Fermentation Chamber

[paulied65]

I'm finally going to "build" a fermentation chamber. I'm thinking a chest freezer or old fridge with a temperature controller. What would you recommend for a heating element? Temperature controller?

Building this is a whole new world for me, I could use any/all help you can give me!

 

[Amadeo38]

I just read through this thread
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/...wPi-Fermentation-Controller-For-Cheap.466106/ and added all the parts to my Amazon cart last night to make a raspberry pi based temp controller. I then realized how little of a difference this will make over the knockoff STC-1000 temperature controller I already have. However, if you’re coming from no temperature control at all, this is a really nifty way to go.

Chest freezer from Craigslist, build a wood collar if necessary based on internal height, build/buy temp controller. Brewing as you know it will be changed forever.

 

[Transamguy77]

I used an STC1000 and made a temperature controller and I use a 200watt personal heater to raise the temp. I like the personal heater because it has a fan built in to circulate the warm air.

If you are going to use a dorm fridge make sure it's big enough to cool whatever box you add to it. I know you said a bigger fridge or freezer but if you only do 5 gallon batches or you'll only need it big enough to hold 1 maybe 2 fermenters.

I went with a dorm fridge because it was free and so was the chest I added to it, i can fit 4 fermenters and I do 10 gallon batches so I can have 2 batches in at a time.

 

[ddibbern5]

I’m looking for a good solution also.
What is your fermentation vessel?

I use Inkbird controllers, and a cheap heat mating mat
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LZXOP1C/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
But, I’m not in love with the solution.

I have a small chest freezer that I need to add a collar too so I can fit my 6.5 gal carboy....
However weather has been cold so no need for a freezer....

 

[Preturbed]

I have a receptacle wired to the heat side of my STC and I generally keep a hairdryer plugged in to that. One big advantage is that it circulates the air inside so you don't wind up with hot and cold spots.

 

[mongoose33]

IMO, the best way to do this is heat the fermenter, not the chamber. I have used both a Fermwrap and a reptile mat, and both work fine.

An inkbird controller is about the cheapest solution but it's also an excellent solution.

I would never use a freezer as a ferm chamber (unless it was an upright) because it's just too much work to try to lift a fermenter in and out. A refrigerator is much easier to use, plus a chest freezer has a much better use as a keezer.

I have two refrigerators as ferm chambers. I bought the camoflaged one from another brewer--so no comments about camoflage! --and the small one is just perfect. I can get two fermenters in the camo fridge, one in the small one.

The second pic shows two fermenters in the large ferm chamber. One has the reptile mat as a heater, the other the fermwrap. If the temp in the garage gets too low, the reptile mat struggles a bit, but I solved that by wrapping a towel around it to direct more heat inward to the fermenter.

 

[RM-MN]

For almost all of my beers I need to keep the fermenter cool instead of warm. That may not be the case for you but you will have to decide if you really need heating.

 

[mongoose33]

For almost all of my beers I need to keep the fermenter cool instead of warm. That may not be the case for you but you will have to decide if you really need heating.

Some of that has to do with where the ferm chamber is located. Mine are in my garage, which can get as low as 40 degrees. I have to rely on the heat mats to maintain the temp. The fridges are insulated, but not that well insulated.

There's also an advantage when I want to bump up the temp to 71 degrees at the end of fermentation to allow the yeast to clean up. I just can't make that happen without a heat mat in a garage that is at 45 degrees. All I need do is change the target temp on the Inkbird, and voila! It does it.

 

[RM-MN]

I don't think my garage would work out well for fermenting. Sometimes the temperature in there can reach -35 and it would be difficult to keep the fermenter warm enough.

 

[GoeHaarden]

I don't think my garage would work out well for fermenting. Sometimes the temperature in there can reach -35 and it would be difficult to keep the fermenter warm enough.

I don't ever get sub-zero temps in my neck of the woods, but it'll get down in the single digits some. I use a reptile heating cable inside my chamber which normally works well, but it definitely struggles to keep chamber temps in the high 60's when outside temp is that low. Chamber is in the garage.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001OVBEEK/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

I bought the camoflaged one from another brewer

Whats with that camo fridge? Just kidding! On a serious note, I've always been curious if ferm wraps cause uneven heating without the wort circulating? Ever compare temps with a thermowell?

 

[mongoose33]

Whats with that camo fridge? Just kidding! On a serious note, I've always been curious if ferm wraps cause uneven heating without the wort circulating? Ever compare temps with a thermowell?

