Trash Can Fermentation Chamber

[John Sand]

I built and used a fermentation chamber from a 20gal Brute plastic trash can and Reflectix. I'm using it now on my latest Pale Ale (Edwort's Bee Cave Haus). The wort was 75 when I pitched and put it in the chamber. That's about as low as I can get it in Summer with a wort chiller. For the next 24 hours I chilled it in the can, using about 2.5 gallons of water with two ice packs. The ice packs were changed every few hours, one atop the fermenter wrapped in a dish towel, one in the water. By the next day the chamber was around 64. Even when it started bubbling, two ice packs every 24 hours kept the wort at 68. I'm pretty happy with it. The lid, bottom, and sides have two layers of reflectix, except at the level of the handles, where there is only one. I only add 2.5 gallons of water to avoid immersing the therm strips. More water would buffer changes better. I use a hand mirror and flashlight to read the therm strips. I also use an inexpensive fish tank thermometer to read the inside temp outside.

[Inkleg]

That's pretty cool. Sounds like good beer in the making.

[John Sand]

Thanks Ink, I saw something like it on HBT. In the past I used a 52qt icebox. That won't fit an Ale Pale, so I used two 12qt pots to ferment. I prefer the sealed lid and airlock, simply because I can see the action.

[Beer-lord]

In the summer I can only get to about 105 or 100 with ground water so after that, I use an ice chest full of ice and a water pump so once I get to 100 with ground water, I switch to the pump and in 15 minutes, can get to 64-65 to pitch. I then use Cool Brewing bag http://www.cool-brewing.com/ with 2 jugs of ice every 12 hours to keep me to 66 or so. Works a treat!

I give you props for your original idea put to practice.

[DaYooper]

I have the same thing in my basement - a repurposed 33 gallon (I think) garbage can. In the winter I have my paint can heater keeping things warm with the fermenter resting on a piece of carpet to insulate it from the floor. This time of year, if I put my pail on the ground and off the carpet the floor will suck the heat right out of it and keep it at a perfect 66-68F. I use an old down comforter as my insulation as way too lazy and cheap to insulate the can itself. In the winter I can keep an ale pail with a LBK sitting on top, but in the summer that will not keep the LBK cool enough so "stuck" with having only one batch brewing at a time.

Great minds think alike!

[John Sand]

I like it Yoop. I used the cool concrete until it warmed up. Long Island basements are a bit warmer than Michigan's. Still much cooler than our friends in the South.