Grainfather cooling with IceBox

[safcraft]

Hi,

I am thinking of switching from my plastic buckets to SS conical fermenters.
The Grainfather seems an excellent choice, due to integrated cooling jacket and possibility to control up to 4 units with a single glycol chiller.

I do not have the funds to buy the Glycol chiller just yet.
So i am thinking of a way to provide cooling to the fermenter using a 3rd party IceBox cooler.

Anyone here knows how to provide external control for a pump, from the temperature control in the Grainfather fermenter ?

Cheers

 

[safcraft]

I was reading a big more about this, and found instructions on how to do the reverse adaptation, that is, use a Glycol with 3rd party fermenter (SS)

https://www.grainfather.com/media/wysiwyg/PDFs/Using_Glycol_with_SS_chiller_1.pdf

Reading this, it seems the M12 connector provides 3 wires to the conical:
- 12V
- Ground
-Signal

The Glycol chiller provides POWER to the conical through this wire.
So it seems that, if i wish to use the Grainfather Fermenter, i have to provide 12V to it through this M12 cable.

These intructions seem to show that to provide power to the Glycol chiller, we have to shunt the 12V to the Signal wire.

So in reverse engineering, if the shunt is made in the Grainfather Conical Fermenter , then the 3rd party pump could be connected to the "GROUND" and "SIGNAL" wires....

Am i thinking straight ?

 

[safcraft]

So this is a schematic of i am thinking...

Should work...and i take the "current" capabilities of the Fermenter off track, so i can run the pump with ease.

I only need to find some M12 connectors to make this all "clean"...

What do you think ?

 

[safcraft]

No sparky experts ?

 

[safcraft]

Side note :

I just received an email from Grainfather website.
They say they will launch 2 kits to go along with teh Glycol Chiller launch, to address "3rd party" user like me :

- Cooling Connection Kit : hoses and connectors for conical/glycol chiller
- Cooling Pump Kit : to pump ice water to the conical ! Perfect !

Thought interesting to share.

 

[1Floydbrew]

I spoke to Grainfather also and the need for a glycol chiller due to the price is too much. They told me they are introducing a chilled water unit style also. No time frame given except possibly in the next week or so. Waiting hopefully

 

[cristinikol]

referring to the "COOLING PUMP KIT" just released, it's not clear for me if the Temperature Controller will control the start/stop of the pump or will be used in "manual mode". what do you think?

 

[cristinikol]

in my case spending 1000 USD for cooling only one fermenter sounds like an uninspired investment for the moment. My plan is to use a mini freezer (50*50 cm (20 inches)) as cooling unit for salted water and to use submerged water pump to pump water into grainfather conical. hope it works.
Expected costs: 30 usd for SH mini freezer, 10 usd for water pump, 10 usd for insulated hoses and conector to Temp. controler.

 

[safcraft]

I am sure it will work. By the way expect to pay 35 euros for the hoses. They are expensive but I don't see another way to get my hand on the connectors. I did not find what type they are to try and source alternatives.
Also my plan is similar to yours but I don't have space for a fridge so I will be using a icebox.
You will have to find a way to connect the pump to the temperature controller in the conical. My plan is on post #2.
The alternative will be just buy the pump kit when it's out but I don't know how much that will cost.

 

[safcraft]

I just saw the cooling pump kit. So 65 euros for the pack doesn't seem bad. I am positive that this will be completely controlled by the temp controller in the fermenter. The controller will turn on the pump and off until temperature is achieved.
I would recommend you get this kit to connect to your fridge. The connectors seem odd...

 

[cristinikol]

yes, 65 EUR is fine for "plug and play" system. how often you consider to add ice to the cooler box? and what is the temperature of the room? in my case I have approx 25-26C (77-79F) and I am afraid I will need to add ice more than 2 times a day.

 

[cristinikol]

or comes for free if you buy a conical. interesting to know if this offer is until the launch of glycol chiller.
it's strange to buy pro edition at 615 euro and not BASIC COOLING EDITION at the same price.

 

[safcraft]

I will have to try to see what is enough. Still my cooler takes at least 2x mini kegs of 2L capacity that I can rotate in the freezer dailly. That is a lot of cooling power. I don't expect to be able to put the conical at 10C .... but if I can put it at 20C I am happy enough. Most my ales are done at that temp. In the summer I have around 25C in house too.

 

[doogster]

in my case spending 1000 USD for cooling only one fermenter sounds like an uninspired investment for the moment. My plan is to use a mini freezer (50*50 cm (20 inches)) as cooling unit for salted water and to use submerged water pump to pump water into grainfather conical. hope it works.
Expected costs: 30 usd for SH mini freezer, 10 usd for water pump, 10 usd for insulated hoses and conector to Temp. controler.

Hi there -

Do you have any links that show the type of "mini freezer" you are referring to?
If you have set this up, how is it working out? Have any pictures?

 

[cristinikol]

Hi there -

Do you have any links that show the type of "mini freezer" you are referring to?
If you have set this up, how is it working out? Have any pictures?

It may sound ironic but I am waiting for the delivery of the fermentor+glycol chiller to arrive. I did not put my plan in place but I am sure that the minimum size freezer will work(i was planning to buy something as in the link below. You may also replace salt water with glycol and distilled water.
I took the decision of buying the bundle due to the fact I will get married and I am trying to limit complicated things ))

https://www.awmyhill.com/lec-mini-freezer/p-2110

 

[TheEternal]

I am thinking of doing something similar, anyone know which colour wires in the grainfather cable refer to what and does it need a coil or can the pump wire straight into the 'signal'?

So this is a schematic of i am thinking...

Should work...and i take the "current" capabilities of the Fermenter off track, so i can run the pump with ease.

I only need to find some M12 connectors to make this all "clean"...

What do you think ?