Chilling Out(side)

[John Sand]

We have only one fridge. Oddly, my wife likes to keep some food in it. It also has hops, yeast, and of course, beer. But I only have room for about two six packs. I find that a homebrew wants more than 48 hours cooling to properly absorb carbonation. That's no problem, as long as they are just for me. But I plan to bring some to Thanksgiving at my wife's brother in law's house in CT. During the summer I chill the brews for a couple of days in a cooler with ice. But now it's coooold out. I think I'll just put them on the back porch, still in a cooler for light protection. They should balance out at the day-night average. Anyone done this? Any reason I shouldn't? I've even considered cold crashing out there, but I don't want to give the raccoons a drinking problem.

[FrozenInTime]

During the winter I have cold crashed outside many times. When it's minus 20 or colder outside it chills the wort pretty darn fast! As long as it does not get too cold out leaving bottled beer outside would be fine as long as it's protected from the kiddies and animals. I left a 5 gallon pale of bock sitting outside once, after it had fermented. I ended up with about a 12 pack of unfrozen beer after bout 3 hours. That was a beer that demanded to be sip'd very slowly. Don't know what the ABV wound up being but we drank it out of shot glasses.... LOL

[John Sand]

Thanks FiT
The kiddies are 24 &27. They only drink my beer with permission!
I'll watch the temps.

[radonc73]

I di this a week or so ago I had a layer of ice on top of the bucket after a few days. It is in the tap a draft now.

[Photon Brewing]

In the dead of winter, I move all my ready beer right next to the garge door. I dont take up any fridge space which works well since we always seem to have more food in the fridge. When Im actually brewing, I cool the wort by plopping it right into a snow drift since I dont have a chiller. Works great. I ferment my lagers in the back of the garage. The wall is shared with a heated laundry room and the temp is a consistant 50ish if it stays cold enough outdoors. I may toss a frozen water bottle in with it if we catch a warm spell during fermentation or close the lid of the cooler if it gets really cold. Not ideal, but it works. I like the cold crashing outdoors idea and will employ it this winter. I find regulating my temps to be much easier in the winter months.

[mashani]

I've taken my pot out of the house and shoved it in snow piles many times. With a lid on of course.

[RickBeer]

Need ice? I put 6 Cool Whip containers in freezer. 2 days later take out contents, put in bread bag back in freezer, refill. Repeat for 3 batches, leaving the last one in the containers.

My 3.5 gallons cools in 20 minutes in the sink fed with these babies.

[John Sand]

Thank you all. I brought the bottles in last night when it got down to 28 at 11pm. They are back out now.
I ordered copper tubing to make a chiller, it's not here yet.
I may use that ice trick to help chill in summer.

[John Sand]

Update: A few days chilling in mostly forties let it settle and carb just fine.
The beer was in last night, but this morning I checked some cast off bottles of a disappointing older batch on the steps. They didn't freeze, though it was 25 and WINDY last night. I took one in and opened it, it didn't freeze then either, as I've seen before. So, you can chill them outside when it's pretty cold.

[Gymrat]

I read that 28F is the freezing point of beer. Personally I would think that would have to have a "give or take" given different ABVs. But might be a good rule of thumb.

[John Sand]

I think I've seen the same, and sort of use that as a rule of thumb. The unfrozen beer was 6.2%. But I still won't risk anything good below 28.