Fermentation Chambers?

This is going to sound like I'm knocking other posters and I'm not AT ALL but, I've seen a ton of threads and individual messages talking about building fermentation cabinets and I honestly don't understand it. The one Thomcat has going now on a thread is gorgeous (good job thomcat!)... but... and I swear I mean this as a sincere question and not some smartass crack..

why wouldn't you just use the fridge??

I've mentioned a couple of times on very recent threads that I have two fridges I pulled off of Craigslist for a combined $20. One was free and I'm bummed I wasted $20 on the other because I see fridge for free out on Craigslist almost every day.

Is it a space issue??

Is it just the satisfaction of building it yourself?? Which... believe me.. I can ABSOLUTELY appreciate.

I don't get why you would build a polystyrene box, put a bucket in it with frozen bottles... or gut a fridge's cooling mechanisms and put them into another frame... when you could just get a fridge for free.

Is there a benefit I'm missing somewhere?

I am also a fan of using fridges, but they are hard to move and they suck up electricity even when not being used for brewing. Just something to consider.

I haven't built a box at all, but the supply of fridges/freezers isnt the same everywhere. It's very difficult to find them cheap or free around here. The fridge I use for a kegerator I think I paid 125 for from someone and the chest freezer I ferment in I think was 95. Even the not so cheap ones go quickly around here

If I could get free or really cheap ones I would have another 2 out in my garage. I need one for storage of kegs, and I'd like another one to ferment in.

Bokonon said:

I haven't built a box at all, but the supply of fridges/freezers isnt the same everywhere. It's very difficult to find them cheap or free around here. The fridge I use for a kegerator I think I paid 125 for from someone and the chest freezer I ferment in I think was 95. Even the not so cheap ones go quickly around here

If I could get free or really cheap ones I would have another 2 out in my garage. I need one for storage of kegs, and I'd like another one to ferment in.

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Are these way too far??
http://seattle.craigslist.org/sno/zip/738551388.html
http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/zip/737269624.html
http://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/zip/736994396.html

Only 200 miles each way. Cheaper to go to lowes/home depot and buy a new chest freezer

I love my chest freezer.

I have a beer fridge. A nice vertical side by side job. Does a great job of holding bottles and keeping them at a cool 35*F but is a horrible waste of space if I want to say, hold an ale at 67*F for 7 days. Beside that, the yogurts, breads and fruits might not enjoy that too much. And the freezer side holds all my hops amidst the frozen dinners and liquor bottles.

I have a chest freezer keezer. Holds up to 9 cornies if I like. But, if I want to put just 1 bucket in there to ferment then the rest of the beer on tap has to conform to the fetal beerbaby.

So, why not a small dedicated fermentation cabinet. Set it and forget it.

I have done the whole t-shirt in a pool of water with a fan and frozen ice jugs and personally, I'd rather drop it in a refridgerated box and not worry if the bin has run dry or if I hit my target ferm temp orif I need to add more ice.

Finally, with this I don;t have to worry about the wifes suppositories getting mingled in with my dry yeast.

I'm personally trying to see if I can build something that would hold 6 15gal kegs and will use as little electricity as possible. It would take 3 chest freezers and 3 temp controllers for me to pull it off using pre-made refrigerators, so if it would work, it would be the better way to go for me.

I also have a corner of my house that I'd like to put a bar in, but it wouldn't fit a chest freezer very well. So (if possible...I'm still researching the subject) it would be nice to be able to build something that would accommodate just what I need, and only have to use a mini-fridge that I can get for like $5 - $10

1. no room for another fridge
2. another fridge also costs more money to run the electricity

unless you NEED it, I find it just as simple and cheaper to do a swamp cooler, or my fermentation box, or a combination...at least for ales. in the winter my basement gets cold enough to lager.

malkore said:

1. no room for another fridge
2. another fridge also costs more money to run the electricity

unless you NEED it, I find it just as simple and cheaper to do a swamp cooler, or my fermentation box, or a combination...at least for ales. in the winter my basement gets cold enough to lager.

