Controlling Fermentation Temps again

Probably going to Target and/or Home Depot today, and on the advice of some folks here, am going to look for a cheaper way than the Fermentation Jackets I found on morebeer.com to keep my carboys cool during primary fermentation.

I know this may be obvious to everyone, but a simple picture or two is often valuable (at least to me). So I did some googling, and here's a very simple solution I saw on homebrewunderground.com. I think I'm going to:

• Either look for two small trays like this (one each for my 6.5 and 5 gallon carboys) or one tub big enough to fit both carboys in case I'm using both at the same time
• Buy a few more ice trays for my freezer
• Buy a small fan

Maybe I can get all this for like $20-25 to handle both carboys instead of paying $90 ($45 each) for two carboy jackets or $50 ($25 each) for two fermentation bags from morebeer.

Anyway, here are the pics from homebrewunderground.com:
Using a towel:
http://www.homebrewunderground.com/images/fermenter-cooler.jpg

A t-shirt:
http://www.homebrewunderground.com/images/fermenter-t-shirt.jpg

And here's the tray:
http://www.homebrewunderground.com/images/terra-tray.jpg

I use something like this with the towel/shirt wick method. I just switch out bottles of frozen water every other day.

This is 80 qt available at Wallyworld for $13. I also put it on a dolly so I can move it across the room or out of the way.

You may have seen my solution already (I can't remember if I've posted it before or not) but it works great. I made a different lid for a wheeled igloo cooler, and it works great.


I made the different lid because it seems like the original lid was hollow, and if I cut it, I'd have to fill it with foam insulation. Also, when I want to use it as a cooler, I just put the original lid back on. I am thinking about making another foam lid for it, for a keg at a party.

Very cool!