Has anyone considered this?

[Sportyone]

Hi
Just ordered my 50l BM, hopefully get it within the week, happy days.
Total newbie to brewing, but in preparation for my first brew, hopefully within the next month, I have been thinking about ways of maintaining fermenter temperature.
I have found this material and think it may well do the job combined with a thermowell and/or sensor controlled thermostat (link below)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Underfloor-He ... 7b6c2cb0d7

I have seen and read about the usual aids used such as, heat pads, belts & aquarium heaters, but thought this would give a more controlled and even temperature.

Any thoughts!

Stephen

[dinnerstick]

usually you will be wanting to cool, not heat. for when you do want to heat i'm sure that's fine though

[Cervantes]

Here in Australia cooling is much more of an issue than heating.

I personally use a very cheap old second hand fridge and a dual outlet temperature controller.

Temp Controller

The sensor sits in the fridge, the fridge is plugged into the cool socket and the heat pad into the heat socket. Then just set your fermentation temp and away you go.

Fermenting in Keg.

This set up cost less than $100 Aussie, including the fridge. Just takes up a bit of space.

Cheers
Andy

[Nesto]

Hi
Just ordered my 50l BM, hopefully get it within the week, happy days.
Total newbie to brewing, but in preparation for my first brew, hopefully within the next month, I have been thinking about ways of maintaining fermenter temperature.
I have found this material and think it may well do the job combined with a thermowell and/or sensor controlled thermostat (link below)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Underfloor-He ... 7b6c2cb0d7

I have seen and read about the usual aids used such as, heat pads, belts & aquarium heaters, but thought this would give a more controlled and even temperature.

Any thoughts!

Stephen

I LOVE my heated/cooled conical from MoreBeer ( http://morebeer.com/products/14-gallon- ... ooled.html ). It's a little pricey, but it works so well if you don't have space for a fermentation chamber. I've seen some DIYs using Peltier cooling units as well: https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/ ... ic=18452.0

[dinnerstick]

i have a DIY peltier based thingy. detailed in this thread hijack
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=127&start=15
if my 2-keg kegerator isn't full then i often default to using that for fermentation since i have a temp controller on it anyways, less hassle and quieter

[Nesto]

i have a DIY peltier based thingy. detailed in this thread hijack
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=127&start=15
if my 2-keg kegerator isn't full then i often default to using that for fermentation since i have a temp controller on it anyways, less hassle and quieter

One of the DIYs I was thinking of... that rig is sweet!

[niels]

I too use an old fridge with a temperature controller. The controller is called STC-1000 and can be found for 20 USD on eBay. There is a project on GitHub with custom firmware that enables you to create temperature profiles. Very interesting, but I have to find some time to try it out.

Niels

[Cervantes]

Niels,

I'd be really interested in something that would let me create temperature profiles for the fermenting fridge.

I work away from home so tend to brew when I'm home, rack from primary to secondary and then let the yeast do it's thing at 19^C whilst I'm away fro three weeks.

At some point I'd like to get into making some lagers and so something that I could set and forget that would manage fermentation temperature profiles would be great.

Unfortunately I don't have much of a clue with electronics, so would either need to find something ready made or a very easy to build kit.

I tried the website, but couldn't even work out how to use that, which demonstrates how challenged I am in this area

Cheers
Andy

[niels]

Niels,

I'd be really interested in something that would let me create temperature profiles for the fermenting fridge.

I work away from home so tend to brew when I'm home, rack from primary to secondary and then let the yeast do it's thing at 19^C whilst I'm away fro three weeks.

At some point I'd like to get into making some lagers and so something that I could set and forget that would manage fermentation temperature profiles would be great.

Unfortunately I don't have much of a clue with electronics, so would either need to find something ready made or a very easy to build kit.

I tried the website, but couldn't even work out how to use that, which demonstrates how challenged I am in this area

Cheers
Andy

Hi Andy,

I posted a new topic regarding temperature controllers. But to give you a quick answer: reprogramming the STC-1000 is not meant for everyone. It takes some extra hardware and basic electronics knowledge. Either you get someone to flash a STC-1000 for you or you can check out one of the alternatives in the post.

Niels

[Sportyone]

Thanks guy's
Some good information to consider and get my head round

[richard54]

My first post here! Depends how much effort you want to put in:
- i am using an STC100 aquarium control linked to a heat pad in the UK to keep the temp up. this gives you a set temp +/- 1C
- there is a better controller which has a narrower temp range - forget the number
- if you got to the next step you have a fridge with heating and cooling, can still do with one controller, but there may be issues with bith temp swings. Lots of debate where you put the tem probe - in the wort or in the fridge air space.. But you can link a couple of these devices together and have temp probes in the beer and in the fridge. By linking them you can contruct and / or gate logic so you can have quite sophisticated control.
- next step is to use a microprocessor to control the fridge with a clever algorithm -- have a look at Brewpi.com. I have bought one these and am testing it. But its not for the faint hearted, you need to be vaguely technically competent. I have been working on and off since May ...

[Luis Coentrao]

Here in Australia cooling is much more of an issue than heating.

I personally use a very cheap old second hand fridge and a dual outlet temperature controller.

Temp Controller.JPG

The sensor sits in the fridge, the fridge is plugged into the cool socket and the heat pad into the heat socket. Then just set your fermentation temp and away you go.

Spunding.JPG

This set up cost less than $100 Aussie, including the fridge. Just takes up a bit of space.

Cheers
Andy

Hi Andy,
Good experience usina a Keg for fermentation? Pressurized fermentation or just for carbonation?

[Cervantes]

Louis.

I was doing it mainly for the carbonation, but gave up on it in the end as was more trouble than it was worth for me. I work away from home so was leaving the beer fermenting for three weeks or more whilst I was at work and whilst I initially achieved some pressure and carbonation from the fermentation it would generally disappear whilst I was away. I never managed to find the leak in the system and have now reverted to normal atmospheric pressure fermentation and then force carbing when I keg