Cooling Fermenter

[Damian44]

Im just about to put down a ND brewery fresh wort pilsner and was wondering if i could stick it in the laundry tub and add a 2lt frozen cordial bottle every day to keed temps under 24c. Im mainly concerned with temps flactuating and the water getting stagnent. Should i add some pool salt to the water in the laundry tub to help the tap on the fermenter stay clean and uninfected as it will be submerged?

 

[Maxt]

Done it many times with the fermentor in the kettle with frozen bottles. In my shed, in the teeth of summer, I could keep an ale between 18-22 with one-two frozen bottles a day.
BTW are you using a lager yeast? If so then 24 is waaay too high.
I did do a lager this way once, but you need to add frozen bottles every few hours, and you need 2-3 at a time.
I never had a problem with water going off ( though it gets a bit sus by the end of the week). Add some sanitiser or bleach (just a bit) if you are worried.

 

[Fatgodzilla]

Im just about to put down a ND brewery fresh wort pilsner and was wondering if i could stick it in the laundry tub and add a 2lt frozen cordial bottle every day to keed temps under 24c. Im mainly concerned with temps flactuating and the water getting stagnent. Should i add some pool salt to the water in the laundry tub to help the tap on the fermenter stay clean and uninfected as it will be submerged?

Damian, are you adding water to the tubs, submerging some of the fermenter and looking at adding frozen water bottles to the water in the tub ?

Salt in water does something to keep water colder (I am no scientist) - try it in your wine coolers / ice bucket next time.

 

[dr K]

works perfectly well. many years ago I used big black garbage bins with a small amount of water (and a touch of Iodophor) I placed the frmentor in them along with some frozen PET bottles changed daily and hung an old wet towel over the lot, enough to reach the water below..PITA but it worked !!

K

 

[Damian44]

Thanks. Ill put some Iodophor in sink, pool salt in cordial bottles (as i think this will help them hold their temps better) and wrap a towel over fermenter. Sounds good. Now i have to stop water slowly leaking past plug. DOH!!

Cheers Damo

 

[tk75]

I had been looking for a similar thread as I had seen and read a few, I also didn't want to start another thread so here is something I did the other day...put some damp towls(old ones!) in the fridge and after giving the outside of the fermentor a bit of a light spray with a weak bleach solution just wrapped the towels round and changed every so often, worked quite well. Kept the temp @ around 22C when it was 30C the other day here in Melb.

Edit: Pics Added...

I just pour chilled water over the towel.

 

[The Big Burper]

Hello all,

The easiest method of cooling is a variation on the old 'coolgardie safe'. The original had a galvanised square reservoir on top which you filled with water. The sides were
made of flannel which wicked the water down from the top reservoir and was caught
in a bucket below. Every so often the water in the bucket was tipped back in to the top reservoir. The evaporating water cooled the contents, usually butter or meat.

We can do the same with our carboys. Set up a drip irrigation from a bucket above
the carboy and drip water into the top of the fermenter. Make sure the towel is well
inside the top, and ensure that both ends of the towel come to the front and hang below the rest. Put bucket under. Wet the towel, start the dripper, (1 drip every 4 seconds), and away you go. Replenish the top bucket every 1/2 day or so. Will keep
the temp down around 24 -25 when it is well above 30 outside.

I have some pictures to post up, as soon as I work out how to do it. Meanwhile do a google on "Coolgardie safe" to see what I am rabbiting on about.

cheers
Dave

 

[The Big Burper]

Hello all,



Here is a few photos of my cool setup.




Merry Xmas,
Dave

 

[Katherine]

God help my all grains on Perth Christmas Day 38....... Is it to late to ask santa for another fridge...?

 

[etbandit]

Alternatively, wrap fermenter in wet towel as already described and sit the whole thing in a large contain filled with an inch of cold water.

The towel will act as a wick and draw water up to be evaporated.

 

[mika]

You gotta worry a bit with mould and the towel method. If you're going to be around I might suggest changing the towel every couple of days.

 

[Fents]

Big Burper for detailed instructions win.

 

[Lukes]

P.P. has a short post on the 100 can cooler bags here.
Don't know if they are still available. :huh: They are a great piece of brewing and drinking gear and frequently chuck a keg on ice in one (my party keg set-up ).

BTW: I use an old fridge with a sponsor's temp controller running it at 16, 18 or 20 C for a few ale ferments over summer.

- Luke

 

[Damian44]

Great post Big Burper. Most helpful. Ive been after a 100 can cooler but no luck.

Cheers Damo

 

[The Big Burper]

Great post Big Burper. Most helpful. Ive been after a 100 can cooler but no luck.

Cheers Damo

Damo,

Glad I could help. This is a good method if you are away for a day or so, the wort will
be kept cool.

cheers,
Dave

 

[stevem01]

100 can cooler available TODAY on sale for $30, Annaconda Joondalup
A mates picking mine up now. (was $50)

 

[BoilerBoy]

Get a dead fridge and rotate frozen water filled soft drink bottles.

Been doing this for a couple of years now and it works fine, currently got 2 lagers in there at 10C
and its 38C outside you can brew without worry all year round and no extra power bills

Cheers
BB

 

[Brightsbane]

If you use an old fridge or esky etc, do you need to worry about the gases from the fermentation process building up inside the sealed fridge or do you need to have a vent to the outside attached to the airlock?

 

[Tyred]

If you use an old fridge or esky etc, do you need to worry about the gases from the fermentation process building up inside the sealed fridge or do you need to have a vent to the outside attached to the airlock?

Only if you're going to stick your head in there.

Chest freezers (used as fermenting fridges) are likely to get more CO2 in them only because there is no way for it to escape. Fridges and eskies are more likely to loose their CO2 when they are opened.

 

[BoilerBoy]

. Fridges and eskies are more likely to loose their CO2 when they are opened.
[/quote]

Yes, I usually rotate the bottles around daily, so obviously the door has to be opened and with 2 lagers chugging away in there at the moment its a bit of a sulphur slap when I open the door :blink:

Cheers and happy new year all
BB