desperate measures calls desperate ideas

I ended up with like 3 more gallons that I was expecting on my brew last weekend, I know that is not a bad thing but anyways, I need space to ferment it. I started out by doing the water bath with aquarium heater on a ranco controller but wouldn't hold 3 fermentors so tonight I moved things out to my new freezer outside that is my fermentor in the warm season and now is in the cool season.

How ghetto is this?

From the side:

You always need a keg of something around. Actually this is a wit that is a few months old that won't just kick yet so it is my batch porch brew right now.



Shot inside the madness



Notice the computer fan to circulate the air better, all ghetto'd up with a clamp holder



Since the one of the right in on the compressor hump the airlock really wouldn't fit so foil all the way! Even with that there is still a 2 inch gap at the front, hence the sleeping bag. Thermowell from Derrin in the middle.




Do I win anything for this monstrosety? I am just glad the SWMBO is not home right now to see this.

She sure as hell won't be winning any beauty pageants, but it gets the job done!

I'm sure people have brewed great beer with less. If it works it works. Way to use what you have.

SeamusMac said:

She sure as hell won't be winning any beauty pageants, but it gets the job done!

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so far it is holding good, it is 29 out this morning and a nice toasty 66 fermentor. I added more blankets to the top and shoved into the cracks created by fermentor that was too tall for the compressor hump.

should you cover up the carboys to keep them from getting any light?

JesseRC said:

should you cover up the carboys to keep them from getting any light?

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I thought you just wanted to keep UV light away from beer? That's why it was alright to have it indoors with the lights on. I am probably wrong though.

I think artificial light is ok as long as it's not fluorescent. They emit very small amounts of UV light and therefore could potentially change the beer. However, I think the amount of UV they give off is very very small.

I can't quite tell from the pictures, but they look like incandescent bulbs to me.

well now you have all scared me and need to go home to figure another way to heat this without light.

I cover my carboys with t-shirts (preferably a dark color to block more light).

humann_brewing said:

well now you have all scared me and need to go home to figure another way to heat this without light.

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From all that I have read you should be fine with that set up. Direct sunlight, and fluorescent bulbs are the ones to worry about.

If you are still worried about it, just cover your carboys with a t-shirt.

well, the round light has a CFL in it so I will take that one out. I like David_42s idea he mentioned in another thread about tossing in a external hard drive. I have one that puts off a lot of heat but not sure how the on/off function will treat the hard drive.

I may just want to buy a enclosure and use one of the crappy 40giggers that are laying around in the garage.