Storm shelter for primary? (Hole-in-garage-floor kind)

[150kwh]

We have no basement, but (luckily?) we have one drafty room that stays 65 or lower through the winter, perfect for fermentations. But now I've gotta figure out what to do until November.

I've got two competing options, which is better?

1. Underground storm shelter
2. DIY fridge conversion with temperature control

The storm shelter isn't even finished yet, so I have no clue about the temperature down there. It's a 4'x8' steel box set in concrete. I imagine it's more temp stable/constant than my other options, even though the west-facing garage door gets a direct blast of sun in the afternoons. In Alabama that means the garage air gets to 90-100F at least, for at least 3 hrs. ... This is the cheaper option, but I'm not certain how best to monitor temp & transfer beer to/from the odd location. Pumping it out of secondary would probably be better than lifting a 5gal glass carboy to shoulder height. (PS keeping it indoors isn't an option, we keep the thermo at 78.)

DIY Fridge conversion: we have an older side-by-side 6' in the kitchen I've been thinking to replace, or I could buy something used, maybe a mini-fridge. But it has to be cheap because um.. well the storm shelter isn't an option. If I can hold off another 2 months, used dorm fridges will be dirt cheap. Are compressor vibrations known to affect fermentation? ... I have just enough soldering & hacking ability to be dangerous, building a controller, especially if there are instructions. ... I guess it might cost similar to a pump & wifi temp sensor, and might give me more options later for lagers &/or kegs. But I have an agonizing wait & I'll have to do more building.

Comments welcome, thanks!

 

[glick]

Or… the simplest would be to just use a swamp cooler. $10 investment.

 

[Bobby_M]

A temp controlled fridge is a one time build that you can use all year round regardless of the weather. It's the most expensive of the options discussed so far, but after that you don't have to think about it anymore.

 

[150kwh]

Or… the simplest would be to just use a swamp cooler. $10 investment.

When I first heard your suggestion it threw me back to summer camp, the big blower fan with water underneath. I guess "swamp cooler" sounds more spiffy than "cool water bath" https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/swamp-cooler-199965/

Our local university just ended so maybe I can find a cheap cube fridge big enough to hold my 6.5 gal. ... *cross fingers*

Thanks folks

 

[MindenMan]

Throw a thermometer down the hole, and see what kind of temps you get in there. You say 4'x8' is it a cube, as 4' is the frost line for many areas, but under a concrete pad, it would certainly be worth checking as summer and winter temps will probably be very similar.

 

[bobeer]

Throw a thermometer down the hole, and see what kind of temps you get in there. You say 4'x8' is it a cube, as 4' is the frost line for many areas, but under a concrete pad, it would certainly be worth checking as summer and winter temps will probably be very similar.

+1 on this... I'd get a digital thermometer and throw it down there for a few days and check it here and there to see what temps you're getting before you invest in anything.

 

[grahamfw]

I also like the "fix it once" approach. A temperature controlled fridge can be set at any temperature below ambient, whereas the storm shelter temp will likely only give you one temp for the most part. Buy once, cry once.

 

[150kwh]

I also like the "fix it once" approach. A temperature controlled fridge can be set at any temperature below ambient, whereas the storm shelter temp will likely only give you one temp for the most part. Buy once, cry once.

But I'm tear-averse!! .. I like Hank Williams (Sr) and all, but I'm not ready for salty beer yet..

Thanks for the help folks. After thinking about it, the logistics of getting a glass fermenter 4' below ground level has me shopping for upright freezers. ... Or at least, the chilled water bath swamp thing. ... I recently had 3 full bottles shatter (due to a 6-pack carrier that had gotten wet) and man, what a mess. I can only imagine how dangerous a shattered 6.5 gal carboy would be!! I'm aiming for a rig where they don't have to be moved all that much. Hopefully someone googling into this thread will also think twice.