HornetSparky
Well-Known Member
One of the items on my home brewery roadmap is a fermentation chamber. I'm still well out from starting this but as I wait for parts for other items I can plan out future pieces.
The general concept is a 2-chamber fermentation chamber with the warmer chamber above the cold one. I would use a mini-fridge for the bottom half and build the warmer section above it of wood and insulation as many have done in various threads. I would cut two holes in the top of the fridge (refrigerant coil location is critical here) at opposite corners of the top about the diameter of the computer fans I happen to have laying around. One of those fans would be oriented to blow up (into e warm chamber from the cold one) and the other to blow down.
The temp control (thinking of another teensypi here, or perhaps the one I am building now) would work like this:
-If the bottom chamber is too hot, the fridge coils would turn on.
-If the top was too cold, a heater would turn on. I've considered a ceramic reptile heater here for simplicity.
-if the bottom is too cold or the top too hot, the fans would turn on, circulating the air between the two chambers, thereby making the bottom warmer and the top cooler.
This only works if the top set-point is above the bottom one. My thought is that lagering and cold crashing temps would be workable in e bottom, while ales would work nicely above. The density difference between the warm and cold air should keep the air masses from mixing without valves between the compartments, I imagine. I also imagined installing a 3-ish inch PVC pipe from the bottom of the cold chamber to the divider on the "up-flow" hole and a similar duct (perhaps dryer duct for both?) from the top of the warm chamber to the "down-flow" hole. These two ducts would ensure decent mixing of the air and prevent the fans from just creating a "short circuit" flow along the top of e cold and the bottom of the warm.
For Christmas I've asked for a membership, so perhaps the. I can post a thousand-word drawing.
I'm interested in comments, thoughts and suggestions. In particular, anybody seen a mini-fridge where I can hack away at the top with impunity?
Your thoughts on other sources of heat addition and withdrawal?
Is condensation an issue on all ferm chambers?
Appreciate the help and thoughts. FWIW, this is my brewing roadmap:
Sous vide machine for cider pasteurization (in work)
2x keggles
10 gal mash tun
Keezer
Ferm chamber
HERMS
So you an see it will be a while before my hole saw makes contact with a mini-fridge. Thanks in advance.
The general concept is a 2-chamber fermentation chamber with the warmer chamber above the cold one. I would use a mini-fridge for the bottom half and build the warmer section above it of wood and insulation as many have done in various threads. I would cut two holes in the top of the fridge (refrigerant coil location is critical here) at opposite corners of the top about the diameter of the computer fans I happen to have laying around. One of those fans would be oriented to blow up (into e warm chamber from the cold one) and the other to blow down.
The temp control (thinking of another teensypi here, or perhaps the one I am building now) would work like this:
-If the bottom chamber is too hot, the fridge coils would turn on.
-If the top was too cold, a heater would turn on. I've considered a ceramic reptile heater here for simplicity.
-if the bottom is too cold or the top too hot, the fans would turn on, circulating the air between the two chambers, thereby making the bottom warmer and the top cooler.
This only works if the top set-point is above the bottom one. My thought is that lagering and cold crashing temps would be workable in e bottom, while ales would work nicely above. The density difference between the warm and cold air should keep the air masses from mixing without valves between the compartments, I imagine. I also imagined installing a 3-ish inch PVC pipe from the bottom of the cold chamber to the divider on the "up-flow" hole and a similar duct (perhaps dryer duct for both?) from the top of the warm chamber to the "down-flow" hole. These two ducts would ensure decent mixing of the air and prevent the fans from just creating a "short circuit" flow along the top of e cold and the bottom of the warm.
For Christmas I've asked for a membership, so perhaps the. I can post a thousand-word drawing.
I'm interested in comments, thoughts and suggestions. In particular, anybody seen a mini-fridge where I can hack away at the top with impunity?
Your thoughts on other sources of heat addition and withdrawal?
Is condensation an issue on all ferm chambers?
Appreciate the help and thoughts. FWIW, this is my brewing roadmap:
Sous vide machine for cider pasteurization (in work)
2x keggles
10 gal mash tun
Keezer
Ferm chamber
HERMS
So you an see it will be a while before my hole saw makes contact with a mini-fridge. Thanks in advance.
