I am on the doorstep looking in and trying to decide how to proceed. I did some minor beer brewing in the past, but best to just discount that. From the reading I have done to this point, keeping the fermenter "at temperature" is probably one of the most critical tasks. I have a bar fridge in my garage that I can use to some degree to control temps, but not sure I can fit the fermenter, whatever I use (6+ gallon bucket or carboy), into the fridge. It has a freezer section in the top and I only have about 20" available. I live in Arizona and need to keep things cool during the hot summers (winters aren't too bad). Can anyone give me some idea on the dimensions of buckets/carboys?
Fermenter Dimensions
- Thread starter deanoaz
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Some people manage to remove the freezer. Don't ask me how. LOL Try searching on that idea. Or you could switch to smaller batches. I do 2 gallon batches in an Apt sized fridge but it has no freezer.
If space is limited maybe a cube will fit?
Hey, Welcome Zoner. I live in Cave Creek and just started brewing myself. There is clearly standard practices with homebrewing that include brewing 5 gallons at a time and brewing with all grains, hops, water and yeast instead of extracts. I have used a large roller cooler for my first two batches.
I only brew two gallons at a time in two one gallon glass carboys. The LHBS guy in Anthem got really mad at me because I wanted to do it this way and the guy over in west Phoenix on Bell Rd. was nicer but made me feel 2nd class for doing it like I did. The bell Rd. guy suggested I use a wet towel system to keep my 5 gallon beer cool. The setup sounded completely non-wife compatible to me. Also, I am brewing for fun, not to save money. Maybe someday I will change my tune on that, but I like to try different commercial beers and wouldn't want to choke down 5 gallons of the last batch I made. Those four tap twenty gallon keezer setups that you will see on here look REALLY cool, but then you are talking thousands of bucks for your setup. You can literally take the time to get all your equipment for free and just pay for ingredients or spend 10s of thousands of dollars on temperature control this and that quadruple racktastic auto pumpers. This is the compromise that I made. Choose your own adventure.
ChelisHubby
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I use a Igloo 60 quart cooler fill it with water and put the carboy in I cut a hole in the lid to fit the neck and use frozen water bottles to maintain temps. the first two days it ferments will need a couple of bottles every 12 hrs by day 5 most ferments quit making heat and the water temp does not vary much.
it is a square cooler was cheap about 25 dollars.
it is a square cooler was cheap about 25 dollars.Hey, Welcome Zoner. I live in Cave Creek and just started brewing myself. There is clearly standard practices with homebrewing that include brewing 5 gallons at a time and brewing with all grains, hops, water and yeast instead of extracts. I have used a large roller cooler for my first two batches.I only brew two gallons at a time in two one gallon glass carboys. The LHBS guy in Anthem got really mad at me because I wanted to do it this way and the guy over in west Phoenix on Bell Rd. was nicer but made me feel 2nd class for doing it like I did. The bell Rd. guy suggested I use a wet towel system to keep my 5 gallon beer cool. The setup sounded completely non-wife compatible to me. Also, I am brewing for fun, not to save money. Maybe someday I will change my tune on that, but I like to try different commercial beers and wouldn't want to choke down 5 gallons of the last batch I made. Those four tap twenty gallon keezer setups that you will see on here look REALLY cool, but then you are talking thousands of bucks for your setup. You can literally take the time to get all your equipment for free and just pay for ingredients or spend 10s of thousands of dollars on temperature control this and that quadruple racktastic auto pumpers. This is the compromise that I made. Choose your own adventure.
I'm with you. I talked to the guy on west Bell and he talked up the wet towel cooling solution (had one sitting in front of the counter). I have decided to become a 1 gallon brewer to begin with and have ordered a kit from Northern Brewer. I think I can maintain temperatures needed with the gallon containers, using ice if needed. But we have air conditioning in the house, so the small containers can remain in the house for more consistent temp's.
