SSBrewtech Chronical FTSS vs Refrigerator Fermentation Chamber

[johnwpowell]

I have a SSBrewtech 7Gal chronical and I want to move it out of the wife's shoe closet and into the garage. I also want to be able to lager at some point. So I need temperature control.

I looked into the FTSS they offer, but the problem I have with it is that it requires daily attention from what I can tell. I travel for work and can be gone for 1-2 weeks at a time and the refrigerator fermentation chamber seems like a set it and forget approach.

Any recommendations? Anyone have a chronical and can recommend a fridge?

 

[augiedoggy]

I use a chiller and a jacket around my conicals and I dont understand what daily attention you could be talking about? with the chiller you have the advantage to be able to control temps on multiple conicals...

 

[johnwpowell]

I use a chiller and a jacket around my conicals and I dont understand what daily attention you could be talking about? with the chiller you have the advantage to be able to control temps on multiple conicals...

Ohh I thought you had to fill the ice water up every day.

Here's the kit to heat and cool which is $300 http://www.ssbrewtech.com/collectio...ing-chilling-7-gal-standard-edition-chronical

"you supply the cold water"

I could drop another $999 for the glycol kit http://www.ssbrewtech.com/products/glycol

I can get a fridge and a fermwrap for 1/3 the cost.

How do you do it?

 

[BrewStew]

I used a cooler with frozen ice bottles for a while. I ended up drilling two holes into a spare kegerator I had and use a corney keg for chill water source. Now it is set it and forget it.

 

[johnwpowell]

I used a cooler with frozen ice bottles for a while. I ended up drilling two holes into a spare kegerator I had and use a corney keg for chill water source. Now it is set it and forget it.

So I have a dedicated full size beer fridge kegerator. You are saying I can put my water in there? Can I lager? My beer fridge is set at 45F

 

[BrewStew]

I live in Texas, so I don't believe my ambient house temp would allow for me to lager. I feel the pump would be working in overdrive.

 

[johnwpowell]

I'm thinking this upright freezer is a good option with a controller and a fermwrap for winter heat http://m.homedepot.com/p/Frigidaire-13-83-cu-ft-Frost-Free-Upright-Freezer-in-White-FFFU14F2QW/205555907

I have the refrigerator version of this for my kegerator

 

[BrewStew]

But for ales, I can comfortably ferment at 63* and up. I really do love the Ss Chronical. I've had it for 3 years now and my beers have improved dramatically due to proper temp control.

 

[augiedoggy]

Something like this http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-2-HP-CHIL...hash=item237d687bee:m:mByBHg6RNnop-pK7xCiJXZw

or http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-1-2-HP-...998908?hash=item3d3038443c:g:LeIAAOSwZQRYdTSS
would be powerful enough to lager with at least 3 conicals... I have 28 gallons of bee being chilled in 3 stainless conicals by my single comparably sized chiller now... The SS brewing chiller is twice the price and almost half the power. Actually SS brewing takes an off the shelf $900 chiller and removed the $100 pump and then charge $1000 for it instead of 800.
I use this http://www.gotta-brew.com/products/cool-zone-cooling-jacket.html wrapped around my 12.5 gallon stout conical and have homemade jackets wrapper around my other two... I have 11 gallons of pale ale cold crashed at 35 degrees right now as well as another lager at 57 and an ale at 67.

 

[Drk93TT]

I really really like the idea of adding the FTSS (and their glycol system ideally) to my fermenter. Maybe one day.

BUT What I have been doing is just using an old mini fridge with a STC1000 probe set into the thermowell to control fermentation temps. Works great for ales and lagers.

 

[augiedoggy]

I really really like the idea of adding the FTSS (and their glycol system ideally) to my fermenter. Maybe one day.

BUT What I have been doing is just using an old mini fridge with a STC1000 probe set into the thermowell to control fermentation temps. Works great for ales and lagers.

You can use the same stc1000 to control the pump on any chiller. I made a 4 conical manifold with solenoid valves that only cost about $40 to make and the stc opens and closes flow to whichever conical or multiple conicals as they need to be cooled as well as controls heat strips wrapped around each..
there are some pics in the middle of my build thread below. you do need an stc1000 for each conical but it uses the bigger pump built into the chiller instead of the $20 pond pumps SS brewing uses.

