re: Homebrewing..... Some tips

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large bucket with water...wetted t-shirt...Direct a fan at the carboy

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I tried using that technique when I first started out. It didn't work all the well in the humid summer. It seems you just don't get enough evaporation for it to cool it down enough.

A good, cheap solution that I used for years, and still do occasionally when I have a lager in my fermentation fridge, is one of those large cube-like coolers. I cut a hole in the top for the carboy to stick out. I fill the cooler with a ittle water and add bottles of ice once a day. You can easily ferment anywhere from 55-70 degrees with minimal monitoring. Hell, I even crash cool in it and can get it down to less than 40 degrees with a few extra bottles of ice.