CPU Hydro/Liquid Coolers

-Ok, so this has probably been posted or posited before:
but has anyone tried to rig up one of the Computer CPU hydro/liquid coolers to your fermenter for temp control?
I could imagine some additions (to avoid cold-spotting your fermenter) could be getting a gel jacket and wrapping a fermenter then adding one or two CPU coolers to the outside, maybe even wrap a temp-conductive coil and attach it to the CPU cooler and coil the rest through/inside the gel jacket. Then a Johnson to keep the CPU coolers at the right temp. Seems it would be a handy way to regulate temp, and those CPU coolers actually don't use much electricity. With the cost of those hydro coolers at less than $50 a piece it would seem to be a pretty effective and price worthy solution.

I was thinking something like this thing:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004LWYE4Q/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

I don't think that would ever work. They work by taking heat away with the liquid with metal on metal contact over a small area. You would need a much larger contact area and the glass or plastic would insulate it too much.

I had an idea of buying a 1 gallon wooden casks and replacing the 'bottom' or back of said cask with a price of sheet metal, and attempting to cool 1 gallon of liquid with one of those things. Too many projects, not enough money.

Those work because the temp of the CPU being cooled is much hotter than ambient temps. The fan/air heat exchanger takes plenty of heat away because of this temp delta. However, it cannot drop the temp any lower than ambient.

NervousDad said:

I don't think that would ever work. They work by taking heat away with the liquid with metal on metal contact over a small area. You would need a much larger contact area and the glass or plastic would insulate it too much.

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That makes sense. Maybe you could put the fan/radiator in your fridge, then send it in a copper coil around your fermenter. Just thinking of creative ways to make a "cool jacket" for your fermenter.

Bobby_M said:

Those work because the temp of the CPU being cooled is much hotter than ambient temps. The fan/air heat exchanger takes plenty of heat away because of this temp delta. However, it cannot drop the temp any lower than ambient.

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The "avatar" picture you have of your boiler hardware is making me drool. Mmmmmm... brew-porn.

What about a Peltier cooler?
http://www.suntekstore.com/goods.php?id=14003513&utm_source=gbus