Another Freezer/Fermentation Chamber Question

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pfleming

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I want a fermentation chamber that can hold two carboys at two different temps, and I have no ability to fabricate anything whatsoever. My current plan is to use a chest freezer controlled by a Love controller that receives inputs from a thermowell in one of the carboys. Then, on a second carboy in the same freezer, attach a FermWrap controlled by a second Love controller that would raise the temp of that carboy. It seems that between the two Love controllers I could have two carboys at different temps, although I wouldn't try to maintain wildly different temps (ie a lager and a saison).

Thoughts?
 
Where is the cooling element/fan for the freezer? If it is on one end of the freezer then you could section the freezer off with foam insulation baffles and create a sort of two chamber son of fermentation chiller. The cold air chamber on one end of the freezer would feed cold air to the other two chambers based on their temperature needs. This would only require one Love controller for the cold air chamber and two cheap thermostats for the other two (carboy) chambers. This is of course assuming that you could isolate the cold air to one portion of the freezer.
 
I was listening to the fermentation temperature control episode of Brew Strong yesterday. Jamil Zainasheff was describing his method of brewing a lager and ale in the same chest freezer. His method was exactly the same as your plan above. So, I think it should work great. Just try to separate the carboys as much as possible.
 
Thanks LagerLover. I listened to that episode months ago but didn't remember Jamil mentioning that setup. I'll be off to Lowes tomorrow to pick up a freezer.
 
Perhaps it was Can You Brew it?, or another one of his podcasts. Regardless, I am possitive I heard him talk about it. Good luck! It sounds like an awesome setup.
 
It was the Brew Strong episode on fermentation temp control. Basically, Jamil does the same thing as I am contemplating except that he uses a frig instead of a freezer. As he [and many others here and other places] pointed out, a frig is a better option because it can better handle humidity than a freezer when used at fermentation temps. Unfortunately, I only have space for a chest freezer.

Thanks again.
 
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