Beer Forum

I'm about to get a chest freezer from my in-laws. Before I get it though I want to make sure I can use it for controlling fermenting temperature (that's the only reason I want it!).

It's a pretty basic chest feezer (220v), and I can order a temperature controller from Singapore. The website says it works with chest freezers, but I don't want to take any chances. Better to ask you guys first.

Here are the photo and specs for the temp controller:

http://www.homebrew.com.sg/homebrew-sto ... id=4671092

http://www.homebrew.com.sg/docs/TC_Instruct.jpg

I really only brew ales, so I need to be able to keep it running at fairly high temps. Should this work ok? Anything I should know?

DonMoleon wrote:I really only brew ales, so I need to be able to keep it running at fairly high temps. Should this work ok? Anything I should know?

Congratulations on taking your first step towards better homebrew! Yes, you should also order a stick-on thermometer for the side of your fermenter. There can be a 6-10 degree fahrenheit difference between the temperature that you set your controller for and the internal beer temperature...there's a big difference between fermenting at 68 F and 78 F! Ferment with fahrenheit if possible because it's more accurate than celsius...it's a lot easier to hit 67 F than it is to his 19.863 C. And watch your fermentation temperature every day because the temperature will go up and down...up during the most vigorous stages of fermentation and down when fermentation is winding down. When fermentation is almost complete, bring the fermenter inside to a warmer temperature to let it finish or a couple of days, and you should have great beer. Also, invest in a stir plate, a fish tank pump, and a quality yeast nutrient. Those are all pretty small investments, and it'll dramatically improve things. Good luck!

BeaverBarber wrote:

DonMoleon wrote:I really only brew ales, so I need to be able to keep it running at fairly high temps. Should this work ok? Anything I should know?

Congratulations on taking your first step towards better homebrew! Yes, you should also order a stick-on thermometer for the side of your fermenter. There can be a 6-10 degree fahrenheit difference between the temperature that you set your controller for and the internal beer temperature...there's a big difference between fermenting at 68 F and 78 F! Ferment with fahrenheit if possible because it's more accurate than celsius...it's a lot easier to hit 67 F than it is to his 19.863 C. And watch your fermentation temperature every day because the temperature will go up and down...up during the most vigorous stages of fermentation and down when fermentation is winding down. When fermentation is almost complete, bring the fermenter inside to a warmer temperature to let it finish or a couple of days, and you should have great beer. Also, invest in a stir plate, a fish tank pump, and a quality yeast nutrient. Those are all pretty small investments, and it'll dramatically improve things. Good luck!

Thanks. So I take it the temperature controller will work fine on a chest freezer?

Interesting to see you have a Brew Dog avatar. They just started importing to Thailand. It's one of the few craft brews you can find here...

DonMoleon wrote:

BeaverBarber wrote:

DonMoleon wrote:I really only brew ales, so I need to be able to keep it running at fairly high temps. Should this work ok? Anything I should know?

Congratulations on taking your first step towards better homebrew! Yes, you should also order a stick-on thermometer for the side of your fermenter. There can be a 6-10 degree fahrenheit difference between the temperature that you set your controller for and the internal beer temperature...there's a big difference between fermenting at 68 F and 78 F! Ferment with fahrenheit if possible because it's more accurate than celsius...it's a lot easier to hit 67 F than it is to his 19.863 C. And watch your fermentation temperature every day because the temperature will go up and down...up during the most vigorous stages of fermentation and down when fermentation is winding down. When fermentation is almost complete, bring the fermenter inside to a warmer temperature to let it finish or a couple of days, and you should have great beer. Also, invest in a stir plate, a fish tank pump, and a quality yeast nutrient. Those are all pretty small investments, and it'll dramatically improve things. Good luck!

Thanks. So I take it the temperature controller will work fine on a chest freezer?

Interesting to see you have a Brew Dog avatar. They just started importing to Thailand. It's one of the few craft brews you can find here...

DonMoleon wrote:

BeaverBarber wrote:

DonMoleon wrote:I really only brew ales, so I need to be able to keep it running at fairly high temps. Should this work ok? Anything I should know?

