Thanks for the replies. Actually I am in town visiting my parents, am on their computer, and am just starting to put my system together. No internet at my cabin (although looking into a satellite connection.) I have a small propane refrigerator (think college dorm size) that I can keep beer, veggies, leftovers, etc. cold, but not much else. Looking into a larger propane fridge, but they are spendy and almost impossible to find used. It is not practical to run regular electric refrigerators/freezes on a generator. The fuel would kill you as well as the noise. This time of year, I can leave most food stuff outside in coolers and it stays cold, but that's quickly changing as we get into summer. In winter I would be fighting sub-freezing temperatures. Not that I am complaining
This is all a slow process- I built my cabin out of my own trees on 20 acres, in the process of building a larger barn, clearing garden spaces, building fences, etc., etc. I plan to experiment with wine grapes as well.
I'd really like to experiement with brewing "off-the-grid" and not depend on an energy source to maintain fermenting temps. By the way- what if you let the temperature drop into the 50's, 40's, or even 30's while fermenting? Would you just slow down the process or stop it altogether? Maybe I need to pull out my old textbooks.
For now I am thinking of digging a substantial hole- I have a large tractor so that's not a problem, putting in some large coolers, and cover the hole will some kind of insulating material. I could add water to the coolers and monitor the temps. Sound like a plan? I hope I didn't put you all to sleep