In spite of testing climatic conditions, the beer is in the bottle and another waiting game begins. The outside temperature hovered around the mid 30’s for the duration of the fermentation and we await the results with just a little uncertainty.
I was able to monitor the indoor temp fairly accurately and was able to keep this to around the mid 20’s with the fermenter sitting at a constant 26 to 28 c. now, this is about two or three degrees higher than the two previous brews and I hope it doesn’t have too much of an adverse effect. The fact that it brewed out quickly - just on five days - is either a great sign, or a reason to panic. I choose to be an optimist. And I will pray to the beer Gods.
Having said all that, I will now pass on some valuable and perhaps beer-saving information that I wish I knew before I did this. LOOK STUFF UP. Read a book, consult a homebrew website or ask your homebrew shop bloke. What I found out -about ten minutes after securing the cap to the final stubby- was this;
“Remember your beers will taste much better if you can keep the fermenter close to 20 degrees Celsius all the time your beer is fermenting.
KEEPING YOUR FERMENTER COOL: 1. In hot weather wrap towelling around your fermenter like a skirt. Gather the top of the skirt into the lid. 2. It's easy to keep it cool. Pour cold water into the recess of the lid. 3. Add water when it starts to dry out. This simple trick will help you keep your fermenter nice and cool on hot summer days. The hotter the day gets, the better this works. If you want to make it colder, set a fan to blow gently on the fermenter and don't forget to keep the water topped up.”
http://www.brewcraft.com.au This site is a great, easy to navigate and resource rich guide for any homebrewer.
… so now I know for next time.
