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Author Topic: Fermentation Chamber Temp  (Read 2105 times)

Offline coleherbst

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Fermentation Chamber Temp
« on: July 16, 2017, 08:44:27 pm »
I've just finished building a water-based fermentation chamber that pumps chilled water around my carboy, but I'm concerned about how cold the water around the carboy will be.

The water pump that pumps chilled water around the carboy is plugged into a thermostat whose temperature probe is covered by insulation and taped to the side of the carboy. Depending on the initial temperature of the carboy, I'm afraid that the pump will fill the fermentation chamber with cold water, potentially overshoot the chilling temperature, and shock the yeast. Would setting a higher temperature differential on my thermostat for the first few hours prevent the pump from overchilling while the wort temperature and surrounding water temperature equalize?

I assume regular fermentation chambers face this problem since the the wort will be around 70F initially and the refrigerator will be pushing in 40F until the wort temperature hits the desired target.


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Offline Stevie

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Fermentation Chamber Temp
« Reply #1 on: July 16, 2017, 09:11:43 pm »
I think you are worrying too much. Brew a beer, keep an eye on it, adjust.

ETA - I just noticed that you mention the cooling liquid and wort equalizing at the set temp. This will be ok if the pump is running 24/7, but I don't think you want to do it this way. The liquid should be colder in order to pull heat away. You want the delta to be as large as possible and the pump will run as needed to circulate the cold water. Or is this a water bath?
« Last Edit: July 16, 2017, 11:55:55 pm by Stevie »

Offline coleherbst

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Re: Fermentation Chamber Temp
« Reply #2 on: July 17, 2017, 08:47:26 am »
I think you are worrying too much. Brew a beer, keep an eye on it, adjust.

ETA - I just noticed that you mention the cooling liquid and wort equalizing at the set temp. This will be ok if the pump is running 24/7, but I don't think you want to do it this way. The liquid should be colder in order to pull heat away. You want the delta to be as large as possible and the pump will run as needed to circulate the cold water. Or is this a water bath?

It's a water bath. So I was thinking I'd affix the temperature probe to the carboy and set a low temp differential on the thermostat so the pump runs as soon as the wort temp changes so the pump won't run as long to get the temp back to the desired level.


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Offline Stevie

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Re: Fermentation Chamber Temp
« Reply #3 on: July 17, 2017, 08:51:20 am »
How are you controlling the temp? Aquarium heater and refrigerator?

Offline reverseapachemaster

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Re: Fermentation Chamber Temp
« Reply #4 on: July 17, 2017, 08:53:45 am »
Can't you fill the vessel with ground temperature water when you put the carboy in and then start the pump to circulate in cold water and slow the temperature decrease?
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Offline coleherbst

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Re: Fermentation Chamber Temp
« Reply #5 on: July 17, 2017, 10:04:38 am »
How are you controlling the temp? Aquarium heater and refrigerator?
Just a fountain pump pumping in the cold water. I figured adding a heater would be pointless because the heater will overshoot the temperature of the surrounding water and the water pump and heater will continually cycle because the water temperature change is delayed.


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Offline coleherbst

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Re: Fermentation Chamber Temp
« Reply #6 on: July 17, 2017, 10:07:32 am »
Can't you fill the vessel with ground temperature water when you put the carboy in and then start the pump to circulate in cold water and slow the temperature decrease?
Ideally, the water around the carboy would be the target temperature right off the bat, then the pump would only run once the carboy temp increases. If I slow the flow of the pump, the pump will probably just run continuously.


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Offline Stevie

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Re: Fermentation Chamber Temp
« Reply #7 on: July 17, 2017, 10:31:56 am »
I don't understand your plan. I think you are over complicating it.

Offline coleherbst

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Re: Fermentation Chamber Temp
« Reply #8 on: July 17, 2017, 11:14:43 pm »
I think I'm going to keep my thermostat probe in the water surrounding my carboy and then affix a thermometer to my carboy to read the temperature of the wort. If my wort is reading 4F above the ideal temp, I'll just adjust the thermostat temp down 4F and check it regularly until fermentation slows down.


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