DIY Fermentation Boxes - ideas…

[AbruzziRed]

I am looking for ideas to upgrade my current pink foam fermentation chamber.

I use foam, ink bird controller and an old light bulb. Works good but I am looking for something more stable and long lasting.

Let’s see photos of yours, what do you use for heat source.

 

[winemaker81]

Although I don't use one, my first thought is to build the box out of plywood with 2x2's for stability in the joints, and insulate that with layers of rigid foam insulation.

 

[Jim Welch]

@AbruzziRed I use a reptile habitat heater mat. Gentle heat spread over a relatively large area. Google “reptile heater mat” and you can see them.

 

[Jusatele]

I admire your ingenuity, great picture
I think, from reading your post, that you need to warm up the chamber, and want a larger chamber.
from my experience, old chest freezers make excellent fermentation chambers, clean them up and you can bypass their thermostats and add add your control system. The reason I say that is if you are a bit handy, and know how to set up a ac/heater stat then you can devise a system that can keep the vessel within a 6 to 8 degree range. Now remember that the vessel in your chamber with the most active fermentation is going have a temp higher than the rest so find the temp you want the chamber not the vessel.
my best setup was a freezer with a hot plate set up with a thermostat that hung on the outside and a probe inside, I keep it set at 58n to 68, normally a active fermentation was at mid 70s.
Good luck

 

[AbruzziRed]

I admire your ingenuity, great picture
I think, from reading your post, that you need to warm up the chamber, and want a larger chamber.
from my experience, old chest freezers make excellent fermentation chambers, clean them up and you can bypass their thermostats and add add your control system. The reason I say that is if you are a bit handy, and know how to set up a ac/heater stat then you can devise a system that can keep the vessel within a 6 to 8 degree range. Now remember that the vessel in your chamber with the most active fermentation is going have a temp higher than the rest so find the temp you want the chamber not the vessel.
my best setup was a freezer with a hot plate set up with a thermostat that hung on the outside and a probe inside, I keep it set at 58n to 68, normally a active fermentation was at mid 70s.
Good luck

Thanks, I was considering a chest freezer but I don’t have enough room. Right now the pink foam is on my stainless steel table with aluminum tape on the corners. I am looking for something more permanent for that area. I think I may frame a box as mentioned earlier and use the pink foam. I may put it on my shelf where the car boys are.

 

[Rice_Guy]

Similar to you,
one inch FRP skin foam board, corners taped, floor wire shelving, grandpa’s old heating mat under the wire shelf, cement board as a base, inkbird temp control.
Fermenter is a 120 mm lid, ten liter PET bottle with a mini hydrometer floating inside, silicon cover. Quick temp is infra red.
it works

 

[Jusatele]

I have built a few grocery stores, the big walk in coolers and freezers they have are just about the same technology as foam board with a skin on them. they even cut them in what length they need. they put metal track on the edges. that would be easy to duplicate. find some u shaped metal and see what measurements you need to get it to work and go for it. Adhesives for the edging with a few well placed screws and you will be making a setuo that the professionals use.