New guy

[soccerguy83]

Well my Brew in a Box arrived under the tree this past week! I bought a burner off a buddy of mine and now I will build a fermentation chamber before my first brew. Just ordered an STC-1000 and looking for a mini fridge or fridge that will work with a 6.5 gal carboy with a blow off or an airlock to make it out of. Then I will be brewing the first batch! My house doesn’t really have somewhere that is convenient to keep brew going, don’t like the inexactness of a swamp cooler and the wife would prefer it to be in the garage, so I’m gonna set up the fermentation chamber.

Looking forward to becoming a more vocal member around here!

 

[ong]

Are you planning on doing a light bulb in a can for the heating side of the STC-1000? That's been working well for me with a garage chest freezer.

 

[MindenMan]

For the same amount of money, if I were you, I would pick up a 5 cu.ft. (or larger depending on what is on sale) chest freezer instead. Depending on the mfr., the hump will be different sizes, and or locations, so accurate measuring to fit a carboy will be crucial.
Just My $0.02

 

[soccerguy83]

Ong- Hadn't worked out the details of the heating side, most likely will be something simple like that or a reptile heat lamp.

MindenMan- Why do you say that? I'm not opposed to a chest freezer just curious.

 

[emyers]

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001F9CV7K/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

This style heat lamp emits no light.

 

[govner1]

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001F9CV7K/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

This style heat lamp emits no light.

^^^^This

 

[MindenMan]

The "mini-fridges" are really cramped for space., and will usually only hold 1 fermenter. A coffin freezer depending on size, can hold 4 fermenters. that way you can have multiple batches going at the same time.

 

[RM-MN]

A coffin freezer will require you to lift your carboy above it to set it in and remove it, both of which mean you will have opportunity to break the carboy. Bucket fermenters have handles for that and won't shatter if bumped. They don't need a lot of room above them for an airlock, a simple piece of saran wrap taped on 2 sides of the opening will let the excess gasses out while keeping things like fruit flies from entering.

 

[soccerguy83]

MM- That's fair, though at the moment I only have plans to brew one batch at a time. If I get to the point of kegging, then I will be re-evaluating things. Still not throwing this idea for a coffin out yet. Will have to measure my space, might be able to do a side by side coffin set up one for ferm and one for keezer when I get to that point.

RM-MN- That all is very true, I have carboys in my kit though. Interesting idea on the saran wrap, never thought of that or seen anyone else mention it.

 

[soccerguy83]

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001F9CV7K/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

This style heat lamp emits no light.

Something like this is exactly what I was thinking about when I mentioned a reptile lamp above.

 

[emyers]

I second no glass carboys. Buckets work amazing for fermenting and are cake to clean. Id consider myself a carboy break survivor. Multiple severed tendons and a lacerated ulnar nerve, it controls 100% pinky/ring finger and about %50 of the secondary muscles in your hand. Im typing this using only three of my fingers in my previously dominant right hand due to the injury almost a year ago. See my thread below and never buy a glass carboy again, i can't even think them without the hair standing up all over my body and PTSD flashbacks.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/dangers-glass-carboys-470936/

 

[soccerguy83]

emyers, thanks for sharing, already have the glass carboys so will be using them. I was already planning on being super careful and your post furthered that desire! Will be buying slings for both carboys today. Thank you and I hope your recovery is coming along ok!

 

[soccerguy83]

Forgot to mention this guy came in yesterday, now the search is on for a decent freezer.

 

[RM-MN]

emyers, thanks for sharing, already have the glass carboys so will be using them. I was already planning on being super careful and your post furthered that desire! Will be buying slings for both carboys today. Thank you and I hope your recovery is coming along ok!

I think it's a good idea to use the carboys. Perhaps the best use is for target practice with your high power rifle.

 

[emyers]

For 5 and 6 gal carboys the cheapest and easiest way to safely transport is simply place them inside a five gal bucket. This would contain any breaks, provide side and bottom impact protection, as well as give u a carry handle. A cloth sling won't protect you from any breaks as the glass is still mostly exposed.

