Temp control for multiple fermenters

[Navy_Chief]

I am looking into options to be able to be able to accurately control the temperature for multiple fermenters in a single chest freezer.

Right now I think that I am going to order multiple aquarium temperature controllers (ala this thread). I will use one to control the overall temperature of the chamber and hold it at about 50-55 degrees and use two additional controllers to control the heat applied to DIY pads made from Flexwatt tape to bring the temp of each vessel up to where I want it to be.

In theory this would allow me to accurately control the temperature of two different fermenters accurately and reasonably affordability...

Any thoughts?

 

[DrDarwin]

Your idea would certainly work, but the idea of cooling a space only to heat items in it rubs me the wrong way. I know some members have used insulated barriers and fans/blowers to move cold air from a colder area to another cold area. Since you're using a single chest freezer, this would be a little harder to pull off.

Maybe you could vector small volumes of warmer outside air to either side of the freezer if either fermentor is running cold.

 

[laddg]

I am designing a dual chamber fermenter, and will use the idea that DrDarwin mentioned - two chambers with fans and temperature controllers for each.

The colder chamber will be located right off of the refrigerator/freezer and will have a temperature controller that controls the compressor set between 34-55 for lagering and cold chilling.

The next chamber over will be separated by a wall of foam and will have two small computer fans on it, one intake (at the top) to the warmer chamber and one exhaust back into the colder chamber (at the bottom). It will have it's own temperature controller that starts and stops the fans and will be set to something like 65 for consistent ale temperatures.

That should allow me to control both chambers at two different temperatures consistently. The only problem might be if there is too much air leakage thorough the computer fans when they are off that the warm chamber might get too cold. If that happens, I'll add some of those cheap and easy backdraft dampers like you find on a laundry exhaust vent.

Good luck.
DJG