Idea for a fermentation cooler - aquarium cooler

I had an idea. Durring the winter months i put my fermenters in a plastic tub with an aquarium heater. kept the water warm when the basement was like 40*.

anyone think a water bath with an aquarium chiller would work in the summer months? Will not work if i go with a conical but for buckets and carboys it might.

Aquarium Chillers


Idea or no good?

As long as you don't want to lager you should be fine.

My biggest issue with one of those would be price. For much less you could probably rig up a "cold box". All you would need need to do is frame out a box with 2x4's, insulate well, and install a window air conditioner. You could also rig up something similar using a mini fridge and a temperature controller.

Here is a link to the refrigerator concept:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/4-6-cu-ft-fridge-10-1-cu-ft-fermentation-chamber-conversion-88554/

Holy crap those are expensive.

Only semi-off-topic: Someone posted a link to a programmable aquarium temp controller last week. I can't find the post now. Anyone remember the name of it?

Same idea for sale on CL ($250): German Labratory Chiller for Reef Aquarium, Wine/Beer,etc.

I've thought about rigging this up to circulate glycol through copper tubing running through the fermentation vessel somehow. Instead, I just realized I have an extra portable AC unit lying around I'll probably rig up to an insulated box. Someone should maybe grab this though...

nickfogler said:

Same idea for sale on CL ($250): German Labratory Chiller for Reef Aquarium, Wine/Beer,etc.

I've thought about rigging this up to circulate glycol through copper tubing running through the fermentation vessel somehow. Instead, I just realized I have an extra portable AC unit lying around I'll probably rig up to an insulated box. Someone should maybe grab this though...

Click to expand...

Not a bad idea, but you would want to use stainless, not copper. Copper reacts with CO2.

Chesire evidently has been using one of those....

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f13/best-fermenter-cooler-hot-days-124767/?highlight=garage+sale

Even though they are expensive new, you never know what you will stumble upon at a garage or estate sale, where the people pricing the stuff have no idea how much they are worth....

Just look on craigslist and get a second hand refridgerator, you can lager in it or put kegs in it too.

This is close to what I use. I skip the glycol heat exchanger bit and just cool a cabinet but it's close.

Rick500 said:

Only semi-off-topic: Someone posted a link to a programmable aquarium temp controller last week. I can't find the post now. Anyone remember the name of it?

Click to expand...

Search for a Medusa dual stage or single stage temp controller. Worked well for my reef tanks. Should not have sold it.

i have a dorm and full sized unit ready to lay down there lives. i was just thinking this might be less bulky and more efficient transfer.

i have also thought of putting the freezer coil of my mini fridge in a gallon reservoir and cooling the coolant that way?

Rick500 said:

Only semi-off-topic: Someone posted a link to a programmable aquarium temp controller last week. I can't find the post now. Anyone remember the name of it?

Click to expand...

Aquadyne Computer Corp.
Neptune Systems - AquaControllers - Home

I have an Octopus 2000 (a predecessor to Aquadyne's Octopus 4000) that I used when I was involved in reef aquaria. It uses X-10 appliance modules, has 16 timers, can monitor and control temperature, conductivity, pH, and ORP/Redox, and can raise alarms when readings go out of range. I may bring it out of retirement if I move to kegging, but I may go with simple temperature controllers instead. If anyone is interested in it, let me know.