Ice Cream merchandiser as Fermentation Chamber

[polvofiloso]

I was given this small ice cream freezer/merchandiser for free. My first thought was to turn it into a kegerator but its not quite deep enough to fit corny kegs without a collar (the curved plastic top would have to be removed). So then I thought about using it for a fermentation chamber. It happens to fit two carboys perfectly, plus room for a blow-off jar (I put the temp controller probe into the water in the blow-off jar).

I guess its not much of a DIY project so excuse me if it goes in a different section. All I did was plug it into a temperature controller. But I will be doing a little more to it at some point. I do need to black out the clear plastic cover to keep light out. Plus I'll have to do something about the ice cream graphics on it. But for now it seems to be working OK, I just put the first batch into it, a Pliny clone I brewed today.

Anybody else use one like this?

 

[Channel66]

In my experience with those, the ice cream graphics are printed on a vinyl sticker, it should peel off.

 

[davidr2340]

Awesome!

By the way... I'm davidr2340 on Instagram! Nice to see you're on here as well!

 

[Fid]

There was one of these sitting out side of a grocery store near my work for weeks... I'm still kicking myself for not asking if I could have it.

 

[H-Balm]

Who needs ice cream?!?!

 

[LilManBrewing]

Someones child is going to be very disappointed!

 

[polvofiloso]

This thing is working like a champ so far. I've only been using it for a week now but I can already tell that the controlled temperature is drawing out the active fermentation longer. When I just had the carboys in the closet with temps in the low to mid 70's active fermentation would be over in just a couple of days. With this one, at just one week, the krausen has fallen but its still burping at a quick, steady rate. I kept reading how properly controlling fermentation temperatures was so important, I'm glad I can do that now.

Davidr2340:

 

[Fid]

Jealous.

Out of curiosity... what are the dimensions of that thing? I think SWMBO would flip sh*t if I tried to park a ice cream freezer in the middle of our apartment but I have a pretty decent sized closet that has been allocated for fermentation/general brewing purposes so if it'd fit in there I'd be set.

 

[BWN]

you would get more precise temp control if you taped the temp probe to the side of your carboy instead of putting it in the water

 

[Brewing_Master]

you would get more precise temp control if you taped the temp probe to the side of your carboy instead of putting it in the water

agreed... sorta. I would just let it dangle without being in contact with anything.
when the probe is in liquid the temperature transfer of the liquid is very delayed so the fridge/freezer will run until the liquid changes temp which is far below your desired temp, and when it warms up it goes way above your desired temp and creates large swings in ambient temperature your beer is exposed to.

when the probe dangles unaffected by any other elements the temperature that the beer is exposed to is much much more steady and desirable to the yeasties.

 

[BWN]

agreed... sorta. I would just let it dangle without being in contact with anything.
when the probe is in liquid the temperature transfer of the liquid is very delayed so the fridge/freezer will run until the liquid changes temp which is far below your desired temp, and when it warms up it goes way above your desired temp and creates large swings in ambient temperature your beer is exposed to.

when the probe dangles unaffected by any other elements the temperature that the beer is exposed to is much much more steady and desirable to the yeasties.

If it is not in contact with the carboy it is giving a false reading to the temp controller. The temperature of fermentation in the carboy is going to be above the temperature of the air or a jar of water sometimes as much as 5 to 10 degrees. So if you set your temp controller to 65 it could be 75 in your carboy.

 

[polvofiloso]

Thanks BWN and Brewing Master! Yes I was wondering where would be the best place to hang the probe. I figured that ideal would be inside a thermowell down inside the fermenting carboy. I couldn't do that with this controller since it has the fat probe. A future upgrade might be one of those digital controllers with the thin probe that I can stick down in a thermowell tube. I figured just sticking it in the blow-off jar would be a good compromise, and I knew the beer in the fermenter would be warmer so I set it at a few degrees cooler. But what Brewing Master said makes more sense so I'll take that advice!

 

[BWN]

Thanks BWN and Brewing Master! Yes I was wondering where would be the best place to hang the probe. I figured that ideal would be inside a thermowell down inside the fermenting carboy. I couldn't do that with this controller since it has the fat probe. A future upgrade might be one of those digital controllers with the thin probe that I can stick down in a thermowell tube. I figured just sticking it in the blow-off jar would be a good compromise, and I knew the beer in the fermenter would be warmer so I set it at a few degrees cooler. But what Brewing Master said makes more sense so I'll take that advice!

If you do a quick search you will see most people tape it right to the carboy to get the most accurate reading.

 

[opus345]

If you do a quick search you will see most people tape it right to the carboy to get the most accurate reading.

And add insulation to the non-carboy side of the probe to prevent the air temp from possibly altering or contributing to the temp the probe reads.

 

[BWN]

And add insulation to the non-carboy side of the probe to prevent the air temp from possibly altering or contributing to the temp the probe reads.

bubble wrap works good and its cheap.

