Control Your Fermentation Temperature
One of the greatest things you can do to improve your beer is to control your fermentation temperature. Room temperature fermentation will get you a drinkable beer but controlling your temperatures will help you on the way to making world-class beer. Even a carefree yeast like US-05 will benefit from proper fermentation temperatures. Cooling is the most important but try to add a heat source at some point to see what flavors you can pull out of your yeast.
Glycol Chiller
Professional brewers use it and so should you if you can. With a glycol system, you can either go mad scientist DIY or an expensive pro-grade version. This is the best way to cool both efficiently and quickly. That said it will either cost a fortune or require great DIY skills. This really is the only option if you’re going for large batches above half a barrel but I’d suggest using this for 10 gallon batches as well to save your back. Don’t forget to use FOOD GRADE glycol.
Pros:
- Can accommodate large batches
- Can save space
- Some high-end versions can heat
- Can cold crash easily
Cons:
- Expensive or requires good DIY skills
- Requires very little to no lifting when using pumps
Freezer Fermentation Chamber
A chest freezer requires much less building but requires you to lift heavy fermentors in and out. All you need is a chest freezer and a temperature controller. A ceramic bulb, plant mat, or something else can be used as your heat source if needed. You’ll also want a rechargeable dehumidifier to prevent moisture and mold buildup. I’m currently using a Criterion 7 cu ft chest freezer as my fermentation chamber. Check out my review if you are picking up the same model or one close to the same size.
Pros:
- Fairly cheap
- A medium-sized freezer can hold several fermenters
- Can cold crash easily
- Plug and play with a temperature controller
Cons:
- Requires heavy lifting
- Certain air locks might be too tall
- Needs a dehumidifier
- Takes up a lot of space
Mini Fridge Fermentation Chamber
The mini fridge option requires a bit of DIY as you’ll need to build a shell of wood and rigid foam. In this setup, you’ll remove the mini fridge door so it cools the whole chamber. The best thing about this one is you can build to any size you need and you won’t have as much heavy lifting. This one will still require something to heat with. Be wary of this method as you’ll be stressing your little mini fridge by cooling a larger space than it was intended for. Homebrewtalk offers a really nice guide on how to build one here.
Pros:
- Cheap if you have spare wood and a mini fridge
- Can be built to any size you want / whatever your fridge can handle
Cons:
- Requires some DIY building
- Will overtax the mini fridge
- Probably can’t get cold enough for a good cold crash
Old Fridge or Soda Cooler Fermentation Chamber
Your old fridge is basically free besides the temperature controller you’ll want to buy. The downside is you just probably stole your beer fridge and you might have trouble fitting much depending on the shelving layout. Soda coolers will work well but make sure to inspect them to make sure they aren’t junk. Another note is a soda cooler could really run up your power bill if it has to kick on a lot.
Pros:
- Free or super cheap
- Can hold larger fermenters
- Can cold crash
Cons:
- Less horizontal room equals fewer fermenters
- No more beer fridge?
- Might increase your power bill
Cool Brewing Fermentation Cooler
A nifty gadget that provides you a space-saving way to cool your fermenting wort. From reviews, it appears that it can actually cool really well but you do have to babysit it to keep up with temperatures. It’s also easy enough to add a heater and temperature controller for better control.
Pros:
- Space saving
- Requires no power unless you add a heater and temperature controller
- Fits smaller fermenters
Cons:
- Kind of pricey for cooling one fermenter
- Must babysit to maintain the temperature
- Can’t cold crash
- No lagering
Large Water Vessel
The best MacGuyver method of temperature control is a vessel filled with water and a heater. It involves submerging your fermenter in a larger vessel with water. To cool you simply add ice or frozen bottles and use the heater when things get too cool.
Pros:
- Free or dirt cheap
- Takes up little space
Cons:
- Can leak water everywhere
- Must babysit to maintain the temperature
- No cold crashing or lagering
Wet T-Shirt
The last option for MacGuyver cooling involves putting a wet t-shirt or towel over your fermenter and use a fan to blow air over the fermenter. Evaporation can apparently cool your fermenter up to 10 degrees lower. Essentially you’re making a mini swamp cooler. The biggest issue I’ve seen is the chance of mold growing on the wet fabric. Putting the fabric in a vessel of water will keep you from having to babysit it too much.
Pros:
- Free
- Can be thrown together in a pinch
- Better than no temperature control
Cons
- Takes up little room
- Fabric might mold
- No cold crashing or lagering
- No way to heat fermenter
Do whatever it takes to control your fermentation temperatures! You’ll be amazed trying out one of your old recipes with proper fermentation temperature. Once you get a decent system you’ll also finally be able to make a proper lager or Saison.