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I do like your swamp cooler idea, but a cost analysis says the fridge is cheaper for the time you have to run it. To freeze the water alone you are expending more energy than if you were to keep 5 time the water mass at fermentation temp in the fridge. Not only that but laggering is way easier in the fridge. The best part though is that when I am done I can still use it as a fridge. The swamp cooler will always be some foam panels, duct tape or construction adhesive, and ETC... This fridge looks nice with out having to build a special cabinet for it. This said, if you have no other choice, than the swamp cooler is the way to go. Some fermentation control is better than no control. But for god's sake stop trying to tell people it is more economical energy wise. The physics just don't play out. I get that you like your idea, and by all means be proud. It is a great idea. Just state that as your opinion, because then no one can make you sound foolish. Now, I will state that I like the fridge because it is easy and simple to maintain, a no fuss solution. But this is my opinion.

PS I am sorry ahead of time for being a dick! S.

One reason for a fermentation cabinet is space. I live in a 450 sq ft apartment with a roommate that doesn't drink. I'm sure if I brought home a refrigerator just to use for fermenting we would have 'words'. I'll bet there are others with SWMBOs of the same mindset of brewery taking up too much space. The swamp cooler idea or a small cabinet space for fermenting is ideal when you don't have a lot of room.

Another reason is, some guys just like building stuff! When I get my own place I'm going to build a 38DD fermentation box, just because I want to. And yea slnies, you did kinda sound like a dick

I'm planning on building one soon. The main reason is space. I don't have room for another fridge. And, if I did, It seems a tremendous waste of space for a fridge sitting at 65 degrees that's only good for fermenting beer and nothing else. A small fermentation box that's big enough to hold my bucket and a couple gallons of Ice is just much more manageable.

Besides, I like to build stuff too.

Ok..I can absotluely dig the space issue. I'm not totally buying the cost side of it but I can certainly understand the space issue. I have a VERY VERY VERY VERY understanding wife (as evidenced by the bar that takes up 80% of our basement, my walk-in cooler to hold all of my kegs and beer lines that takes up another 10%, my two fermentation fridges that takes up another 5% and the single teir being built in my garage)... so... I guess that's my answer.

I was honestly asking though because I didn't know if I was missing aa real benefit somewhere. We've got enough space for my addiction and my wife is a saint.. A SAINT I TELL YA!!!!

....and yeah... that slnies was being a total dick huh? LOL... c'mon... I keeeeed!

I have nothing against anyone who just wants to build one, or it really is your only option. I just don't like like the justification that it costs less in energy, as a reason you should build one. Freezing water, to cool more liquid, is an inefficient way to cool. That is all I was getting at. Remember, I think it is a great idea. I just don't like it when things are miss represented, even accidently. That said, I was not trying to step on anyones toe's. S.

Cape Brewing said:

Ok..I can absotluely dig the space issue. I'm not totally buying the cost side of it but I can certainly understand the space issue. I have a VERY VERY VERY VERY understanding wife (as evidenced by the bar that takes up 80% of our basement, my walk-in cooler to hold all of my kegs and beer lines that takes up another 10%, my two fermentation fridges that takes up another 5% and the single teir being built in my garage)... so... I guess that's my answer.

I was honestly asking though because I didn't know if I was missing aa real benefit somewhere. We've got enough space for my addiction and my wife is a saint.. A SAINT I TELL YA!!!!

....and yeah... that slnies was being a total dick huh? LOL... c'mon... I keeeeed!

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Yup, but I am man enough to admit my faults.

I'm building one using a dorm fridge that'll have a footprint similar to a small chest freezer. I already had the dorm fridge lying around, but have spent more than a hundred bucks on the wood, insulation paneling, and whatnot. It probably would have been cheaper to just buy a chest freezer, but I DO like building stuff and this will be better insulated, and perfectly sized for my needs.

If size is the issue, why not use a mini fridge? College kid are always trying to get rid of these at the end of the school year. And when not fermenting, either unplug it or use it as a place to keep beer cold.

