Placing the thermo sensor on the bottom of a Sankey fermenter?

[ickmund]

So I'm thinking of using a Sankey for fermentation, using a heating cord and glycol through copper on the outside to control temp. Unfortunately, with my current design I will not have a thermowell, and with the heating/cooling elements on the side, I cannot have it there.

Is the temperature inside the fermenter even enough that I could strap it to the bottom?

 

[helterscelter]

So I'm thinking of using a Sankey for fermentation, using a heating cord and glycol through copper on the outside to control temp. Unfortunately, with my current design I will not have a thermowell, and with the heating/cooling elements on the side, I cannot have it there.

Is the temperature inside the fermenter even enough that I could strap it to the bottom?

I think that having the thermometer on the bottom of the keg would not give you what you want. Yeast buildup on the bottom of the keg as the fermentation progresses would insulate the beer from the thermometer. it might be OK on the initial day(s) of fermentation but I doubt it would work well over the entire ferment. I also worry about a large blanket of yeast floccing to the bottom of the fermentor providing an exothermic stratification that would cause your thermometer to think the fermenter/beer is warmer than it actually is (I've not tested/validated any of this so take it with a -- rather large -- grain of salt)

 

[ickmund]

That sounds reasonable. But at this time, would there still be much yeast activity? Many people seem to disconnect the thermometer when they start ramping in a fridge/freezer.

 

[helterscelter]

That sounds reasonable. But at this time, would there still be much yeast activity? Many people seem to disconnect the thermometer when they start ramping in a fridge/freezer.

In the first couple days of fermentation, I honestly don't know. I suppose it depends on how flocculant the yeast is.