Faux basement aka burying a big box

[chefchris]

I work in the receiving part of our lab and today we got in a pretty good size crate. It's at least 4' tall. My other boss (at the LHBS) told me about a guy who buried a broken deep freezer in his yard to ferment in. Now I like a little more control over my fermentation temps but I started thinking about burying this crate. I wonder what the temp would be about 4' down, i would think it would be a consistent temp at least. It's not a tight seal but I figured I could get a tarp or some painter's cloth and wrap the crate in that. I can't figure out how I would seal the lid.

Thought it'd be a neat way to age some beers.

What do you think, sirs?

 

[ldgenius2000]

It seems like a cool idea, let's hope your neighbors don't report you burying bodies in the yard.

 

[IrregularPulse]

Would be cool, just build a cellar door for the opening.

 

[arturo7]

How are you going to move the carboys in and out?

 

[chefchris]

How are going to move the carboys in and out?

I usually brew in buckets, so I would just pull them out by the handle. I'm young with the strength of a gorilla who was the strength of 2 gorrillas.

 

[brew hoperator]

My first thought was about the water in the soil around Gainesville. When I lived in Jacksonville, I put in a fence in my yard and about a foot down the ground was real watery mud. Made for a really long day in June.

If you dig in the winter time water may not be an issue, but I would think it could be in the summer. It is an interesting idea, though. It is about the only way to "cellar" beer in Florida.

 

[The Pol]

How are going to move the carboys in and out?

Gantry....

 

[chefchris]

My first thought was about the water in the soil around Gainesville. When I lived in Jacksonville, I put in a fence in my yard and about a foot down the ground was real watery mud. Made for a really long day in June.

If you dig in the winter time water may not be an issue, but I would think it could be in the summer. It is an interesting idea, though. It is about the only way to "cellar" beer in Florida.

this was also a big concern.

 

[jim4065]

I'd be willing to bet the crate will mostly rot away within a year (if the termites don't get it first) . You'd be way ahead to set it on some concrete blocks, paint it orange and blue, stick a dirt cheap window AC high in a sidewall and line it with styrofoam. Seriously - it doesn't pay to bury untreated wood in the South.

 

[Sounds]

plastic drum ftw...

 

[wilserbrewer]

Spend your time and energy lookig for a free / fridge or freezer on C'list. Digging is hard work even for 3 gorillas. Unless you have a well sealed insuleated lid, it might not stay that cool for long in the FLA sun.

 

[springer]

I don't know the temps in FL but here the average temp 4-5 feet down is 55°. If you went 4 feet down how would you get in and out of it and if you left hole open so you could use a ladder wouldn't the FL sun warm the crap out of it? Wood wont last long in the ground either.Getting a refrigerator or chest freezer will be much better

 

[Walker]

If you are going to dig a big hole like that, would you be able to just build a cinder-block chamber instead of dropping in the crate?

My grandfather used to make his own wine and grow all of his own vegetables, and he built a small cinder block building and just covered it with a mound of dirt. He kept his fermenters and root veggies in there. It also doubled as a bunker for when we had tornados and I always remember it being nice and cool in there.

 

[wildwest450]

Ha, you live in Florida! You will have a 4' tall crate, 3' of it bobbing on top of a foot of water.

Other than that it sounds cool.

 

[arturo7]

Maybe you could use an alligator to guard it.

 

[chefchris]

Maybe you could use an alligator to guard it.

Or build a moat around it. It would keep the black knight at bay.

 

[Richabt]

I'm thinking critters (ie termites) would enjoy it too. If it were plastic or another material it would be interesting.
The water/moisture issue would worry me too. I'm not too far north of you, and have run into the same issue mentioned earlier.

All that aside, it would be a neat experiment. I know the Florida Caverns temps maintain 65 degrees all year, if you could replicate that, it would be perfect for fermenting ales.

 

[chefchris]

I'm thinking critters (ie termites) would enjoy it too. If it were plastic or another material it would be interesting.
The water/moisture issue would worry me too. I'm not too far north of you, and have run into the same issue mentioned earlier.

All that aside, it would be a neat experiment. I know the Florida Caverns temps maintain 65 degrees all year, if you could replicate that, it would be perfect for fermenting ales.

Maybe next time I cave dive at Ginnie Springs I could take some beer with me and hide it in an air pocket deep in the cave.

Bet that's never been done!

 

[jim4065]

Crates can sometimes have great wood. We got in a return from overseas that was made of Bubinga. Not a really high value tropical hardwood - but I still made some money on it.

 

[MultumInParvo]

I am not sure where I read this, but i think it was on here. There was a map of the US with data about temperature fluctuations per foot underground. I am pretty sure even in Michigan there were 20+ degree swings up to 10+ feet below ground. To get a steady temp you'll have to go pretty deep...

Maybe someone has the data I am thinking of?

 

[OhioBrewingTechnologies]

I am not sure where I read this, but i think it was on here. There was a map of the US with data about temperature fluctuations per foot underground. I am pretty sure even in Michigan there were 20+ degree swings up to 10+ feet below ground. To get a steady temp you'll have to go pretty deep...

Maybe someone has the data I am thinking of?

http://www.geo4va.vt.edu/A1/A1.htm