Beer cooling

[Eric]

Looks very good. Please tell how you propose feeding it and controling fermenting wort temperature.

[MashBag]

I am going to start with the simplest options and work up.

I am only likely to use this once or twice a year.
So repurposing kit I already have and simple makeup /breakdown were both priory requirements.

A 25l jerry can of water in the fridge. I am lucky that the fridge is the next unit along in the brewshed.

Might splash out on some new silicone syphon hose

Inkbird controlled submersible pump.
Coil mounted on a new lid (if I can find one).

Any thoughts?

[guypettigrew]

I am going to start with the simplest options and work up.

I am only likely to use this once or twice a year.
So repurposing kit I already have and simple makeup /breakdown were both priory requirements.

A 25l jerry can of water in the fridge. I am lucky that the fridge is the next unit along in the brewshed.

Might splash out on some new silicone syphon hose

Inkbird controlled submersible pump.
Coil mounted on a new lid (if I can find one).

Any thoughts?

Just a couple of thoughts. Well, questions really.

Why will you only need to use this a couple of times a year?

How will you monitor the temperature of the fermenting beer to trigger the Inkbird to start and stop the pump?

Guy

[MashBag]

Why will you only need to use this a couple of times a year?

I brew for stock, not for immediate drinking.

I brew with the seasons & weather generally, if it isn't a good day I reschedule. So I don't brew in the depth of winter, unless there is a mild spell.

I brew in a well insulated (but unheated) outhouse, that maintains a stable ambient. Fermenting @ 19c is easy with a simple heat pad and good local insulation. Most of the year.

This will only be needed for a hot spell in height of summer only & then only if stock gets real low.

But I can see that happening more and more in the future. It certainly did in 2022. But if we also have milder winters... Hmmm.

[MashBag]

How will you monitor the temperature of the fermenting beer to trigger the Inkbird to start and stop the pump?

That's what the inkbird does.

Both your questions Guy seemed odd to me? Would you use it all the time? Have I missed something?

[guypettigrew]

How will you monitor the temperature of the fermenting beer to trigger the Inkbird to start and stop the pump?

That's what the inkbird does.

Both your questions Guy seemed odd to me? Would you use it all the time? Have I missed something?

Odd? Didn't mean them to be odd!

Each of my brews uses both the heat pad and the cooler every time. I brew about every 3 weeks throughout the year.

Unlike you, MB, I have a traditional brewday. Starting about 8.00am, finishing about 3.00pm. My wort isn't chilled overnight, but chilled with an immersion chiller in the boiler until it's down to about 30°C. It's then pumped into the fermenter. The cooling coil in the FV, supplied by the Maxi 110, brings it down to pitching temperature within a few minutes.

No matter what time of year, the combination of the heat pad and the cooling coil keep the fermenting wort at +/- 0.5°C of the temperature set on the controller.

Once the gravity of the beer has fallen to wherever I want, the chiller coil reduces the temperature to 12°C to drop the bulk of the yeast out. A final chill to 5°C leaves the beer clear and ready to go into the keg. There's still enough suspended yeast to ensure a good secondary fermentation in the keg.

As to the question about the Inkbird; I just wondered how you were going to position the sensor. You haven't mentioned a thermowell. Or will you tape the sensor to the side of the FV?

Hope the questions seem less odd now!

Guy

[MashBag]

Unlike you, MB, I have a traditional brewday. Starting about 8.00am, finishing about 3.00pm. My wort isn't chilled overnight, but chilled with an immersion chiller in the boiler until it's down to about 30°C. It's then pumped into the fermenter. The cooling coil in the FV, supplied by the Maxi 110, brings it down to pitching temperature within a few minutes.

I get that. Never even considered using it for that final step. If its an issue I chuck some ice in.

No matter what time of year, the combination of the heat pad and the cooling coil keep the fermenting wort at +/- 0.5°C of the temperature set on the controller.

If it is there and part of the system I get that. But I either need to add heat or remove it. For ferment (of anything) I never need both.

Once the gravity of the beer has fallen to wherever I want, the chiller coil reduces the temperature to 12°C to drop the bulk of the yeast out. A final chill to 5°C leaves the beer clear and ready to go into the keg. There's still enough suspended yeast to ensure a good secondary fermentation in the keg.

This is not a step for me, good idea possibly with a an online chiller. I bottle at 20c day 5 (ish).

As to the question about the Inkbird; I just wondered how you were going to position the sensor. You haven't mentioned a thermowell. Or will you tape the sensor to the side of the FV?

The sensor is the under the tight fitting insulation.


The questions where never 'odd' [bonkers] I used the word odd, because I thought they were coming from a bigger view.
Make perfect sense now, your chiller plays a bigger part in your whole system. The scope of this project for me was lets keep the fermentation temp down, That was the only issue I set out to solve.

PS You have stared me thinking about bigger things....hmmm.

[MashBag]

So day one and it's only working

I can confirm that a fridge pump idea works for maintaining temps.

I built a refrigeratated reservoir which is pumped through a coil in the fermenter, inkbird controlled.

My overnight chill got down to 27c next morning and I was pleasantly surprised to find, the fridge pump zapped it to 20c in 6 mins.

This has started thoughts of a heat & cooling maxi if there is such a thing