In an effort to help people explore the deep joys of home brewing, Brew with Kits has put together a Brew and Drink Your Own Home-Brewed Beer in 30 Days Challenge. While creating this challenge for y’all, I was reminded of something that I wasn’t sure of when I began to brew my own beer.
Room temperature for fermentation.
Among the steps provided in the Brew and Drink Your Own Home-Brewed Beer in 30 Days Challenge is to find a perfect place to ferment your beer. I wanted to devote this post to helping you find that perfect fermenting place in your house.
If you haven’t started brewing your own home-brewed beer with a kit yet then sign up for our challenge now
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Things to Watch Out For
There is a lot to consider when picking out your newly brewed beer’s resting place. Things like ease of access to your fermentor, interference by any pets, babies or small children with your fermentor are among the list. The one that has proven to be the biggest problem and most consistent annoyance (in my case) however, would be temperature control.
My Experience
I live overseas on the same parallel as south Georgia/Florida. To say the least, it is hot here for a long time. In the country I reside in, there is no central air conditioning or heating in the houses which definitely plays into account of when and how I brew my beer.
I cannot brew beer during the summer months because it is not economical to do so. I would have to run the air conditioner in my fermentation room continuously which would not be cost efficient, so I don’t brew my beer from May until September. Huge bummer! I know, but all the more reason to brew my booty off in the winter.
What is the Best Temperature for Fermenting?
As with anything, there is an optimal fermenting temperature. That is 60-75 degrees F (15-24 C). Different styles of beer do call for different temperatures, but for the most part, this is the general fermenting temperature.
Lagers, for example, require a much colder environment to ferment. That of which is below 50 degrees F (10 C).
You want to pick a place that you can have consistency with your fermentation area’s temperature. In my neck of the woods, it is very hard to have super consistent temperatures because of the lack of insulation in the houses.
If the sun is shining one day, my fermentation room’s temperature will rise and at night it falls. If it is rainy out, then the temperature remains more consistent.
Keep a Record
I keep a digital thermometer in my fermenting room and take constant notes on the temperature throughout the fermenting process. This is just one of the many notes I keep in my brewing journal.
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Also, take into account features in your room that could play into an inconsistent temperature in your fermenting area. Are there any AC ducts, radiators, or windows where light can get in? These could affect your fermentor and/or the temperature of your fermenting area.
Some Temperature Control Ideas
Fermenting Chambers
If you have the means, the time, and a few handyman skills among you, you could look into building yourself a fermenting chamber. These are awesome and I myself am looking into building one out these bad boys in the near future.
They are made out of old fridges, freezers, 2×4 and plywood etc, and they are basically insulated boxes with thermostats on them to produce a greater temperature controlled area for fermenting your home brew.
There are tons of great resources for building fermenting chambers out there. Check out our Brew With Kits pinterest page for some ideas.
Cooling Bags
Cooling bags like this one are also available to help you with your temperature inconsistencies. Since this is basically just an insulated (and waterproof) bag/cooler, I am sure it will help maintain a more even temperature even if you’re trying to get your fermentor warmer.
When beer is fermenting it is active and making heat. If you used this bag and just put the fermentor in there without any ice or frozen water bottle, I am sure that it would raise your fermenting temperature.
Unless you inherit or find a good deal on an old working fridge or freezer, this is a pretty economical fix for small fluctuation in temperature with your fermentor.
Brewing & Fermentation Heat Pad
If you’re in a seriously cold place and you are not into lagers or you’re having trouble keeping your fermenting temperature from becoming too cold, you can check out these heat pads.
I haven’t used one myself but my brother and I used to brew kombucha together. When he moved back to the states he was having problems keeping his scoby at a consistent temp. He ordered one of thee guys and it worked like a charm. Scoby Bryant was happy and so was my bro.
I think you’ll be happy too with this ultra-affordable fix to your fermenting area’s hard to control cold temperature.
Complete Heat Ban System
Here is another comparatively inexpensive fix for people with colder fermentation areas. This “ban” goes around the fermentor to give you a consistent fermenting temperature. If you are struggling to keep your fermentor warm, for under 20 bucks this is a great solution.
To Sum it Up
There are many things that can directly or indirectly affect your fermenting temperature in negative ways. A semi-controlled temperature in your fermentation area is ideal for the best results during the fermentation process.
As I said earlier it is suggested that you get the temperature as stable as possible for the best results but I myself have had a hard time remaining super consistent. There has always been a fluctuation in my fermenting area’s temperature (which I took note of) and my beer still turned out great.
I have not built a fermentation chamber yet or splurged on a cool bag or heat pad (they are more expensive over here), so I am not 100% sure what the difference in quality it would produce. I was happy with the end product of my semi-stable temperature, so I would reckon that I would be just as happy if not more with the product of a more stable temperature for the fermentation of my beer.
If anything, you should buy a digital room thermometer, and put it in the spot you are thinking about fermenting your beer. Watch it closely for a week taking notes of the fluctuations in temperatures. If the weather changes, check the thermometer and record that information in your notes.
YOU CAN BREW IT!
L’Chaim
So much great ideas! If I can help with my experience, I am used to use this Insulation Cover and I think it’s a perfect way to get good temperature control but I think it depends also on the temperature of the environment.
Thanks for the info. I was recently looking at this which is pretty similar to what you suggested as a viable option to keep your fermentors temp stable.
https://amzn.to/42m7OQE