I know exactly where Franklin, TN is. I spent the better part of 2 years (except weekends) in Columbia/Spring Hill while the Saturn plant was under construction. I know how hot it gets there. I'm farther south, blessed with slightly warmer temps.My summer tap water makes it tough to chill below 80F so I do something similar. I use an immersion chiller to get close to 80, transfer from brew kettle to fermentor, then toss that into an old fridge set to 60F overnight. A little care is needed with the blow-off setup so it doesn't get sucked up into the fermentor as it cools. By morning it's pitching temperature.
I primarily use dry yeast, so there's no need for aeration. If I am using liquid or repitching, then I add it right before pitching when the temp is in the mid to upper 60's. I boil the stone and sanitize the wand... no issues with infections... yet, anyway
I've not experienced any off flavors from this technique compared to my non-summer technique. I haven't noticed a big difference with haziness either, although I don't focus too much on that anyway personally (Irish moss + cold crashing mostly).
Cheers!
You reiterate the no aeration needed for dry yeast. How so? Never heard this concept until today. Even most of the packets say to aerate. Without aeration, how can there be sufficient O2 dissolved in the wort? Boiling and then cooling will deplete water of dissolved air. Simple science to that. What's the yeast going to feed on (efficiently)?