OVHA Chat

I had an interesting conversation with Don Heisler at SWIRCA about fermentaion temperature. I have been controlling the temperature of my fermentation chamber and monitoring the temp. of the beer by attaching a thermometer probe, covered with a towel, to the outside of the carboy. There is typically 3° to 4° difference when the yeast is most active.

Don uses a similar method but actually spliced into the temp. probe on the side of his fermentor and controls the chamber temp with that reading.

What is your process?

I have a Thermowell. It's basically a piece of SS tubing that is closed on one end. It is ran through the top cork and allows the digital temp probe to go into the beer essentially. The top cork has a second hole for the airlock.

I have a Thermowell. It's basically a piece of SS tubing that is closed on one end. It is ran through the top cork and allows the digital temp probe to go into the beer essentially. The top cork has a second hole for the airlock.

I'm pretty sure that you use a thermistor temp. probe.I'm wondering if said Thermowell would work with a K thermocouple probe.Anybody tied it?I don't have a thermistor type controller although it's in planning.Oh,and my K probe isn't for a controller,just for reading.

Chris Norrick wrote: The top cork has a second hole for the airlock.

Nothing like a good old 2 hole'r!

I've got a thermometer that records the high and low air temp. I just figure the beer temp is between that.
Basic brewing wisdom: Watch your temp (or any process related item) if you like the way the beer tastes then repeat. If not, make an adjustment, and try again. Nobody runs before they crawl.

BM1 wrote:I've got a thermometer that records the high and low air temp. I just figure the beer temp is between that.

Well John, from my experience with the the chilly willy, the beer temp can be a few degrees higher than the air temp at high kraeusen, then it cools slowly when the ferment slows down. I can actually track the fermentation by just watching the beer temp without ever opening the lid to see the air lock. Of course I always take a peek to see how the ferment is going.

I agree with your basic brewing wisdom though, and your beers are excellent!

just crawling along....

I don't doubt that the actual temp of the fermenting beer is warmer than the median air temp. It's all relative. If the air is 60 and your beer temp is 70, and you believe you fermented at 70, and your beer is too estery, then you just need to drop your air temp more. It's really about knowing your complete brew system. Get to know how it reacts in mashing, boiling, fermenting, make small changes to understand what those changes resulted in it's finished beer.
I'm sure I could not brew the same beer at someone elses house with their equipment right off the get go. I've heard Jamil Zanisheff say that he had to make adjustments to his brewing after he moved to his new house, using his same equipment.

BM1 wrote:I'm pretty sure that you use a thermistor temp. probe.I'm wondering if said Thermowell would work with a K thermocouple probe.Anybody tied it?I don't have a thermistor type controller although it's in planning.Oh,and my K probe isn't for a controller,just for reading.

The thermistor probe just fits in the thermowell. I believe most of them are made from old keg dip tubes to give you an idea of the inside diameter.

Don Armstrong wrote:I had an interesting conversation with Don Heisler at SWIRCA about fermentaion temperature. I have been controlling the temperature of my fermentation chamber and monitoring the temp. of the beer by attaching a thermometer probe, covered with a towel, to the outside of the carboy. There is typically 3° to 4° difference when the yeast is most active.

Don uses a similar method but actually spliced into the temp. probe on the side of his fermentor and controls the chamber temp with that reading.

What is your process?

I also use to use a thermowell that I mad myself I was able to buy two hole stoppers from Northern Brewer (You have to call them and ask if they will just sell to the stopper)
BUT I spent several months and batches of beers with a stat taped on the outside of the glass carboy (with a small piece of insulation) duct taped, and had a stat inside the carboy on a SS tube that I made to sit right about the middle of the fermentation.
My results were never over 1 deg. difference in the two readings, and that was during the height of the yeast-es doing their work.
Most of the time the two were exactly the same temperature.
Remember to keep the t-stat out of the air-stream and to give them a little time st settle down.
There maybe a slight differences for a short period of time but I have decided it wasn't worth the extra effort to sanitize and mess with the thermowell and that was over 2 1/2 years and like 50 batches ago.
In Fact I'll make someone a good deal if they want to buy them I think I still have two or three.

Don wrote: My results were never over 1 deg. difference in the two readings, and that was during the height of the yeast-es doing their work. Most of the time the two were exactly the same temperature.

That is exactly the question I've been wondering. Thanks for answering it.

The thermistor probe just fits in the thermowell. I believe most of them are made from old keg dip tubes to give you an idea of the inside diameter.

Right,I'm sure that my K probe will fit in the thermowell.I was actually thinking about the how accurate it would be since my L cheapo,$14.00 K probe is bare on the end and would be in contact w/steel.I just don't want to buy a thermowell to find out.

Want to borrow one?

All this talk about probes...sounds kind of...of...Kinky!
It must be Friday!

Just wait till the sun goes down.