I searched high and low for a good location within my house that could hold fermentation temperatures but due to large fluctuations throughout the day this just wasn't possible. I quickly began searching for small scale fermentation solutions. Many people build large chambers from chest freezers or dorm room refrigerators.
I don't have a truck to pick up a large freezer or refrigerator so they were automatically out of the search criteria. I also wanted to do everything on the cheap; I like to keep things simple and easy that way I can spend money on ingredients!
Parts list:
All credit goes to Jonathan_Marino and his how-to on How to set up an STC-1000 for beginners post.
Follow his how-to minus the project box. I used the 5 extension cables for all the wiring. Remove the female end from one and the male ends from 2 and strip the cable out of the remaining 2. Utilize the electrical tape and designate a color for each type of contact point. Once completed I taped the bulk of the wiring directly to the underside of the STC-1000 and used the blue and red tape to mark the female inputs as cold and hot. You can just rest the STC-1000 on top of your fridge or somewhere else out of the way, but still accessible.
The fridge
HBT.com led me to the ideal size of a 4.4cu ft mini fridge that is big enough to hold a standard fermentation bucket and carboys. I quickly began monitoring craigslist for my area until I found a 4.4cu ft Sanyo 4310. This fridge is fairly neglected because of the freezer compartment that is also the cooling element. Many brewers look for fridges this size for kegerators and not necessarily fermentation control so many shun these types of fridges.
The seller said that the fridge was over cooling and had not need for it anymore. I was planning on utilizing a STC-1000 for temperature control anyway so I picked the fridge up for 20$. I removed all the interior shelving and the door panel and then screwed in the magnetic stripping to the door where the door panel was removed from. It doesn't seal perfectly but I view this as a positive. The residual cooling/heating won't linger too long in the chamber which could cause overshooting of target temperatures.
Heating element
Cut a hole large enough to mount your light socket in your amazon box and some ventilation holes so heat can escape. I took it a step further and added a computer fan and have it plugged in to an always on socket. The ignition point of cardboard is approximately 450F and the bulb itself can emit about 260F so you should have no worries about it catching fire. As a safety precaution just make sure the bulb isn't touching the sides of your box.
Finishing Touches
I ran all the wiring in to the door on the side that is hinged in. I had enough gap in the striping that I have no issues with it closing. I am currently just taping the temperature probe, with insulation, to my fermentation bucket but plan on getting a thermowell in order to get the most accurate reading of my fermenting beer.
I am currently fermenting an Oatmeal Cream Stout and this setup is working wonderfully!
I don't have a truck to pick up a large freezer or refrigerator so they were automatically out of the search criteria. I also wanted to do everything on the cheap; I like to keep things simple and easy that way I can spend money on ingredients!
Parts list:
- $20 - Sanyo 4310 or comparable refrigerator
- $17 - STC-1000
- $10 - 5 pack of 1 foot 3-prong extension cables
- $8 - 3M electrical tape value pack.
- $1 - Light socket from Ikea and a 60w light bulb to put in it.
- Free the box that your items from amazon came in
- A screwdriver for the fridge and STC-1000
- A knife for modifying the wiring.
All credit goes to Jonathan_Marino and his how-to on How to set up an STC-1000 for beginners post.
Follow his how-to minus the project box. I used the 5 extension cables for all the wiring. Remove the female end from one and the male ends from 2 and strip the cable out of the remaining 2. Utilize the electrical tape and designate a color for each type of contact point. Once completed I taped the bulk of the wiring directly to the underside of the STC-1000 and used the blue and red tape to mark the female inputs as cold and hot. You can just rest the STC-1000 on top of your fridge or somewhere else out of the way, but still accessible.
The fridge
HBT.com led me to the ideal size of a 4.4cu ft mini fridge that is big enough to hold a standard fermentation bucket and carboys. I quickly began monitoring craigslist for my area until I found a 4.4cu ft Sanyo 4310. This fridge is fairly neglected because of the freezer compartment that is also the cooling element. Many brewers look for fridges this size for kegerators and not necessarily fermentation control so many shun these types of fridges.
The seller said that the fridge was over cooling and had not need for it anymore. I was planning on utilizing a STC-1000 for temperature control anyway so I picked the fridge up for 20$. I removed all the interior shelving and the door panel and then screwed in the magnetic stripping to the door where the door panel was removed from. It doesn't seal perfectly but I view this as a positive. The residual cooling/heating won't linger too long in the chamber which could cause overshooting of target temperatures.
Heating element
Cut a hole large enough to mount your light socket in your amazon box and some ventilation holes so heat can escape. I took it a step further and added a computer fan and have it plugged in to an always on socket. The ignition point of cardboard is approximately 450F and the bulb itself can emit about 260F so you should have no worries about it catching fire. As a safety precaution just make sure the bulb isn't touching the sides of your box.
Finishing Touches
I ran all the wiring in to the door on the side that is hinged in. I had enough gap in the striping that I have no issues with it closing. I am currently just taping the temperature probe, with insulation, to my fermentation bucket but plan on getting a thermowell in order to get the most accurate reading of my fermenting beer.
I am currently fermenting an Oatmeal Cream Stout and this setup is working wonderfully!
