Cooler Bags For A Fermenter

[barneyb]

I hope this is not too low tech for this forum but: I've been looking around for a cooler bag or can cooler for my fermenter, like the 100 can cooler discussed here- http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum//ind...st&p=118510

I've been to quite a few Kmarts with no luck, and have now started on the Big Ws but still no luck. Has anyone seen any cooler bags suitable for a fermenter recently? With summer having just arrived I thought they would be everywhere!

 

[brendo]

I hope this is not too low tech for this forum but: I've been looking around for a cooler bag or can cooler for my fermenter, like the 100 can cooler discussed here- http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum//ind...st&p=118510

I've been to quite a few Kmarts with no luck, and have now started on the Big Ws but still no luck. Has anyone seen any cooler bags suitable for a fermenter recently? With summer having just arrived I thought they would be everywhere!

I have used something similar and I picked it up at Bunnings last summer - works a treat as long as you remember to rotate frozen water bottle through it regularly.

 

[MarkBastard]

Anyone ever thought about setting up an array of these things with some ducting and computer fans such that a single bar fridge is cooling down all of them to 18 degrees?

 

[Vitalstatistix]

Anyone ever thought about setting up an array of these things with some ducting and computer fans such that a single bar fridge is cooling down all of them to 18 degrees?

interesting idea, If only I had more room....

 

[MarkBastard]

interesting idea, If only I had more room....

Totally.

I was thinking each one could have a temp controller that regulates the fan only. The fridge itself would just sit at 1 degrees or however cold it can go, and then each enclosure grabs the cold air at whatever rate it needs to so that the temperature is maintained at 18 degrees, or whatever you want. That way you could probably do lagers next to ales if you wanted to.

 

[QldKev]

I hope this is not too low tech for this forum but: I've been looking around for a cooler bag or can cooler for my fermenter, like the 100 can cooler discussed here- http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum//ind...st&p=118510

I've been to quite a few Kmarts with no luck, and have now started on the Big Ws but still no luck. Has anyone seen any cooler bags suitable for a fermenter recently? With summer having just arrived I thought they would be everywhere!

don't know how they would work, but an outboard flush bag could be good?

QldKev

 

[Thorby]

Here's one left of field for you, log onto www.whitworths.com.au beeing a marine website and look for a collapsible outboard motor flusher bucket. I saw one last night in the shop and thought to myself that would be ideal. Just my 50 iddy cents worth.

 

[WSC]

was thinking each one could have a temp controller that regulates the fan only. The fridge itself would just sit at 1 degrees or however cold it can go, and then each enclosure grabs the cold air at whatever rate it needs to so that the temperature is maintained at 18 degrees, or whatever you want. That way you could probably do lagers next to ales if you wanted to.

This is the holy grail of temp control in my books.

Fridge is good but is a bottle neck in the brewery. Each brew of mine ties up the fridge for 2 weeks - Ferment and CC.

A colling unit with ducting and motors to each single unit would be ideal. Then as you say you can control each fermentor individually.

 

[MarkBastard]

Hell you could go even further and use a chest freezer at chest freezer temps. That way you'd maybe even be able to cold condition in the enclosure.

 

[Bribie G]

I'll trot these piccies out one more time. This system has been in use Summer and Winter for a year now and I have no problem keeping two beers going at 18 to 20 degrees with 2 frozen PET bottles. Probably stuff you have lying around already.

 

[QldKev]

This is the holy grail of temp control in my books.

Fridge is good but is a bottle neck in the brewery. Each brew of mine ties up the fridge for 2 weeks - Ferment and CC.

A colling unit with ducting and motors to each single unit would be ideal. Then as you say you can control each fermentor individually.

I run 2 fermenting fridges, the main one fits 2 fermentors, and the other one a single. So 3 on the go at a time, and I can even have ales in 1 and a lager in the other.

QldKev

 

[stm]

I hope this is not too low tech for this forum but: I've been looking around for a cooler bag or can cooler for my fermenter, like the 100 can cooler discussed here- http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum//ind...st&p=118510

I've been to quite a few Kmarts with no luck, and have now started on the Big Ws but still no luck. Has anyone seen any cooler bags suitable for a fermenter recently? With summer having just arrived I thought they would be everywhere!

