Summer Brewing
It's hot. What now?
Maintaining the proper temperature range for fermenting beer is easy enough during fall and spring when temperatures are, well, temperate. However, the temperatures of the more extreme seasons – summer and winter – can leave some homebrewers discouraged. Constantly refilling coolers with frozen water bottles to keep the fermenter cool, or attempting to bundle up your fermenter to get it warm can both seem like less-than-elegant solutions.
While some homebrewers have no issue with adapting their brewing environment, or the recipes they are brewing, to fit the changes in their climate – others get fed up. The ideal solution for brewers who want to “set it and forget it” after putting together their beer is a temperature controller.
Minimal Effort. No Breaking the Bank.
A temperature controller will keep fermenters, carbonating beer, kegs, etc. in a precise temperature range, and the only effort required is plugging it in. Plug the controller in, set the desired range (whether you are looking to warm or cool), plug in your heating or cooling device (for example: a mini fridge, or a fermentation heater wrap), and let the controller go to work.
Our temperature controller of choice, the Inkbird ITC-308S, has a range of -58 to 210 degrees Fahrenheit, a dual display window to show measured temperature and set temperature at the same time, and allows you to set independent differentials for heating or cooling. This model also boasts high/ low temperature, over-temperature, and sensor fault alarms. The Inkbird is also priced very well compared to other homebrewing temperature controllers.
For the cost of a temperature controller, it’s an excellent shortcut for making sure your fermenting, carbonating, conditioning, or finished beer is at the temperature you’d like. No wool blankets or ice packs required.