FERMENTATION TEMPERATURE CONTROL COMPARED | What is the BEST METHOD For You?

Fermentation temperature control is a very important element of brewing. Find out 5 methods to make your beer better by controlling your fermentation temperature!
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0:00 Intro and welcome
0:52 Method 1
2:30 Method 2
3:29 Method 3
5:11 Method 4
7:02 Method 5
10:24 Yeast temperature range chart
10:36 Method 5 continued
Full disclosure, most of the links on this page are affiliate links. This means if you buy through them I make a small percentage from the sale at no additional cost to you. All money earned through the channel goes back into the videos and brews you see on my channel. As always, don't just take my word for it, do your research before you decide to buy.
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#homebrew #temperature #control #fermentation #beer #brewing #homebrew

[@Baruch05]

The addition of the information and data for the yeast strains was well worth the watch! Nice job man! Keep up the great work.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Glad you found it useful!

[@shawnmurphy2991]

I have had the Brew Jacket Pro since their Kickstarter campaign. Works Great. In a Fast Ferment with the 4 piece insulation cover I can get the temps down to the 40s F (5 C) I can hold 65 F - 18C for Ale fermentation all day long. I have also held a sugarwash with turbo yeast at 80 F (27C) to make some hand cleaner early in the pandemic.

[@Nusbizz]

Lol this just brought me back. When I first started I fermented in house with “swamp cooler” method. Even in summers in NorCal (90F+) ferm would be around 68-70. Great cheap option for the new peeps! Currently using chest freezer and it’s dialed, but might have to upgrade when I buy a new ferm unit. The things we have to do to shave the cone..

[@jackferriter2533]

I feel you on that MA apartment comment! Contemplating a lager because it's cold enough in certain parts of the house during the winter.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Yuuup. Practically lived in a lager fridge for awhile

[@TheBruSho]

A highly important topic and great ideas for many different budgets. Excellent video Steve!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Thanks Trent! Lots of great suggestions in the comments too!

[@seriomarkj]

I am so happy I have a basement...I know it fluctuates down there, but has procured good enough results so far

[@BabyMakR]

This has been a great help. I've been looking at getting back into brewing (and even back into fermenting) after 15 years after a house fire. I live in a tropical climate (North Queensland, Australia) and have always used local beer kits so temperature has never been an issue. I want to restart my hobby with a mead for Christmas, and temperature is a big issue. This has helped a lot. Thanks.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

I'm very glad to help out!

[@Identace445]

I absolutely love my brew jacket!! Perfect fermentation temperature control for only $200!! 🍺

[@chmyr]

I went the inkbird and chest freezer route after watching your videos and how you recommend it, and it really helps with the quality of beer I make! As always, love your videos, keep up the great work!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Temp control is the best thing you can do for your beer! Glad I could help you make better beer!!

[@timothyrichards5823]

Great video ! I used to tape packing insulation on my carboy and place a temp probe between the glass and the insulation. I’d watch the temp rise as the fermentation heated up. As soon as the fermentation started to slow and the temp started to fall, I’d move the carboy from the basement to the main floor of the house where it’s usually in the low 70’s. The fermentation would always go really well with that method. Now I have a chest freezer and inkbird.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Not a bad method, I imagine you would need to keep careful watch on the temperature! Thanks for watching!

[@HOMEBREW4LIFE]

Solid content braj! Got this video going on two screens right now. Happy Holidays Steve!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Thanks for the love man! Happy holidays to you too, see you tonight!

[@CrucialConversion]

Method I use that is very effective. Stick fermenter in a larger bucket with water (like the swamp cooler), but use a fish tank water heater to regulate temperature. Place this in a basement or cool area where temp is below target fermentation temperature. If it is summer, you can use a fan/ice to cool it down like a swamp cooler, but the fish tank heater ensures it always stays at a constant temperature. You can get a heater for $20, so it's a super cost effective approach that allows you to dial in exact fermentation temperatures. Works especially well when fermenting at higher temperatures (kveik, for example)

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Sounds like a great method, thanks for sharing!

[@Pingwinho]

Good luck lagering with that

[@gerardnatale2387]

Excellent video Steve! Today was a brew day for me. I'm fermenting a Munich Dunkel in my cool basement with icepacks duct taped to the side of the fermenter which I'll keep switching out. The temp strip reads 54 but it will rise once fermentation begins. I used w-34/70 so hopefully it will be ok. I'll have to come up with something better. Thanks for the info!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

W34/70 is nice since it can handle higher temps quite well in case something goes wrong. Best of luck!

