General homebrew discussion, tips and help on kit and malt extract brewing, and talk about equipment. Queries on sourcing supplies and equipment should go in The Store.
Here in Sunny Qld we've been having a heat wave and it had been playing havoc with brewing.
Last brew I had in a water bath with rag draped over, a small pump keeping the rag wet and a fan to blow on the rag to keep cool. Add to that large blocks of ice to the water bath twice a day and I managed to keep the fermenter temp down to 26 degrees in high-30's ambient.
Not good enough!
So I splurged and spent $200 on a wine cooler fridge on Ebay.
Got it two days ago and it is now housing a pilsner brew and the gauge is reading a constant 18-20 degrees with the heat wave still raging outside.
I got one of these a couple months ago as an early xmas gift, its also great for brewing lagers at 10-12*C in autumn-winter-spring. When the temperatures here start consistently spiking up over 35*C I'm going to give it a run and test what it can do in all that ambient heat.
P.S. Mine looks to be similar to yours, but it was only $160ish on special from Big W. I have a clear glass front window though.
fortunatley because the air is so dry in canberra evaportave cooling (ie wet towel) is very effective here...
my system, which is like yours minus the pump but in a poly box with water (which wicks up the cloth) kept my brew at 20-18 while outside temps were 26-29... I had to turn off the fan at night though... one day I got home and it had dropped to 16!
Fermenting: Responsibly American Brown (Drink Responsibly) My first AG!
Bottled: Fuggles Larger/ale, Honey I'm Home Ale, Entropy Wheat, Dark Matter Ale, The Beer that Should Not Be (IPA)
I got about the same one @ k-mart for $199.00 with a glass door, had it for about a year now and gotta say there great. I can set mine from 10 to 22C, beauty!
Never gets warm enough here for me to worry about it.
Dogger
"Listening to someone who brews their own beer is like listening to a religous fanatic talk about the day he saw the light" Ross Murray, Montreal Gazette
"Listening to someone who brews their own beer is like listening to a religous fanatic talk about the day he saw the light" Ross Murray, Montreal Gazette
"Listening to someone who brews their own beer is like listening to a religous fanatic talk about the day he saw the light" Ross Murray, Montreal Gazette
wouldn't mind your problem at the moment Dogger!!!
Have spent the morning cleaning up broken glass and spilt beer!!! My Red Ale which has been in bottle for ove 6 months has decided it wants to escape, fine if I'm opening bottle to drink it!! But not so good when it explodes all over bloody brew room
Missus is not impressed
nor am i what a bloody waste
Some people say I have a drinking Problem....
I drink, I get drunk, I fall over....
What's the problem?
Here at Smabb Breweries we have been pondering how things will go now that the plus 35 has well and truly arrived. Strategy number 1 is to drink down the stockpile and hope rationing is not required before brewing can recommence.
A brutal solution- yours is a far better one. I would still have the problem of a hot storage area though.....