 

[johnwpowell]

Something like this http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-2-HP-CHIL...hash=item237d687bee:m:mByBHg6RNnop-pK7xCiJXZw

or http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-1-2-HP-...998908?hash=item3d3038443c:g:LeIAAOSwZQRYdTSS
would be powerful enough to lager with at least 3 conicals... I have 28 gallons of bee being chilled in 3 stainless conicals by my single comparably sized chiller now... The SS brewing chiller is twice the price and almost half the power. Actually SS brewing takes an off the shelf $900 chiller and removed the $100 pump and then charge $1000 for it instead of 800.
I use this http://www.gotta-brew.com/products/cool-zone-cooling-jacket.html wrapped around my 12.5 gallon stout conical and have homemade jackets wrapper around my other two... I have 11 gallons of pale ale cold crashed at 35 degrees right now as well as another lager at 57 and an ale at 67.

Thanks!!! Don't suppose you have any pics of your setup?

 

[augiedoggy]

Thanks!!! Don't suppose you have any pics of your setup?

yeah there are some in my build thread in my signature like 2/3 into the thread.

 

[johnwpowell]

Something like this http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-2-HP-CHIL...hash=item237d687bee:m:mByBHg6RNnop-pK7xCiJXZw

or http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-1-2-HP-...998908?hash=item3d3038443c:g:LeIAAOSwZQRYdTSS
would be powerful enough to lager with at least 3 conicals... I have 28 gallons of bee being chilled in 3 stainless conicals by my single comparably sized chiller now... The SS brewing chiller is twice the price and almost half the power. Actually SS brewing takes an off the shelf $900 chiller and removed the $100 pump and then charge $1000 for it instead of 800.
I use this http://www.gotta-brew.com/products/cool-zone-cooling-jacket.html wrapped around my 12.5 gallon stout conical and have homemade jackets wrapper around my other two... I have 11 gallons of pale ale cold crashed at 35 degrees right now as well as another lager at 57 and an ale at 67.

I like the idea of chilling 2 fermenters which I can't do with a small fridge. How do you individually control temps to different fermenters?

 

[madscientist451]

If you don't have any plans to go beyond the one conical, I'd go with the freezer option. I think even two freezers (get them used?), for two conicals may be more cost effective compared the glycol equipment. If you decide you don't want to brew anymore, the freezer can still be used for its original purpose, or easily sold on craigslist.

 

[augiedoggy]

I like the idea of chilling 2 fermenters which I can't do with a small fridge. How do you individually control temps to different fermenters?

I use stc1000 controllers connected to these http://www.ebay.com/itm/12V-1-2-N-C...893492?hash=item2caf6fb074:g:floAAOSw4CFYrSdd valves only I use the 24v version...
if you want 120v you can use these brass ones which cost a bit more.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Brass-1-2-o...hash=item5b2eacef4b:m:m_iSq7uSrIWD6FA7QBa5daA

I use a dual pole switch so when the stc1000 activates the cooling switch it closes the 2 pole switch which turns the main recirculation pump in my cliler on the recirculates the water/glycol through a cpvc manifold on my wall behind the fermenters with the valves mounted for each conical in it.. when the stc temp probe indicates one or more conical needs to be cooled the switch opens that valve as well as turns on the main pump..
most chillers have a pump built into them. SS brewings chiller has the pump removed because they want to sell the modular kits with the individual pumps for each conical which your could also use with a regular chiller by putting the pump or pumps in the bath tank of the chiller.
this would be an inexpensive design as well since you can use say the $14 12v version of the stc1000 controller and a $15-20 12v pump like SS brewing does.

you really have lots of options .. the freezer is nice if you only ever plan on having one conical otherwise the electric costs for the chiller to control multiple conicals as well as equipment cost are in the chiller setups favor... many nano breweries use a scaled up version of what I have. my chiller barely runs unless im cold crashing and the footprint is smaller than a couple freezers.