Try Anaconda.

 

[WSC]

Kev, do you work for ERGON???

3 fridges must suck the power, specially in summer

 

[QldKev]

2 fermenting fridges = 3 fermentors on the go.

Most the time I only need to run the main 1 that holds 2 fermentors and I mainly use Ale yeasts; so it's only running at 18 most of the time, hence not cycling on that often.

I don't think it would take much more power to run the fridge, than to keep freezing water bottles every day and putting them in it to keep the same temp. Also I tried the water bottle trick before I had a temp controller; I could not maintain a decent stable temp; and stuff that playing with it every day. Maybe when I retire, but at the moment no chance. Often I throw the fermentors in there and don't even open the door again for a week and a half - and at that stage it is only a quick check before I drop the temp for crash chilling, ready for kegging.

But my power bills are too high; Ergon sent stats for my area, I use about 2 1/2 times the average household. Maybe I should get shares in them.


QldKev

 

[MarkBastard]

I live in a unit / townhouse complex, and all the units and townhouses are two bedrooms, except for four which are 3.5 bedrooms. I live in one of the four big ones.

My power bill has me at about 90% of complex average. I have computers on all the time, TV's, two chest freezers in fridge mode, a bar fridge, a regular large fridge, 4 air conditioners and 4 fans.

I can't for the life of me work out how it's possible for people to use so much energy. I would have thought I was a crazy high user but apparently not.

 

[nathanR]

My local big Big W has about 10 75lt cooler bags sittinig on there shelves I picked mine up for $20

 

[barneyb]

My local big Big W has about 10 75lt cooler bags sittinig on there shelves I picked mine up for $20

Good to hear, I'll have to keep on looking.

I'll trot these piccies out one more time. This system has been in use Summer and Winter for a year now and I have no problem keeping two beers going at 18 to 20 degrees with 2 frozen PET bottles. Probably stuff you have lying around already.

I have to admit, I never thought of covering the fermenter with doonas and towels to keep the coolness in. If I don't have any luck at Big W I'll definitely give this a shot.

 

[absinthe]

Totally.

I was thinking each one could have a temp controller that regulates the fan only. The fridge itself would just sit at 1 degrees or however cold it can go, and then each enclosure grabs the cold air at whatever rate it needs to so that the temperature is maintained at 18 degrees, or whatever you want. That way you could probably do lagers next to ales if you wanted to.

you would need to return the air back into the fridge so it wasn't sucking in warm air all the time...


you would be better off building a small cool room with a split system that has some insulated boxes with temp controled fans for the ales and the rest kept at larger temps (my dad built one for storage, so no boxes, that also uses fans to transfer air for outside in if the temp outside is cooler than inside at night in the winter etc the refrigeration unit hardly runs)

 

[Pollux]

I use the dead fridge with frozen PET bottle trick regularly....

But this week I wanted to pitch one while another was still finishing up. The answer, a Kennards hire moving box (the big ones hold a fermenter beautifully), popped a shameze (cheap version of the shamwow) in first, then the fermenter, surrounded it with frozen PETs and then covered it in a sleeping bag and doona.....Worked perfectly.

 

[jacknohe]

I hope this is not too low tech for this forum but: I've been looking around for a cooler bag or can cooler for my fermenter, like the 100 can cooler discussed here- http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum//ind...st&p=118510

I've been to quite a few Kmarts with no luck, and have now started on the Big Ws but still no luck. Has anyone seen any cooler bags suitable for a fermenter recently? With summer having just arrived I thought they would be everywhere!

After struggling in Sydney's heat last summer with ice and wet towels, I managed to score 2 of the actual can coolers mentioned in the article from a mate who works for Anaconda. Works a treat with ice bottles. I've used it for lagers and had it down below 10C consistently (in Winter of course). My preference would still be a fridge and temp controller but SWMBO flipped out, "... not another thing for your homebrew, don't you have enough already, blah blah blah ..." :angry:

So I'm being patient. If you're struggling to find one, PM me and I'll have a word to my mate to sort you out.