Double-Decker Fermentation Chamber/Keezer Build

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barrooze

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I’ve been contemplating this build for a while, and over the last couple months, I’ve done the majority of the work. The issue I was trying to overcome is that I don’t have any floorspace for a fermentation chamber AND keezer, so I had to come up with a solution. I got a lot of inspiration from other builds on this forum and decided to make a Double-Decker Ferm Chamber/Keezer!

So I started out making my keezer. By just adding a standard collar (made out of 2x8 board) and a stand, I was able to get 5 cornies inside my 7.2 cu.ft. Magic Chef chest freezer. I got the faucets and shanks installed and was ready to build up the Fermentation Chamber.

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From other threads (this one in particular) I got the idea to use the cool air from the keezer to cool my fermentation chamber. I knew I had to have the FC above the keezer, so my plans are to attach it to the keezer via hinges. This requires the FC to be lightweight, so I made it out of foam board. Apparently 2” thick foam board is unheard of in Houston, so I went with doubled-up 0.75” thick foam board. I think the final R-value is 10. Glued it up over a couple days and set it on the keezer.

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After much searching, I ended up using bilge pipe as the air ducts. I’m not quite happy about this, but for lack of an affordable, better option, it works.

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I’ve still got a few details to clear up, but for the most part, it’s working great. I’ve been able to maintain the desired ferm femps, granted it’s winter here and that’s not a great feat. When it warms up (in a few weeks…) I’ll see how it really does in warm conditions. I’ll have all the details finished by then (hinge, pipe insulation, all gaps filled, and a power disconnect for the fans).

Just thought I’d share my build! Thanks for reading!
 
Definitely. It's a trade-off I was willing to endure. My keezer is in a state where I only need to get into it when I'm trading out kegs, though, and I don't go through my kegs all that quickly.

Also, if I need to get into the keezer, I can move the fermenting beer to the floor. The small amount of jostling rousts the yeast a little which isn't a bad thing during active fermentation (at least it's not a bad thing imo). :)
 
Looks awesome, well done.

You could wrap your air ducts with bubble-wrap or some pipe insulation foam, might help a little in TX summers.
 
Looks awesome, well done.

You could wrap your air ducts with bubble-wrap or some pipe insulation foam, might help a little in TX summers.

Thanks, and great suggestion! I'll definitely put up some sort of insulation on those ducts. They generate a lot of condensation when in use... In the summer it'll be even worse. Thanks again!
 
You're welcome!
...and speaking of condensation, are you planning on staining your keezer collar? Some stain & sealant would probably help its longevity - plus it looks awesome.
 
Any update on how this is working out for you? I'm interested in the concept myself. Also, why did you choose to only put out 4 taps when your keezer holds 5 cornies?
 
It's actually working pretty well. I've insulated the bilge tubing with some pipe insulation. The chambers are currently able to maintain a temp of 19-20*C. Keep in mind that this is in my garage which is already seeing temps in the 80s-90s when two hot cars are parked in it. I haven't noticed any real additional running of the freezer's compressor either. I have bought the hinges I'll be using on this, but haven't yet mounted them.

The only real issue is the bilge tubing. I didn't want to use it in the first place. Bilge tubing has a straight portion every couple feet that's used for clamping (apparently). I'm toying with the idea of removing it and going some braided PVC hose, but I need to break out my fluid mechanics book to see if the smaller ID will allow adequate airflow using these low-power fans.
 
What about 2" vacuum cleaner hose? Another alternative would be dryer duct. Or put a round inlet & outlet flange like they use for dust collection systems and build a box duct from the same foam board and just slip it over the inlet & outlet flanges. You coudl use PVC pipe for that matter. I'm planning to do the same thing but with the ferm chamber on the side of the freezer. I've been looking at home brew heat pipes and surplus CPU water coolers haven't come up with a plan yet. Your design looks a lot simpler.
 
Vacuum hose is exactly what I was looking for, but didn't want to spend $4/ft since I needed roughly 14' for all the lines. The dryer ducts were too large in diameter.

These ducts need to be flexible, as the entire ferm chamber is hinged (or will be) so I can get it out of the way (when empty) to access my keezer.
 
Do you have room to put the box next to the freezer? You could get rid of the external hose completely and be able to open the lid of your freezer if you need to.

I kind of did the same thing but with a dead freezer......
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Do you have room to put the box next to the freezer? You could get rid of the external hose completely and be able to open the lid of your freezer if you need to.

I had seen a few FCs that went horizontal as you described, and that was my initial intent, but lack of floor space was the driving factor for going vertical. My garage is packed to the gills with stuff (I'm lucky I've got space for a 2nd fridge AND keezer!) so I had to go up if I wanted a ferm chamber at all. In the last pic, to the left of the KFC (Keezer/Ferm Chamber) I've got my mower, trimmer, and a shelf. None of that fits anywhere else... To the right I've got a fridge.
 
