Fermentation Chamber Help

So I picked up a 30 cu. ft. chest freezer today that I intend to turn into my fermentation chamber. I already have a small electric space heater for when its needed...

NOW... how to control it all...

I'd love to get the baddest controller out there but this project is on the cheap- so I'm looking at an ebay Johnson Controls A19 (I missed out on one today for about $25 because of my blackberry arguing with the app). My question is, can I just plug in the freezer when I want to cool and switch to the heater when I want to warm? Or, do I need a two stage controller? I don't have a lot of temperature swings (my basement stays around 55 in the winter and 75 in the summer pretty consistently) so I don't think I need to switch back and forth between heating and cooling in the same season.

Yeah, if you will know whether you need hot or cold you don't really need two-stage. The two-stage is nice because it's more set it and forget it, but not technically necessary.

Cool... that what I thought, then I started reading about the things and confused myself... thinking that if it worked on temp rise vs. temp drop would one run excessively and the other work.

Check out the eBay aquarium controller thread. It's a 2 stage that is available for $25 with free shipping if you search eBay for the item name: stc-1000. Get the 110 volt version.

Another $10 in parts, and you have a 2 stage temp controller for $35

^ good DIY project.. I already have a BCS to control my fermentation or I'd pick one up.

I have four controlled fermentation fridges & freezers. Three are on analog Johnsons and one is on a A419. I find that I don't really need a two stage or dual mode controller. The Johnson's can do either, but it does require opening the case and moving a jumper on the digital and moving a terminal connection for the analogs. I find that I need to either heat or cool the chambers depending on the average ambient temps and there are fairly long periods in the spring and fall when neither are needed. That for the chambers in the unheated garage. The two in the house almost always need to be cooled, but they also coast much of the time. I like the digital Johnson a lot, but I've had no problems with the analogs and they hare been in use a long time.

If I were to buy a two stage controller, I would want a true two stage where you have independent set points for heating and cooling. That would make the switch fully automatic vs. the dual mode type where you make the switch manually.

How does this multi-quote thing work??

I jumped on the eBay aquarium controller build train... didn't see any that clearly stated 110v so I ordered one and sent a note with instructions. The seller responded in a very vague, but very positive manner; whatever that means. Fingers crossed.

I saw that the Johnson Controllers require the jumper so I was going to ask if anyone had success switching one... toggle, light, etc...

This thing is gonna happen one way or another, after all, I have a 30 cu. ft. chest freezer!

I have one that I mounted in a cigar box, with an outlet on the other side. The top hole on the outlet is heat, the bottom is cool, and you can have both hooked up at the same time.. I've used it with a small heater and a lamp, it has a max of 10A IIRC...I love it and it's a fun DIY, and super cheap, I didn't buy a box, and the outlet was only $0.50...

Question: Are you (or do you plan to) go to kegging?

30cu ft is pretty big, so you could both ferment and serve out of the same unit. If this is something you might plan to do, I'd go with a dual stage controller. That way you could keep the chest freezer at serving temps and also keep a fermenter going in there with some sort of heater around it, and control both with a single controller unit.

When you do this, I believe people "wall off" a part of the chest freezer, and keep the fermenter in that.

Just a thought....

yeah, 30 cu feet is HUGE.. I had a 15 that I was using for fermentation. I liked having all that space, but I didn't really ever use all of it. When it broke I downsized to a 6cu foot to save space in my garage. I have a separate 7 cu footer that's a keezer. Can fit 4 ball locks and 1 pin lock in there.

Broadbill, I am kegging but I have a separate kegerator so I'll use this primarily for fermenting and carbonating/ conditioning kegs. I may wall it off like you suggested at some point to lager in a portion. For right now I just want to get it set up.

Bruin, I wanted something in the area of 15 but with craigslist you have to jump on opportunity! There were about 25 different small chest freezers (5-7 c.f.) no mid sized and then this one.

If nothing else, this monster will let me get a good pipeline going.

Got my temp. controller from China today (and it was even 110V). I'm pumped to put it together!!