Fermentation Chamber Up And Running.

[Greg2013]

Ok well as can be seen below the chest freezer has been turned into a fermentation chamber, a little bit of tidying to be done yet such as proper blocks and a ceramic heat bulb instead of the 100 watt normal one in there ATM. Anyway i want to stick one of my glass carboys in there that has my cider in from the GB juice buy, still has not cleared after months. How low is safe to chill a glass carboy full of cider ?

[Ciderhead]

ok you need to get one of those 1ft long ceramic heaters and dump the bulb
http://www.ebay.ie/itm/Electric-Tubular-Tube-for-Cat-Dog-Puppy-Outdoor-Kennel-House-Heaters-Greenhouse-/181222688199?pt=UK_Home_Garden_Hearing_Cooling_Air&var=&hash=item2a31b6c5c7

You can go down to 0 but don't 5-8 degrees is where you want to be
Have1 degree accuracy and a 10 minute lag on your stc otherwise you compressor will be firing every 5 minutes and will burn out

strap your stc probe to the side of your fermenter when you put in carboy with bubble wrap or insulation to ensure it reads off you carboy rather than freezer air temp.

[Greg2013]

ok you need to get one of those 1ft long ceramic heaters and dump the bulb
http://www.ebay.ie/itm/Electric-Tubular-Tube-for-Cat-Dog-Puppy-Outdoor-Kennel-House-Heaters-Greenhouse-/181222688199?pt=UK_Home_Garden_Hearing_Cooling_Air&var=&hash=item2a31b6c5c7

You can go down to 0 but don't 5-8 degrees is where you want to be
Have1 degree accuracy and a 10 minute lag on your stc otherwise you compressor will be firing every 5 minutes and will burn out

strap your stc probe to the side of your fermenter when you put in carboy

Cheers CH, ya the bulb was only for testing purposes anyway. What wattage would i need in my chest freezer in one of them tube heaters ? Ok i just measured and the 1 foot 45 watt one will fit on the little shelf in the chest freezer but that's it.

[Ciderhead]

1 have a one ft 60W in the shed in a very tall larder fridge, when the ambient drops to 1-2 outside I supplement with brew belt just dangled as a heat source as it struggles from 1 to potentially 21

if yours is inside lowest its going get is 5-8 so to get 8 up to 18 isn't a big ask
Better to be looking at it than for it (heat that is), put it as low as you can on that shelf. I screwed mine to a board so that I could move it around if required.

http://www.ebay.ie/itm/Electric-Tube-Heaters-1-6-feet-60W-ft-With-Flex-Plug-Brackets-White-/380473804839?pt=UK_Home_Garden_Hearing_Cooling_Air&var=&hash=item5896018827

[Greg2013]

1 have a one ft 60W in the shed in a very tall larder fridge, when the ambient drops to 1-2 outside I supplement with brew belt just dangled as a heat source as it struggles from 1 to potentially 21

if yours is inside lowest its going get is 5-8 so to get 8 up to 18 isn't a big ask
Better to be looking at it than for it (heat that is), put it as low as you can on that shelf. I screwed mine to a board so that I could move it around if required.

http://www.ebay.ie/itm/Electric-Tube-Heaters-1-6-feet-60W-ft-With-Flex-Plug-Brackets-White-/380473804839?pt=UK_Home_Garden_Hearing_Cooling_Air&var=&hash=item5896018827

Just bought this, thank God for parcel motel is all i will say, the difference between 25.00 euro and 40.00 euro on this one 

[Simon]

I've been using a reptile heat mat attached to the sides. Works a treat

[Greg2013]

I've been using a reptile heat mat attached to the sides. Works a treat

I have a fermwrap which is basically a reptile heat mat Simon but i want to keep that for other thins for now

[Danny(00833827)]

how bout an old hairdryer? 

[Greg2013]

how bout an old hairdryer? 

I see where you are going but it's too much of a risk of overheating with one of those, they run too hot

[Danny(00833827)]

but your beer would have a beautifully coiffured head on it 

[Stitch]

Taping to the side of a glass carboy causes freezer to run more than it needs to. You should leave the probe dangling one you have measured the thermal mass of wort (will be about same for each brew) and the thermal inertia of the freezer. Then set the stc accordingly. The key is to run the freezer as little as possible. By taping to the side of the carboy you will cause freezer to run longer and all you will have achieved to getting the glass down to temperature. The carboy, wort and air temperature will all reach thermal equilibrium over time. You just need to balance the whole system. Also if you bypassed the stat on freezer you have to set stc time for 10 minutes otherwise you will short cycle the compressor. These are only supposed to run 6 times an hour at most.

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[Ciderhead]

It's the temp of the beer you want to change.
Set the dial to max on the freezer and 10 min change on the stc and only click on if 1 degree differential.
Remembering fermentation is exothermic and fermentation temps in first 24hrs are critical if you dangle it or put in water you are going to overrun, equilibrium comes when the thermal mass of the beer is at the set temperature not the air temperature in the compartment, ideally insertion into the beer is best mechanism but never a fan of that for contamination and food approved contact plastic probes. Next best option is with a thermowell or after that attaching to the sides.

Gonna try and show this with a brewPi and 3 probes in the fridge on my next brew.

[Stitch]

Not sure you are understanding thermal mass. Plus a freezer will only allow on/off control and not pic. Placing probe in beer or jug of water will not do you much better than causing freezer to run more than it needs to. You are generally only controlling to single point. By right you should be using more than one probe to get readings from various parts of the wort. The problem here is that again the freezer is only on or off. Makes no difference if you are 2degC away from setpoint or 10degc from setpoint you can make the compressor work harder.

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[Stitch]

Also glass is a poor conductor of heat so fermentation being exothermic does not make much of a difference.

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[Ciderhead]

The requirement for the freezer part of these cabinets is minimal as if they are in garage it's only lagers in high summer, not ales in mid winter, even inside best not to locate freezer next to the cooker.

Please advise Greg how he can calculate the thermal mass of his wort and thermal inertia of his fridge?