Congratulations on taking your first step towards better homebrew! Yes, you should also order a stick-on thermometer for the side of your fermenter. There can be a 6-10 degree fahrenheit difference between the temperature that you set your controller for and the internal beer temperature...there's a big difference between fermenting at 68 F and 78 F! Ferment with fahrenheit if possible because it's more accurate than celsius...it's a lot easier to hit 67 F than it is to his 19.863 C. And watch your fermentation temperature every day because the temperature will go up and down...up during the most vigorous stages of fermentation and down when fermentation is winding down. When fermentation is almost complete, bring the fermenter inside to a warmer temperature to let it finish or a couple of days, and you should have great beer. Also, invest in a stir plate, a fish tank pump, and a quality yeast nutrient. Those are all pretty small investments, and it'll dramatically improve things. Good luck!

Thanks. So I take it the temperature controller will work fine on a chest freezer?

Interesting to see you have a Brew Dog avatar. They just started importing to Thailand. It's one of the few craft brews you can find here...

Sure, you can use it on a chest freezer...that's what they're for.
Try the 5 AM Saint from Brew Dog, and if you can find Hops Kill, that's my favorite. The Punk IPA is also great if you get the British version. The American version is a Nelson Sauvin IPA, and it's not nearly as good as the British version which is a Chinook, Amarillo IPA. The beers are VERY aromatic...just as good as Lagunitas.

BeaverBarber wrote:Sure, you can use it on a chest freezer...that's what they're for.
Try the 5 AM Saint from Brew Dog, and if you can find Hops Kill, that's my favorite. The Punk IPA is also great if you get the British version. The American version is a Nelson Sauvin IPA, and it's not nearly as good as the British version which is a Chinook, Amarillo IPA. The beers are VERY aromatic...just as good as Lagunitas.

Yeah, they have all of those here now. I plan on trying them very soon. The one I'm most intrigued with though is the "Tokyo" imperial stout. I've never had a stout over 12%... this one is 18.2% !

DonMoleon wrote:

BeaverBarber wrote:Sure, you can use it on a chest freezer...that's what they're for.
Try the 5 AM Saint from Brew Dog, and if you can find Hops Kill, that's my favorite. The Punk IPA is also great if you get the British version. The American version is a Nelson Sauvin IPA, and it's not nearly as good as the British version which is a Chinook, Amarillo IPA. The beers are VERY aromatic...just as good as Lagunitas.

Yeah, they have all of those here now. I plan on trying them very soon. The one I'm most intrigued with though is the "Tokyo" imperial stout. I've never had a stout over 12%... this one is 18.2% !

Tokyo is awesome, but they make an ice version of Tokyo called Tactical Nuclear Penguin that is 35% and somehow it's very easy drinking. I can't drink hard alcohol, but I can drink lots of Tactical Nuclear Penguin. Their head brewer told me that they ice Tokyo like 6 times to make Tactical Nuclear Penguin.

BeaverBarber wrote:

DonMoleon wrote:Tokyo is awesome, but they make an ice version of Tokyo called Tactical Nuclear Penguin that is 35% and somehow it's very easy drinking. I can't drink hard alcohol, but I can drink lots of Tactical Nuclear Penguin. Their head brewer told me that they ice Tokyo like 6 times to make Tactical Nuclear Penguin.

When you say "easy drinking" are you taking shots of the stuff? I can't imagine anything 35% that you can actually enjoy sipping on...

DonMoleon wrote:

BeaverBarber wrote:

DonMoleon wrote:Tokyo is awesome, but they make an ice version of Tokyo called Tactical Nuclear Penguin that is 35% and somehow it's very easy drinking. I can't drink hard alcohol, but I can drink lots of Tactical Nuclear Penguin. Their head brewer told me that they ice Tokyo like 6 times to make Tactical Nuclear Penguin.

When you say "easy drinking" are you taking shots of the stuff? I can't imagine anything 35% that you can actually enjoy sipping on...

I know it doesn't make sense, but I really don't enjoy hard alcohol, and it's very easy to put down a lot of Penguin. Be very careful if you find that beer. It was 35 quid for a 500ml bottle. They also make another beer called Sink the Bismark, which is the ice version of Hardcore IPA. At 42%, Bismark is the world's biggest beer, and if you can find it, it's worth drinking just for the novelty. I can't drink Bismark, but I also think their Hardcore IPA is horrid. That said, I can drink Bismark WAY easier than I can drink Jack Daniels whiskey, and Bismark is slightly stronger.