Imagine my wife's reaction when I came home with it.

The funny thing about that fridge is you can't really find one new that has the same dimensions. It's smaller than most, and I can fit two fermenters in there, it takes up less real estate, it's really a perfect size for what I do. Sometimes if I'm bottling off my keezer I'll put a Fastrack of bottles in the freezer for 20 minutes to cool them down. So that was an unintended added bonus.

I really don't think the fermwrap causes a lot of difference in temp. It might cause there to be a difference of a degree or so between the sides, but it's just warm to the touch, not hot. I don't have a thermowell with which to test it. I have multiple Inkbirds so it would be easy enough to do if I found one. [Thinking out loud]: I wonder if I could use a santized bottling wand for that purpose through a drilled stopper....

 

[GoeHaarden]

Imagine my wife's reaction when I came home with it.

Haha...I've made it a game to see what I can get away with, sometimes my wife can't see the beauty in a "perfect" craigslist find!

I know heating the fermentor would be more efficient than the chamber, but I've never used a ferm wrap so didn't know how hot they get. But I guess the fermentor would equilibrate either way, and your controller would kick it off before any crazy temp swings. If you do compare temps with a thermowell I'd be interested to see if there are differences...

 

[paulied65]

So I bought this Inkbird https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OXPE8U6/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

A buddy is giving me a fridge. My question now is, does anyone have a good resource on how to build the Temperature Controller? I may have bit off more than I can chew as I have zero knowledge about wiring anything

 

[ddibbern5]

This guy is prewired if you’re concerned about wiring
Inkbird Pre-Wired Dual Stage Digit...p/B015E2UFGM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_FejMAbH4VGTWW

 

[paulied65]

Can't pull that link up for some reason. I have a buddy who is an electrician. He's going to help me with everything, thank God. Thanks everyone for the replies!

 

[day_trippr]

@ddibbern5 may have been referring to this Inkbird ITC308 model, which is totally plug-and-play...

Cheers!

 

[ddibbern5]

Yup that’s the one!
Thanks @day_trippr

 

[paulied65]

Well that sure looks nice! Should have bought that instead, might have to still! Will keep you posted on progress. Thanks for the help!

 

[Jtk78]

I usually do 2 batches at once. I bought 2 wraps from reptilebasics.com and had them put the ends on. I have 2 controllers, one controlling the freezer and one wrap (colder setting) and the second controller regulating only the other wrap (warmer temp). This allows me to maintain 2 separate temperatures. Temp probes are taped half way up fermenter and insulated from ambient air. I've been able to maintain a 7F temperature degree difference between the two vessels in the same chamber.

That second controller would work great for this if you ever plan on having two fermenting at the same time.

 

[paulied65]

Finished! Do I need to cover the light bulb with something? It is a 60w

View attachment 563114

I ended up buying the pre-wired Ink Bird. Was really easy to set up and looks better. Can anyone point me to a good guide on temperature controlling do's and don't's?

 

[paulied65]

Don't know why this wouldn't show up

 

[Jtk78]

Finished! Do I need to cover the light bulb with something? It is a 60w View attachment 563110 View attachment 563114

I ended up buying the pre-wired Ink Bird. Was really easy to set up and looks better. Can anyone point me to a good guide on temperature controlling do's and don't's?

I'm not sure if that light would effect it, but I try to minimize light exposure. You could switch that out for something like this

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017RCQ4JO/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[day_trippr]

Cover the bulb or not, you should add a small PC fan running 24/7 during fermentation to prevent temperature stratification, especially with your heat source at the top of the chamber.

fwiw, I went a different direction wrt my chamber "heaters".

(17cf top-freezer fridges courtesy of Craig's List. Fridges are controlled by BrewPi minions over Bluetooth links)

I use long-life 40w incandescent appliance bulbs in uber cheap ceramic bases with 80mm 12vdc fans blowing on them. The platforms have vent holes on the opposite side so the fans keep the chambers stirred whenever they're in use. The light from the bulbs has no direct path to the fermentors but it surely does bounce around the interior.

But I've been doing this forever and nobody has ever picked up even the slightest skunk note (which most humans are remarkably adept at detecting). Incandescent lamps typically don't have a lot of energy in the <450nm part of the spectrum where bad things happen. Add in a bounce or two and a minimal duty cycle (the heaters don't turn on all that often here) and that could explain my results...

Cheers!

 

[paulied65]

Awesome! I think I'll get a PC fan to add in. I really like the base you have built for the bottom of the fridge