Square peg and a round hole, kind of?

[RAWhiteFSU]

From the posts a search returned I gather that the ratio of batch size to fermentor size depends in large part on the type of beer and yeast for the batch in question. This is only tangentally relevant to my question.

Many people use chest freezers as fermentation chambers. Many of those same people use 5-6 gallon carboys/BBs. Casual observation tells me that storing a relatively large round object in something square is not an effective use of space.

Would people be well advised to split their 5 (10, 15) gallon batches into two (four, six) 3 gallon better bottles (they have a 7.5'' sqaure base) to store in a chest freezer fermentation chamber?

The specific example I have looked at is the GE 7.0 cu. ft. chest freezer I am considering buying. It will hold six 3 gallon better bottles compared to only two 5-6 gallon carboys/BBs (I walked into Sam's with a tape measure).

Thus, this chest freezer can effectively hold 15 gallons worth of fermenting beer in one case and only 10 gallons in the other. BB/carboy preference aside, is there a flaw in my reasoning?

 

[IrregularPulse]

That'd be up to you. Is it really worth the extra hassle of having to rack from 2 fermenters instead of one when it's time to bottle/keg/secondary? Do you often have for than 2 batches fermenting at the same time?

If it were me, and I knew I would often have the need for more than 2 batches fermenting, I'd buy a bigger chest freezer instead of splitting my batches to 2 fermenters (double cleaning) and only gaining one batch worth of room.

 

[RAWhiteFSU]

That chest freezer fits where it needs to in my small townhouse with 1/4'' to spare. I don't now often have two batches fermenting because I haven't yet brewed a darn thing (see my signature).

I am trying to be deliberate in what I buy from the beginning so as not to wish I had bought something else in the future. That chest freezer will fit a 10 gallon batch and a five gallon batch if I wanted it to in the future. I will probably take the kit I get for Christmas back to my LHBS, spend a little more money, and buy smarter (hopefully).

Your point about double cleaning is a valid one. I have yet to be burdened by it and lack perspective in that regard. Thanks.

 

[jlachesk]

I'd think and even better option is the square-ish containers that companies like USPlastics sells. They're often called jerry cans (or jerricans). They come in a variety of sizes and would probably be an even more efficient use of space. Something like these: USPlastics Jerricans Category

One thing to keep in mind is the potential impact on temperature of having multiple exothermic reactions taking place in a confined space. With tight packing, there's the potential for limited airflow and cooling area and all that good stuff. This could be a non-issue, or cause for uneven temperature gradients, or just cause the compressor to run longer... I'm not really sure.

 

[william_shakes_beer]

I have a ferm chamber that's a 5 CF chest freezer. It fits one brew bucket ( 6.5 gal) with a blowoff container on the compressor step. I put the temp sensor in a block of insulation with the sensor touching the bucket, and a brew belt just below the top ring (so the sensor is reading the liquid, not the heat from the brew belt). If i were to put multiple fermenters in the chamber, where do I put the sensor?

 

[RAWhiteFSU]

How big of a sensor are we talking? Shouldn't there be plenty of room on the side of the fermentor facing the compressor hump?

 

[william_shakes_beer]

How big of a sensor are we talking? Shouldn't there be plenty of room on the side of the fermentor facing the compressor hump?

Its not an issue of space, its an issue of temp control. 1 fermenter 1 temp reading going to the temperature controller. If I have 3 containers, I can only put 1 input into the temperature controller. The other fermenters have to ride with whatever the firsrt fermenter says, No guarantee all 3 containers are the same temp. It's be an interesting experiment to see if all 3 batches turn out the same or if the temperature gradient across the 3 fermenters produced different beers.

 

[JacobS]

Just a note isn't this really Square Hole, Round Peg?