 

[Brewing_Master]

If it is not in contact with the carboy it is giving a false reading to the temp controller. The temperature of fermentation in the carboy is going to be above the temperature of the air or a jar of water sometimes as much as 5 to 10 degrees. So if you set your temp controller to 65 it could be 75 in your carboy.

Those probes work by expansion/contraction of the inert gas inside the probe. When the probe is in contact with anything other than air, it will create larger swings in the temperature that the beer is exposed to. The whole idea of a fermentation chamber is to control/eliminate those swings.

I realize that when the wort begins to ferment the activity of the yeast will raise the temperature. The best thing to do is to compensate that on your controller, (dial down 1-2 degrees) because when the cooling unit runs longer than needed and then waits too long before it is needed again it is exposing the beer to those swings. Where if the ambient temp is kept constant as will the beer temp.

 

[Esmitee]

You scream, I scream, WE all scream for BEER ! LOL

Love my Circus Man fermenator! Yes perfect for 2 carboys and Temp controlled.

Mine had a clear bubble lid on it, that woulda been cool, except I broke the hinge mounts. Anyway, I had to and did make a collar outa PVC with foam insulation between the 2 layers. Keeps the ferm temps...spot on!

AND Just plain is COOL LOL



OHHHH I removed the sweatshirt I have covering the carboy just for the picture.

 

[jroot]

Gentleman, pay attention to Brewing Master's advice above about where to place the probe. If you think about it your controller is ONLY controlling the ambient temperature of the chamber. The temperature of the beer is ONLY indirectly a result of the temperature your cooling unit keeps the outside surface of the fermenting vessel. Keeping that surface temperature as close to your set point temperature is the whole point of the controller. So place your probe in the free space of the chamber and set it 2-5 deg. below what you want during the initial stages of fermentation.

I use a separate digital temperature probe taped directly to the vessel and insulated with styrofoam for monitoring purposes.

 

[BSD_Glass]

I have a ferm chamber that is large enough for (4) 6.5 gallon carboys. I keep my probe in my blowoff water. I set my controller for 17* C (ebay dual channel cheapy controller) and the fermometers on my carboys ALWAYS read withing .5 C of this. They also all match, within .5 C even though only 2 are actively fermenting at any time. The CO2 coming out of the blowoff tube is the temp of the inside of the carboy, more or less, and warms/cools the blowoff water as it bubbles through.

That's my theory, anyway.

Cheers.

BSD

 

[opus345]

Gentleman, pay attention to Brewing Master's advice above about where to place the probe. If you think about it your controller is ONLY controlling the ambient temperature of the chamber. The temperature of the beer is ONLY indirectly a result of the temperature your cooling unit keeps the outside surface of the fermenting vessel. Keeping that surface temperature as close to your set point temperature is the whole point of the controller. So place your probe in the free space of the chamber and set it 2-5 deg. below what you want during the initial stages of fermentation.

I use a separate digital temperature probe taped directly to the vessel and insulated with styrofoam for monitoring purposes.

Would a termowell work better? Something like Revvy's ugly junk?
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/ugly-junk-2012-ghetto-lagering-chamber-302381/

I can find the $15 thermowells, but I can find any SS supply line tubes anymore. They are all Chrome plated.

 

[opus345]

You scream, I scream, WE all scream for BEER ! LOL

Love my Circus Man fermenator! Yes perfect for 2 carboys and Temp controlled.

Totally cool!

 

[Brewing_Master]

Would a termowell work better? Something like Revvy's ugly junk?
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/ugly-junk-2012-ghetto-lagering-chamber-302381/

I can find the $15 thermowells, but I can find any SS supply line tubes anymore. They are all Chrome plated.

I'd say no, Not for the temp controller probe. Thermowell's are for monitoring the beers temp, you can plug your thermometer and see what temp the beer is but the probe for the controller should be unaffected by anything but the ambient air that the fermenter sets in.

 

[BWN]

You are correct if you want to control the ambient air temperature leave it hanging in free air. I misunderstood what you were trying to do. Some good info. in this thread.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/poll-fermentation-chamber-temperature-probe-placement-185724/

 

[polvofiloso]

Thanks guys for all the discussion about how best to use the temp controller. Im still experimenting with it but my guess is any of these methods for use with the ice cream freezer are much better than my old fermenting chamber: the hall closet. Meanwhile I recently had two batches in there at once for the first time: A Pliny clone and a honey pale ale. Just kegged the Pliny this morning

 

[opus345]

Cool. An open fermenter? I think you need to try a mead next.

 

[polvofiloso]

Cool. An open fermenter? I think you need to try a mead next.

I'd love to do a mead. I'm thinking maybe next fall when I can keep it cool for a long ferment without tying up a spot in the ice cream cooler . I'm also looking forward to doing some hard cider or apfelwein, as come apple season I'll have access to freshly milled cider at a local orchard.