BeerBorg

OK, not really the right place but it can be used for kegging....I ordered a cheap, GE 7 cft chest freezer that is very popular on the HBT forum from Home Depot. I'm still deciding on if I want the ST1000 or Johnson controller or something else but, I plan on using this mostly to ferment in, cold crash (finally!) and when and if I want to, lagering. It should hold 2 buckets plus junk just fine.
Even in the winter here it's tough to keep an stable temperature and the cool brewing bag works great but I wanted something I can just put away and not worry about. I did all the rationalizing and the boss actually liked the idea and so, that sealed the deal.
Not great, just good. Hopefully, I can say goodbye to fusels but never say never.

That's fantastic Paul. You're going to like how easy it is to control your temperatures no more frozen water bottles. Plus it will help you get to good pitching temps. I know you struggle in these months with ground water temps, I do too. What I've been doing is chilling as far as I can get it then stinking in my fermentation fridge. When it gets to about 65* either before I go to bed or the next morning, I'll shoot the o2 to it and pitch the yeast.

I may do just that but using a pump a $3 of ice, I can get to 65 pretty quickly......maybe 30 minutes at the worst of summer but I like my options.

That's great Paul! I'm working on the same thing here (except I haven't run it by the commissioner yet...). I'm waiting for a reply from a CL ad for a 7.0 cft deep freeze. They're asking $100. Not bad but I hope to get it for a bit less. I was planning on the ST1000 for my controller. Are you going to add a collar to the freezer or just start with it as is?

Awesome...welcome to the world of cold crashes and lagers!!!

So will the first batch to see the new cooler be an India Pale Lager of some sort???

gwcr wrote:That's great Paul! I'm working on the same thing here (except I haven't run it by the commissioner yet...). I'm waiting for a reply from a CL ad for a 7.0 cft deep freeze. They're asking $100. Not bad but I hope to get it for a bit less. I was planning on the ST1000 for my controller. Are you going to add a collar to the freezer or just start with it as is?

I already have a kegerator so this will be used just for fermentation, cold crashing and lagering. It won't be in the perfect place for a keezer really unless you want to walk outside the patio into the utility room to tap your beers.

BlackDuck wrote:Awesome...welcome to the world of cold crashes and lagers!!!

So will the first batch to see the new cooler be an India Pale Lager of some sort???

I really liked my IPL using 1007 at low temps without having to deal with resting and longer lager times but that was work keeping it to 58 in the winter even. And I'm looking at possibly getting the Fermostat which is out of stock at the moment.
http://www.ohmbrewautomations.com/fermostat
Very pricey but set it and forget it. You can custom program or use stock programs to ferment. Big thread on the HBT by the creator of it. Been out since late 2012 and has had a few changes. Don't think they'll be in stock for another few weeks but they sell out as fast as they get them.
Way over kill for sure but I like the fact that I can put the bucket in the freezer, set a program and can walk away for literally a few weeks. Of course, we all know we stare at our beers day and night so that's not a likely scenario for me.

Inkleg wrote:That's fantastic Paul. You're going to like how easy it is to control your temperatures no more frozen water bottles. Plus it will help you get to good pitching temps. I know you struggle in these months with ground water temps, I do too. What I've been doing is chilling as far as I can get it then stinking in my fermentation fridge. When it gets to about 65* either before I go to bed or the next morning, I'll shoot the o2 to it and pitch the yeast.

I see over on HBT that you bought one of the "Black Box" temp controllers. How's it working for you? That seems like it might be a great option for me if it's stable.

Didn't order it yet and they are out of stock until 9/19. Midwest is selling them a bit more but they are out until about the same time so I'm in a holding pattern now.
I may order over the weekend so that the next shipment doesn't pass me by.

STC-1000 is the way to go. Paint can heater.

STC-1000, currently $16.50 at Amazon

It's definitely a deal but I do so much like the techiness of the programable Fermostat. I have a week or so to let it sink i.

Man, I can't believe work. Getting in the way of my posting and everything the nerve.
Glen, it's me who has The Black Box, man I love this thing. I've used it 3 times now, once for a lager and twice for ales. I have 3 different profiles set in it, Lager, Ale and Saison. Select witch I want and just let it do it's thing. Of course I look at it everyday like an expectant mother, but hey it's my beer. I tried to get another last go round, but Will sold out 100 units in less than 4 minutes. I may get one of his flashed units and replace one of my regular STCs. There is a great back story to how The Black Box came about, that I'll get into when I have the time one day.

Hey, how'd I not hear about this space box? It seems alot like the Fermostat but after looking at the videos, I think I still like the Fermostat though it's more than twice the price.
Boys and their toys. Plus, I don't think I can stand to wait until they have more in stock as the Fermostat will be in sooner. I'll make my mind up over the weekend after I've had a few beers and don't feel as guilty spending money. Funny how a number of homebrews can do that to a guy.

Well, the good news is SWMBO gave me the green light for the chest freezer. Bad news is I haven't heard back from the CL seller Don't they know that permission to buy stuff has an expiration date?!?!

Wow, thanks for the link. Need to do a few hundred pages of reading as well as verify a buddy has the Arduino, but the upgraded software seems like it turns the already bargain basement STC-1000 into a screaming deal! Shoot, even if he doesnt, I just may grab a programmer and update the 3 that I already have.

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/stc-1000-a-464348/

It's arrived. Not the best spot to keep it but deals had to be made (you know what I mean).
It's only been on 30 minutes and it's hot on the outside. I wasn't expecting it to be that warm. I'll let it run 4-5 hours and see what happens. It does appear to be cooling so we'll see.