Spreading the Joys of Homebrewing Throughout Philadelphia and Its Suburbs

Temp Control

Anyone have suggestions for increasing temp. inside my fermentation fridge? I'm making a belgian golden strong ale and want to ramp up ferm. temp. from 64 to 82 over a week's time. Problem is my basement ambient temp is around 68. I'm using a johnson temp controller on the fridge.

I was thinking about switching the controller from cooling mode to heating mode once I was up to 68-70 degrees, and then using a shop lamp placed inside the fridge to heat up to 82. I'd like to not purchase a brew belt or heat wrap if possible.

Would an ordinary light bulb do the trick? Maybe a heat lamp? Any other thoughts? Will yeast activity produce enough heat by itself to get me up to 82? Would the light inside the fridge pose a problem with skunking?

Thanks!

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Sam Scott on November 4, 2009 at 8:48am: I don't think yeast activity will get you there... also, when the yeast start to slow they won't be producing as much heat and that's exactly when you want it warm to help keep them active so they attenuate completely.

I think a shop lamp would be overkill. A standard incandescent light bulb gets HOT and will work fine but you'll definitely want to protect the beer from the light. Wrap the carboy in a towel or cover the light somehow.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Dave Covey on November 4, 2009 at 7:35pm: Actually, I remember reading in Zymurgy recently that a standard incandescent bulb doesn't produce the UV ray frequencies that cause your beer to skunk. Flourescent bulbs do, so a CFL can be a problem, but a regular light bulb should be fine.

The article was in the "Geek" section, and I think it was the July/August issue of this year, i.e. 2009, that they discuss it.

I was trying to find the issue of Zymurgy that mentions it before I posted to this thread, but I can't find the July/August issue.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Sam Scott on November 5, 2009 at 8:25am

Dave's right, of course... and you wouldn't use a fluorescent bulb as a heater.

Attached is an article I referenced in another thread. (Light Absorption by Various Beer Bottle Glass)

Attachments:

bbrskunking.pdf, 1.4 MB

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Permalink Reply by Jeff Louella on November 4, 2009 at 9:00am: I use the thermowrap and think it works great. I also own a brew belt, but you can't use that on glass and I dont think it heats as evenly. You could also throw a heating pad inside. I wouldn't put that against the glass either, but it may be able to heat up the fridge and not expose it all to light from a heat lamp.

Before temp control I've had fermentations get to the high 70's naturally, but never up to 82. The fermentation will be hottest a couple days into it, but a couple days after that it will drop a lot. You run the chance of the yeast dropping out. I would keep the temp low during the first couple days when it is most active, then inch it up towards the end. Letting the ferment get too hot too quick may cause fusels and an over abundance of esters.

Good luck with it, Golden Strong is one of my favorite styles. I will be brewing one myself soon.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Rick Gordon on November 4, 2009 at 6:32pm: Thanks guys. I'll probably go with the standard light bulb approach and see how it works out. Otherwise, I guess I'll buy a themowrap...; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Eivind Sandstrand on November 5, 2009 at 8:38pm: Chiming in late, but here's a possible possibility?

http://www.bigappleherp.com/Flex-Watt-Heat-Tape?sc=2&category=14; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Sam Scott on November 5, 2009 at 10:54pm: Good find Eivind! That's the same thing sold as a "Fermwrap" in the homebrew shops... I paid $39.99 for mine when I could have gotten the same thing for about $14 at the pet shop.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Rick Gordon on November 6, 2009 at 8:08am: Nice! I like the price of that!

I should probably post this in a different section, but I'm adding 3 lbs of cane sugar to this recipe. I know that adding the simple sugars when primary fermentation starts to slow a little is best to get higher attenuation of the maltose first. But know I'm thinking about how to actually do that.

Question is...what's to best way to add the 3 lbs? 1 lb per day for three days was my thought. I don't want to shock the yeast with all the sugar at once do I? Or is it not going to matter that much?; ▶ Reply to This