mid to low 50s at night. I'm about to brew my first batch during the winter and was wondering if there are any secrets to maintaining the correct temps during fermenting and aging.

I'm brewing Williams' Triple Hopped Ale and the recipe recommends 60*-65* fermenting temp. I was thinking of getting a space heater and putting my fermenting beer in the smallest room in the house to save energy. I assume that I should not let the temp drop below 60 while fermenting, right? So do I have any choice but to use a space heater? Would love to hear other ideas if there are some.

 

[bob1852]

I set my furnace at 62 this time of year, solely for my fermentations.

 

[Troutbum112]

It's amazing what we will do for our home brew....

 

[el_caro]

I live in Northern California and the temp in my house when the heat is not on is in the high 50s to low 60s during the day and drops into the mid to low 50s at night. I'm about to brew my first batch during the winter and was wondering if there are any secrets to maintaining the correct temps during fermenting and aging.

I'm brewing Williams' Triple Hopped Ale and the recipe recommends 60*-65* fermenting temp. I was thinking of getting a space heater and putting my fermenting beer in the smallest room in the house to save energy. I assume that I should not let the temp drop below 60 while fermenting, right? So do I have any choice but to use a space heater? Would love to hear other ideas if there are some.

Order an STC-1000 and a heat belt on eBay.

 

[RM-MN]

A temperature controller and a heat pad under your brew will be better than any other normal method. You don't need to control the temperature of the air around the vessel, it isn't having much impact on the ferment. You really need to control the temperature of the liquid inside the fermenter and that temperature can be much different than the air temperature as the yeast activity warms the liquid. With all that, good beer is made at quite a wide range of ferment temperatures but better beer is made when the temperature is controlled.

 

[Yooper]

A real easy "ghetto" way to deal with your temperatures is to put the fermenter in a tall bin, like a cooler that is insulated. Then add some to the level of beer in the fermenter.

This stops temperature fluctuations as it takes a LONG time for that much liquid to change temperature since water is a good insulator. I'd be more concerned about the temperature fluctuations that the actual temperature.

If the temperature drops below 60 degrees, I use an aquarium heater. It was about $10 at a pet store and will easily keep a temperature of 65-70 degrees, even in a 55 degree room! The thing is, you have to float a floating thermometer in the water to ensure it doesn't get too warm until you get used to where to set it.

Some people will use a pump to circulate the water around the fermenter, but that hasn't been necessary.

Usually, I don't even need the aquarium heater, and my house is COLD. It works out perfect for making beers like California common, which I like to ferment in the 50s! My laundry room is about 55 degrees in the winter- so I make California common.

 

[jmadway]

Order an STC-1000 and a heat belt on eBay.

What do you mean by a "heat belt"?

 

[HopSong]

I use a 7 watt nite light wrapped in a large piece of foil.. Not much heat.. but enough to take the bite off.. and the foil eliminates the light/beer problem.

 

[dutchoven]

I use a heat pad http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00075M1T6/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20.

 

[jmadway]

I use a heat pad Video Link: http://www.amazon.com/Sunbeam-Health-Standard-Moist-Heating/dp/B00075M1T6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1321116798&sr=8-1.

And how do you know the temp during the first days of heavy fermentation, before you would want to take a temperature reading of the brew? Also, does this heat evenly, or does that matter?

 

[dutchoven]

And how do you know the temp during the first days of heavy fermentation, before you would want to take a temperature reading of the brew? Also, does this heat evenly, or does that matter?

I use glass carboys with Fermometer liquid crystal thermometer stickers. I place the heat pad on the opposite side from the thermometer and wrap the whole fermenter with a towel -- little crude, but it works.