Vacuum hose is exactly what I was looking for, but didn't want to spend $4/ft since I needed roughly 14' for all the lines. The dryer ducts were too large in diameter.

These ducts need to be flexible, as the entire ferm chamber is hinged (or will be) so I can get it out of the way (when empty) to access my keezer.

Stick a 2" PVC nipple out of each side. Then build a telescoping box duct using the same foam, basically a box that slides in a box. Each box has a hole in the side that slips over the pipe nipple.

If you want to get fancy with cutting the foam, take a 2x4 block of wood and two utility knife blades and drive them into the end of the 2x4 at a 45 degree angle so that you get something that looks like this. -V- The apex height should be just shy of the thickness of the foam. Lay out your duct pattern on the foam then cut by ragging the block on the foam against a straight edge. It removes a 45 degree slice leaving just enough on the outside surface for a hinge & gives you nice mitered corners. You fold it and basically have one edge to tape and the 3 end cap edges. I've done this with the foil clad rigid fiberglass duct board, worked like a charm. Learned by watching some HVAC installers except they obviously have professional cutting tools.
 
Nice write-up, but I don't see how this solution helps me when in position one, the inlet and outlet are parallel, while in position 2, the inlet and outlet are at 90 degree angles. See pics below:

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Nice write-up, but I don't see how this solution helps me when in position one, the inlet and outlet are parallel, while in position 2, the inlet and outlet are at 90 degree angles. See pics below:

Ahh I see, :drunk: I was thinking the normal hinge on the back direction. Looks like the hose is the most economical solution. An alternative would be to put the lid & ferm chamber on slides, have the ferm chamber extend 3-4" to the left ( enlarge the chamber so it's overhanging the freezer). Use elbows from the freezer with the outlet oriented up so that it mates with openings in the ferm chamber overhang. Slide the ferm chamber to the left to access the kegs, slide it to the right to close, realigning the ducts. No doubt more trouble than it's worth.
 
No doubt more trouble than it's worth.

:) Quite true. I went through numerous scenarios when coming up with this design. Like the slides method you described, I'd have to build a new lid that would allow for the rails as well as somehow allowing access to the kegs because i can't slide it out, then open the entire ferm chamber and rail system as it would ram into the wall behind the KFC. It's a real tight space and given the materials and tools at my disposal, I think it came out alright. Definitely better and easier than a swamp cooler. :)

I do appreciate the feedback and suggestions! Hopefully it helps someone out, as I haven't seen too many of these out there.
 
How is this performing in the heat? Any condensation problems? What temp controllers did you go with? How are the ferm fans configured (I see duct tape?). Thanks!
 
why did you choose to only put out 4 taps when your keezer holds 5 cornies?

Since I'm really the only beer drinker in my house, I decided I only needed four taps active at any given time. This allows me to have 1 keg conditioning and in reserve while I finish one of the other on-tap kegs. Also, someday in the future I may want to have a stout faucet which I'll easily be able to incorporate into the mix. :)

How is this performing in the heat? Any condensation problems?

This is actually performing pretty well so far! I must admit, while the East coast is getting hit by a heat wave, Houston, TX is experiencing significantly cooler weather than normal! We've only been in the 80s (and not even high 80s) and the FC has been able to maintain 20C very, very well. Once I wrapped the ducts with pipe wrap, I've experienced no condensation on the ducts, and have not experienced any inside the FC either.

What temp controllers did you go with?

I've got the single-stage version of the STC-1000 eBay Temp Controller build. Works great. I set my desired temp, plug in the fan's power adapter, tape and insulate temp probe to the side of the fermenter, and i'm good to go.

How are the ferm fans configured (I see duct tape?). Thanks!

I've got the each fan spliced onto an old cell phone power adapter. I cut open a couple 2L bottles (cleaned of course), and duct taped the fan into the enlarged opening, so the fan blows out of the bottle, which will suck air from the threaded bottle opening. The threaded bottle opening fits nicely into 1" PVC tubing. I just duct taped the bottle onto the tubing to ensure an airtight and secure fit. When the fan turns on, it sucks air from the keezer below and blows into the FC. The warmer return air is taken from the top of the FC and ducted into the top of the keezer.

I still am not finished with the FC. I need to trim off a little bit of the door to get a better seal with the angled portion of the right chamber. I also am going to cut some foam and attach inside the chambers to make a door jam, on which I will put some weather striping, to ensure a tight seal (some cool air is escaping around the door). And finally, I'm going to attach those darn hinges that I bought months ago!!

Thanks for your interest. Let me know if there's anything else I can clear up for you.
 
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