swamp cooler temp question

[Hoppin_Mad]

With my current set up using the swamp cooler it is a struggle to get the temp to stay consistently below 60 degrees.

I have a brew going now with some nottingham and have been trying my best to ferment it at 55 F. As often as I can I swap out frozen water bottles with it, but the temp inevitably rises back up to around 62F while I am at work.

I am wondering if I am better off to just let the brew ferment at a higher temperature than having all the fluctuations involved in the way I am doing it now. Does this constant increase and decrease in temperature have a more negative effect than just fermenting higher than I want to?

 

[stubbornman]

Do you have a towel or t-shirt wrapped around the fermenter that hangs down into the ice water? When I was going to work I would always re-soak it with the fresh cool water and add my plastic mugs of ice from the freezer. I can tell you I don't miss it. Craigslist freezers FTW!!
:fro:

 

[Hoppin_Mad]

Yea I have a shirt, fans, the whole nine... My schedule just doesn't allow me to keep it constantly at a low temp. I can get it there, but it rises anywhere from 5 to 8 degrees by the time I can get back to it. Like I say it doesn't get above 65, but I just don't know if I am going more harm than good by knocking the temp down every few hours just to let it rise back up...

Will have a freezer ASAP but I am in this one bedroom apartment for another year and as tolerant as my wife is I do not think I could sell her on a freezer unit in our bedroom lol.

 

[stubbornman]

Sounds like you're doing everything you can. I don't think those swings are going to be an issue for you. I say keep on keeping on. Good luck!

 

[edmanster]

I think +/- 5 won't hurt it much at the lower temps.. What swamp cooler are you using? I'm going to build a new fermentation chamber in the next few weeks and plan on using a small window mounted one with a shroud forcing it down into a foam lined shelving setup.. And then play with its setting a little to see what temps it will hold without a love controller...

 

[Hoppin_Mad]

I basically have a large plastic clothing container from walmart that the carboy sits in with a t-shirt on it. I think if I did something to insulate it it would make a big difference but I haven't figured out the best way to do that yet.

 

[Dome555]

Depending on how soon you're getting a freezer you may want to buy an actual cooler to use, plenty of insulation there. You could always buy some cheap foam insulation from home depot for the top, and wrapping it in a blanket would provide some insulation for the sides. I'm with those above who said 5 degrees in either direction shouldn't matter THAT much at the lower temps.