Fermenting fridge/unit?

[MrFlannery]

Hey all,

Been searching for a few days (here and google in general) and I just can't find exactly what I'm looking for. I'm about to pull the trigger on the necessary equipment to start my own home brewing empire. I live in New Hampshire, and my home isn't consistently in the proper ranger for good fermentation.

A couple weeks ago I found someone had constructed a large plywood box with insulating blue styrofoam to store there 1st stage fermenters in. I'm quite keen on doing that. t I flat out don't know what I need in terms of gadgest, electronics and essentially -- the stuff to regulate temperature!

So, if you read this and you know the post I'm talking about, please link!! Or if you have any advice, tips, photos of your own, etc... It would be infinitely appreciated. Thanks so much, looking forward to contributing much more often once the first batch is bubbling away.

 

[slakwhere]

pardon my software geek oozing out here, but the best way to get the exact product/end result you want is to make an exact list of requirements.

what are your ambient summer/winter temps where the chamber will be? that'll determine if you need heat/cooling/both.

how many carboys/buckets do you see yourself having in there at once? will this be for secondary or just primary? will you be aging beer in bottles/kegs as well?

will you be lagering? that'll require some cooling for sure!

do you have the space for a fridge/freezer or are you going to make a custom enclosure?

top or side loading?

can you tell i've been thinking a bit about a fermentation chamber of my own?

 

[MrFlannery]

pardon my software geek oozing out here, but the best way to get the exact product/end result you want is to make an exact list of requirements.

what are your ambient summer/winter temps where the chamber will be? that'll determine if you need heat/cooling/both.

how many carboys/buckets do you see yourself having in there at once? will this be for secondary or just primary? will you be aging beer in bottles/kegs as well?

will you be lagering? that'll require some cooling for sure!

do you have the space for a fridge/freezer or are you going to make a custom enclosure?

top or side loading?

can you tell i've been thinking a bit about a fermentation chamber of my own?

Quite honestly, in terms of space -- the sky is the limit. My basement has tons of real estate. If I can find something I do NOT have to build, that would be outstanding. But if I have to, I will.

Starting out, I'll just focus on primary fermentation. I'd like to have 4 containers in there at a time (again, if I can find something that large/would have to build, will depend on how many I have in there). More than likely those will be buckets, not carboys. No lagering any time soon. In a perfect world, side loading would be nice. But top loading isn't a deal breaker.

So is this a matter of, I can find the right size unit, then it's a matter of just adjusting the temp? Or do I need to buy some type of regulator manufactured specifically for keeping fermenting beer at the right temp?

I didn't go to college... can you tell?

 

[slakwhere]

you can probably find a used fridge pretty cheaply that you could remove the shelving from. it would hold quite a few buckets.

as far as thermostat stuff goes, you'll basically replace the fridge internal thermostat with something like a love controller to open/close the circuit to chill the fridge. the love controller will keep it at temp you set. a dual controller would also let you add heat to make sure you don't have the beer too cold in the winter time if the basement get's especially cold.

search "love controller" here for more info than you could ever need/want

 

[Montanaandy]

Just got a 7 cu ft Fridgedare @ Costco for $169. Now onto brewing lagers...Montanaandy

 

[MrFlannery]

you can probably find a used fridge pretty cheaply that you could remove the shelving from. it would hold quite a few buckets.

as far as thermostat stuff goes, you'll basically replace the fridge internal thermostat with something like a love controller to open/close the circuit to chill the fridge. the love controller will keep it at temp you set. a dual controller would also let you add heat to make sure you don't have the beer too cold in the winter time if the basement get's especially cold.

search "love controller" here for more info than you could ever need/want

Niiiiiice! Will do. Thanks man. Even those few nuggets are a HUGE help, thank you!

 

[eriktlupus]

ahh mr flannery sir!

use the search function here to look for fermoire and you'll find a couple examples of that which you seek.

 

[GrizlyGarou]

You said "Unit"...

 

[boredatwork]

Right now I am going through the same decision process.

If you have the space, and lack of DIY is more important than cost, then I would suggest a used/cheap fridge, a heating pad, and a temperature controller. I would suggest a dual stage temperature controller. That way you can plug both the fridge and the heating pad into the controller and never have to worry about whether you need to warm or cool your wort. Of course, you can always just go with a single stage controller, and only plug in either the fridge or the heating pad.

It may not the most cost effective approach but it is by far the simplest and least amount of work (both initially and long term), with perhaps the best results.

Heating Pad:
http://www.williamsbrewing.com/BREWER_S_EDGE_SPACE_HEATER_P518.cfm

Dual Stage Temperature Controller:
http://www.rancoetc.com/ranco-etc211000000-stage-prewired-temperature-controller-p-110.html

or

Single Stage Temperature Controller:
http://www.rancoetc.com/ranco-etc111000000-prewired-digital-temperature-controller-p-87.html

 

[MrFlannery]

Right now I am going through the same decision process.

If you have the space, and lack of DIY is more important than cost, then I would suggest a used/cheap fridge, a heating pad, and a temperature controller. I would suggest a dual stage temperature controller. That way you can plug both the fridge and the heating pad into the controller and never have to worry about whether you need to warm or cool your wort. Of course, you can always just go with a single stage controller, and only plug in either the fridge or the heating pad.

It may not the most cost effective approach but it is by far the simplest and least amount of work (both initially and long term), with perhaps the best results.

Heating Pad:
http://www.williamsbrewing.com/BREWER_S_EDGE_SPACE_HEATER_P518.cfm

Dual Stage Temperature Controller:
http://www.rancoetc.com/ranco-etc211000000-stage-prewired-temperature-controller-p-110.html

or

Single Stage Temperature Controller:
http://www.rancoetc.com/ranco-etc111000000-prewired-digital-temperature-controller-p-87.html

Hey, when you get a second -- I'd like you to have my babies.

 

[boredatwork]

Hey, when you get a second -- I'd like you to have my babies.

Am I to give birth to them, or are you donating your currently existing ones to me?

 

[MrFlannery]

Totally birthing. We're in love, as of your ridicu-helpful post.