First time home brewing from Intro thread..

No idea, I've never seen a picture of a setup like that.

 

I don't have any experience from which to make a recommendation because I don't cold crash, but I recall reading that during the cold crashing process that it is best to take the temp down gradually. I don't recall whether this was over a of couple days or what the ideal time period might be. Presumably this gradual step-down will help eliminate the pressure differential between inside and outside of the fermentor.

As a last resort, try using vodka instead of water.

 

Somewhere around 70 is good, +- 5 degrees doesn't matter.

 

I might be wrong, but you probably want to put the thermometer in a different bottle next time because the heat from fermenting/blow off tube, may give you incorrect temps until the yeast chill out.

 

I don't think you're headed for doom. Beer gets shipped every day in trucks that are not refrigerated. However, if you want to try to moderate your beer's temp in a range that is more friendly, and since you sound like you don't have time to get an external thermostat temp control device, you can go to the hardware section of any good discount store and get a light on/off timer that has a dial on it (most have a dial, but some don't) that allows you to set on/off times for half hour periods every 5-6 hours. (That timing is just a guess, so maybe someone who reads this can add some first-hand knowledge.) I would set the fridge's temp dial at the warmest setting on its dial. You're near the end of your bottle-conditioning period, so chilling them down a bit now will be okay. If they still aren't properly conditioned when you get back from vacation you can restart the conditioning again by letting them get back to room temp.

 

I usually try my first bottle at 10 days just to gauge the progress of the bottle conditioning. If it's adequately carbonated at 10 days (does this fit your vacation schedule to check one before you leave?), I'll move them from room temp to my cooler basement, but not necessarily into a fridge. I believe that you said the ABV of this beer is 8% so it could be a little slower at carbonating. That first bottle will tell you your next step.

If it's adequately carbonated at 10 days, I move the beer from room temp to my cooler basement (mid-60s), but not necessarily into the fridge. I think you said above that you don't have a basement, but if you have good carbonation after 10 days you can put as many bottles as you can into your fridge.

Have a nice vacation.

 

When the wort is fermenting it's going to be warmer than the ambient air or the water, regardless if it's in the same environment. And the middle of the Carboy is going to be warmer than the outside where the strip is. The strip will give you a ball park and be more accurate than the water when fermentation is going.

 

Knowing that I'm going to start homebrewing within the next year, this post makes me feel even more excited for my first batch.

 

I'm leaving for California in two weeks. Save me one!

 

If only @ThomasJoseph315 were in the Meetup document...