[morticaixavier]

Which works better?

depends, evaporative cooling works better in (check me on this) drier climates as they rely on the atmospheres ability to take on more moisture thus cooling whatever the moisture evaporated from.

Using ice bottles means you are relying on the electricity in your freezer and it's effectiveness is reduced by high ambient temps, poor insulation, and unaffected by humidity (I think  )

[flbrewer]

Freezer? I'm debating a big bucket of water and ice bottles with a sealed igloo cooler.

[denny]

Freezer? I'm debating a big bucket of water and ice bottles with a sealed igloo cooler.

He's talking about using your freezer to freeze the bottles.

[morticaixavier]

Freezer? I'm debating a big bucket of water and ice bottles with a sealed igloo cooler.

He's talking about using your freezer to freeze the bottles.

yuppers.

[flbrewer]

That settles it! We're going to have to move somewhere that stays in the mid 60's and has a cool basement. Should work.

[blatz]

swapping out ice bottles is really not that bad.  seems like you're making a bigger deal out of it than necessary.

[aschecte]

I don't think it would be a huge issue.... what you are kind of describing is like open fermentation like they do in a lot of English breweries ie. Samuel Smith's ....I would imagine during active fermentation enough co2 would be pushing out that no bugs would get in though the risk is there during the non fermenting times...... then you have a Plambic 

[tonyp]

Is it ok to not use an airlock or blow off tube for my primary? The reason I'm asking is because I may be using a swamp cooler (Igloo 70 quart) that fits a 6.5 gallon carboy with only mm to spare at the top with the lid on.
My other option is to use the ole' rubbermaid bucket. Thoughts? Thank you all.

You could always use something like this Vented Silicon Stopper. I use these on my fermentation buckets because they won't fit into my fermentation chamber with a regular airlock installed.

[tonyp]

swapping out ice bottles is really not that bad.  seems like you're making a bigger deal out of it than necessary.

I use the ice bottle method as well and its really easy. I have 1 gal milk jugs, 1/2 gal milk jugs and 12oz bottles that I keep frozen at all times in the freezer in my garage. Depending on how much temp I need to drop over a specific amount of time determines which size bottles I use. I also tend to use the smaller bottles during the day to hold temps and the larger for overnight since they obviously take longer to thaw. After a few days you get really good at choosing which ones are appropriate.

If you do use this method one thing I would suggest is also using a beach towel or something similar at the bottom of your chamber to soak up the moisture from the thawing bottles. I have never had a problem with mold this way and when you feel the towel is alittle too damp, swap it out with a fresh dry one.

[Jimmy K]

Just made me think. What if you just took a brand new cooler, lathered the whole thing with StarSan, and pitched directly in the cooler.
...Hmmmm(the sound of wheels turning)... what if i could make my chest freezer a sanitary watertight/beertight, temperature controlled  lagering tank?
Any ideas?
Seriously though, I have a 15 gallon glass wine carboy-type vessel which is just a wee wider than my chest freezer. I like to occasionally do 10+ G. batches and i don't like having to split batches into 2 or more fermenters (carboys).   

Fermentation generates heat, so I'd think fermenting in an insulated container wouldn't work out well. The temp would just keep going up.

[flbrewer]

swapping out ice bottles is really not that bad.  seems like you're making a bigger deal out of it than necessary.

I use the ice bottle method as well and its really easy. I have 1 gal milk jugs, 1/2 gal milk jugs and 12oz bottles that I keep frozen at all times in the freezer in my garage. Depending on how much temp I need to drop over a specific amount of time determines which size bottles I use. I also tend to use the smaller bottles during the day to hold temps and the larger for overnight since they obviously take longer to thaw. After a few days you get really good at choosing which ones are appropriate.

If you do use this method one thing I would suggest is also using a beach towel or something similar at the bottom of your chamber to soak up the moisture from the thawing bottles. I have never had a problem with mold this way and when you feel the towel is alittle too damp, swap it out with a fresh dry one.

So you don't use water, just the ice bottles?

[dzlater]

I've used, tin foil, saran wrap, sandwich bags.
Never had a problem.
If I am leaving it sit for a while after fermentation is done, or cold crashing , I'll throw on an airlock.

[morticaixavier]

swapping out ice bottles is really not that bad.  seems like you're making a bigger deal out of it than necessary.

I use the ice bottle method as well and its really easy. I have 1 gal milk jugs, 1/2 gal milk jugs and 12oz bottles that I keep frozen at all times in the freezer in my garage. Depending on how much temp I need to drop over a specific amount of time determines which size bottles I use. I also tend to use the smaller bottles during the day to hold temps and the larger for overnight since they obviously take longer to thaw. After a few days you get really good at choosing which ones are appropriate.

If you do use this method one thing I would suggest is also using a beach towel or something similar at the bottom of your chamber to soak up the moisture from the thawing bottles. I have never had a problem with mold this way and when you feel the towel is alittle too damp, swap it out with a fresh dry one.

So you don't use water, just the ice bottles?

if you have an insulated container yeah. The water provides thermal mass so temp swings are moderated because it takes so much longer for all that water to change temp. The insulation in your cooler provides insulation instead so that moderates ambient temp swings by isolating your fermenter from them.

[weithman5]

i use frozen ice packs.  just switch them in and out periodically,

[tonyp]

So you don't use water, just the ice bottles?

yeah no water, just ice bottles. I made a fermentation chamber out of a rubbermaid tote using reflectix insulation (inside and out) and it holds temp within a few degrees for hours. I usually change out the bottles once in the morning and once at night but I check it a few times during the day as well but hardly ever have to add more bottles unless it is really scorching outside.