Fermentation Chamber - Blichmann 7 Gallon Conical

[Tricerahops220]

All,

Long story short, I went to buy a new fermenter after my bucket cracked and carboy shattered, only to come home and find that someone had already purchased one for me. I cannot express enough appreciation for the gift however, it was not what I would have purchased. I ended up receiving a Blichmann 7 Gallon Conical. I have attempted to use it once but due to lack of temp control I lost the batch.

I have spent the past several months looking for an upright freezer but I cannot purchase one (I don't want to get into it).

Has anyone added a collar to a chest freezer to fit one of these things inside? Does anyone have any other alternatives other than a stand up freezer? I cannot seem to find anything on this site for solutions other than dropping several hundred dollars to cut holes in the cap and add a coil with a pumping system. I have tried to build a chamber but it was a miserable failure.

 

[Shwagger]

How did you keep your past batches at temp? I'd also think up in New England you could put in the basement or closet and be fine to ferment in the low 70s or high 60s as a worst case scenario.

Besides that there's brew belts, jackets, plenty of freezers with wooden collars posted all over, doesn't blichmann make special devises for their conicals?

 

[Tricerahops220]

How did you keep your past batches at temp? I'd also think up in New England you could put in the basement or closet and be fine to ferment in the low 70s or high 60s as a worst case scenario.

Besides that there's brew belts, jackets, plenty of freezers with wooden collars posted all over, doesn't blichmann make special devises for their conicals?

I've used the closet method on all of my past batches. It works but the variability in the weather here in the northeast during the summer along with an unconditioned house often results in a roll-of-the-dice if the batch will make it.

I do not have a basement (wish I did). And Blichmann's website says the best solution for temp control is to buy a fridge. i.e. they don't make anything to maintain temps.

 

[Shwagger]

Head over to the DIY forum and see the many builds and pictures of chest freezers for fermentation. Probably get a good idea of where to start

 

[Tricerahops220]

Head over to the DIY forum and see the many builds and pictures of chest freezers for fermentation. Probably get a good idea of where to start

That is the direction I believe I am going to be headed but I was curious to see if anyone else had any experience with any alternatives.