[drjones]

Without a chest cooler, I'm dependent on old-school methods of temp control.  My mead is (relatively) safe in a big bucket of water receiving four swapped out freezer packs twice a day and staying at about 65F (though I'd prefer it a bit lower).  The session ipa (1.046, US-05) from last Sunday is probably about done with the bulk of its fermentation, and I managed to keep it at 70F in the cellar next to the mead bucket. Ideally, it, too, would be 5 degrees cooler.  How are you guys managing the heat - wet towels, other ideas?  (Short of buying a freezer!)     

[Joe Sr.]

I have a small room in my basement that I keep cool with a window unit.  It stays at a nice cool 60 degrees.

Probably not helpful for you...

[denny]

I put my fermenter in a large plastic tub full of water and add ice packs to the water.

[duboman]

I put my fermenter in a large plastic tub full of water and add ice packs to the water.

Before I got a ferm chamber this method can be very effective, also know as a swamp cooler and works on the science of evaporative cooling.

[BrewArk]

wet t-shirt  fan, ice if necessary.

[svejk]

I like brewing saisons in the summer because the yeast are happy at higher temps.  Then again, summer in Seattle isn't exactly a real summer so the basement stays a great temp for ales for most of the time.

[kramerog]

Water bath.  But really what I try to do is not to fight it.  I brew lower gravity beers (more because I need to stay cool), saisons (where higher temp is helpful) and American sours with Brett as my primary yeast (also good at warmer temps).

[stlaleman]

I have a better way, controls temps =?- 1 or 2 degrees. I use an internal SS coil in my Brewhemoth and a simple glycol chiller made from an old window AC. Check out http://penrosepicobrewery.blogspot.com/
Currently I'm fermenting a British Ale at 66 in a shed that exceeds 100 degrees every afternoon.

[euge]

I gave up and bought a freezer. In fact I bought two...

[cornershot]

I gave up and bought a freezer. In fact I bought two...

Ditto

Did the wet T-shirt thing. Did the swamp cooler thing. Nothing like precise, effortless, carefree temperature control and the quality of beer it produces in any season.
But I did have a keezer catch on fire a while back...

[denny]

I gave up and bought a freezer. In fact I bought two...

I lust for a freezer or two, but I've got nowhere to put them.

[euge]

Lust, covet... I say make room!

[denny]

Lust, covet... I say make room!

You'd think that would be possible....but it's not....yet.....

[erockrph]

Working hard trying to convince my wife that I need a fermentation fridge, but no luck so far. My basement ranges from about 62F-70F ambient in different locations during the summer, so I can get away with it for most ales. What's nice is that I can control temps to some extent based on where I put the fermenter. The corner that is deepest underground generally ranges from 62-64F, while the area closest to the outside ranges from 67-70F.

I try to at least chill to the low 60's before pitching, then let it rise from there. If needed I'll use a swamp cooler for temp control. I've even brewed lagers using a swamp cooler in August, but it's a royal PITA changing out frozen soda bottles 2-3 times a day to maintain temps within a reasonable range.

[majorvices]

I guess it's almost embarrassing to say that at the height of my home brewing days I had three 14 cubic foot chest freezers (one of them for serving) not to mention carboys laid out fermenting on basement floor. That doesn't even include when I added the three 55 gallon vessel brew system on back porch and upright freezer with 42 gallon blichman conical in garage. Though I at least didn't exclusively pay for all that and it was only there 4 or 5 months.

Don't have any of that now. Nearly no brewing supplies in the house (I do a little fruit wine now here and there but nothing like home brewing). Course we had to invest a large chunk of our life savings to move it all out of the house and into the brewery.

I truly married an angel. Or maybe it's just I'm that good in the sack.