Every winter brewers face a conflict based on the cold tempartures and weather where they live. If you are brewing outdoors in a cold weather it could put a damper on the brewing experience. Do you enjoy standing outside in the cold for hours at a time? We don’t either however here are some tips for you to consider if you want to brew in the cold!
Other Options To Work Around the Cold
You can set up some kind of heather in a garage or indoors. Heaters that run on natuaral gas are an option if you have the money to do it. We do recommend to keep ventalation issues in mind not just from a heater but also from the burner.
Electric brewing is another option so you will not have to worry about combustion byproducts. This could be a good alternative if you are up for the challenge but we do recommend getting technical advice to see if this is feasible with your electricity setup
Use Heating Equipment
If you know that you’re going to be brewing in the cold, invest in some heating blankets, heating belts, or heating pads that are designed to work with brewing components. You can use these tools to make sure that your brew continues the way it should even when the temperature dips low.
Always Brew In Plastic
Fluctuations in temperature can cause glass to break, so you should only use plastic brewing implements when you’re brewing in cold weather. You don’t want to have broken glass all over your brew space or have to clean up a shattered glass. Leave the glass implements for brewing in warmer weather and invest in some high quality plastic ones for the cold weather brewing that you want to do.
Insulate Your Brew Space
One way that you can help keep the temperature in your brew space consistent is to insulate it. If you are brewing in a basement you can put down sturdy carpet or hang area rugs on the walls to insulate the space. If you’re brewing in an unheated garage you can make sure the windows and doors are sealed tight so that the cold air from outdoors isn’t sneaking in. Even small steps to insulate the space can make a big difference.
Keep An Eye On The Temperature
Get a thermometer for your brew space and mount it in an easy to see area. That way you can see how low the temperature goes and whether or not that temperature is consistent. If the temperature is consistently low you might want to put a space heater in your brew space when you’re going to be in that space.