[@PRH0210]

always fabulous - thanks for this

[@sailordog00]

I regularly use keviek and ferment at 96+ I use a couple of heating pads around my allrounder plugged into the Inkbird on heating and the sensor stuck to the side of the fermenter with plumbers putty. Cover it all with old towels and it works perfectly and cheaply.

[@danpierce37]

I have the space and setup a chest freezer with InkBird temperature control for my fermentations (use a low profile Anvil Bucket fermenter). Once finished, I transfer the beer to my 7.6 gal Kegmenter and chill my beer in the same chest freezer as I make and drink one batch at a time. Works great and very economical! Thanks for the video.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Awesome, thanks for sharing!

[@PatrickSandy78]

Very informative. Keep up the great work.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!

[@garriedorman9083]

I’ve been using the Brewjacket system for about 4 years now. Works great for both heating and cooling.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Awesome!

[@zzing]

You mentioned the spike fermenter, I was considering their bucket with temperature control (would have you hack together a solution to the grainfather glycol chiller) - because it looked easier to clean in a kitchen.

[@Bullsbrew551]

Good video. Temperature control makes a huge difference in the quality of the beer for sure.🍺

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Thanks! It's the best way to take beer from good to great!

[@JusBrewing]

I also use a fermentation jacket from time to time. I like to use it and a heating pad with my Kveik brews when I need to keep the temp high. Also a cheap fix and can be used to keep temps low too!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Great stuff, especially for kveik!

[@BanksBuilt]

I’ve used just about every method you mentioned over the years and my favorite is a chest freezer with a seedling heat mat if you have the room. The mat works well keeping a temp of 90 on my last Kveik lager and does matter of you get it wet because it’s waterproof.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

You're the second person to mention a seedling mat for the chest freezer - definitely worth noting!

[@glleon80517]

So far I have not gone glycol/water heat exchanger. I bought a mini fridge and added some depth to it with plywood which the fridge door fits onto so I can fit a fermenter like the Fermzilla or a bucket fermenter, or a keg and CO2 tank and gauge for serving. It goes down to 45F and I have it plugged into an Inkbird PID controller I built from parts. I keep looking for a used under counter wine fridge which has more room inside, but the last one I bought got appropriated for, well, white wine. Great video an an important topic, Steve, thanks!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Great idea! A wine fridge is a great idea, especially if you can do the under-counter option. Thanks for sharing!

[@daibowen1]

Great video! Kveik has been a game changer for me as I struggle with temp control. I can only do very small batch traditional lagers as I currently don't have space for a fermentation fridge...

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Thanks! Choosing a good yeast based on temperature can really help a lot for making better beer. Cheers!

[@wonyankeesays5661]

Kviek is a great yeast,,so is workhorse

[@Hacky2447]

can confirm the chest freezer method works VERY well. that said you have to make sure your fermenter is short.

[@Jango1989]

Great video. Can't wait to get a fridge/freezer to boost my heat control. Fortunately, it's pretty cold where I am so I can get away with just some heating pads. I'm a real nerd so I've built my own controller with some cheap electronics. If you're happy to put some time in, it makes the setup highly customisable and easy to replace parts it they break. I know someone who uses a cheap heat controller and they're forever replacing the whole thing when it breaks. Which is a bit of a waste and drives the whole cost up significantly.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Awesome! Thanks for sharing, that sounds like a pretty nice setup overall though and nice work with the personalized controller!

[@rolandfrans4596]

I am pretty new to brewing. Started making my chillingspiral and set up an inkbird to my frigerator before I brewed my first beer. I have done a few now and feel that steady temp during fermentation is king.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Sounds like you're off to a great start!

[@JusBrewing]

Love my Fermzilla All rounder, got one a few months ago and have used it a couple times now. Its lagering a beer right now!!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

I still have mine! I don't use it as much but its 100% the right way to go for starting out pressure fermentation!

