Started my Fermentation chamber

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

G-Hog

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 28, 2011
Messages
404
Reaction score
36
Location
Durham
It's just a mini fridge I found on craigslist for $35 yesterday. I cleaned it up today and cut out the plastic panel on the inside of the door so I can close it with my fermentation bucket inside. I plan on keeping it in my garage, so I still have figure out the best way to get some heat inside it so I can brew in the winter. I still have to get a temp controller. Any suggestions on what temp controller to use, and what's the best way to heat it during the winter?
 
Ok, I did a little research and found out lots of people use a "110V AC Digital temperature controller + Sensor 2 Relay output thermostat" off of ebay. I just ordered one. Now I just have to figure out the best way to heat the chamber. Guess I have some more research to do, and I'm always open to suggestions. :mug:
 
you can use an empty paint can which you can buy at any home improvement store and screw a light bulb base into the lid, this will heat the inside very well. I use one with a 40w light bulb for my 8cu. ft. deep freezer which I use as a fermentation chamber and it works well.
 
you can use an empty paint can which you can buy at any home improvement store and screw a light bulb base into the lid, this will heat the inside very well. I use one with a 40w light bulb for my 8cu. ft. deep freezer which I use as a fermentation chamber and it works well.

I work part time at Home Depot and may be able to pick one up free, but I'm not sure it would fit in the fridge with the bucket in there. The hair dryer idea may work. I'll have to see if my wife has an old one she doesn't use any more.
 
Stopped by the pet store today and picked up a 25ft reptile heater cable for $10. I still have to figure out how I am going to use it in the chamber, but I'm sure I can think of something.
 
incandescent light bulbs don't produce ultra violet light so thats not a worry. A coffee can as a shield and a light bulb would work. its smaller than a paint can and in a small apartment frig a 25 watt bulb would be plenty of heat.
 
sonex said:
incandescent light bulbs don't produce ultra violet light so thats not a worry. A coffee can as a shield and a light bulb would work. its smaller than a paint can and in a small apartment frig a 25 watt bulb would be plenty of heat.

Friend has his setup like that. I'm thinking of doing the same, if the heating cable doesn't work out.
 
I'm using this thing to heat my ferm chamber... seems a little more tame than a hairdryer, doesn't give off light, and has an over-temp safety cutoff which I like since the thing is running 24/7 including when I'm not home.

My Heat Personal Ceramic Heater by Lasko
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I'm using this thing to heat my ferm chamber... seems a little more tame than a hairdryer, doesn't give off light, and has an over-temp safety cutoff which I like since the thing is running 24/7 including when I'm not home.

My Heat Personal Ceramic Heater by Lasko

I use the same heater ... Works great for my 17cf ferm chamber ... I do use a second fan to help distribute the heat.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
What about a small personal heater w/ thermostat built in? Wouldnt that work?

It would just cycle on every so often to push out a little heat.
 
I use the same heater ... Works great for my 17cf ferm chamber ... I do use a second fan to help distribute the heat.

What about a small personal heater w/ thermostat built in? Wouldnt that work?

It would just cycle on every so often to push out a little heat.


I also use a second fan to move the air constantly. From some empirical measurements I made when I was putting together a chest freezer kegerator, I think this is pretty important.

Aside from any accuracy issues you might have from an el cheapo space heater, the problem with using the built-in thermostat is the same one that I see all over the place with people who wire 110V fans to kick on only when the compressor cycles: as soon as the chamber reaches temp, the heater/compressor will cut out, and so will the fan.

As soon as this happens, the chamber will start to stratify (hotter up top, cooler at the bottom), so you don't have a consistent temp throughout. In my 14 cu ft. chest freezer kegerator, I saw 10-15 degree temp difference between the bottom and top of the box before I added a fan to keep things moving.

Probably not the end of the world and I'm pretty sure a space heater w/ thermostat would still work decently well and would obviously be way easier to set up. Good luck w/ the build...
 
Great info mmccurdy.

What about just using the fridge as an insulated box(no power), with the heater inside. And to fix the temp issue just wire a small computer fan inside?

Very curious as I plan to do this some time soon.
 
Great info mmccurdy.

What about just using the fridge as an insulated box(no power), with the heater inside. And to fix the temp issue just wire a small computer fan inside?

Very curious as I plan to do this some time soon.

Having not tried it myself to be sure, I think that would work pretty well. You would have to make sure the heater has a thermostat (obviously) and you would be subject to whatever accuracy and temp swing it came with out of the box, but it would definitely be a nice simple solution.
 
Now that I have all my parts on hand, I will be putting my chamber together this weekend and brewing next weekend. I decided to take the heat cord back and get one of the small 200w heaters. My temp controller came in yesterday and I also picked up a wort chiller off of CL. :ban:
 
Back
Top