Hello from sunny(and warm) Florida!

[laflaone]

New to the site. I made beers and mead years ago. Now that I am retired, I am getting back into it.

 

[Runningwolf]

Welcome aboard! What kind of wines are you making?

 

[Rocky]

Welcome to the forum, Laflaone. Just curious, how does one make wine in Florida with the heat and no basements. I am curious because I may end up there and was puzzling over what I would do with my winemaking.

 

[cohenhouse77]

Welcome to the forum, Laflaone. Just curious, how does one make wine in Florida with the heat and no basements. I am curious because I may end up there and was puzzling over what I would do with my winemaking.

Air conditioned climate controlled garage. I actually make mine in my den. 73 in the summer and 68 in the winter, with 70 in between.

Where in Florida are you? I'm in Dunnellon, just south of Ocala.

 

[olusteebus]

I am in Northeast Florida and my garage is airconditioned though we leave sometimes for extended periods and turn the ac way up. Thus, there can be a problem.

I plan on insulating half of my tool shed (built up against the house with plywood flooring and 2x4 studs walls and putting in a small ac unit. Hope that will help.

 

[Julie]

Hi welcome to WineMakingTalk

 

[Wade E]

Welcome to our site. Ask anything you need to!

 

[joeswine]

Welcome

WELCOME TO THE FORUM (FROM THE LAND OF MILK AND HONEY) AS MY MOTHER A FORMER FLORIDIAN MOTHER WOULD QUOTE,WELCOME.

 

[laflaone]

Thanks for the welcomes and comments! I will be starting with a cyser(hard cider with honey).

I have a closet in a small bedroom which usually stays between 70-75 degrees. On the few really cold nights we have, probably put a space heater there to keep the temp from dropping too much. There are also days down here in the winter when we actually have to run the a/c.

I will be using lalvin 1116 or 1118(haven't decided which) for my yeast, since each can tolerate higher temperatures.

It's going to be fun.

 

[winemaker_3352]

Welcome aboard!!!

 

[olusteebus]

I have a closet in a small bedroom which usually stays between 70-75 degrees. On the few really cold nights we have, probably put a space heater there to keep the temp from dropping too much. There are also days down here in the winter when we actually have to run the a/c.

I will be using lalvin 1116 or 1118(haven't decided which) for my yeast, since each can tolerate higher temperatures.

It's going to be fun.

I recommend skipping the space heater and get a "rope" bucket from walmart, a 25 gallon aquarium heater and place the fermenter/carboy in about 4 inches of water in the bucket. You can easily keep it at 75 degrees.

 

[laflaone]

I recommend skipping the space heater and get a "rope" bucket from walmart, a 25 gallon aquarium heater and place the fermenter/carboy in about 4 inches of water in the bucket. You can easily keep it at 75 degrees.

I get the general drift of what you are saying, and it makes sense, since water conducts heat/cold about 25 times better than air. I confess that I have never heard of a "rope" bucket. Would you describe? Also, does the aquarium heater have a thermostat so you don't have to worry about monitoring it constantly?

Whatever I set up, it has to be done at the start, since I will be using a 6.5 gal glass carboy, and 5 gal of liquid. This is not something I will be picking up and moving.

 

[olusteebus]

Walmart sells what some call a rope bucket in the household section (where laundry baskets are I think). They are large, blue buckets. If not that, when I have two ferments going, I use a plastic storage bin.

I get my aquarium heater from Petsmart. It is adjustable and I set it and forget it. The one I got has the settings easily viewed on the side, not the top.

Also, to help, I strongly suggest you buy some disposable heat insulating blankets (silver foil) from a drug store and cover your bucket. Works very well.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/The-Original-Space-Brand-Emergency-Blanket-Silver/15935551

 

[laflaone]

Walmart sells what some call a rope bucket in the household section (where laundry baskets are I think). They are large, blue buckets. If not that, when I have two ferments going, I use a plastic storage bin.

I get my aquarium heater from Petsmart. It is adjustable and I set it and forget it. The one I got has the settings easily viewed on the side, not the top.

Also, to help, I strongly suggest you buy some disposable heat insulating blankets (silver foil) from a drug store and cover your bucket. Works very well.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/The-Original-Space-Brand-Emergency-Blanket-Silver/15935551

I went to the Petsmart website and found 8 aquarium heaters. For each one, there is a choice of wattage. What did you get? Also, I like the idea of the insulating blanket.

 

[robie]

I went to the Petsmart website and found 8 aquarium heaters. For each one, there is a choice of wattage. What did you get? Also, I like the idea of the insulating blanket.

I like the idea of using two heaters per fermenter. It spreads the load and one becomes the backup for the other, just in case. Put the fermenter in a tub large enough so one heater can be on each side to spread the heat.

The nice thing about these heaters, compared to a brew belt, is they are thermostatically controlled, so they will shut off when fermentation starts generating its own heat, then come back on when fermentation slows.