So far, I've done four 5-gal extract/steeping grains batches, with buckets, and only a primary. In the cold weather, the basement gets down to around 50°F (60 in the warmer weather). Thankfully, the in-law apt in our house is only in use during the summer months (when they escape the FL heat June-August). This leaves the great room over the attached garage available most of the year. We tend to shut the doors from the main house to that room so we don't pay to heat a large unused area. Therefore, if the main part of the house has the thermostat set to 67 or 68, that big room is in the lower 60s. So I've done what I can using different rooms in the house, a bit plastic tub with water to hold the fermenting bucket, etc.
Thing is, in spring or fall, temps can fluctuate quick a bit in New England, and therefore, so can the ambient room temps. Ideally I would stop using my in-laws area for beer-making activities, because eventually, something's going to happen... like a clogged blow-off, exploding fermenter kind of thing, and I'd rather deal with cleaning that up in a confined space that can handle a mess... like my unfinished basement.
Soooooo... would I be wise to get a temp control, a ferm wrap, and build some kind of hard foam insulation box? Definitely not looking to pay the $$ on a freezer to only use it to house fermenters.
We DO have an ancient, not working, freezer in the basement, but it's an upright type. Looks like a regular kitchen fridge, but only one main door and it's all freezer. The issue is that the shelves appear to be hardwired and not easily removed (will post a pic tonight from home). We were going to toss it once we realized it won't work anymore, but IF I could remove the damn shelves, I could at least use it as nothing more than a large insulated box which cold hold a couple buckets/carboys.
Seeing that I am only using buckets at this point, I'm thinking any kind of thermostat would be attached to the side of the bucket. From what I have read so far, that may not be as accurate as a thermowell, but much better than measuring ambient temp, right?
Thing is, in spring or fall, temps can fluctuate quick a bit in New England, and therefore, so can the ambient room temps. Ideally I would stop using my in-laws area for beer-making activities, because eventually, something's going to happen... like a clogged blow-off, exploding fermenter kind of thing, and I'd rather deal with cleaning that up in a confined space that can handle a mess... like my unfinished basement.
Soooooo... would I be wise to get a temp control, a ferm wrap, and build some kind of hard foam insulation box? Definitely not looking to pay the $$ on a freezer to only use it to house fermenters.
We DO have an ancient, not working, freezer in the basement, but it's an upright type. Looks like a regular kitchen fridge, but only one main door and it's all freezer. The issue is that the shelves appear to be hardwired and not easily removed (will post a pic tonight from home). We were going to toss it once we realized it won't work anymore, but IF I could remove the damn shelves, I could at least use it as nothing more than a large insulated box which cold hold a couple buckets/carboys.
Seeing that I am only using buckets at this point, I'm thinking any kind of thermostat would be attached to the side of the bucket. From what I have read so far, that may not be as accurate as a thermowell, but much better than measuring ambient temp, right?