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[Donoroto]

I'd be interested in more about your dehumidifier conversion.

 

[Minbari]

I'd be interested in more about your dehumidifier conversion.

basic idea of a dehumidifier is not alot different than an air conditioner, its just designed to make the air less humid instead of cooling the air.

separate the condenser from the evaporator. just be careful that you dont crimp the piping. they use soft copper and you can re-bend and move the evaporator pretty easy. Just go slow. You will have to defeat the switch for the water container "full" signal. Add a temp controller, the STC-1000 works great and they are really cheap. make sure you set the compressor delay to 5 minutes or so. put the temp probe in the glycol mixture.

Put the evaporator in the glycol mixture and viola! glycol chiller.

the old one I had uses R134a, so it gets really cold. will take 60°F 35% glycol mixture down to 28°F in about 1.5 hours. If you decide to go buy one, make sure it isnt one using isobutane for coolant, they dont get cold enough.

 

[Hawkbox]

That's awesome and very similar to a chiller I made a few years ago before i got a free minifridge.

 

[Minbari]

That's awesome and very similar to a chiller I made a few years ago before i got a free minifridge.

I started with a minifridge, but it is not big enough to put the fermenter into and it couldnt keep up with chiling the glycol. bottomed out at about 48°F

 

[Donoroto]

Thanks @Minbari In the near future I will find a dehumidifier and make it work. I'm very familiar with the air conditioning cycle, but moving glycol from a cold tank to fermenters is new to me.

 

[Minbari]

Thanks @Minbari In the near future I will find a dehumidifier and make it work. I'm very familiar with the air conditioning cycle, but moving glycol from a cold tank to fermenters is new to me.

super easy. I use a solar pump that works at 12VDC, but you can use a 120VAC fountain pump too. you can get either one at amazon or at lowes/homedepot for about $20

then you just have to install a stainless coil into your fermentor. you can use whatever method you like, but this is how I did it.

https://www.amazon.com/Weldless-Triclamp-Bulkhead-Compression-Stainless/dp/B082RPHLYR/ref=sr_1_3?crid=26NELNPLLTNDP&dchild=1&keywords=2+tri+clamp+bulkhead&qid=1617923415&sprefix=2"+tri+clamp+b,aps,202&sr=8-3

https://www.amazon.com/DERNORD-Sani...ords=2+tri+clamp+cover&qid=1617923493&sr=8-14

https://www.amazon.com/ISPINNER-Plastic-Waterproof-Adjustable-Connectors/dp/B08H51D2JF/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=1/2+npt+waterproof+bulkhead&qid=1617923733&sr=8-5

https://www.stainlessbrewing.com/10...-50-x-14-x-035-OD-Tubing-304304L--_p_302.html

1) mount the 2" TC bulkhead in the lid of your fermenter
2) drill a hole in the 2" TC cover and insert the waterproof bulkhead.
3) run the ends of the coil through the bulkhead and seal it.
4) run 100% silicone tubing to the pump and a return line back

then use a temp controller to turn the pump on and off. the STC-1000 works well.

 

[Hawkbox]

I started with a minifridge, but it is not big enough to put the fermenter into and it couldnt keep up with chiling the glycol. bottomed out at about 48°F

Makes sense, I got lucky and mine fits it just fine.

 

[AHarper]

Well I thought 'd chip in and show you my "brewery". I have very little in the garage that is not to do with brewing in one way or another.
Where I'll put more gear - if I'm allowed to get any that is - I may have to clear out the shed...
The door does open further by the way...

The numbered boxes hold all my grains - the big white ones with the tape hold 25kg sacks of Maris, Pils and Amber

Freezer Hop Store:

Ferm Fridge and Brewing Rig.

Tilt display.

Better stop there as post will be too large.

 

[Minbari]

Well I thought 'd chip in and show you my "brewery". I have very little in the garage that is not to do with brewing in one way or another.
Where I'll put more gear - if I'm allowed to get any that is - I may have to clear out the shed...
The door does open further by the way...
View attachment 15213
View attachment 15214View attachment 15215
The numbered boxes hold all my grains - the big white ones with the tape hold 25kg sacks of Maris, Pils and AmberView attachment 15216
Freezer Hop Store:
View attachment 15217
Ferm Fridge and Brewing Rig.
View attachment 15218View attachment 15219
Tilt display.
View attachment 15220 Better stop there as post will be too large.

Nice. Ever considered the tilt pi? Can see your tilt display from your phone anywhere

 

[AHarper]

Nice. Ever considered the tilt pi? Can see your tilt display from your phone anywhere

I have indeed. It only works when i have the garage door open though.

