glycol chiller for fermentation temp control

[burnzy2191]

I'm looking to build a fermentation temperature controller and would like some thoughts. I brew mostly high gravity Stouts, porters, and Belgian ales. I have been using a chest freezer as a fermentation chamber but I only brew one 5 gal batch at a time so I want to go with something smaller. I'm going to buy a Anvil fermentation bucket and want to keep it at constant temp that is higher than my basements ambient temp (60s) then possibly able to cold crash. My build would consist of a mini fridge with a container of liquid (maybe Glycol) with a pump that goes out of the fridge to a cooling coil in the fermentor. One inkbird controller would control the fridge and a heating pad in the fridge. The other inkbird would control the pump if it gets too cool. With temp probes in the fermentor with a thermowell and in the liquid that is in the fridge. My idea is a glycol chiller but used to ferment in the low 70s.

 

[Gruel]

How are you getting the cold (=removing the heat) from your fridge into the glycol? Transfer via air gives a very low heat flow. People have bent the fridge evaporator down into a glycol reservoir.

 

[burnzy2191]

My thought was to let the heating pad/fridge heat the air inside the fridge. I could just as easily use water but I thought that might cause issues with evaporation and mildew. I don't ever plan on brewing a lager. Maybe cold crashing and to keep from potentially getting too warm during the first day.

 

[Bobby_M]

No way to cold crash by using liquid cooled by fridge air. Put the fermenter into the mini fridge.