Membership questions? Log in issues? Email info@brewersassociation.org

Author Topic: Fermentor/temp control equip  (Read 2500 times)

Offline flbrewer

  • Brewmaster General
  • *******
  • Posts: 2161
Fermentor/temp control equip
« on: February 12, 2014, 06:30:52 am »
Thinking ahead of possibly going all grain w a stand and have two questions.
1) are there boil kettles that can also be used as fermentors? Something to just throw into the refrigerator after boiling?
2) can anyone share or recommend a smaller refrigerator they've used for this? Standup would be preferred, perhaps something between a full size and mini?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Offline Jimmy K

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 3643
  • Delaware
Re: Fermentor/temp control equip
« Reply #1 on: February 12, 2014, 06:40:13 am »
I've heard of a person or two who ferments in the kettle, but they drain the wort off the trub into another container - clean and sanitize the kettle - then put the wort back.  Those glass front wine refrigerators make great fermentation chambers. AmandaK has 3! #jealousy
Delmarva United Homebrewers - President by inverse coup - former president ousted himself.
AHA Member since 2006
BJCP Certified: B0958

Offline AmandaK

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1850
  • Redbird Brewhouse
Re: Fermentor/temp control equip
« Reply #2 on: February 12, 2014, 06:50:19 am »
Yes, those glass front wine coolers are pretty sweet. I took a Better Bottle to Home Depot and tried them out before I bought them.
Amanda Burkemper
KC Bier Meisters Lifetime Member - KCBM 3x AHA Club of the Year!!
BJCP Assistant (to the) Midwest Rep
BJCP Grand Master/Mead/Cider


Our Homebrewed Wedding, AHA Article

Offline erockrph

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 7788
  • Chepachet, RI
    • The Hop WHisperer
Re: Fermentor/temp control equip
« Reply #3 on: February 12, 2014, 07:47:34 am »
Yes, those glass front wine coolers are pretty sweet. I took a Better Bottle to Home Depot and tried them out before I bought them.

Interesting. Can you get up to ale temperatures with those without a separate temp controller?

Right now I'm using a 5.0 cu ft chest freezer for my fermentation chamber. It's a real tight fit, but I can fit a 6.5 gallon bucket and a 4.5 gallon bucket (with airlocks) in it at the same time.
Eric B.

Finally got around to starting a homebrewing blog: The Hop Whisperer

Offline flbrewer

  • Brewmaster General
  • *******
  • Posts: 2161
Re: Fermentor/temp control equip
« Reply #4 on: February 12, 2014, 08:16:30 am »

Yes, those glass front wine coolers are pretty sweet. I took a Better Bottle to Home Depot and tried them out before I bought them.
Do you have any issues with mildew when it's off? Or is it always on!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Offline reverseapachemaster

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 3777
    • Brain Sparging on Brewing
Re: Fermentor/temp control equip
« Reply #5 on: February 12, 2014, 08:36:11 am »
I have an old dorm fridge that I picked up off of craigslist. It used to be a kegerator. It's probably from the 70s. Maybe older. It's about a third the size of a regular fridge.

It just barely fits one of the taller ale pails. It's slightly too short for the airlock so I cut the bottom of an airlock off, attached some tubing to it and run the tubing into the bottom of another airlock I tape to the side of the bucket. There's a half shelf I can remove and that will just barely fit a corny keg. Not sure it will fit with the disconnects though. I have it hooked up to a temperature controller. I can get the temperature down to about forty before the internal temperature controller cuts off. So I can ferment lagers but can't lager down where I need to. I can make drinkable lagers with that set up but they definitely aren't winning competitions.
Heck yeah I blog about homebrewing: Brain Sparging on Brewing

Offline BP79

  • Assistant Brewer
  • ***
  • Posts: 105
Re: Fermentor/temp control equip
« Reply #6 on: February 12, 2014, 09:41:12 am »
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004YL7R8O/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I can fit a 6 gallon Better Bottle + blowoff tube with room to spare.  Just be careful bending the freezer plate on the top... you don't want to puncture it (as I might have done once), resulting in the sad sound of the coolant leaking, rendering the fridge useless. 

You can find the fridge on sale, so all-in it may be the best $250 you can spend for maintaining consistent fermentation temps.

Offline AmandaK

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1850
  • Redbird Brewhouse
Re: Fermentor/temp control equip
« Reply #7 on: February 12, 2014, 09:57:53 am »
No mold/mildew issues.

