Burying carboy for fermentation

Ummm, could possibly work? You'd have to have a hole that was a just-fit for the carboy and didn't leave alot of airspace around it, and that would make it difficult to lower and raise.
Interesting idea. Please report back.

 

You'd also have to figure out a way to dig it back out without breaking the carboy.

 

If I were to bury a fermenter into the ground (and I am not saying I would do that) I would use a plastic bucket for that purpose.

If you do run this experiment, please report back.

Cheers!

P.S. Do you intend to monitor the fermentation temperature? Maybe just placing a thermometer in the dirt (at a reasonable depth) would accomplish this?

Edit: the airlock would keep insects out but I am unsure whether an actively fermenting beer would attract larger critters. Do you have any raccoons nearby?

 

I would throw out the idea of putting the carboy in a wooden box and then burying around the box. This would make it easier to bury and also dig up without breaking. Hell, you could even bury the entire thing if you nailed the top shut.

 

Interesting. I immediately though that a "zeer" (clay pot/sand - evaporative cooling) could be employed easily and you would not have to bury it.
Here is a link for more info.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pot-in-pot_refrigerator

I often have the thought experiment of home brewing after a long-term power outage like Hurricane Rita - 2 weeks no electricity, and Huricane Lily - 1 week or a worse more long-term disaster. If you do find success, I'd be interested.

 

maybe a white garbage bag in a shallow hole. loose fill around the bag. then some gravel on top. its got to be out of the sun, that is for certain. i think you are asking for trouble if you don't go full out with a buried crate, tight cover, clean backfill. i think you will have a very happy if inebriated ant colony. could work?
remember that insects love CO2, love alcohol and loooooove sugar.

NCJOHB- Papazian has a picture of a carboy at the bottom of a pool, with a hose to the surface. that is cool.

 

Bears like beer. Some seem to have preferences too, what are you planning on brewing?

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/offbeat/2004-08-18-beer-bear_x.htm

 

And beets.

 

I'd bury a carboy...but for a different reason : )

 

I hear something new here every day...

My suggestion is that you need to build an old school root cellar at your camp. You have to dig a bigger hole, but it will last for a lifetime (and your descendents can use it too). Check out Mother Earth News, et al for plans; it's pretty simple. Not only can you keep carboys cool but if you build properly below the frost line, you can lager beer and store food year-round. Imagine: you brew and bottle a killer lager, put it in the root cellar in the fall and enjoy great beer the following spring.

 

I know nothing about what you are trying, but I wonder if you could dig the hole, then fill it with sand so you can easily get it back out?

 

More trouble than it's worth.

 

What!?! In your original post: “I'm sure someone here has thought of burying your carboy during fermentation. I was wondering how that would work if I buried my carboy up to the neck in my yard.”

Cheers!

 

just put a large clay flower pot upside down on top of the air lock .. nothing will move it

 

Still a challenge, I think.

 

I wish I could like this a million times. That's always been my favorite intro clip.