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Ive just bottled my first brew a Coopers draught that came with the kit. However the instructions say to keep the bottles at 21-27C for 7 days and then store at room temp for another 7 days. I have the bottles in a cupboard but the problem is the ambient temperature inside the cupboard during the day is around 28-29C as the weather here has started to warm up. Is that too warm for these bottles? It drops at night and I open the cupboard door to try and get some cool night air in.

I was going to try and do another brew perhaps a pale ale but am now worried the temperature is too high here now. I tried to modify a fridge but the fermenter wouldnt fit in it.
I was also going to use an old esky sit the fermenter in and use frozen water bottles but someone on here suggested that the temperature might be too unstable and up and down too much?

Any suggestions? Will just a cold wet towel draped over the fermenter be enough to bring it down to around 23-25C and hold it there if I swap it twice a day?

The temp range they give is to get secondary ferment started (ie to carbonate the brew!) Your temps should be fine, don't panic, just try to keep them constant!

All will be well!

Okay no worries, Thanks for the reply.

Trueman,

I have lived in Darwin and North Qld and what I used to do was put the fermenter in the bathroom as it was normally the coolest place in the house. If you place it in the bath, there is no problem with splashing some water over it or what I used to do was to sit ice blocks on top. If you can't hijack the bathroom, another trick is to get a large plastic tub (plastic rubbish bin?) and sit the fermenter in that with some water in the bottom or wet towels draped on, over and under the fermenter also works but you will need to keep wetting them every couple of hours in your climate.

Rather than using a rubbish bin, use something low-sided, so that you make the best use of any breeze to provide additional evaporative cooling.

Tony

Trueman,
you were on the right track with the fridge. Just keep an eye out for a bigger fridge or chest freezer. If you're not a fridge mechanic, or know one, a cheap electric timer works OK. Being in Broome, you'll always have trouble keeping the temp down. I live in Sydney and it's hard enough without the trusty old rust bucket in the garage - works beautifully though! Lagers in the summertime
Bally

Hi, just a quick question, I'm on my 7th and 8th brew; after bottling and allowing for secondary fermentation in the bottle at around 25c. Is there any problem leaving the full bottles in the garage that in summer can get upto 40c?
As I've got at least 250 bottles already full and plenty more on the way, I don't want any that I'm leaving to mature to spoil. I've got too many brews on the go to refridgerate them all.
Cheers
AC

guest I'd try to keep temp more constant to help keep beer for longer. Drastic temp fluctuations can ruin a brew

also if it gets too hot you may have a few explosions as pressure gets too great for bottle!

Well 2 days later and my brew is fluctuating between 24-26C. Is this okay or do I need to try and get that temp more constant? Problem is I dont think I could. I have been using frozen water bottles dropped into the tub of water that my fermenter is sitting in, but it tends to drop more in the evening and rise during the day, despite trying to regulate it with the water bottles.

Trueman it will be fine. As you progress you will notice the difference temperature control makes. Your ale at 24 - 26 deg will work fine keep it at this temp as best you can push on and win a year's supply of coopers' homebrews.

Great thanks Shaun,

One thing I have noticed though is the bubbles are very slow say one every 40 seconds or more. Would this be right at these temps?

Sounds fine to me it will slow down even more as it progress and stop after 4 - 8 days this is when you need to use your hydrometer and get two reads the same 24 hours apart. If it does not stop bubbling do not think it is still brewing use your hydrometer to check it. It should be brewed out in about 6 -10 days and you want harm it if left longer.