Ideas for Fermentation in Garage

[michking]

New house which has a garage and she wants me to stop fermenting in the dining room... :)

I'd like to be able to do 2 80 litre buckets at a time - anyone built something like this or have an idea? the obv route is a broken/old fridge freezer I assume? Or maybe a build my own with some plywood and insulation??

any thoughts/threads I've missed etc would be appreciated.

 

[bunkerbrewer]

Fair enough :)

TBH you're better off with an un-broken fridge, so you can use it to keep beer at ideal fermentation temperature even if the air temperature is too warm. Add a heating tube and a temperature controller and you're away.

I suspect you'd struggle to find a cheap fridge which will hold 2x80L - it might be worth keeping an eye out for catering firms or restaurants going bust.

If you search the forum for "STC-1000" you'll find a selection of very similar brewfridge projects, including mine.

 

[oz11]

One thing to bear in mind is that most domestic fridges are not designed to work outside, and normally specify that they need a minimum temperature of 16c to function(!).

Beko fridges, however, tend to be good down to 5c.

Clicky for explanation

 

[jonnymorris]

One thing to bear in mind is that most domestic fridges are not designed to work outside, and normally specify that they need a minimum temperature of 16c to function(!).

True but, unless you're brewing a lager, you're unlikely to need it to come on below 16degC.

 

[oz11]

I use mine for chilling before bottling, so that's useful too IMO

 

[michking]

just ordered the STC-1000 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/270963486497) - will start to look for a fridge that may work.

I plan to do a lager every once in a while so fridge makes most sense it seems as already built for cooling etc.

 

[Hawks]

I have an insulated cupboard with a tube heater that I made - it would fit 2 x 80l in it ( I have had 1 80l FV and 2 x 30l in at the same time ). As you have suggested its 2 layers of ply inbetween which I put cellotex :thumb: this is fine for most of the year, and then if the garage does get too hot I have a fridge as well - it just gets my 80l FV in :thumb:

 

[rpt]

Even if you don't brew lager, a fridge is useful as you can crash cool your FV down to 2C at the end of fermentation to help the beer clear. I think this is especially useful with some non-flocculating strains of yeast.

 

[Hawks]

Even if you don't brew lager, a fridge is useful as you can crash cool your FV down to 2C at the end of fermentation to help the beer clear. I think this is especially useful with some non-flocculating strains of yeast.

This is why I also have the fridge - if not needed for the ferment there is often an FV or some cornies clearing in there :thumb:

This winter mind just sat in the garage was probably colder than the fridge

 

[triggernom]

New house which has a garage and she wants me to stop fermenting in the dining room... :)

I'd like to be able to do 2 80 litre buckets at a time - anyone built something like this or have an idea? the obv route is a broken/old fridge freezer I assume? Or maybe a build my own with some plywood and insulation??

any thoughts/threads I've missed etc would be appreciated.

Hi michking

I've managed to put together an insulated wooden box big enough for 3 fermenting bins using a mains temp controller off ebay and 2 60w ceramic heaters, alltogether about £45 I think.
I've made a a fairly good lager and a very good ginger beer, all in my cold garage over a very cold February and March in South Wales.
Another lager in there right now maturing @18ºC
Seems to work, if you want any info just let me know.

/triggernom.

 

[michking]

yes - details/info would much(!) be appreciated. PM sent :)

 

[back_to_brewing]

Hi michking

My setup in the garage has worked well over the last cold months - with many thanks to this forum for all the "how to's" for hints tips and tricks (I haven't posted yet, as been busy making things in the garage!).

So what have we got?

3 x STC1000 controllers, FVs have been clad in B&Q silver foil bubble wrap insulation, and have 2m or 3m of 14w/m trace cable wrapped round them powered from the controllers. The 30l fermenters have 2m (28w) and the 60l fermenter has 3m (40w) and this has kept them at between 19.7 and 20 C even with temps down to 1C in garage.

- STC controllers, easily available from ebay. Mount these in a box with a mains socket on the front (or two if you want to power cooling as well). Note max current is 10A thru the relay, fuse them at this or less - for my FV heaters they are 3A fused.)
- Look for "trace heating" and you'll see a range of cables. You need to be confident with electrics - terminating them was tricky and needed some research and a bit of trial and error. I've used a load of heatshrink round the electrical connections (soldered) to seal them.
- Silver bubble wrap - B&Q or Wickes.

I didn't go the fridge route, as I plan to stick to bitters and it's rarely too hot to ferment them. (Might try lagers in the cooler months, however.)

Let me know if you want to find out more - can send you pics etc if that helps...

Alastair.

 

[michking]

a couple pics would be great - NO stress hurry as will not be building for a couple weeks due to other things to do :)

 

[PD]

This is the actual brewing pod in my garage it works quite well.
I've also got a fermentation spot, preparation bench shelf storage,and several fridges

Make sure you make or get a good sturdy bench to hold your pots on and plenty of room around them, it makes for a nice relaxing stress free brew day.

 

[michking]

thx - it's the fermentation fridge/area i'm looking after here :)

 

[Vossy1]

If you have a look at one or some of the posts on my blog Mich you'll see I've done something similar for my garage...see my sig :thumb:

 

[DirtyCaner]

I have been thinking of using a 200l aquarium heater to regulate my proposed 200l fermentation barrels in the garage. I don't really see any other practical way of doing this.

Would using a sterlise aquarium pump on a timer be safe to circulate the wort to enable even temp throughout or would this introduce too much oxygen into wort and ruin the beer?

DirtyC

 

[Vossy1]

DC, I think unclepumple uses aquarium heaters, as do a few micros pm him :thumb: I know one of the Burton systems (think it was union but not sure) used to recirc wort/beer, not with pumps though. I would imagine if pre primed oxygen wouldn't be an issue, personally I'd be happy allowing convection currents and the yeast to do the work.

 

[DirtyCaner]

Cheers man,

I'll drop Shane a message, was sorry not to see him there this year, he's a great lad.

Perhaps I'll have a bash with the heater on its own first in a test brew, say 100l and see how it fares.

I anyone remembers my thread 'The Dream...' I'll be starting a new one to follow the build of the one barrel setup me n mate are building over the next months, will try and put lots of pics of up as it goes.

DirtyC

 

[Vossy1]

I anyone remembers my thread 'The Dream...' I'll be starting a new one to follow the build of the one barrel setup me n mate are building over the next months, will try and put lots of pics of up as it goes.

Looking forward to it