Fermentation Chamber Build Question

[JoeSpartaNJ]

So after 13 years, I'm finally going to build a fermentation chamber out of an older mini-fridge with a collar added to the front or my current kegerator when I upgrade it.

Aside from a temperature controller, do I need to run a heat source in it?


It will be in my basement where ambient is between 65 and 75 all year round.

I currently do not have any thermo-wells for my fermentors, so I will be going with air temperature, maybe set a few degrees cooler to account for the temperature rise during active primary.

Any tips or suggestions?

Thanks.

 

[day_trippr]

If your basement never goes below 65°F I don't think you'll need a heater.
Instead of simply dangling your controller's probe in the air, strap it to the side of your fermentation vessel with some foam insulation over it.

Cheers!

 

[Geezer-Glide]

I use an inexpensive controller on a 5 cf chest freezer. Seems to work OK. I did the same as day_triper suggested. I placed the sensor under insulation taped to the side of my fermenter. Temperature stays consistent and close to set-point. I set the controller to the temperature I want as indicated by the “Tilt“ inside the fermenter. Heating has not been required. I guess you could use “heat bands” or a small electric space heater if needed. If so you would need an additional controller or at least a more advanced one than I used. Mine can be set for heat or cool. It does not change modes automatically.

 

[NSMikeD]

I never had a need to add a heater on my DIY mini fridge fermentation chamber. I recall, when I was doing my research that some folks used an old fashioned light bulb as the heat source. I'd wait and see if you really need a heat source. I am a big fan of inkbird products, however, for my chamber I had a Willhi controller (amazon) that I had lying around from my fish tank hobby and for less than the inkird does the job very accurately. The controller is about 8 years old now.

I don't set an exact temp. I usually use a 5° range to limit cycling the mini fridge. I set at 63 - 68° initially ambient temp and according to the cheap thermometer tape on the fermentor and the visual activity yeast dancing around , that initial temp setting is just fine.

 

[Crushdaley]

Some brewers like to raise the temp. at the end of fermentation to help clean up diacetyl. I bought an old school porcelain light socket and mounted it on a piece of wood and wired a plug to it. I use a porcelain light bulb like you would use in a reptile cage for heat. plugged into the heat side of my inkbird. Oh and the light socket has a plug in on it and I use a bread/computer fan plugged into it to circulate the heat.

 

[day_trippr]

I use exactly the same thing in my ferm fridges with 120mm fans fixtured to blow across the 40W reptile bulbs. They're controlled by BrewPi controllers. But I don't heat the basement area those fridges are in and occasionally in the dead of winter the ambient may drop below 60°F...

Cheers!

 

[JoeSpartaNJ]

Bringing my own thread back from the dead because I had to put the project on hold until now.

I still have the old kegerator, so I found a mini fridge. The only problem is that the person who had it before me gorilla glued the door gasket to the frame of the fridge, and not back onto the door.

I was thinking of trying to razor off the gasket and gluing it back onto the door, than building a collar for the frame.
If I am putting on a collar anyway, do I even need the gasket or one at all. I plan on attaching a latch or hasp to keep the door closed.

Thoughts?