[@TroubleBrewing]

great methods noted here, I just made an insulated box in by basement with a seedling mat inside connected to an inkbird. Basement stays pretty cold (michigan) and the seedling mat can raise it about 10-15 degrees, enough for those ale temps. One other thing, when monitoring temp inside the chamber/liquid its important that the inkbird is in the liquid or a thermowell is in the liquid. I have done some reading that ambient temperature or the side of the vessel is not very accurate when it comes to liquid temperature. You can ether get a thermowell OR just fill a glass up with water and submerge the inkbird in that to tell the beer temperature.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Thats a great method, and thats a great point about the temp probe immersion too. I keep a glass of water in my kegerator with the probe in it for that exact reason

[@MostlyCarStuff]

Lallemand Nottingham (ale yeast) works really well down to 50F or a little below. I use Verdant IPA yeast most of the year as long as the weather is averaging under 75, hotter than that I use Nottingham and put the fermenter in the kegerator @50

[@GenusBrewing]

If I started brewing at home again I would def go glycol chiller and unitanks. It's a lot of $$ but knowing how much I brew and the amount of effort I'd save - it'd be worth the money within a year :/ ... Also I'd be able to tell my friends i am SUPER cool!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Its definitely a lot of money but it can be worth it for convenience depending on your circumstances, but I can see how it would make sense for you! I think a lot of homebrewers (including myself) don't have all the knowledge to fully use those tools to their full potential.

[@magnetomage]

I purchased a BrewJacket Pro a few years back, it works Okay; not stellar not bad, just ok. Temperature adjustment is Very very slow, and getting more than 12-15 degrees(hotter works better than colder in my experience) away from ambient is basically impossible. The benefit is that it takes up way less space than a keezer setup. I suspect(i have not fully tested this, yet.) that the energy costs are higher than of running a modern fridge. i can only recommend the Brew Jacket if Space is your highest limiting factor, and your fermentation temperature is not very far off of the regular ambient.

[@rugsuckersrus]

I have very little control over temperature. Pressure fermentation is the answer. 2 psi is about the same effect as -5 degrees. It's the best way in fact commercial brewers use this method. It totally works

[@jacklegminercanada3866]

Good video.!.!.

[@Wind_Ninja_Jubei]

2nd hand chest freezer and temp control has worked for me for the last 8 yrs. Live in Australia though. No snow here in Sydney

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

8 years is a pretty good testament to how well the chest freezer method works!

[@DavidAbraham504]

Interesting thank you for sharing.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@paulaxton72]

What about using a Corny keg for pressure fermentation??

[@Unsub-Me-Now]

I really dig your dorm fridge temp control. If I had an unlimited budget, I would go Glycol and Conical over my current method.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

So far, it's worked pretty well! Agreed, if money wasn't a factor I'd be all over the glycol unitank setup!

[@crabmansteve6844]

Inkbird + small fridge/freezer is the god-king of homebrewing. It's astoundingly effective AND cheap. I'll never use any other method.

[@austinsparkman7190]

Sick video! You use a mini fridge for your anvil cooling system.. have you ever thought of adding a collar and modifying your mini fridge to for your anvil bucket? That's what I did. Added a collar just like my keezer and then slightly bent the freezer tray. Now I can fit my full size anvil bucket in the mini fridge and use an inkbird on it

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Ha I wish! It's way smaller than it comes across on video, there's no fitting a fermenter in it unfortunately.

[@bcamping1]

I have used Kveik at room temperatures below 10c. Just needs enough blankets around, over and under.

[@bcamping1]

Probably how ancient Norwegians did it.

[@vruychev]

Fantastic!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Thanks!

[@JPch108]

Eu tenho um freezer... Com regulação.. Obrigado Portugal Aveiro

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Saúde!

[@FoScoJo]

Another product to consider is the Brewjacket Pro ($300 but can be found on sale for about $150). Unlike a mini fridge, it takes almost no space at all in use or storage. And unlike the Anvil twister coil or other pump-based systems, it requires no cooler, water, or ice. I've had no problem at all hitting and maintaining a temp range between 55-110F of ambient room temp to within 0.1 degrees. And it comes with a totally opaque insulated bag so I can just shove the whole thing into pretty much any closet in the house and forget it for a few weeks.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

I think I mentioned it somewhere in the video but I'm glad you've had good experiences with it! I'm wondering how it would work with a steel fermenter like the anvil

[@FoScoJo]

@@TheApartmentBrewer It should work as long as the bung hole is large enough, there is sufficient depth (the rod needs to be submerged at least 2/3), and there is a thermowell for the probe.

