Homeade Individual Carboy Temperature Controlled Unit

[Mike-H]

Well I am embarking on a little engineering process. I call it the ICTCU or individual carboy temperature controlled unit. My plan is to build a box, or use something existing that can hold a single carboy and maintain temperature's ranging from 38 degrees to 75 degrees for under $200.00, preferably i'd like to do it for $150... I know you are all going to say "why dont you just buy a fridge", well I dont want a big nasty refridgerator

Here are some thoughts so far....

Carboy storage....
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--- I wonder if this is large enough to hold a 5 gallong carboy & airlock or blowoff (probably not)

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-GATORADE-RU...DVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item180034126710 $60.00

--- I wonder if I can get a large cooler and turn it on its side and fit a carboy in it...
$50.00 or less

http://www.brewboard.com/index.php?showtopic=42533&st=30 <-- looking good!

--- A wooden box with insulation is not that hard to make.... $30.00 in particle board, some wood glue, some old blankets or real insulation & hinges

Temperature control device
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One of those chest freezer converters...

Heating element
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--- Dont know but not overly concerned here....

Cooling Element
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--- Thermoelectric!! 110%

Well, now I am researching turning that cooler 60qt cooler found in the link above into a thermoelectric cooler..... I dont think this will be too hard...

 

[Mike-H]

Well.... here is the solution:

Buy This:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Thermoelectric-Fermenter-Kit-LOOK_W0QQitemZ250020968449QQcmdZViewItem

Either build a box or get the cooler in the previous post....

Done... Over 200 bucks... I'm just going to get a fridge!

 

[Truble]

This one is popular too. I am planning a version of for when I start lagering.

Son Of Fermentation Chiller

 

[Todd]

Well.... here is the solution:

Buy This:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Thermoelectric-Fermenter-Kit-LOOK_W0QQitemZ250020968449QQcmdZViewItem

Either build a box or get the cooler in the previous post....

Done... Over 200 bucks... I'm just going to get a fridge!

this thing does look pretty cool and for someone who doesn't have a place for a second or third fridge this might be a great idea. You could put this practically anywhere.

Good find.

 

[Brewpastor]

Why not buy a small or used chest freezer and a temperature controller. You should be able to do that in your budget and have room for more then a single carboy.

 

[dougjones31]

I have been looking at this project and I have decided that I can do this pretty cheap.

1. 2 aquarium type/ fountain type water pumps. They are very cheap. $5-6

2. homemade Thermostat. Cheap to do analog but we need hot and cold trip points. I think I can build it for $30. We could also use a dial thermometer and attach wires and contacts on it so when it reaches a high or low temp the contacts will touch and the pump will come on. This could be built really inexpensively.

3. 20 gallon plastic barrel cut down to hold carboy and water around it.

My Concept.

Put the carboy inside the cut down barrel and fill with water to act as insulation and heat and cooling.

Cut a hole about 3" from the top of the cut down barrel and attach a hose to it to act as a runoff.

Now wire the thermostat to the pumps. We want the hot pump to come on when the temp dips below what we want. The pump will open and pump Hot water from your hot water tap. This will raise the temp then the pump will cut off.

Now the cold pump will have to be hooked to a source of cold water so we can cool down the carboy if it gets too hot. My first thought is to keep a container of water in my freezer with a line running to the pump. BUT water will freeze in the freeze, so we could add antifreeze to the water or look for another source of cold water.

A small ice chest/cooler full of ice water will stay cold for several days, so that may be a good option

 

[Bobby_M]

Doug,
Don't mean to cut down your idea but I see a few problems.

When you tap into your hot water supply, it's under pressure so attaching a pump isn't necessary. However, you'll actually need an actuated valve. Maybe a cheap sprinkler system valve would do the trick but I don't know about the temp limit on these things.

Are you sure you need both heating and cooling? The requirements are way different depending if you want to lager in the summer or just the winter or if you're only concerned with maintaining ale ferment temps.

If all you need is slight cooling, put a 20' coil of 1/4" copper tubing in a fridge and run both ends out of the fridge into your tub. Then put a pump on one end which will be controlled by the thermostat (on when too warm). The fridge is already down in the high 30's so the temp differential for an ale ferment should be easy to acheive as long as your ambient air temp isn't too high. This would work even better if you have a somewhat small volume of water around your carboy. That is, the coil of water already inside the fridge will be near 40 degrees. When the thermostat cycles, it will pull that cold water into your chamber and the less warm water is has to mix with, the better. Having this water enter your chamber at the top would help too. Also, if you find that your cold water tap is already colder than your target ferment temp, you can use the actuated valve idea without being near a fridge.

Bobby

 

[casebrew]

NOT a big nasty fridge: Apartment size, 24"x24"x60 high. Cut one wire on the shelf, put the carboy in, fit the bubbler in through the gap where the wire was cut. Room inside for the carboy and a few sixers getting conditioned. Nice white 'cabinet'. I found it in a vacant lot, works to bring refer to 20f- if I ever plug it in. Old Mr Coffee with a water bed thermo will heat it in winter.

 

[dougjones31]

Discovered something this weekend.

Frost-free freezers have temp sensative switches that turn on when temps get lower than their setpoint. When temps drop below this point they turn on the heating element.

I robbed the switch and heating element from one and wired them together to take care of heating my garage freezer/fermenter during the winter. Now I just use a Johnson Control to control the cooling and the heating is taken care of by the defrost components. I did have to add resisters to adjust the on temp of the heating switch, but that was simple. I kept adding resistance until it came on at the temp that I wanted which was higher than the original setpoint.

SO.....you can probably go to an appliance parts store and get these little temp switches for different temps. ou could easily use them to turn on fish tank heaters too.

 

[Mike-H]

Doug, I wish I could do all that, but I dont have the EE capabilities that you do. Nice work though! I settled on a $40.00 temp controller and a fish tank heater, its working great. Can we see pics of the work you've done?

 

[dougjones31]

I need to contribute and get pic posting ability. I have it on my TO-DO list.

 

[pigroaster]

Go to a garage door manufacturer. They cut out pieces to install windows. They are painted steel on both sides and usually 1 1/2 inches thick with urethane foam in the middle. They cut up with a saber saw and trim out great with wood strips attached to exposed foam. Works great. Finished on both side and take away real cheap!! Now get building everyone!!!