Fermenter Build

So while Karen is away I thought I'd add a "gear" post. In the past I've had issues with controlling fermentation temperatures using only ambient conditions.  It's also a bit of a pain to be lugging 6.5 gallon glass carboys filled with fermenting beer around the house trying to find a room that's 68F.  To remedy this situation I've acquired a used refrigerator, for free, via Craigslist.

The side-by-side arrangement is very amenable to being converted to a fermentation chamber. Until recently, I've been able to use it as a fermenter with any significant modification.  All the wiring for the electrics/thermistor were passed easily through the existing drain after enlarging it with a 1.5" drill bit.

With the arrival of our Braumeister 50L, our brewing capacity has increased substantially.  Naturally, the next bottle neck will be the fermentation process. So last weekend I finally set about the task of further modifying my used fridge as a fermenter.

After surveying the interior to determine whether or not any necessary parts were in the way, I let loose with the sawzall.  Once the partition wall was removed, the exposed sheet metal edges and insulation were covered with some aluminum duct tape.  The shelving, with a removable top shelve was built in place.

I'm using a dual-stage Johnson Controls temperature controller to keep the fermenter at the appropriate temperature.  For the heating component a 75 watt incandescent light bulb, from a inexpensive drop light placed in a paint, acts as my heat source.  To keep the air circulating, two USB computer fans attached to the legs to the shelve were used.



While using a thermowell immersed in the carboy will provide the best representation of the actual fermentation temperatures, I find that the stopper used for a thermowell set-up isn't always sufficient for an airlock/blow-off.  A majority of the time I use a 2-3L yeast starter and the fermentations tend to be quite vigorous; so much so that they generally require a 1" blow-off tube/bucket arrangement.  For lack of a better solution, I normally attach the thermistor to the side of the carboy encased in insulation.

So now that the fermenter is finished it's time to brew.  Unfortunately, the short malt stack adapter that allows you to brew 20L batches in the 50L Braumeister was on backorder from Morebeer.com.  While I was able to find one on another website (and at a savings of $75 including shipping), we have to decide whether or not the first batch on the Braumeister should be a big one or not.

There's still some time before the weekend to decide and besides I need to check out the availability of supplies at the local brew store before pulling the trigger.  In the meantime I'll start familiarizing myself with the Braumeister's controls and post some photos of the test run shortly.

In the meantime, please raise your glass, of homebrew or craft beer preferably, to the state of Alabama.  As of May 9th, it is now legal to homebrew in Alabama making it the 50th state to adopt such legislation.

Cheers,

Mark