[@ElementaryBrewingCo]

Cheers Steve I use a chest freezer and love it except for the fact that I can only ferment one beer at a time in there.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Its a great method, but yeah if you have a smaller fridge or two different fermentations with different temps it can get tough. Cbeers!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Where are you getting a glycol chiller that costs the same as a chest freezer??

[@afhostie]

Used a large cooler and submerged my carboy in water. Periodically replaced ice packs throughout the day to keep temps at 60 for a Maerzenbier during summer. Ambient temp was 78f so it was a no-go to get lower or I'd be changing ice packs every hour. Otherwise, it worked well enough.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Depending on the yeast choice you can be very successful with that method!

[@afhostie]

@@TheApartmentBrewer was using the wyeast Oktoberfest. Only caveat was that you gotta have the water level above the krausen and drop the temp slow. I accidentally dropped all the yeast out of suspension like a cold crash on the first day.

[@BennyBestt]

Kveik yeast in the warmer months, from wort chiller 28degrees C to fermenter, , till whatever your house temp is, 20-25 degrees c. No need for any control

[@daveelliott2055]

FTSS from SS brew tech.I have it on my conical and both brew buckets .One degree swing

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Thats a great system, pretty much the exact same thing as the spike cooler I use in my conical and it works like a charm!

[@mysterioanonymous3206]

I'm so close to pull the trigger on it... Whats the cold source? Icebucket or Glycol? Would you buy it again?

[@crampcrafter]

By the way what happened with your Imperial Stout? Just saw the video and now i am curious how the flavour went! Anyway nice video as always👍

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

It got better lol. Needed about a month more of cold conditioning

[@derekp6636]

what about the ol' bathtub + t-shirt to wick the moisture up the sides....seems to keep mine around 65-68f

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

That's pretty much the same concept as the swamp cooler method, just using a bathtub instead of a bucket. Works just as well I bet!

As far as I am aware breewjacket uses the thermoelectric Peltier element for cooling/heating of fermenting beer directly, the insulated jacket is just for better eficiency. It is not compatible with low ph liquids(not even starsan).

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

That seems odd considering beer is a low pH liquid. Seems people haven't had issues with it

[@idsullymichaels]

I've asked this on a few other videos. I'm in Texas brewing in a garage - easily 90-110. BUT I have a full size fridge. I am looking to add a CO2 line in there for kegs. BUT I'll need to ferment in there as well... Can I do both at the same time? I am thinking of a small power line along with the CO2 line (female in the fridge/male on outside). I can set up the Inkbird (or some temp control) outside the fridge. When I have beer in kegs (fridge on) I can plug in a heat blanket inside the fridge - that's plugged into the temp controller (even add a blanket/reflectix around that) on the fermenter. If I don't have any kegged beer - easy, I'll plug the fridge into the thermostat control. How concerning is a power source/plug in the fridge? Is it absurd to think a heat blanket can counter a running fridge (though I'd adjust the temp up)? How do you put you temp probe into the fridge - through the door? Worth it to drill a hole - create some type of 'port'? Then I get to decide if I continue doing a glass carboy (saves $), or is it worth buying something like a Fermzilla and allowing me to ferment under pressure, eliminate O2 on the beer, punch beer into kegs, etc

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

I usually route the temp probe through the same hole you use for the CO2 line or just through the seal in the door. You could drill through the front door and seal it with some tape too. You can definitely use the fridge for fermentation and for serving, just not at the same time unless you like warm beer.

[@tman9338]

Any thoughts of doing a dry yeast video ?? It looks like more companies are offering dry yeast

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

There are a lot of offerings out theree, so it would be a good idea! I need to use more dry yeast strains!

[@FermentationAdventures]

Good thoughts, great video! I do use a glycol chiller now, but honestly, my fermentation temperatures were more stable when I used an inkbird and a refrigerator as a fermentation chamber. I'm sure both keep the inkbird temperature probe at a nice consistent temperature, but I've noticed from the logged temperature readings from my tilt, they tend to vary a little more than with the fridge. Point is, while glycol is likely the most expensive option, it's not the best by all measures.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Thats some interesting information, thanks for sharing your experiences!

