Ferm. Temp. Control

During me daily disgustingly 15mph stop & go, two-hour commute home, I had a thought of ways to control fermentation temperature.

I am sure someone has already beat me to the punch but isn't there a way to....

Run a copper coil along the inside of a fermenter and pump a fluid, using a heater/cooler, through it where the temperature of the fluid and controlled by a thermostat?

Son of Fermentation Chiller. Search it.

StAnthonyB said:

Run a copper coil along the inside of a fermenter and pump a fluid, using a heater/cooler, through it where the temperature of the fluid and controlled by a thermostat?

Click to expand...

NO COPPER in contact with the beer after the boil/cool down. PERIOD.

Copper poisoning

I have however thought of wrapping a cryo-cuff around (or taping it to) the outside of a fermenter.

how about running a copper coil around the outside of the fermenting bucket, just wrap the copper around it like making a big IC, then run your water through it with a pump, hook pump up to a temp controler, draw water from a cooler full of ice water, and have the water recirc back to the cooler. no copper to beer contact, but a lot of work and maintainance compaired to picking up a temp controller and a used freezer or dorm fridge.

How much can you spend? If you can afford $325, you can have what is in Post #2.

Looks good. I was looking over chest freezers last weekend. I am expecting a Johnson digital control unit anyday now. I've decided duct taping it to the side of my conical will be efficient enough for now.

StAnthonyB said:

Looks good. I was looking over chest freezers last weekend. I am expecting a Johnson digital control unit anyday now. I've decided duct taping it to the side of my conical will be efficient enough for now.

Click to expand...

Cover the probe with a layer foam facing out before you tape it to the conical.

BargainFittings said:

Cover the probe with a layer foam facing out before you tape it to the conical.

Click to expand...

Great idea! Even though I didn't type it, I had that in mind.


Now, what about making sure the brew is warm enough. How do you keep it from dropping too much in temp. or is that an non-issue. The temp. will drop when the fermentation is nearing completion, correct? It is exothermic, but does fermentation require a little extra umph temperature wise to keep it going and lower the gravity those last few points?

BargainFittings said:

Cover the probe with a layer foam facing out before you tape it to the conical.

Click to expand...

I fold up a kitchen towel 2/3 times, and use it to insulate the probe on the outside of my carboys. The probe sits between the side of the carboy and the folded up towel. I wonder what the R value of my method would be?

azscoob said:

how about running a copper coil around the outside of the fermenting bucket, just wrap the copper around it like making a big IC, then run your water through it with a pump, hook pump up to a temp controler, draw water from a cooler full of ice water, and have the water recirc back to the cooler. no copper to beer contact, but a lot of work and maintainance compaired to picking up a temp controller and a used freezer or dorm fridge.

Click to expand...

This would give you better heat transfer than the minimal contact between the copper coil and the outside of the fermenter:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/water-fermentation-chiller-81501/

What's the concept behind the gycol systems?

camiller said:

This would give you better heat transfer than the minimal contact between the copper coil and the outside of the fermenter:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/water-fermentation-chiller-81501/

Click to expand...

true, I was just running with his idea though! I used the shirt, fan and pondpump method prior to getting my ferm fridge setup finished.

What about a chest freezer as a fermenter?

I am using an old fridge / heating pad & controller. I can usually keep it within 2 deg.

StAnthonyB said:

What about a chest freezer as a fermenter?

Click to expand...

Lot of people do just that, if you have the space a spare chest freezer or fridge with an appropriate temp is probably the easiest way to go.

camiller said:

Lot of people do just that, if you have the space a spare chest freezer or fridge with an appropriate temp is probably the easiest way to go.

Click to expand...

I've been giving some thought to fabricating a square (or round tub) open fermenter that I can place into a small chest freezer. A design similar in shape to the Yorkshire style. Although nice and deep in order to retain a good layer of CO2 to blanket the fermenting wort.

This way I can open the freezer top, slide over the fermenter cover, and skim the nasty krausen during the first three days (in a nice sanitary way of course)

A tub that is 36" wide x 24" deep x 36" tall = 134.65 gallons.

Taking into account for a gentle slope and somewhat more narrowness near the base and 100 gallons is very feasible for the smallest chest freezer.

I've given some thought to fabricating an open-tyle Yorkshire-like square fermenter that I can fits into a chest freezer/refridgerator with room to spare; in order that, proper airflow is maintained. A good gauge stainless 304 could bent easily enough to provide an angular trough. Then, wielding the sides on is the only matter. Fittings can be attached to the side for racking and cleaning, etc.

I was wondering if anyone else has thought of this.

I think of all the wasted space and volume of putting a comparably sized conical into a refridgerator.

Hey all,
I was curious to see if using an electric heating pad (like people use for pain relief) wrapped around my fermenter is a good option for temperature control. I ask because I put my fermenter in the shower stall in a rarely used guest bathroom of my home. The bathroom is not heated very well. I know my local supply shop, Midwest Supplies, and Northern Brewer all carry a pad that your FV sits on and it regulates temperature. I was kinda hoping that I could swing over to my local Goodwill store and pick one up for about $15-$20. It's early in my progress as a brewer, so I really don't want a shed full of stuff I'll never use again. Thanks for your help.

Slainte!

That is what I am using now.
I don't have it on a temp controller, but it is set on low, and checking it every few hours, (The Wife and I).
With my ferm fridge in the garage, and the current temps outside, we're keeping it between 64-68 degrees.
Carboy sitting in a milk crate, heating pad tied to the carboy.