Regulating Fermentation Temperature

[The Beast]

I have looked elsewhere on the forum and have not found what I am looking for. (If I have missed it, please feel free to point me into the right direction) I have been brewing for a few months and it seems that most of my beers have an off-taste and I believe that it is due to my fermentation temps. I live in a 2nd floor apt and put my beer on the attic steps to ferment, (About the only place that I can keep it out of site from the wife and baby) the temp is usually between 74-76 and I am beginning to think that this is causing the probelm. I have room to ferment in the attic, but the temp up there goes from very hot in the summer to pretty cold in the winter. I have heard about people using buckets with ice and swamp coolers but I am just a bit unsure of how to use these to regulate them IE- how much ice and how often to add (I can assume that it will mostly be trial and error, but was looking for a starting point) and as for the swamp cooler, i am pretty much lost there. Also, is there something else that I can do?
Finally, if I do move my fermentation to the attic I may need something to keep it a bit warmer in the winter, is there anything besides the brewbelt-type applicatons? I appreciate any help.
Thanks,
The Beast

[Danno]

For winter, get a tub to create a water bath and use a fish aquarium heater to maintain your temp. Or, you could use a lightbulb, a cheap thermostat and make a box to put it all in.

Cooling in the summer is a lot tougher. You can use the water bath and then keep frozen soda bottles that you cycle in and out of the water bath and freezer. That takes a lot of management. You could expand on that by creating a box out of foam board to help insulate the system. Somewhere on the web there's a guy that sells plan to make one and even includes plans on a thermostat and fan to circulate cold air from a separate chamber where the frozen soda bottle goes. It's easy enough to copy without buying the plans.

Other than than, it becomes time to but a small fridge in the attic.

[Guest]

another Idea is to roll with the punches.

Have you ever had a belgian ale? Some say you either love them or hate them, if are a fan...

You can make those and ferment them in the 70-80s in the summer, and you can try to make clean ales maybe even lagers in the winters.

[The Beast]

Thanks for the help, I am just going through all of the archived shows and heard the comment about a warm-fermentaing belgian, I think I will try that. As for the extra fridge, I have already talked my wife into letting me put a secod fridge in the kitchen to hold, my kegs, I am not sure she will go for a third at this point, but I will work on her. I will also look into the boxes. Thanks again.

[Guest]

If you don't mind another brewing gadget, do a google search for "son of fermentation chiller". I've got two of these in operation and they are awesome. The plans are free and you can pick up everything you need to build them at your local hardware/home improvement store. You can check mine out at:

http://sdcollins.home.mindspring.com/Fe ... iller.html

Prosit!

[Danno]

"Son of Fermentation Chiller"

That's the name I was looking for.

[The Beast]

looks like I know what I need to ask Santa for! Thanks alot, I think I will give this a try.

Beast

[jimrush]

I've built the fermentation chiller (actually a slight variation on it) as part of my first brew. I've never had a problem with fermentation challenges.

I'm hoping to convert a freezer for a draft system in a few months and will be modifying the design to pull cold air from the freezer unit. Over the last six months, changing out containers of ice has been getting a little old. Works great, just annoying.

And for reference, I live in Phoenix, AZ area. Need something to keep the temperatures down in the summer. Daily, summer, temperatures in the house vary from 82 to 95 (my wife lets it get pretty warm before hitting the AC...)

Jim