I run them with dual stage Rancos and Ferm Wraps, so any temp between 38-100 is completely doable. I lager in one of my two freezers in kegs. Much easier and frees up space in the wine coolers.

I really don't understand the doggin on wine coolers. If they didn't work (and work extremely well), I wouldn't have 3 of them.
Amanda Burkemper
KC Bier Meisters Lifetime Member - KCBM 3x AHA Club of the Year!!
BJCP Assistant (to the) Midwest Rep
BJCP Grand Master/Mead/Cider


Our Homebrewed Wedding, AHA Article

Offline euge

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 8017
  • Ego ceruisam ad bibere cervisiam
Re: Fermentor/temp control equip
« Reply #8 on: February 12, 2014, 09:59:36 am »
You might consider a small chest freezer. Fridge-wise the sanyo 4912 fits a large fermenter quite well- and there are many models just like it under different names and manufacturer. Two kegs also fit nicely. ;)
The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool. -Richard P. Feynman

Laws are spider-webs, which catch the little flies, but cannot hold the big ones. -Anacharsis

Offline yso191

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1816
  • Yakima, WA
Re: Fermentor/temp control equip
« Reply #9 on: February 12, 2014, 10:26:52 am »
Yes, those glass front wine coolers are pretty sweet. I took a Better Bottle to Home Depot and tried them out before I bought them.

Ha ha!  I did that with my new conical.  Walked into Sears to test it in the upright freezers.  Yes I got some strange looks.
Steve
BJCP #D1667

“Fallacies do not cease to be fallacies because they become fashions.” ― G.K. Chesterton

Offline Scot (one T)

  • Cellarman
  • **
  • Posts: 78
Re: Fermentor/temp control equip
« Reply #10 on: February 12, 2014, 10:57:12 am »
I did the exact same thing at Lowe's.  No one said a word when I started removing the shelves from the freezer..  Some people looked at me like I was bringing a bomb into the store and gave me a wide berth.
Scot Schaar
River's Edge Fermentation Society
St Paul Homebrewers Club
AHA Member
BJCP Beer and Mead Judge

Offline klickitat jim

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 8604
Re: Fermentor/temp control equip
« Reply #11 on: February 13, 2014, 03:20:01 am »
Yes, those glass front wine coolers are pretty sweet. I took a Better Bottle to Home Depot and tried them out before I bought them.

Ha ha!  I did that with my new conical.  Walked into Sears to test it in the upright freezers.  Yes I got some strange looks.

Ya but tell them about the looks you got when you brought it into Victoria's Secret.

;-)

Offline AmandaK

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1850
  • Redbird Brewhouse
Re: Fermentor/temp control equip
« Reply #12 on: February 13, 2014, 06:01:32 am »
I did the exact same thing at Lowe's.  No one said a word when I started removing the shelves from the freezer..  Some people looked at me like I was bringing a bomb into the store and gave me a wide berth.

I can't imagine that many people walk into Lowe's with a 20-40 gallon stainless conical on a cart. I bet you were quite the site! :D
Amanda Burkemper
KC Bier Meisters Lifetime Member - KCBM 3x AHA Club of the Year!!
BJCP Assistant (to the) Midwest Rep
BJCP Grand Master/Mead/Cider


Our Homebrewed Wedding, AHA Article

Offline HoosierBrew

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 13031
  • Indianapolis,IN
Re: Fermentor/temp control equip
« Reply #13 on: February 13, 2014, 06:21:14 am »
Yes, those glass front wine coolers are pretty sweet. I took a Better Bottle to Home Depot and tried them out before I bought them.

Ha ha!  I did that with my new conical.  Walked into Sears to test it in the upright freezers.  Yes I got some strange looks.

Ya but tell them about the looks you got when you brought it into Victoria's Secret.

;-)

Ok, that's pretty funny.    :D
Jon H.

Offline yso191

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1816
  • Yakima, WA
Re: Fermentor/temp control equip
« Reply #14 on: February 13, 2014, 07:48:48 am »
Yes, those glass front wine coolers are pretty sweet. I took a Better Bottle to Home Depot and tried them out before I bought them.

Ha ha!  I did that with my new conical.  Walked into Sears to test it in the upright freezers.  Yes I got some strange looks.

Those looks made me blush.
Ya but tell them about the looks you got when you brought it into Victoria's Secret.

;-)
Steve
BJCP #D1667

“Fallacies do not cease to be fallacies because they become fashions.” ― G.K. Chesterton