multi use cold room build

Ok I have the building purchased so it is time to start planning. I want a cold room and a fermentation chamber. can one room be used for both? I have a big glass front cooler to actually put beer in to get to drinking temps. I am looking more at a room to store beer long term after bottle conditioning. Could I set one up to keep an ambient temp in the upper 50's low 60's since I am doing only ales and some wines. that way my ferm temps would be in line, plus I would have a good place for beer and wine storage. OR should I just make a real cold room to keep my beer in after bottle conditioning, and build a fermentation chamber out of an old side by side fridge and a temp controller?

if you've got a real-deal cold room, you can always use it as a fermentation chamber by wrapping your carboys in a fermwrap heater, and then wrapping some insulation around that. The neoprene carboy sleeves are nice. It sounds strange to have a heater going inside a cooler, but it's less inefficient than you'd think.

But, all told, if your main goal is to cellar your beer, drinking temps is probably too cold. If you don't do lagers, keep the cold room in the 50s for long-term aging.

I've switched gears with my cold room build.
I've decided to build my room addition to my cookshack, and have it at room temp. I will drop another duct from my airconditioner into the new room. I them can have a huge chest freezer for my kegs and extra storage at 40-ish degrees for cold drinks, or aging beer.
I will have room for several 'fermenting friges, and they can all be at different temps if need be. Also lots of storage space for equipment,bulk grains, ect.

MalFet said:

if you've got a real-deal cold room, you can always use it as a fermentation chamber by wrapping your carboys in a fermwrap heater, and then wrapping some insulation around that. The neoprene carboy sleeves are nice. It sounds strange to have a heater going inside a cooler, but it's less inefficient than you'd think.

But, all told, if your main goal is to cellar your beer, drinking temps is probably too cold. If you don't do lagers, keep the cold room in the 50s for long-term aging.

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so if I can keep the ambient at 50 degrees that would work for cellaring the beer PLUS as a ferm chamber for ales?

OHIOSTEVE said:

so if I can keep the ambient at 50 degrees that would work for cellaring the beer PLUS as a ferm chamber for ales?

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Absolutely...get yourself a fermwrap (or make one) and a neoprene jacket for each carboy and you'll be able to ferment at whatever temperature you want, so long as it is greater than 50 degrees.

Or build a dedicated insulated box and heat it with a lightbulb or something. This is what I was going to do before I abandoned my closet cellar/cold room idea.