fermentation chest?

[chemist308]

I'm going to have to switch back to wood heat, and only supplement with oil--oil is too expensive. Wood heat is hot, and temperature drops at night, until furnace set at 70 kicks in. Easy way to hurt a fermentation.

I want to build a chest with R-13 insulated walls for fermentation. Think it will help with the temperature fluctuations?

 

[Egbert]

Oh definitely. It will at least slow down the fluctuation and possibly trim the peaks and valleys.

Remember though that heat rises and so anytime you open the chest, the heat will rise out. Build one so your sensors can be viewed from outside and possibly a sight glass so you can see what is happening.

Fermentation will generate some heat and that will help keep it up as well.

Will this be in the house or in a garage? One of the best things you can do is to get your fermenter off the floor in the winter. Concrete acts like a big heat sink. Put a piece of rigid styrofoam down and your fermenter on top of it, at the least.

I would also recomend that you not use the batting, the fibers are wily little devils and keeping them out of brew will be hard. Use rigid foam, it's much easier to work with and more compact.

 

[lmnop]

Will this be in the house or in a garage? One of the best things you can do is to get your fermenter off the floor in the winter. Concrete acts like a big heat sink. Put a piece of rigid styrofoam down and your fermenter on top of it, at the least.

My next batch is going to ferment on a cement floor and I never, ever would have thought of that, thanks!

Any idea if the rubber feet on a corny keg would lift it up off the cement enough?

 

[ChshreCat]

You could also place the carboys somewhere cool and use a brew belt to keep them warm.

 

[chemist308]

My next batch is going to ferment on a cement floor and I never, ever would have thought of that, thanks!

Any idea if the rubber feet on a corny keg would lift it up off the cement enough?

He's right about the concrete floor being a heat sink. My floor is wood with carpet over a basement. But if you do have a concrete floor, you don't want direct contact with it, because there will be a thermal transfer into it. Having air space between will serve to act as an insulator and keep your heat losses down to radiant loss. Foam works, as does simply sitting the fermenter on rubber feet I'd think--the difference between you stepping on the concrete floor barefoot in February, versus walking on essentially a half inch air cushion above it...

This box would also have an R-13 insulated bottom and lid. It would be the bats, but it'll essentially be framed and have plywood inside and out.