temperature control for fermenting

Have you considered using top-fermenting yeasts that tolerate and/or ferment very well at 60? I have a basement that is in the 55-60 degree range at certain times of the year and use 1056, 1728, 2565, 1007, 1010 Wyeasts with excellent results. I know this doesn't answer your questions, I'm sure others on here will, but that strategy works very well for me.....I've been doing mostly ambient fermentation for 25 years and have made nearly every stlyle imaginable.

 

A homebrewing friend gave me and my buddy a controller that will keep the temps within 1C of your target. It works with the Johnson Controller to switch the chest freezer's compressor on if things get too warm, and it also connects to a carboy-heating pad that you stick to the inside wall of the chest freezer if things get too cool. So far it has worked brilliantly: have 30 gallons of Rauchbier fermenting steadily away at 48F for 2 weeks now. I think the design is pretty simple and could probably give you more details on where to get/how to build one if you're interested. It's my favorite piece of equipment so far.

 

If you use a light bulb, make sure the actual light does not shine on the beer. A heating pad might be better. Some people just let the heating pad run when they expect low ambient temperitures. This works fine but increases energy cost.

Many controllers will handle both heating and cooling settings. Personally, I use a BCS460 (Embedded Control Systems). It controls outputs based on temperatures from up to 4 probes. The BCS462 can respond to ( I believe) 8 probes. You can run an entire brewery with these controllers.

 

I use a temp controlled freezer to control fermentation temps too, but only when I want to bring or hold the temps down. For beers I want to ferment warm (such as when brewing a saison in January) I put the fermenter in a small half bathroom, turn on a space heater and use its thermostat to maintain the room temp I want, and then I put a note on the door to let my wife know to keep that door closed! I can maintain summer temps in that tiny bathroom for the length of primary fermentation and never notice it in my electric bill...

 

How do you have the freezer hooked up to an insulated box?
Does the freezer have an exposed condenser coil? I'm thinking, you might be able to use the warmth from the condenser coil to warm another insulated box for ales. You could just install a small fan, with a thermostat to control it, that would bring in cool outside air to maintain whatever temp you want.

 

I put this post together a while ago on various temperature control concepts
http://snbbrewing.blogspot.com/2012/02/temperature-control.html

 

Sorry for the delay. Will get the name to you shortly.

 

I assume you have the A419 which is the most digital JC used. You can use the A419 for heating purposes if you switch a jumper or two. This assumes that you need to heat only. You'd need something else for controlling both heating and cooling at the same time.

 

I have a dual control that runs the fridge to lower temps and a large heated throw for heating. I am using the throw right now to incubate a Lacto starter from yogurt at 100*F, and it is working great. Only issue I have found with using the heated throw, is if it gets to the upper limit of the temp you have it set to it turns off the power to keep it from continuing to heat, but if it drops below the lower threshold, you have to turn the throw on manually since it is like unplugging it. If I remember to turn it on, it keeps it warming great. Fermented a Saison at 76*F for a week in the fridge in the garage during February when it was close to freezing outside.

 

The Embedded Control Systems controllers have a web-based interface. You either plug in a computer directly or, if you port forward your home router, you can access these devices via the web. I added a wireless bridge in my garage so now it is always online. If I log in right now I'll see the temperature of all my probes and the on/off status of my devices. If I want to brew during the week, I use the interface to turn on my HLT so that I can have strike water brought to a controlled temperature so I can mash in immediately when I get home. The BCS460 controls my electric HLT element, the element in the RIMS tube and even the pumps. I have everything on three way toggle switches (on/off/auto).

You do need to understand the basics of home 110/220V electrical wiring as well a simple low voltage microelectronics to create the bridge between the low voltage (5volt DC) controller and the AC house current. This is done with solid state relays. Pretty Simple - You'll never even need a soldering iron. But you have to be willing to do some work laying out the circuits, designing the wiring box, Etc. Its a hobby in itself. I like to work on the control systems during times when it gets too hot and I'm not brewing.

 

Similar setup as OP: insulated box attached to a minifridge. I use a two stage ranco, and my heating is handled by a lightbulb in a paint can (got the idea from some home brewing site or other). Basically, it's a ceramic light socket screwed to the top of a paint can (they sell empty ones at Ace) with the cord running out of a hold drilled in the lid and plugged into the ranco.

 

There was a thread about how to make your own a while back that leedorham started. I built mine for $40, dual control, digital. Ranco & Johnson 2 stage digitals cost well up to $150, if not more. BYO had an article in the Nov/Dec issue (maybe, it might be the one just before that if not) on how to make it as well. I used that article and a video on YouTube (from the leedorham post) to make mine. If you contact leedorham he might still have the link since the thread was on the old BA forum and you can't find it now.

 

I believe that this is the model I use: http://www.etcsupply.com/ranco-etc211000000-stage-p-105.html

Make sure that you get the 110v. Shop around, and you can get it for cheaper. You can get it without a power cord and wire one yourself easily with an extra extension cord. Yes, there are other options as well (Johnson Controls are popular with homebrewers, as are Love controllers), but make sure that you get a two-stage controller that can handle both heating and cooling.

If you're a good D-I-Y'er and want to mess with wiring up one yourself (I'm not handy with that sort of thing, so I paid for one ready out of the box), this thread over on another board is a good place to start:

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/ebay-aquarium-temp-controller-build-163849/