Zymurgy Gadget Issue - 10G Igloo Water-Cooled Fermentation

Not sure if everyone saw the gadget issue, but I'm looking at recreating or reimagining the 10G igloo water cooler fermentation chamber. The guy who built it says it's basically a copper heatsink/fan from an old computer, a peltier device and a water block/pump used for computer processing cooling. There's a temperature control module that will regulate the temp.



In researching, I did come across this thread: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/water-fermentation-chiller-81501/

However, the difference is that the zymurgy guy's above can heat and cool with the peltier device and it doesn't require a separate water vessel for ice water. The separate vessel would also require refilling with ice water when cooling.

I had a few questions:

1. Any problems with using a bucket instead of a glass carboy? I already have 4 buckets and 6.5G carboys are $42 plus tax.

2. Any idea how to build it?

The one above is built with a computer for temp control but you could just as easily use a ebay temp controller to do the same. The cooler is used as a water bath for the carboy. The water is cooled using a CPU water cooling loop. The water cooling loop consists of a pump and a peltier cooler. Both the pump and peltier can be run from a computer PSU. The ebay temp controller can be set to turn the computer PSU on or off depending on the temps.

I understand the basics of how it works from the article, but there's a few things I'm unsure of:

1. Is it a closed loop inside the orange cooler? i.e. does the tubing that run in through the top connect to the tubing coming out the spigot? The other HBT DIY article had an open system...just a gravity drain when the water levels got too high to the icewater vessel with a pump just in the icewater vessel.

2. If it's a closed loop, would copper pipe be a better choice for inside the cooler for thermal transfer?

3. I'm pretty sure that's a 5G carboy in the picture because a 6.5G carboy and 6.5G bucket do not leave much room at all there around the sides. Any issue with this? I'm not sure if the limited amount of reservoir water is an issue or not.

1. I don't think it is a closed loop, vinyl tubing doesn't transfer heat too well. Think of the cooler as a giant reservoir. There should be a tub inside that comes up from the spigot to the top of the water level inside the cooler (similar to the way a toilet reservoir works).

2. If you used a closed loop, cooper would be better (ie like a immersion chiller). but that would take away a lot of space from the inside of the cooler.

3. Not sure of the size of the carboy but the more water the more mass and the better temperature maintenance.

Varroa said:

1. I don't think it is a closed loop, vinyl tubing doesn't transfer heat too well. Think of the cooler as a giant reservoir. There should be a tub inside that comes up from the spigot to the top of the water level inside the cooler (similar to the way a toilet reservoir works).

Click to expand...

Okay, I think I understand this now. I was thinking I needed two pumps, but if tubing is connected to the water pump inlet and enters the cooler through the spigot, the pump from the PC should pull and then the exit tubing should just dump in the top of the cooler.

Varroa said:

3. Not sure of the size of the carboy but the more water the more mass and the better temperature maintenance.

Click to expand...

Yeah, I'd imagine more is better, but a 5G carboy isn't feasible due to me doing 5.5G primaries. I bought a 6.5G carboy and it's a tight fit - same with a 6.5G bucket.

Can you post more scans from the gadget issue?

ultravista said:

Can you post more scans from the gadget issue?

Click to expand...

x2