Glycol Chiller vs Fermentation Chamber

See how my DIY Glycol Chiller compares my new Fermentation Chamber. I share thoughts on each system including: Build complexity, ease of use, cost, power usage, and how well each system maintained target fermentation temperatures.
#homebrewing #fermentation #temperaturecontrol

[@59apachestepside]

Nice data gathered and presented here. I brew one batch at a time (12 gallons) and ferment in sankey kegs. There’s no beating my upright freezer and inkbird controller. At one point I considered finding a second upright freezer for the flexibility of simultaneous fermentations. Would only consider a glycol setup if I had 3 or more brews going at the same time.

[@justhomebrew]

Thanks, this video was a lot of fun to make. An upright would probably be a little easier in your back:) The glycol system is great, just takes a little more effort to build. Thanks for the feedback, cheers!

[@kevinrich5312]

Thank you for this timely video. This is exactly what I was thinking. I wanted to know the comparisons. Well done!

[@justhomebrew]

Thanks for the feedback! I’m glad this video was helpful:)

[@coolbreeze4117]

You should try rapt pill and rapt controller combo with your fermentation chamber. It’s amazing

[@justhomebrew]

OMG, are you watching what I'm doing right now! I'm literally looking at Tilt hydrometers;) I'm not familiar with the Rapt pill and their controller, but I'll take a look. They look like a great what to monitor the fermentation process. One of my big goals this year is to really capture as much brewing data I can from my Brewdays so I can really fine tune my beers. I'll be adding something like this to my brewery in the near future. Thanks for the comment and suggestion. Cheers!

[@davec4955]

I think providing you have the physical ability to move your fermenter In-N-Out , the chest freezer fermentation is a winner 🍻

[@justhomebrew]

I also think there are ways to make lifting easier. You could pump the wort and beer in and out of the fermenter so there isn’t any lifting. I think both are strong methods depending on your needs. Thanks for the comment! Cheers!

[@jeffrichter5735]

I bought a used beverage fridge for 60. and an inkbird w/wifi for 35. It works great for 95. I have to admit that I have my eye on a Brewtools F40 with a Brewbuilt glycol chiller. The entire opposite end of the price spectrum.

[@justhomebrew]

I’m sure the brewtools or any commercial glycol system would be great. I’ve been very happy with both my diy systems, but I would never rule out getting something like that brewbult. Thanks for the comment. Cheers!

[@pmhartel]

What a great comparison! It's even better that it's backed up by actual data. I'd be interested in seeing the same video but at lager temps. The idea being to see the impact of a larger delta between ambient and fermentation temperatures on each system's performance.

[@justhomebrew]

Thanks for your feedback! I could definitely capture more data with a lager test scenario. I don’t brew lagers often, vut I’ll definitely capture data and compare the two systems when I do. I also want to swap out my ac unit with a newer one to see if I can get the glycol system’s efficiently closer to the chest freezer. Cheers!

[@erikcarlson1318]

My son and I are about to construct our own glycol system based off of your video. Thank you for the knowledge and inspiration….Cheers

[@justhomebrew]

What an awesome project with your son! Maybe one day my boys will want to do the same;) keep me posted on your project. Cheers!

[@januszkszczotek8587]

The difference in kWh for both is surely because your fermentation chamber is a closed and insulated box, while with the glycol system both fermenters are open with a minimal to no insulation.

[@justhomebrew]

Most likely. I also feel I have an aging ac that is losing it’s efficiency. I thought for sure the freezer would use way more energy to keep my fermenters at temp. That’s one of the reasons I built a glycol system a few years back. I guess you never know until you run a test.

[@MrJhchrist]

@@justhomebrew I don't think AC systems really lose efficiency like that unless they are actually in the process of dying. The difference is most certainly the door first, insulation second, efficient sizing of compressor third. Didn't you have a dad who yelled at you for leaving the door open and paying to air condition the entire neighborhood? Your glycol fermenters don't even have a door to close! Easy enough to just build a box of foam insulation for the fermenters if you just want to see, I doubt you really care about the $.12 worth of electricity usage.

