Is there a good way to applied controlled cooling to your fermentation without using a fridge/freezer? I know there are a lot of really smart people here with a lot of experience rigging stuff together on the cheap. Heating is easy; add a little heating blanket/pad/belt/etc. This is the question: is there an analogous method for cooling?

If not...can you think of a way to do it?

Bring on the wisdom.

http://www.wortomatic.com/articles/38DD ... on-Chiller

Check this dude out! It would take a little building and a little cash but I'm sure it would work great.... I checked into making one of these and the materials wouldn't cost over $75 including the thermostat! Look at your local Home Depot for the supplies


Josh

i place my fermenter in a ball bucket full of water... i have a wet towel draped over the fermenter with both ends in the water thats in the bucket...i place frozen water bottles in the water to cool it down if need be and have a little fan blowing at the bucket...this creates a faster evaporation which is effective for cooling... a very cheap and simple way... the biggest thing is having a good rotation of water bottles, i usually change them out 3 times a day....its not super controlled but works well...


or if you have $100 you can usually find a small fridge and a temp controller and ferment accurately...

You need a 2-stage controller to run a fermentation fridge. You'd have a lot of trouble finding that, a heater and a fridge for a hundred bucks.

$100 might be tough. A decent controller will hit you for about $80. Heat can probably be provided by something you already have around the house, or for less than $15. If you watch your newspaper, craigslist and your neighbor's trash pile, you should be able to pick up a fridge for less than $50, possibly free. My temp gear cost $132. I could have done a little better, but not much.

Okay, so assuming that you don't need to heat your fermenter just accurately control the amount of cooling that is being applied, how do rig up a temperature thermostat to a fridge? I have a old dorm fridge that is real nice I could get something rigged up with some help. This is especially intriguing for me since I recently tasted my hot fermented blonde ale and oh man that is genuine disappointment when you open the beer and it smells like rubbing alcohol ans tastes even worse after 4 weeks of anticipation

I have a dorm fridge as well that I picked up free from a remodel job I was involved in. I use a digital temp controller and a blow drier wirred up to a dimmer switch for heat when I need it. Works great. About $100 buck in it.

I can't think of any other way to automate it in a controlled fashion without getting into similar cost.

The bucket and frozen water bottle thing oughta work OK though if cost or space is of concern.

The temp controller has a cord that you plug the refrigerator into. The temp controller turns the entire fridge on/off as needed.