First timer concerns with room temperature and brew belts

[Chaotik]

Hello,

I just purchased a starter kit from Costco which contains everything I should need to make my first batch of wine.

I am planning on starting a Spagnols WS Super Tuscan in a couple of weeks.

The room I intend on doing this in is a portion of my basement in which I don't have much control over ambient temperature. Right now, the room is at 62F. I don't think I can make it any warmer with the winter coming. In fact, if anything, it will get a little colder.

The last thing I want is to ruin such a nice kit.

I read a lot about temperature in this forum and my understanding is that once fermentation starts, the liquid will actually heat up a little. But is 58-62F ambient temp too cold ?

If I were to get a brew belt, is it just a matter of "setting and forgetting" ? In other words, is there a thermostat on the belt or will it just keep heating and perhaps create the opposite problem ?

Thanks for your help.. can't wait to get started !

 

[acorn]

Hi and welcome.

If you are making a white wine, you may just pull it off with a brew belt, as all you need is a temperature in 59*F - 68*F range for a healthy fermentation. However, white wine fermentations are typically slower than reds and don't have a cap to retain some of the heat produced during the fermentation (this is also a factor for reds that are made with juice without grape skins).

For red wines your room is quite cold, especially considering the drops in temperature that you foresee in the near future. Also, if you intend to let your wine go through malolactic fermentation, temperature is an even more significant consideration here, as MLF will progress much slower than under warmer conditions, thus taking months to complete.

Bottom line, for red wine you will be making the ideal temperature would be in the 68*F-75*F range, therefore, you might need something more substantial than brew belt which is designed to increase the temperature only by a few degrees. For the increase in temperature you are looking at, you will need something like Copper Tun Heating Pad (you can get it on Amazon).

If it is getting too cold, wrap your fermentation vessel with a bubble wrap. Once I personally "dressed" my carboy into an old wool sweater . So, make sure you continuously monitor the temperature and avoid rapid swings of more than, I'd say, 3*-4*F, especially during the primary fermentation, otherwise your yeast might get stressed and produce off-odors/flavors, or you might get a stuck fermentation that is a pain to restart sometimes.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

 

[richmke]

I have no idea if this will work:

Go to your local hardware store (or lowes, home depot, etc.). Get the 1" thick (approximate) Styrofoam boards (4"x8" sheet) used for wall insulation, and some duct tape.

Make yourself an insulated box for your primary and brew belt. Make sure all the seams are sealed with the duct tape.

 

[Tenbears]

I don't know what kind of wine you are making, and not all yeasts provide the best results for every wine, However there are several yeast that work well in temperatures of 50F, I can think of two of the top of my head that work down to 45F Red Star Premier Curv, and Vintners Harvest Saccharomyces Bayanus. both have high alcohol tolerances. It will defiantly increase your time schedules so you can throw any "Do this is 10 days" out the window that instructions my tell you but it will work.

 

[seth8530]

Really, the proper fermentation temperature depends on the yeast you are using and the type of wine you are making. I don't think their is really much benefit in getting a juice or kit wine past 72F since their are no skins to extract from. Plus, white wines do better at cool temperature to get fruitier flavors out.

 

[heatherd]

I have used a brew belt a couple of times, when our house is extra cold in the winter. I find that putting the belt on for a few hours to get the fermentation going is enough, and then the internal heat of fermentation seems to be enough to keep that process going without the brewbelt. I stuck one of those adhesive thermometers on each of my primaries so I can monitor the temperature.
Heather

 

[Elmer]

I live in the great northeast, upstate NY, where it can get cold (but not Canada Cold).

My basement can be anywhere from 55 to 62 during the winter. When it is a cold winter my basement usually stays around mid to high 50's (F).

I make reds (kits), & berry wines. I usually use Lavlin 118.
I have never had an issue fermenting, sometimes it can be a little sluggish.
What I do is wrap the primary in heavy blankets.
If I need some extra warmth, I put the brew belt on at the begining of fermentation, wrap with blankets, but make sure the blankets do not touch the belt. Fermentation itself usually heats things up.
Once I move the must to a carboy for either secondary or clearing I keep it covered in a shirt or blanket.
I have found secondary in a carboy can be slow at cool temps, but effects otherwise!

But I like the Styrofoam idea, and may give that a try myself.

 

[cpfan]

Chaotik:

For your first wine, don't change the yeast that comes with the kit. The temperature is important for fermentation but it is just as important after fermentation. Cool/cold liquids don't release CO2 as readily as warm wines. Since beginning wine makers tend to not degas enough, this could be an issue.

When I lived in Saskatchewan and had a cool basement (although I think warmer than yours), we kept the wines in a quiet spot in the kitchen until degassed and cleared.

Sorry I haven't tried a brew belt the way that you are asking.

Steve

 

[Boatboy24]

Some people will actually use an aquarium heater to warm things up. If you aren't comfortable putting a heater directly into your must, just put your fermenter into a larger container filled with water. Then heat that water with the aquarium heater.

 

[ibglowin]

My cellar is ~55F for most of the Winter. I use a brew belt and a big beach towel to wrap around the bucket and then the carboy. You can't just set it and forget it you need to monitor the temps closely especially until you know how a fermentation goes from start to finish. You also need a temp strip on your bucket and carboy so you can see at a glance what the temp is. On mine I know I need some heat the first few days then no heat for about 3 days then more heat off and on until it is all the way to dry and transferred to carboy. Like cpfan says you need the heat to help it degas as well as clear so I keep it around 70-73 degrees until it is done clearing and into bulk aging phase then let it cool down to winery room temps.

 

[Elmer]

You can also go to a sporting store and purchase an emergency blanket.
They are meant to keep heat in.


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[elizajane]

I tried the emergency blanket once, but ending up purchasing a brew belt. Living in Canada, the brew belt is something I use regularly on my primary buckets.

 

[Elmer]

I tried the emergency blanket once, but ending up purchasing a brew belt. Living in Canada, the brew belt is something I use regularly on my primary buckets.

An emergency blanket wrapped around a primary with a brew belt will keep it nice and warm, especially if the basement is 55f, like mine can get.

I remember needing them when we had a power outage in my town for four days , during an ice storm a few years back.
My basement drop down to 39°, I had to scramble to try to keep everything as warm as possible emergency blankets came in quite handy


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