AnOldUR said:

If size is the issue, why not use a mini fridge? College kid are always trying to get rid of these at the end of the school year. And when not fermenting, either unplug it or use it as a place to keep beer cold.

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Those dorm fridges are great for carboy fermenters, and great because you can remove the door and make a cabinet on top (just like MrFebtober's larger idea only with a much smaller footprint for you carboy users), and seal everything back up for a 10 gallon fermentation chamber. I'd like to expand the chest freezer fermentation space I use now by doing MrFebtober's idea. Actually, I'd probably just use the extra space for lagering/maturation, but one fridge/freezer can handle a lot more cooling space than it looks like. It'd be great if you could get through the top on the dorm fridge, then you could leave the door on and just build the upper cabinet.

I will say though that my opinion is to go with a fridge/freezer if you have the room. I do like how imaginative we all seem to be on HBT, gives me tons of ideas.

I've posted this sort of thing before and got equally flamed I suppose. It's nice to see I have some supporters ;-) I do understand the space limitation and the general desire to build something when an off the shelf solution already exists but I too am frustrated when people claim the energy cost is the deal breaker. It seems there is a perception that making ice is free since the kitchen fridge is "already running". This is a myth.

I concur with the energy talk.

alright alright... let's not start a brawl here between the "fridgies" and the "cabinet makers".. LOL...

Cape Brewing said:

This is going to sound like I'm knocking other posters and I'm not AT ALL but, I've seen a ton of threads and individual messages talking about building fermentation cabinets and I honestly don't understand it. The one Thomcat has going now on a thread is gorgeous (good job thomcat!)... but... and I swear I mean this as a sincere question and not some smartass crack..

why wouldn't you just use the fridge??

I've mentioned a couple of times on very recent threads that I have two fridges I pulled off of Craigslist for a combined $20. One was free and I'm bummed I wasted $20 on the other because I see fridge for free out on Craigslist almost every day.

Is it a space issue??

Is it just the satisfaction of building it yourself?? Which... believe me.. I can ABSOLUTELY appreciate.

I don't get why you would build a polystyrene box, put a bucket in it with frozen bottles... or gut a fridge's cooling mechanisms and put them into another frame... when you could just get a fridge for free.

Is there a benefit I'm missing somewhere?

Click to expand...

As much as I love my chest frezzers... I don't think these will fit......

I too need more space and it would be nice if I could save money because of efficient insulation. Most refrigerators are not insulated very well. They only have 2 inches of foam. My plan is to make a chamber that will hold everything in 2 separate chambers and use just 2 AC units. I want to be able to have 4 to 6 inches of insulation and be able to ferment ales in one side and the rest is for storage and lagering. It will have 2 Ranco controllers. It will have enough room to store full Sankey kegs as well as cornys and my 27 Gallon Blichmann Conical. Right now I have a quickly made foam container (box) I place over the conical and use an air conditioner and a Ranco to control it. This works quite well I must say although it is not very elegant. The AC unit sits on the floor. I thought about making another foam box just like it but would like to make it a bit improved with two small doors to access the conical's ports for filling and draining. I have a hoist in the rafters of the garage that lifts the box when I want access to the conical for which I built a platform on wheels so I can move it easily. This gives me full access to the whole conical for easy cleaning. It has enough extra room that I can store full corny kegs along side of the conical. The box is 4' X 4' X 4' and has 3 inches of insulation. I also thought about adding another 2 inches of foam to it as we have hot summers. I was going to build a walk in room but the cost is quite high.

Cape Brewing thanks for the post. I kicked around the idea that I need a fermenting chamber. How to build one cheaply, looking for the right thread...reading your's I realized, Sheez I got a truckers fridge. Get them at the truck stop for around fifty, it cools the temp about twenty degrees cooler than the air around the trucker fridge. I just have to get it out of the attic and see if either the 6 (preferably) or the 5 gallon carboy will fit. I think that it can either use AC or DC!

I do have a question, Is a sticky temp gauge stuck to the outside of fermenter the way to go?

Bump that One year, Nine Month, Nineteen day COLD thread!