Fermentation temp control part deux: Using the Peltier effect?

I could see this working only if you use a glass carboy. The plastic bucket is not going to cool very well, plastic being an insulator and all. I'm sure it would cool to a point, but the result would not be very efficient. But I could be wrong, I just don't think it would be a cost effective solution.

 

I have looked at these too. I think the drawback is the capacity. the available peltier devices are small for our needs. they can delay heat gain but I don't think you could reach 40 degrees and hold it, much less low 60s.

there are coolers for the car with a 12v adapter. but they are small. they will heat or cool.
maybe something can be rigged up. would be a decent DIY experiment

 

If you see something that looks almost too good to be true, then you say "wait a second... what about the first and second law of thermodynamics?" ...

then most likely it's not going to be the panacea you first envisioned.

My guess is that if cold plates worked well for beer, lots of people would already be using them. if there's one thing most homebrewers can't wait to discuss it's their beer (and how they got it to taste so good).

 

A few people, including me, have posted about a Kickstarter drive to make a temperature control device that uses the same principle:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/433436998/brewjacket-immersion-lager-beer-without-a-refriger

As you can see, to make it work they had to insert an aluminum rod into the beer, insulate the bucket/carboy, etc. In other words, probably not something you could do on your own, but maybe. But check out the Kickstarter if you are considering spending money on temperature control.

 

I was given a small mini fridge with a peltier cooler the other day. I immediately started thinking about removing the cooling guts and attaching them to an insulated box. I plugged it in, but it couldn't chill a glass of water more than 15* (60-45) in like 7 hours. Started looking around on HBT, and people have tried to do the same with pretty poor results.

 

Any commercial product available for homebrew ?

 

I use an immersion chiller, I have been able to get my temp from flame out to ~80F in 15-20 minutes, which is a lot better than sitting a hot ass fermentor in ice water, let me tell you. I have been considering making a new immersion chiller to put in line in a bucket with Ice water. Kind of a pre-chiller for the water. Just don't know if it will really be worth it.

 

I did that a while back. It's an improvement, but not as much of an improvement as using a pond pump to recircule ice water through the (one) immersion chiller. Lager pitching temps in the doldrums of summer are easy and fast with this method.

 

Well, although the Kickstarter I linked to has closed, I believe they will be bringing their product to market, so in a few months you may be able to get one.

 

I use a well-insulated box with one peltier unit and it cools down to low sixties without a problem. A second one will add insurance and lager-ability. This unit is indoors as well, in a hot garage it wouldn't fair as well.

The only problem I see with these is while there are no moving parts the failure rate it higher than standard refrigeration.