Fridge to ferment and store homebrew at the same time...

[J187]

Who does this and how is it working out for you?

I am starting to store my home brew a little longer than I have in the past... like darker beers for several months - not aging, just haven't gotten around to drinking them. I know the colder the better when storing it.

I am coming into possession of a good size fridge with no freezer section. I want to remove the bottom bins/shelves and use that space to ferment the buckets. I want to keep the top few shelves to store the beer I have already brewed. Instead of running the fridge off of my controller, I am thinking of just running the fridge at fridge temps to keep the stored beer nice and cold and using my controller on some fermwrap directly on the bucket to keep that at ferm temps.

Anyone else go this route? How's it working?

 

[NoH20]

Side by side fridge. I ferment on the fridge side in a conical, and serve (taps and kegs) out of the freezer side. Works great.

Todd

 

[duboman]

I'm curious. I'm thinking the fermwrap may radiate enough heat to make the fridge work harder or the fridge will make the fermwrap less effective but what do I know.

 

[Gaurhoth]

A frost-free fridge will have a decent temperature swing as it cycles through the defrost stages.

 

[NoH20]

I have 2 STC temp.controllers in my set up, no temp swings.

Todd

 

[Stealthcruiser]

Seems a little counter intuitive to be driving heat into the one vessel, whilst driving "cool" into the other vessel(s) at the same time.

 

[J187]

Seems a little counter intuitive to be driving heat into the one vessel, whilst driving "cool" into the other vessel(s) at the same time.

How would it be different than fermenting a lager and an Ale at the same time? What do you think would be a better way?

I'm curious. I'm thinking the fermwrap may radiate enough heat to make the fridge work harder or the fridge will make the fermwrap less effective but what do I know.

Side by side fridge. I ferment on the fridge side in a conical, and serve (taps and kegs) out of the freezer side. Works great.

Todd

Thanks... I already have this fridge so I'm trying to make this work for me.

 

[cheezydemon3]

Conditioning cold is NOT better......where did you hear that?

Cellaring (anywhere from 50F-55F) is hardly "refrigerated".

That said, 50 would be fine for a fermentation chamber.

Use a Johnson to keep the fridge at 50 and everyone is happy without the convoluted inefficient plan.

 

[J187]

Conditioning cold is NOT better......where did you hear that?

Cellaring (anywhere from 50F-55F) is hardly "refrigerated".

That said, 50 would be fine for a fermentation chamber.

Use a Johnson to keep the fridge at 50 and everyone is happy without the convoluted inefficient plan.

Charles bamforth... wasn't it he that said for every rise 10 deg C, flavor degrades 2 fold?


EDIT-

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fm2t_5HrMcc[/ame]

around the 15min mark

Wouldn't I not want to ferment my ales at 50 deg F for fear of underattenuation and fermentation taking forever... Too little yeast activity...

 

[brewer97]

I have a thermostar regulating my fridge side and I am hoping to use the freezer side to have kegs in. So far having trouble keeping the temperature set on the freezer side. Any suggestions?


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[cheezydemon3]

Charles bamforth... wasn't it he that said for every rise 10 deg C, flavor degrades 2 fold?


EDIT-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fm2t_5HrMcc

around the 15min mark

Wouldn't I not want to ferment my ales at 50 deg F for fear of underattenuation and fermentation taking forever... Too little yeast activity...

Fermentation does NOT stay at ambient temps.

Pitch active yeast at 70F and place in 50, and you will be fermenting at 62 or so.