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Too cold to ferment.
Get a corrogated box large enough for your fermentation vessel. Cover the vessel with non-light penetrating wrap like a blanket, etc. Then, drop an incandescant lamp in the box. You'd be totally amazed at how much heat even a 25watt light bulb will create. Heck, cut the bottom out of the box and just drop the box over your vessel/lamp combination. Add a remote reading (inside/outside temp) thermometer so you can monitor the inside temp, and make sure it is covered...all should be fine.
I currently live in Las Vegas and have heat and cold issues for that perfect 65 degree range. here is what i did. Chest Freezer from Craigs list was 50 bucks. Digital temp controller was like 65 bucks. In the summer i just set the temp controller for 65....solved.... in the winter when my garage is like 58 degrees at night I still keep the temp controller set to 65 but I run a light into the chest freezer and turn it on....the light heats up the cooler and the temp controler keeps the temp right.... The cost of the lightbulb for the two weeks or so is next to nothing...
If I stopped brewing tomorrow i could sell both within a week i'm sure.
Just make sure you block the light from shining on your carboy.
I live up north and don't have a warm place for my fermentor. The aquarium hearter, I have found to be the cheapest and safest method. Blankets alone only average out the temp swings. My carboy fits in my brew pot full of water leaving enough room for an aquarium heater. Then I wrap it in a blanket. Works great. A cooler would work great and a large one would hold two carboys if needed.
Aquarium heartes come in three styles. The adjustable analog style requires a thermometer and a lot of fiddling to get the right temp. Fix temp submersible style maintains 78 degrees and work well enough for most ale yeasts. Both are inexpensive. And the digital style heater has a LED readout of the temp that you set it at. Quite a bit more expensive than the others but best if you want to set for optinum fermentation temp. Still a heck of lot cheaper than any of the heaters sold for beer making. And a heck of a lot safer and more comvienient that light bulbs, heatpads etc.
nuts_n_bolts wrote:
Looks like a great forum. Just joined - first time home brewer here
I have the same problem with temperature, basement is between 11-12 C (52-54 F). Started my first batch yesterday (Coopers Draught kit) and put the fermenter in the basement near the furnace and water heater, sitting on the concrete floor. I think I'll use the idea of raising if off the floor.
I feel better after reading through some of these posts. It is only beer after all and If I mess up...oh well. I was glad to read that the cool temperature isn't necessarily bad, and that even though it will take longer to ferment, it might make it taste better in the long run.
I'm gonna look at the airlock when I get home from work and see if there's any bubbles in it.
I do have one question though...has anyone tried the Coopers Draught kit? Is it more like an ale or lager?
Your basement temps are perfect for lager beers. make lagers until the temps come up in spring and summer then switch to ales.
DC
Umasstom wrote:
I currently live in Las Vegas and have heat and cold issues for that perfect 65 degree range. here is what i did. Chest Freezer from Craigs list was 50 bucks. Digital temp controller was like 65 bucks. In the summer i just set the temp controller for 65....solved.... in the winter when my garage is like 58 degrees at night I still keep the temp controller set to 65 but I run a light into the chest freezer and turn it on....the light heats up the cooler and the temp controler keeps the temp right.... The cost of the lightbulb for the two weeks or so is next to nothing...
If I stopped brewing tomorrow i could sell both within a week i'm sure.
Just make sure you block the light from shining on your carboy.
If I'm not mistaken it's ultraviolet light that is the problem so light bulb light shouldn't be an issue. I've kept a carboy of beer on the kitchen counter all day with kitchen lights on and no issues at all.
DC
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