Fermentation Chamber advice

[jheinikel]

You can take that refrigerator and make a walk-in cooler out of it. I’m sure insulation board, some fans, etc could get you to that point. But, that would be very inefficient. Still would be cool though.

 

[KIDD69]

I have an upright freezer and Inkbird 308 for a fermentation chamber and when I have nothing fermenting, I use it to make ice for my next brew day to cool the counterflow chiller. It easily fits my fastferment and I only need to lift it about 12”

 

[SanPancho]

They are rare but there are tiny appliances for tiny apartments that could work. Its a typical fridge/freezer combo but only about 24 wide. Tall and narrow. Maybe RV appliances would be similar?

Also there are smaller sized upright freezers that could work and maybe be cheap/free.

If you only get one piece of equipment and have the size to fit it all then you could try running the cooler at 45, which is still pretty cold for your beer, then insulate and heat your fermenter. You could probably get the wort to low 60s and yeast will add a few degrees on their own. Rest fermenter on something nonconducting like rubber, foam or cork, wrap a heating pad around it and secure it tight, then insulate with a layer or two over the pad. Worked for me until i got room for two coolers.

 

[AkTom]

Here's my old fermentation chamber. I put in a full roll out drawer. That way I don't disturb the yeast and trub when I rack into my bottling carboy. I have a vacuum pump, so I rarely lift full carboys.

 

[teesherv]

Full size front door freezer for fermentation with a diy temp control stc-1000 for both cool and heat. Had an apt fridge for kegs (nice to keep hops in freezer in top) but it died so went to chest freezer for kegs. I like having front loading for carboys, but chest freezer is OK for kegs. Plus keg is empty when pulling out.

 

[PADave]

Sorry for a dumb question, but it's always seemed like a great solution - with the exception, at least for me - do you guys have to yank your fermentors out of the freezer? Or do you transfer by some other means? (Screwed up back, among other things).

I just lift it out. Not as hard as it seems, if your fermenter has handles on it. I was really worried about lifting my full kegs over the collar of my keezer, which is also sitting on an 8" base. Again, not too hard.

 

[doogie]

Chest freezers are more efficient to operate. When you open the top, you don't loose much of your cooled air since cold air sinks. With a upright style, every time you open the door a large portion of your cold air spills out and warmer air replaces it, forcing the unit to chill the warmer air.