Brewing in Arizona

[brachen33]

Hey all,

I'm just finishing up with my first homebrew which is from a red ale kit and so far so good (hopefully it doesn't taste like ass), plan on bottling this weekend. Now that I've got this one ready to bottle I'm getting the itch to start my second one... but temperatures out here are starting heat up.... I'm right outside of Phoenix in Goodyear AZ and even though I don't let my house get too hot, I just know from my last couple years out here it just gets hot : / .... I've read some posts on keeping things cool on your fermenters, but was hoping to find if anyone out there had anything that could stay anywhere from the 75 to 83 range (beer recipe wise) that I don't have to constantly concern myself with keeping the house cool enough to make sure it was ok... I'm busy with alot of things right now, and don't have the time or resources to put together a solid cooling system for my homebrew. I guess what I'm asking for may be impossible but..

- something that is lighter almost lager like (even if it's an ale)
- fermenting time doesn't matter to me... I'm pretty patient
- maybe a setup for my spare bathtub to keep it at the right temps

Thanks all for any help

 

[acidrain]

You don't need to keep your whole house cool, just the fermenting beer.
Get a cheap or free refrigerator, an STC 1000 controller off ebay, and a handfull of wiring parts from the local hardware store, and for way less than $100, you should be able to build a nice fermentation chamber.
That way, you won't be limited. Brew away.

 

[BigFloyd]

You don't need to keep your whole house cool, just the fermenting beer.
Get a cheap or free refrigerator, an STC 1000 controller off ebay, and a handfull of wiring parts from the local hardware store, and for way less than $100, you should be able to build a nice fermentation chamber.
That way, you won't be limited. Brew away.

+100 to this ^^^^^.

It's a whole bunch easier to brew here in Texas with a fermentation freezer/fridge regulated by an STC-1000. I have a Munich Dunkel lager brewed today, pitched at 48* and now sitting in the fermenter fridge at a nice cool 50*F (measured on the bucket). If it starts getting frisky, I can easily dial it down lower.

You can't brew any "lager-like" anything that I know of at the temps you're talking about, especially since fermentation can run 6-10*F higher than the ambient air.

 

[brachen33]

You don't need to keep your whole house cool, just the fermenting beer.
Get a cheap or free refrigerator, an STC 1000 controller off ebay, and a handfull of wiring parts from the local hardware store, and for way less than $100, you should be able to build a nice fermentation chamber.
That way, you won't be limited. Brew away.

Thanks AcidRain and Bigfloyd,

and the refrigerator is what I'm planning on going with in the future....I was getting ready to type "The problem is my fiance...." who would like for us to save everything towards our wedding probably wouldn't be happy about me dropping more money towards an extra refrigerator for our garage (fantastic woman... I just don't want the argument : / ).... I was wondering if there was anykind of ale yeast of some sort that does well in hot temps and would be an easy brew? or a way for my bathtub to support a fermenter at cool temps... I'm afraid if I just put ice around the bottom it would not cool the entire bucket....

Thanks

 

[RachmaelBenApplebaum]

Look in to brewing Saisons and Belgians. They benefit from warm fermentation temps and both styles can be lightly colored and delicious. That's only if you're relying on ambient temps in your house. If you're lagering, unless you live in high climate with a cellar that stays REALLY cold(~40 degrees) a fridge is the only real option. Keeping a fermenter in the right temp range with wet towels, ice, fans etc can be cumbersome and costly. I rely entirely on ambient temps in my house and can relate, though it scarcely gets above 90 up here in Flag. I just adjust my brewing to the ambient temps I can get on whatever the temp is in different levels/rooms of my house.

 

[xfevv]

Hey all,

I'm just finishing up with my first homebrew which is from a red ale kit and so far so good (hopefully it doesn't taste like ass), plan on bottling this weekend. Now that I've got this one ready to bottle I'm getting the itch to start my second one... but temperatures out here are starting heat up.... I'm right outside of Phoenix in Goodyear AZ and even though I don't let my house get too hot, I just know from my last couple years out here it just gets hot : / .... I've read some posts on keeping things cool on your fermenters, but was hoping to find if anyone out there had anything that could stay anywhere from the 75 to 83 range (beer recipe wise) that I don't have to constantly concern myself with keeping the house cool enough to make sure it was ok... I'm busy with alot of things right now, and don't have the time or resources to put together a solid cooling system for my homebrew. I guess what I'm asking for may be impossible but..

- something that is lighter almost lager like (even if it's an ale)
- fermenting time doesn't matter to me... I'm pretty patient
- maybe a setup for my spare bathtub to keep it at the right temps

Thanks all for any help

I've been brewing in AZ for four years and just got a fermentation chamber set up this year. I used to put a plastic tub filled with water in my hall bath, put my fermentation bucket in that, cover with a towel and using a small pump circulate water from the plastic tub over the towel. It creates an evap cooler effect and keeps the beer fairly cool during summer months. Temps might still be on the upper end of where you want but you can still make good beer

 

[brachen33]

Thanks for the input guys.... I did buy a small fish aquarium pump with tubing and holes cut in the tubes to pump water, just haven't tested it out yet.... I just don't think it's gonna cut it here shortly (the valley is stupid hot and RachmaelBenApplebaum I think it gets quite a bit nastier down here but your advice was what I'm looking for thx).... Were gone from 7 a.m. til around 6 p.m. and that's when the AC goes back on.... I'll work on the bathtub.... and xfevv I moved here from chandler it's hot everywhere out here .... Thanks again for the advice....

 

[scubasteve03]

I've been brewing in AZ for four years and just got a fermentation chamber set up this year. I used to put a plastic tub filled with water in my hall bath, put my fermentation bucket in that, cover with a towel and using a small pump circulate water from the plastic tub over the towel. It creates an evap cooler effect and keeps the beer fairly cool during summer months. Temps might still be on the upper end of where you want but you can still make good beer

I live in southern Arizona and while it is not quite as hot as you all get, I use the swamp cooler method too. I use a pump and frozen water bottles to keep the temp down.

 

[teddy4xp]

Check out the cool brewing bags

 

[BrewinHooligan]

+1 to the swamp cooler with frozen 2 liter bottles. I keep my fermenting beer around 66f this way even when the house is 80f swapping out bottles twice daily. After the first week I let the temps rise to let the yeast clean up and finish strong with great results. It's most important to keep temperature in line during the lag/growth phase of the yeast and the most active fermentation.

 

[BigFloyd]

Thanks for the input guys.... I did buy a small fish aquarium pump with tubing and holes cut in the tubes to pump water, just haven't tested it out yet.... I just don't think it's gonna cut it here shortly (the valley is stupid hot and RachmaelBenApplebaum I think it gets quite a bit nastier down here but your advice was what I'm looking for thx).... Were gone from 7 a.m. til around 6 p.m. and that's when the AC goes back on.... I'll work on the bathtub.... and xfevv I moved here from chandler it's hot everywhere out here .... Thanks again for the advice....

If you're gone 11-12 hours during the heat of the day (with the A/C programmed high), you're going to have a tough time monitoring and tending to ice bottles. A swamp cooler can only do so much.

Do yourself a huge favor and go the controlled freezer/fridge route at the start instead of spending money here and there on half-methods (which can add up). If you keep your eyes on Craigslist, you can be all set for $100 or even less.