Fermentor temp control

[aclockworkblue]

I was wondering if it's possible to control fermentation temps by using a bcs with household water lines? There would be a coil in the fermentor that is in some way connected to the hot and cold water lines in the house. So the controller would allow either the hot or cold water to follow until desired temp is achieved?

 

[BrokenHorn]

You're better off with a closed system unless you want really high water bills

 

[yohoe]

Sounds like that would cost a lot more than a chest freezer/refrig and a stc-1000. I looked at a water pump to replace the frozen water bottles but the cost was a lot more than other options.

Chest freezer + stc-1000 works wonders.

 

[alphaomega]

An ice water reservoir (like a cooler) and a small pump for the cold line would probably work out real nice. Using warm water from the tap to heat would just be an insane waste of clean and heated water. Creating heat from electricity is not hard and you don't need much.
So, for what you are asking, it could probably be done, but please don't. It would be very wasteful.

 

[augiedoggy]

^^yup
A good cheap way of doing it is a $50 small craigslist fridge and a 5 gallon pail of water with a $9 harbor freight aquarium pump in it.... its really works well and warming can be done many ways either using a fishtank heater or heating pad...
I dont know if you pay your own utility bills but if you dont using hot /cold tap water is a sure way to raise eyebrows of the person who does, and not to be a jerk but its a fairly irresponsible use/waste of resources unless your putting it back into a well or something...

 

[aclockworkblue]

I think we may need to look at some of the numbers, gentlemen.

I have been doing some tests and calculations and it seems people are putting way too much into the water usage. I can drop 132* temperature in 5 mins using 5GPM flow rate (I will be changing temp between 10*-20* not a 130* difference like above).

The only way I might not be "the most efficient" is using the house hot water tank to heat the water being used.

So if i can lower 200* to 68* in 5 mins a few degrees here wouldn't take more then a min or two using less than 10 gallons of water.

I see these neighbors of mine running their sprinklers for hours to water their lawn (I know they are not wealthy) or my wife's hour long showers, I think I might be okay with a few mins of water running to heat/cool my precious beer.

Interesting facts:

According to the EPA's website
"The national average cost of water is $2.00 per 1,000 gallons."
"American households spend an additional $230 per year on water heating costs"

 

[alphaomega]

Yeah, except you won't.
When you have a lot of temperature differential, the drop will be rapid. With less differential the change will be a lot slower and less efficient.
I know there are a lot of you yanks that think that global warming is a conspiracy and all that (well, I know there are a lot who don't also), but an unnecessary waste is still an unnecessary waste, no matter what the actual cost is. Be thankful clean water comes cheap and don't abuse it, or might not be cheap later. Your neighbours actions does not excuse yours.
Please, do consider the options.
Cheers!

 

[crane]

I think we may need to look at some of the numbers, gentlemen.
...
5GPM flow rate

Let's say for example your setup runs for only 30 seconds every hour, you will still be using 2.5 gallons every hour. If you are like the rest of us and run your fermentation chamber 24/7 that's 1,800 gallons a month. That's not an insignificant amount of water.

I'm not sure how efficient you're setup is, but I would recommend measuring how many gallons per hour you need to hold your temps.
Measuring how much it takes to do a large temperature drop is comparing apples to oranges for this application.

 

[aclockworkblue]

Thank you for your input gentleman. I have decided to go another direction as the suggestions made sense.