[@justhomebrew]

@mrjhchrist Must be dying then. I’ve noticed it’s taking longer to cool down to temperature and I can’t quite get the glycol done to 32 degrees. Not sure if you can tell, there is a top for the cooler. And you’re right, I’m not worried about the extra cost. Cheers!

[@marklpaulick]

Well done! Very high quality content. Got my subscribe. I keep my controller at +/- 1 degree F. I think it’s gotta help with yeast performance and ester production.

[@justhomebrew]

Thank you for the feedback and I appreciate the subscribe:) I could probably set mine to +-1. I may try that with my next brew to see how often my system kicks on. Cheers!

[@ColHogan-zg2pc]

Yeah chest freezers are pretty amazing at how low power they are

[@justhomebrew]

They do a nice job, I was surprised. Cheers!

[@ElementaryBrewingCo]

Interesting comparison! Thanks for sharing! I’ve got a chest freezer and my only complaint is that I’m limited on what fermenters I can use, cheers 🍻

[@justhomebrew]

Hey Elementary, thanks for the feedback! This was a fun comparison video to make:) The glycol chiller is a little more flexible in terms of what type of fermenter can be used.

[@theulsterexpat]

Really informative video. I appreciate with all your hard work, you may not want to retire the glycol system. But for people at the beginning of their fermentation temp control journey, it really is a simple choice . That is assuming they have the space for some chest freezers and as you say, the fermenters fit. Great content!

[@justhomebrew]

Thank you for the feedback! This was a fun video to make. Agreed, the chest freezer route is a great way to go for brewers just starting out with their temp control journey. Cheers!

[@WCSign73]

On the power consumption I'm not sure the power draw would be the same for a out of box Glycol unit vs your DIY unit using a window AC unit....that just seems like a big draw

[@justhomebrew]

I don’t know what the amp draw is off the top of my head, but my comparison was based on the total kilowatts. I think thought this was a good measure since a kilowatt is a kilowatt no matter what the draw is. For the window unit, there probably is a little more of a spike when it turns on. Even though my test saw more power consumption by the glycol system, it was minor in terms of cost. Thanks for the comment! Cheers!

[@daanruitenburg6710]

I'm interested to see what the power usage difference is between 1 fermenter and 2, also i think alot has to do with the insulation of the fermenters them self. Anyhow nice video to watch! Greetings from the Netherlands

[@justhomebrew]

Thanks for the feedback! There are few considerations that could affect my diy system’s performance . I think the biggest factor is my aging ac unit. My ac is running longer these days to keep my glycol cool. I think this is a great example for someone to see how a well used diy system operates after a few years. It was a fun experiment to run on my setup. The good thing is both systems performed well and the cost is really a non factor to me at this scale of brewing. Thanks again! Cheers!

[@justhomebrew]

I’ll also see about getting results from 2 fermenters. I would expect it to be double the kilowatts.

[@arcanumix4107]

I'd like to see the same thing but with unsplit 10 galons batches.

[@justhomebrew]

Hey Arcanumix, thanks for comment! Do you mean put 2 fermenters on the Glycol system and 2 fermenters in the Fermentation chambers? If so, I should brew days in the near future that can compare the additional volume. I'll put that on the schedule for 2024:) If you're wondering if the glycol system can do it, it can;)

[@arcanumix4107]

@@justhomebrew thanks for the reply! No i mean ferment a hole 10 gallons batch in one vessel. What should be the best option without breaking the bank ans also if there are bigger diference between glycol and fermentation chamber since theres more liquid to work with.

[@justhomebrew]

Thanks for the clarification. I currently only have 7 gallon fermenters. If I ever get a larger fermenter, I’ll give it a shot:) Cheers!

[@mrnijacatzz]

What about ice buildup in the chamber

[@justhomebrew]

I haven’t had that issue yet. The temperature never gets below freezing. I usually keep it at 55-70 depending on the beer style and then drop it to 38 degrees for the cold crash. Cheers!

[@kevinrich5312]

Sorry. One question. What size chest freezer do you have?

[@justhomebrew]

No apologies needed, ask as many questions as you like! Both of my freezers are 5 cubic feet. I feel they are pretty good sizes for 5 gallon bucket type fermenters. Cheers!

[@kevinrich5312]

Great. Thank you. I use bucket for hunters as well.