Fermentation chiller

[Troxs]

I live in South Louisiana, and by south I mean a hope, skip, and a jump from the gulf. It is typically close to a hundred degrees, with 100% humidity might I add, and holding a fermentation below - or at - seventy degrees is next to impossible unless I run my AC at max all day and eat my energy bill.

I have been toying with the idea of making a fermentation chamber, and the "mother of fermentation" chamber seems to be cheap and simple. My problem is I would not be able to store the unit inside. How well would you say this device works given an ambient temp of about ninety degrees (ambient temp of the garage).

 

[cdburg]

I ferment in my garage in a chest freezer with a temperature controller. It gets 100+ degrees in there in the summer, and the chest freezer handles it fine. I'm not sure that anything other than a freezer or a refrigerator would be able to handle the cooling needed though. I don't know if it could cool something that far below the ambient temperature.

In my opinion, I think you'd be better off if you can get a free or cheap fridge or freezer through Craigslist or something similar and then combine that with a Ranco temp controller. It will use more energy than a foam chamber, but it will work better for your situation.

 

[kegtoe]

I ferment in my garage in a chest freezer with a temperature controller. It gets 100+ degrees in there in the summer, and the chest freezer handles it fine. I'm not sure that anything other than a freezer or a refrigerator would be able to handle the cooling needed though. I don't know if it could cool something that far below the ambient temperature.

In my opinion, I think you'd be better off if you can get a free or cheap fridge or freezer through Craigslist or something similar and then combine that with a Ranco temp controller. It will use more energy than a foam chamber, but it will work better for your situation.

agreed,

And the temp control is a "set it and forget it" you dont have to try and keep adding frozen watter bottles as the temp increases.

 

[jafo28]

I built the mother of a fermentation chamber a few weeks ago. It's a simple build, and I had some of the items needed lying around. I've had the temp down to 61f,with the ambient temp at 87f. I use two one liter bottles and a 20 ounce coke bottle inside and change them before work and again when I get home in the evening. All that being said I think the freezer would have been easier, but I enjoyed the diy aspect of making this thing. Good luck on whatever you decide, and let us know.