Building my Fermentation Chiller

[TeufelBrew]

I looked at just about everything I could get my crossed eyeballs on and decided the next step in making better beer is controlling fermentation temps. Ended up doing a combo of the 38DD Mother and the Son of Fermenation chiller. Brewing doesn't lead to alcoholism, it leads do freakin carpentry!

I really enjoy this process and hope to convince SWMBO that going all grain and kegging will be a space & time saver. I want to brew now, but I must finnish the chiller. ARGHHHHH:D

[corkybstewart]

I finally finished mine yesterday afternoon, and I hope to try it out this afternoon. My problem was having something tall enough for my 12 gallon conical so I built a cabinet, insulated it with 2" of styrofoam, and mounted a dorm fridge on the side to dump cold air in. I'll try to post some pictures in the next few days.
Homebrewing has indeed let me play with my power tools, it's a lot of fun but now the wife says "Why is it that for your brewery you can build all sorts of stuff but when I ask you tell me you don't kniow how to build anything?" She'll just never understand.

[Mill Rat]

the wife says "Why is it that for your brewery you can build all sorts of stuff but when I ask you tell me you don't kniow how to build anything?"It's all about inspiration and motivation.

[TeufelBrew]

wife says "Why is it that for your brewery you can build all sorts of stuff but when I ask you tell me you don't kniow how to build anything?"

Oh how true!!!:eek: :eek: My wife is hounding me to start a storage facitility for lawn and garden tools. I MUST complete the chiller first and get the finish work done so it can hang out in the house looking like a cabinet on the floor. THEN I'll get to the other stuff. :p

Mark, you nailed it. No motivation yet, but I've had the inspiration. Plans already done, supplies purchased. Just need to finish one project before starting another.

[dparsons]

Definitely motivation!

Back many years ago my wife would call me at work occasionally to ask me how to do simple things on the computer, like changing fonts for example. I tried to explain how the software worked, not just how to change fonts. The explanation was not welcome. One day she exclaimed that she wasn't as compute saavy as I was and that I shouldn't expect her to learn to use the computer the way I did. I (perhaps foolishly) pointed out that she had learned to play DOOM quite well, including knowing all the shortcut commands, and that if she applied even half that energy to the word processor she could figure out how to change the fonts. I got an earfull. :eek: At least I got no more simple computer questions at work.

[dparsons]

Post a picture Teufel.

[Mad Scientist]

I really enjoy this process and hope to convince SWMBO that going all grain and kegging will be a space & time saver. I want to brew now, but I must finnish the chiller. ARGHHHHH:D

You're gonna be busted on this when she realizes that it takes 6 to 8 hours to brew AG (after you get the process down) vs 3 to 4 for extract/partial mash, and that all that equipment really does takes up A LOT of space.

But, you might push the cheaper issue--there is a clear price difference (for example $20 at the beer store this weekend got me 2 six packs, how much beer could I make for that), espicially with A.G. And since all of your beer is at home, and the equipment to make it is a at home: YOU will be at home. These two points are what sold my wife on homebrewing.

Don't tell her about all of those homebrewing 'club' meetings just yet.

[Mill Rat]

If your wife prefers the lighter beer styles, you can also explain that you will be able to make these styles markedly better with AG than extract methods.

[TeufelBrew]

You're gonna be busted on this when she realizes that it takes 6 to 8 hours to brew AG (after you get the process down) vs 3 to 4 for extract/partial mash, and that all that equipment really does takes up A LOT of space.

Already have the 60qt cooler and getting parts for bulkhead and drain. I'll be batch sparging and keeping it way simple for quite a while. No tier system. Space will be take up by cooler, otherwise I have all other essentials and they have homes already.

Don't tell her about all of those homebrewing 'club' meetings just yet.

Too late!:D She bought the Coopers as an early present last December. I've got 17 batches in the books and already joined the KROC (Keg Ran Out Club).

As soon as I can figure out wifes new digital camera and how to get the pics to the right size (not 10x12) for uploading, I'll take and post some pics of the new 'furniture';)

[belsonc]

As soon as I can figure out wifes new digital camera and how to get the pics to the right size (not 10x12) for uploading, I'll take and post some pics of the new 'furniture';)


Well, I can't necessarily tell you how to get the pictures off the camera - each camera's a little different. But as far as resizing them? www.getpaint.net - very easy program to use. Open the picture, go to the Image menu, and choose resize. It gives you the measurements both in pixels and inches, so you have a frame of reference. And when you're all done, I'd suggest saving the picture either in JPG format or PNG format - both of them are small enough. :)