[@JohnnyReverse]

Do you need a spunding valve on the Flex when your using a PRV? I just purchased 2 Flex + , I haven't gotten around to using them yet but I see Spike recommends not pressure fermenting in these.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

That is really so they don't get sued if one of their fermenters blows up. If you are pressure fermenting anything, always ensure you have a PRV. The spunding valve will help dial in the pressure since the PRV isn't always going to pop at exactly 15 PSI, it can be +/- several PSI. 15 PSI can be a bit overkill for some yeasts too

[@JohnnyReverse]

@@TheApartmentBrewer right on, I have a blowtie that I plan on using with it, just going to add some fermcap s to keep the krausen down

[@jamesgrey8093]

I have used an old freezer and i did not need any other heat than the head provided by the yeast.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

That tends to work pretty well!

[@masterchiefman3]

Gotta ask. Why would you drill through the door of the fridge instead of the side or top. Seems awkward to open and close

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Its a good question, but there's a good reason for it: the fridge door doesn't have any refrigerant lines running through it, but the top and sides do. Pierce one of those lines and the fridge is toast

[@afhostie]

I'm really curious about using cold ambient temperature. Was thinking the garage would be really cool during the fall but I expect the temp to fluctuate at least 15 degrees between coldest part of the day and hottest part of the afternoon. Is that a concern? You usually mention slowly changing the temperature when fermenting.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Yeah thats why that has the caveats i mentioned in the beginning. Big temp swings are not good for the beer, the more gradual the better.

[@Ohsnapski]

And a gradual temp rise would be around 2 degrees Fahrenheit per day, this is how lagering is done, towards end of fermentation you are slowly bringing the ferm temp down from roughly 55°f to roughly 34°f dropping roughly 2-3° per day

[@richardbaker112]

I never quite understood temperature control. You ferment it warm but, don’t all beers eventually go in the refrigerator once the fermentation is done? Wouldn’t that screw everything up?

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Once the fermentation is done is key. At that point the temperature isn't really going to affect it unless it gets really hot

[@ZekeJonesFitness]

I noticed you said you live in MA, you didn’t happen to go to UVM by chance?

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

I used to live in mass, but now I'm in NH. Nope, did not go to UVM

[@richardlosli1104]

Does temp control matter after primary fermentation is complete

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Yes, although its less impactful on the beer. Try to keep the beer's temperature stable at least for the week after primary.

[@tman9338]

What happens when u brew Kviek at lower temp for IPA(70-74Deg ??)

[@tman9338]

I mean Voss Kviek??

[@Jango1989]

I haven't used kviek yet but I really want to and the general consensus I have found seems to be a stalled fermentation unless you're well up there with your temperature. Maybe others who have used it have managed to get it going at lower temperatures.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

I've fermented kveik at room temperature or under 2 or 3 times now, and it didn't give me any issues, it just tasted cleaner than it does at a hotter temperature. The fermentation will be more like 10-14 days and you won't get the nice fruitiness that kveik gives at high temperatures, but there is nothing wrong with using it at room temp.

[@tman9338]

@@TheApartmentBrewer Ahhhh. I was getting impatient because I did another splatch and the other 5G batch (w starter) with S05 was blowing like an Orca. Brewed both in buckets to get sample without 02.

[@patrickbruske5488]

I appreciate your videos. I noticed that you keep saying "kwike" and wanted to pass along that kveik is pronounced "kuh-vike".

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Ive pronounced it every possible way and been told I was wrong every time. Eventually I decided to just stick with the pronunciation in this video that I heard from both a Norwegian and a pro brewer, but thanks anyway!

[@patrickbruske5488]

@@TheApartmentBrewer kzbin.info/www/bejne/j2OcmImEqd-HrNk - start at the 1:00 mark.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

@@patrickbruske5488 Interesting, and that's how I initially was saying it a few years ago until I was told I was wrong lol. I was told to say "quake" but my pronunciation/accent probably slipped since then

[@theulsterexpat]

Surely if you have the room for the mini-fridge cooling system, you have room for a small larder fridge with an inkbird?...

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

I wish, but believe me that is not the case! That mini fridge is just big enough to fit a tiny bucket. I usually also have multiple fermentations going on at the same time too

[@theulsterexpat]

@@TheApartmentBrewer feel your pain. I live mid-terrace with no usable outdoor brewing space. I downsized to 10L inorder to accommodate a ferm fridge, but that doubles as my kegerator...

[@Tallnerdyguy]

None of the links work for any of the products lol...

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Thanks for bringing that to my attention. I just updated the broken links.

[@tommanning7337]

👍🏻👍🏻🍺

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Cheers Tom! Thanks for watching!

[@erikbrooke2821]

“ferm believer” heh

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

😎👉👉