 

[Minbari]

I have indeed. It only works when i have the garage door open though.
View attachment 15225

Ah bummer. Ya the wifi on those is less than stellar. I have an AP in the basement so its literally 6 ft away

 

[AHarper]

Ah bummer. Ya the wifi on those is less than stellar. I have an AP in the basement so its literally 6 ft away

I have braces to go with the belt but you can't see it in the pics - an old Sony phone also broadcasts the data set to different times - so I often get a valid packet in for the short time the weather allows me to have the door open

 

[Minbari]

I have braces to go with the belt but you can't see it in the pics - an old Sony phone also broadcasts the data set to different times - so I often get a valid packet in for the short time the weather allows me to have the door open

Can always get a repeater. More techie toys is half the fun.

 

[AHarper]

Can always get a repeater. More techie toys is half the fun.

I tried one of these Mains-linked Wifi-Extenders but, despite the garage being on a ring circuit (it used to be a spur) it was still a different mains circuit to the one the Wifi is on so the system didn't work. Two mains rings on different consumer units does not work. This current method is the only one that works.

 

[Minbari]

I tried one of these Mains-linked Wifi-Extenders but, despite the garage being on a ring circuit (it used to be a spur) it was still a different mains circuit to the one the Wifi is on so the system didn't work. Two mains rings on different consumer units does not work. This current method is the only one that works.

Those are kinda crap anyway. Imore meant a wifi extender or wds another router to your home one

 

[GFHomebrew]

Well I thought 'd chip in and show you my "brewery". I have very little in the garage that is not to do with brewing in one way or another.
Where I'll put more gear - if I'm allowed to get any that is - I may have to clear out the shed...
The door does open further by the way...
View attachment 15213
View attachment 15214View attachment 15215
The numbered boxes hold all my grains - the big white ones with the tape hold 25kg sacks of Maris, Pils and AmberView attachment 15216
Freezer Hop Store:
View attachment 15217
Ferm Fridge and Brewing Rig.
View attachment 15218View attachment 15219
Tilt display.
View attachment 15220 Better stop there as post will be too large.

Looks pretty snug in there Alan pretty Organic setup. To bad if the missus wants to park the car in there
Now that's not what garages are for I say!

 

[AHarper]

Looks pretty snug in there Alan pretty Organic setup. To bad if the missus wants to park the car in there
Now that's not what garages are for I say!

I did drive the car into the garage when we first bought the house - just to test it as you do - I couldn't get out of the car once I parked it!

 

[Donoroto]

@AHarper No sunroof I suppose? Ah well, doesn't matter anymore.

 

[AHarper]

Well I couldn't resist it. There was another fridge (as it turned out the same make as the Fermentation Fridge I already had) on Gumtree site going for £0 and only 2 miles away. So off I went to pick it up Saturday morning. My plan was to rip the guts out of the fridge and build a box out of 50mm Celotex insulation panels and create a new fridge in the racking.
When I got to the house there was a tall fridge waiting in the lady's garage. OK so now I was going to have to find space for the new fridge in the garage - not what I had planned. Still it was free so no problem. I already had a spare STC100 controller just waiting to be used and that cost me £14 from Amazon.
After getting home I set too to wash it all out, dump the salad crisper drawer and the glass shelves and fix the door hinge that was a bit loose. Eventually, after drilling holes and doing the wiring. Voial! My new Fermentation Fridge is born. All for £14 ($20).

Hacking holes in the door and wiring in the heater.

Wiring done and shelves fitted. Holes to be finished.

All done. Now to move it.

In place and under test. Brigitte says I have too much stuff. I disagree....

 

[Megary]

Well I couldn't resist it. There was another fridge (as it turned out) the same make as the Fermentation Fridge I already had on Gumtree site going for £0 and only 2 miles away. So off I went to pick it up Saturday morning. My plan was to rip the guts out of the fridge and build a box out of 50mm Celotex insulation panels and create a new fridge in the racking.
When I got to the house there was a tall fridge waiting in the lady's garage. OK so now I was going to have to find space for the new fridge in the garage - not what I had planned. Still it was free so no problem. I already had a spare STC100 controller just waiting to be used and that cost me £14 from Amazon.
After getting home I set too to wash it all out, dump the salad crisper drawer and the glass shelves and fix the door hinge that was a bit loose. Eventually, after drilling hols and doing the wiring. Voial! My new Fermentation Fridge is born. All for £14 ($20).
View attachment 15318 Hacking holes in the door and wiring in the heater.
View attachment 15319Wiring done and shelves fitted. Holes to be finished.
View attachment 15320 All done. Now to move it.
View attachment 15321 In place and under test. Brigitte says I have too much stuff. I disagree....

Well done!