First Homebrew - One more question!

MattyV · Post by **MattyV** » Sunday Jan 01, 2006 6:11 pm

Hey guys, for those that replied to my drama in a previous post about pitching hot, thanks heaps. Tasted the FG sample today and it's fine so there's some relief! Question #2 concerns secondary fermentation. It's REALLY hot here at the moment, like high 30's/low 40's, and inside the house the temp can peak at about 30-32 somedays unless the air-con is on. Initial fermentation was ok 'cause we kept the fermenter wrapped in ice-soaked towels, keeping the temp at 22-23 Degrees C. How am I gonna keep 30 Longnecks at this temp for two weeks!? How critical is temp for secondary fermentation? I can't afford to keep the air-conditioning on all day every day for two weeks! Cheers

gregb · Post by **gregb** » Sunday Jan 01, 2006 6:36 pm

Matty,

Look around, you'll find a cupboad or wardrobe etc that is against the southern wall, look inside it'll probably be cool enough. If all else fails put an esky up against the southern wall with the beers in it, freeze a 2ltr milk bottle refilled with water and put that in it with the lid off, and a heavy towell over the top.

Cheers,
Greg

Shaun · Post by **Shaun** » Monday Jan 02, 2006 12:01 am

Broccoli boxes are perfect for keeping tallies in, are polystyrene foam and help keep them cool. Go and visit your local green grocer and ask nicely and he should give you some. Then place the bottle in them and place the boxes in the coolest part of the house.

Jay · Post by **Jay** » Tuesday Jan 03, 2006 10:29 am

I agree broccoli boxes are the way to go. What I do in really hot weather is put the bottles in there and fill half way with with water. Try keeping this water in the low 20s with small amounts of ice/cold water. Also you can throw a cold wet towel over the top if you dont have a lid. Only problem is you have to check your temps every couple of hours.

Cheers,
Jay.

MattyV · Post by **MattyV** » Tuesday Jan 03, 2006 3:08 pm

Cheers guys. I've ended up using an esky and a broccoli box with cold towels and a small ice pack in each. Seemed to stay at a good temp last night, but the real test will be to see where it's at this arvo. First day back at work today, so there's been no one at home to look after my precious brew and check temps

. It's been another hot one so we'll see...

Jay · Post by **Jay** » Tuesday Jan 03, 2006 4:21 pm

imagine taking your beer to work with you and dropping it off in the day care centre

MattyV · Post by **MattyV** » Wednesday Jan 04, 2006 9:44 am

. Shouldn't laugh really. I seriously considered going home during lunch yesterday to check on it!

thisispants · Post by **thisispants** » Wednesday Jan 04, 2006 10:39 am

I bottled my beer and was under the assumption that once the beer has been bottled, it didnt really matter how hot it got, as long as it was above around 18C.

The day after i bottled the temp was around 40C here and my beer was in a hot garage?

is this bad?

MattyV · Post by **MattyV** » Wednesday Jan 04, 2006 1:04 pm

Well i'm pretty sure that if secondary fermentation is done in bottles, rather than racking, you should keep the bottled brew at about the same temp as the initial fermentation temp for two weeks or there abouts. However, I don't really have a great deal of knowledge of homebrewing, being my first time. Is this about right? Or does it not matter how hot they get after bottling, during secondary fermentation? Can someone please clarify this?

501 · Post by **501** » Wednesday Jan 04, 2006 1:58 pm

thisispants wrote: The day after i bottled the temp was around 40C here and my beer was in a hot garage?

is this bad?

I was told this is bad...

Worst is if you bottle it a bit early, and nice and cold - then a month or two later it gets 40deg in your shed, good chance of kaboom. ??

cheers 501

tyrone · Post by **tyrone** » Wednesday Jan 04, 2006 7:14 pm

Been there done that!put if somewhere cool or somewhere bullet proof

Shaun · Post by **Shaun** » Wednesday Jan 04, 2006 8:11 pm

By keeping it cool you extend the beers life. Autolysis and oxidation are both spead up if the beer gets to hot. Autolysis can occur in bottle conditioned beer as it is sitting on yeast.

tyrone · Post by **tyrone** » Wednesday Jan 04, 2006 8:27 pm

So if I store my beers at a lower temp they keep better?

db · Post by db » Wednesday Jan 04, 2006 8:31 pm

tyrone wrote:So if I store my beers at a lower temp they keep better?

most definatly.

JaCk_SpArRoW · Post by **JaCk_SpArRoW** » Thursday Jan 05, 2006 10:27 am

Dum question I know but can someone tell me what 'racking' is?
Im still kinda new to all this mumbo jumbo & any help would be great!

Dogger Dan · Post by **Dogger Dan** » Thursday Jan 05, 2006 10:52 am

Captain,

Racking is transferring the beer from one fermentor to another in order to leave the sediment behind. It enhances clearing and removes the beer from trub. It should be done with out introducing oxygen into the beer (the oxygen leads to oxidation, mostly bad).

DOgger

JaCk_SpArRoW · Post by **JaCk_SpArRoW** » Thursday Jan 05, 2006 11:02 am

Captain,

Racking is transferring the beer from one fermentor to another in order to leave the sediment behind. It enhances clearing and removes the beer from trub. It should be done with out introducing oxygen into the beer (the oxygen leads to oxidation, mostly bad).

DOgger

Sweet, thanks Snoop
Is it worth it starting out as a newbie cos my next brew will be a Canadian Blonde of some description...YUM!

Dogger Dan · Post by **Dogger Dan** » Thursday Jan 05, 2006 9:27 pm

I think it is, Yes

Dogger

JaCk_SpArRoW · Post by **JaCk_SpArRoW** » Friday Jan 06, 2006 1:13 pm

Would you suggest buying another fermenter or is there something else you think I could get that would do the same thing?
I heard I could use another fermenter with a tap & sediment reducer & just connect the 2 up & rack that way....any ideas or elaboration on this idea?

Shaun · Post by **Shaun** » Friday Jan 06, 2006 1:45 pm

Jack I use a second fermenter because I have one. Others use a 25 litre water container from bunnings with a tap fitted as they are cheaper. Others like Dogger and Kurtz use a glass carboy or stainless steel secondary to prevent any chance of oxygen getting to the beer if left in the secondary for long periods of time.

The big question is how much do you want to spend? They will all work, Kurtz does not like plastic as it is permeable and does let in oxygen, many others uses it and produce very good beers. It comes back to how much you are willing to spend.

As to how to complete the transfer this is dependent on what you end up with. If it is two fermenters or equivalent you can transfer by placing one fermenter higher than the other then run a length of plastic tube from the tap of the top one and coil the other end in the bottom of the other. Open the tap and let gravity do the work. Care has to be taken not to splash the beer around or do anything else that could cause oxidation.

If using a glass carboy the method is the same. If using SS it is best done under CO2 pressure as there is no chance of oxidation then.