Temperature Controller

[Dougan]

Hey,

Winter weather is perfect for fermenting ales for me because my apartment can get lower than 70. However, since I live in an upper apartment, summer makes it pretty impossible. I have a spare fridge and was hoping to get a temperature controller for it so i can control the fermentation temperature of my beers.

I figured, while I'm at it, if I can get the temp down below 60, why not brew some lagers?

Anyway, anybody have experience using a temperature controller on a fridge controlling fermentation temps? I do have a few questions. For example, if you want to ferment at 62, with this setup, would you set it at 62? or maybe a few degrees lower to offset the temperature of fermentation?

 

[jmansfield]

Here is a link to a thread giving my 2 cents on the subject. In my opinion, trying to control temperature inside a fridge is very difficult because the heat transfer rate from glass or plastic fermenter into air is too slow to overcome the ~100 BTU/hr generated during rapid fermentation. I prefer submersing the fermenter in temperature controlled water. My setup cost about $120 total and I get excellent control down to about 60 F - so it is great for ales but I would need to make some upgrades to do lagers. I hope this is useful, just the fact that you are thinking about controlling fermentation temperature means you are about to take a big step up in brew quality.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/water-jacketed-fermentation-chamber-145194/

 

[Dougan]

jmansfield,

thanks for the response. I will read over that thread when I have a little more time tomorrow.

I currently am using buckets and better bottles, but am totally up for upgrading to a glass carboy if people think it would help. I see glass transferring heat much better than plastic.

Also, I should add that in my apartment, I've found the best way to lower the temp 5 or 6 degrees (usually 68 or so in here in the winter) is to put it in a bin of water. Then, put a cake pan with ice cubes on top. I keep the cake pan full of ice and cahnge out the water once a day.

The cake pan with ice makes a HUGE difference vs. the same amount of ice in the surrounding water. Must have something to do with the heat rising and cold sinking? Dunno.

Thanks again. I'm sure I'll have more to comment when I have time to read through that tomorrow. Anybody else have any experience in the area?

 

[Catt22]

I've been using temp controlled refrigerators for lagers and ales for many years with no problems whatsoever. I did install muffin fans to keep the cold air circulating. IMO, the key is to cool your wort adequately before pitching the yeast and keep the chamber temperature on the low side. I usually set the temperature 5 or 6 degrees below the desired fermentation temperature during the first several days, then slowly raise the temp as the fermentation activity slows. Once a fermentation begins to go volcanic due to being too warm, it's difficult to cool it down fast enough. I've found it's much easier to start out cool and raise the temp as necessary. This is easy to do and the whole process is rather forgiving so long as you don't let them get too warm initially.