 

[soccerguy83]

Man things get buried around here quickly haha. This weekend I made this guy:

Tonight I'm going to pick up the chest freezer that is going to turn into my fermentation chamber.

 

[soccerguy83]

Here is the freezer that is soon to be my fermentation chamber.
View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1420593231.782819.jpg

 

[KavDaven]

I duct tape a heated seedling mat to the side of my buckets. It's rated at 17W and it's water proof. Not that I worry about blow outs. I'm just saying.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0001WV010/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[mark1765]

I second no glass carboys. Buckets work amazing for fermenting and are cake to clean. Id consider myself a carboy break survivor. Multiple severed tendons and a lacerated ulnar nerve, it controls 100% pinky/ring finger and about %50 of the secondary muscles in your hand. Im typing this using only three of my fingers in my previously dominant right hand due to the injury almost a year ago. See my thread below and never buy a glass carboy again, i can't even think them without the hair standing up all over my body and PTSD flashbacks.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/dangers-glass-carboys-470936/

I was trying to decide on weather to go with the glass big mouth bubbler or the plastic. I just decided!

 

[soccerguy83]

Yeah, I now wish I didn't have glass, but it is what it is. Might sell them and get plastic. We will see.

 

[Melana]

Welcome New Guy! Buckets are the way to go for the sheer ease of cleaning them.

 

[soccerguy83]

Welcome New Guy! Buckets are the way to go for the sheer ease of cleaning them.

I do hear quite a bit of support on here for using buckets and it makes sense. I went with glass before I had done enough reading as I was concerned about plastic's leaching flavors into the beer. Now I personally think that the risk associated with glass far outweighs the risk of plastics leaching.

 

[Melana]

I've had glass carboys for years and always handle them very carefully. I think I have 6 - 5G and 4 3G. If you're careful the glass shouldn't scare you.

 

[unionrdr]

I've been fermenting in plastic from the start. No chemicals to leach in food-safe plastic. I use a 6 gallon better bottle for secondary as well. Very easy to clean.

 

[MindenMan]

I have been using buckets from the start, and having a chest freezer come available, if I were using glass carboys not only would they not fit into the section beside the hump, but the extra weight of the glass would have made lifting in and out next to impossible. My freezer will fit a 6.5 with an airlock in the deep side, a 5 gallon with a plastic sheet/foil airlock on the shelf. I use a heating pad under the 6.5 for heat, and haven't had to worry about the 5 gallon on the shelf temperature wise.

 

[soccerguy83]

Made a lot of progress last night! Shopped for most of the parts to complete my fermentation chamber. I pulled fans out of two old desk tops and wired them up to an old power cord I had laying around. Also found a perfect light fixture in the attic for the 100 watt ceramic heat bulb I got. Now I just need to get the deer out of the cheat freezer and build my collar! Very excited, going to be ordering a brew kettle and building a 50' double coil immersion wort chiller. I also had a bit of money sitting around earmarked for another toy and am considering using that to get a keg and a party tap. Undecided about that yet.

Sorry no pictures yet, hopefully I'll remember after the local home brewers club meeting tonight!

Still on track to brew by the last weekend of Jan!

 

[Melana]

Awesome!

 

[soccerguy83]

I still need to finish the fans wiring. Here are the pics:

Last night I got 50' of 3/8" OD copper, will be using that to build my chiller. Also got a drill powered paint mixer for aeration. Lastly the 2x12 to build my collar.

Ordered my kettle and three new kits as well last night.

I also got the go ahead from the better half to keg, so I'm researching that now as well haha.

 

[soccerguy83]

a bit of progress last night. Got my collar built! Next I will be attaching it to the top of my freezer with silicone and using the previous attachment points for the lid. Then I will wire up the internal outlet, mount the fans, build the platform for the deep portion and reattach the lid. Then it should be ready to go!

 

[unionrdr]

None of the pics show?...