Cooler for Fermenting

[Old_E]

Not having the space or the cash to build a fermentation chamber, I think I need to invest in a cooler for fermentation. It often stays pretty warm in our house and, being in FL with no basement (as if that would help) there is no place very cool. Anyone have a lead on a cooler (brand/size) to hold "ale pails" (or the like) at a cooler temp? I would like one that is not too big (just don't want to store any more than I have to) and fairly inexpensive?

thanks.

 

[blackcows]

Not a cooler but with the many sizes of storage totes maybe you could use one of those.

Mike

 

[ultravista]

I am in a similar situation in Las Vegas, no basement and it's hotter than hell (or close to it) in the summer time. The house is generally 79 degrees throughout the year.

While there are easy solutions to warm the fermentation up, I don't of many to chill it down. Besides a dedicated fermentation box and some sort of auxiliary cooling.

 

[celticcolorado]

If you need something small, I would search Craigslist for a cheap mini fridge. Check the size...but usually if you pull out the shelves they will fit a 6ga corny perfectly. I also was able to get a Johnson analog controller for $25 incl shipping.

If this is too much money, you could also build your own. Check the Smaller Son of Fermentation Chamber. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/smaller-son-fermentation-chiller-79556/ Of course you could also just get a cooler or tote and fill with ice water (be sure to keep checking the temp).

Good luck

 

[Old_E]

I've seen threads where folks put their fermenter in a cube like cooler and surround it with water then drop a bottle of frozen water in each morning and night to keep it cool. Just wondering what the size and brand of those coolers was.

Example:https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/off-taste-many-my-homebrews-210047/

 

[ultravista]

celticcolorado - how does the Johnson controller work? Does the refridgerator plug into the controller to manage the temperature?

 

[SilverKing]

I use an igloo "Ice Cube" cooler. 60 Qts... holds a 6.5Gal fermenting bucket or any size carboy just fine.

I grabbed mine from Walmart for $30 I think.

 

[Old_E]

Exactly the info I was looking for. Thanks.

I just realized that I meant to post this in the fermentation section.

 

[veritas524]

I live in Hawaii so I have issues with fermenting as well. I bought a big plastic tub with rope handles for $7, filled it with water and put my bucket in it. I toss 2-3 frozen water bottles in it before I go to work, when I get home, and before I go to bed... It stays between 65-70

 

[celticcolorado]

celticcolorado - how does the Johnson controller work? Does the refridgerator plug into the controller to manage the temperature?

Correct, it works pretty much the same with all temp controllers. The refrigerator or freezer gets plugged into the controller and the controller is plug to the outlet. There is a temperature probe that you put into the fridge. The controller will then circulate the fridge on and off to maintain the right temperature.

 

[ultravista]

veritas524 - how long do you leave the fermenter in the 'cooler'? Do you go for a full three / four weeks or?

 

[ultravista]

celticcolorado - do you have a model # of a Johnson controller that works for our homebrewing applications?

 

[Old_E]

veritas524 - how long do you leave the fermenter in the 'cooler'? Do you go for a full three / four weeks or?

I saw on other threads that most just leave it in for the first few days, during the most active period of fermentation. Which is what I was going to try, simply b/c it will be a pain, and I don't want to have to deal with that for weeks.

 

[ultravista]

Ok, so keep the fermenter cool white fermentation is vigorous? I would hate two keep switching bottles of ice twice a day for an entire month.

 

[celticcolorado]

celticcolorado - do you have a model # of a Johnson controller that works for our homebrewing applications?

There are many different controllers and models depending on what you are looking for. You can get analog or digital models. You can also get single stage or 2-stage (this means that you can set it to heat and to cool, but are much more expensive.) The most popular brands are Johnson and Ranco.

Personally I use a Johnson A19-24ABC analog controller for my kegorator. I also use a Ranco 111000 digital single stage for my ferm chamber. It give me a bit more control to maintain the temp, but either are great choices.

 

[Old_E]

Ok, so keep the fermenter cool white fermentation is vigorous? I would hate two keep switching bottles of ice twice a day for an entire month.

That's my plan. It cant hurt. I have been getting little off flavors (barely noticeable), when fermenting at room temp.

 

[agodfrey11]

I have a 145 qt Igloo max cold cooler. Standing on its side, it holds a 5 gallon carboy perfect. To keep it down in temp, i put some frozen bottles of water in with it. I can get it as cold as 50 degrees. Not as cheap as some of the other options, but I had it laying around.

 

[veritas524]

veritas524 - how long do you leave the fermenter in the 'cooler'? Do you go for a full three / four weeks or?

Been doing it the whole time... my garage gets up to about 80 degrees during the day, even higher in the summer time.

 

[BuzzCraft]

Ok, so keep the fermenter cool white fermentation is vigorous? I would hate two keep switching bottles of ice twice a day for an entire month.

The higher (hot) alcholols and esters that you are trying to avoid by fermenting at lower temps are only produced during active fermentation, so you do not need to keep it cool for the entire month.

Once active fermentation is over, allowing it to warm up is not going to hurt. In fact, warm conditioning is practiced by commercial brewers to get their product to market faster. Don't let it get to 100F, of course, but mid to high 70s is certainly no longer an issue. Maybe even low 80s is OK...but I'm not sure where the cutoff would be. At some point you might have deleterious effect, but just keeping it in water should suffice.

 

[veritas524]

The higher (hot) alcholols and esters that you are trying to avoid by fermenting at lower temps are only produced during active fermentation, so you do not need to keep it cool for the entire month.

Once active fermentation is over, allowing it to warm up is not going to hurt. In fact, warm conditioning is practiced by commercial brewers to get their product to market faster. Don't let it get to 100F, of course, but mid to high 70s is certainly no longer an issue. Maybe even low 80s is OK...but I'm not sure where the cutoff would be. At some point you might have deleterious effect, but just keeping it in water should suffice.

Well this certainly makes life a lot easier I'm sure my wife will be relieved because she hates changing out those water bottles.

 

[ultravista]

BuzzCraft - excuse the newb question .... how do you tell when active fermentation has stopped? For example, in my latest brew, the krausen dropped after 30+ hours yet there was activity in the air lock.

How do you judge when fermentation ceases?

 

[BuzzCraft]

BuzzCraft - excuse the newb question .... how do you tell when active fermentation has stopped? For example, in my latest brew, the krausen dropped after 30+ hours yet there was activity in the air lock.

How do you judge when fermentation ceases?

The only way to know that fermentation is done is by stable sequential hydrometer readings. However, for the purposes that we're discussing here, if krausen has dropped and your airlock has slowed substantially you are fine. What is also happening during this period is that the exothermic reactions created by the fermentation are similarly declining, leading to a drop in fermenter temperature. If you are monitoring fermentation temps, you will find that once vigorous fermentation has ceased, your fermenter will drop to be more or less at air temp (if it's in air...it will pretty much have stayed at waterbath temp throughout if it's in a waterbath).

The bottom line is by this time you are past the point of substantial ester and higher alcohol production and you don't need to worry about controlling fermentation temperature so tightly. In fact, allowing your beer to warm up to the higher end of the yeast strains recommended temp range will help ensure more complete attenuation, cleanup of diacetyl (if present), etc.

Hope this helps.