Bottle Conditioning your Home Brew at Room Temp in Cold Places

[ritagotus1]

electric box is refferd to as a gang box, great vids.

[BatspindaVL]

When fermenting,

can i put the carboy in a old fridge (not turned on) to keep it warm?

[CraigTube]

@BatspindaVL That, and you can also wrap it up in a blanket, or re wire the light bulb switch so the light stays on when the door is shut.

[davythom]

Yeah its a good idear to use xmax lights but when you want to drink it do you drink it straight from the box or do you chill it in the fridge for a fews hours? I hate warm beer and i think that goes for many of us...lol

[CraigTube]

@davythom Well, after a week with the lights you can remove them and chill the beer before drinking, or store it in the fridge.

[louie728]

Craig you ever get beer bombs??? Im a little concerned about it.. should I be? also when I bottle im thinking of putting in my garage in FL... little hot ...

[78recordrepair]

Your fermenting temps are a little too high. For most ale yeasts 59 to 63 F is a good range. Even a little lower than that is good, 55 F. Be patient and let your beer age at least a month. It will taste a lot better.

[Mike1614b]

in the winter, we used a heating pad under our cat's window bed, and the cats would fight to lay there. Then after a few years the heating pad stopped working. When I went to buy a replacement, I found that all the new heating pads shut themselves off after about 30 minutes. None (in the US) stay on continuously any more. So much for using (any recent) heating pads to keep cats- or beer- warm.

[thegoat54]

Great idea with the thermostat Craig. I just put one of those together for myself. I went to home depot and found the thermostat for $15, found one of those outlets for another $3.50. I cut an old power cord off a broken VCR I had laying around, and put it in a switch box I had in the garage. Did I test run in my living room with a lamp and it works great! I'm still firmenting my first brew. Coopers Draught. Now I'm all set to bottle condition! I'm in Hamilton, so we should meet up for a brew!

[CraigTube]

Yes, we could do that.

[imoveatparaderest]

But how do you carbonate home brew? does it just do it on its own, or must I purchase a can of CO2?

[CraigTube]

You need to watch parts 3 and 4 of my "home brewing the easy way' series.

[r0b0bert]

That's what i chose for my first batch a week ago(did it ferment within a week for you as well?). I've heard you should start with a wheat so that'll be my next batch.

[hogtiedster]

Does it matter what color the lights are? Mine are mostly yellow....

[CraigTube]

That's actually perfect. No ultra violet in yellow.

[hogtiedster]

thanks man..

[kzoocwby]

after the process is finished are you able to put those bottles in the fridge to cool your beer

[jaimenumero1]

great video, 5 stars, great ideas. was looking for a way to keep kefir at right temp

[adenhawke]

if you make a proper lager, ie a lager kit with an actual lager yeast you could leave the bottles in the cooler temperature without the heaters after a week or so. This adds to the Lager flavour and prevents a lot of the home brew esters.

[Flare1728]

you killed my husband

[daikaiju20]

thanks for this Craig, i think all video should begin and end with a drink of livation!!

[deathrider030675]

at the same time could you do the same with the heat pad on the bottled beer

[CraigTube]

Yes, but I'd keep it away from the bottles a bit. It will heat up the bottles near to it.

[eyesofnova]

At the local microbrew out here Craig, one of the guys that work there says he uses a large plastic bucket and fills it with water and then uses two fish tank heaters and says it works great. Figured I'd drop an alternative for ya :-D

[CraigTube]

Sure. There's lots of ways to do this.

[zingerkauf]

I am using an old chest Freezer in my garage. I placed a heating pad in a hanging basket inside and it seems to keep the temp inside about 70 to 75 deg. but ambient temp. in garage has been running around 50 in the garage. I am getting ready to brew my first batch and I am wandering if this will work for fermenting as I have no brew belt. I am just trying to keep the internal temp. about 70 deg F. You think Ill be ok . I am trying a Cream Ale from NB.

[CraigTube]

I think that will work just fine. Great idea.

[kyral210]

I have read that it is best to bottle, and then keep the bottles at about 25°C for two days, and then move the beer to a 13°C room for 2 months.

[CraigTube]

Hmmm. I guess if you want to wait that long to drink it.

[kyral210]

I guess it comes down to the old proverb. What's the best bottle of wine in the world? Answer: The one you like the best!

[ballhitch2]

2 months! thats a long time

[olde800hg]

maybe a electric blanket

[olde800hg]

how about using heat tape like what you use on pipes in the winter time might work