Hot Box - Wash Temperature
Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2012 10:32 amI mentioned somewhere around here that I was building a 'Hot-Box' to keep my wash in while fermenting to maintain a constant temp and protect them from wild temperature fluctuations.
It's quite raw and functional but this thing is worth the 50 Euros it cost me because when I put a wash in there it keeps a constant temp that never wanders by more than one degree - 24-25oC.
Here's a few pics;
From the top the first pics are of the exterior and interior of the box and as you can see it comfortably accommodates 2 X 60lt fermenters. In the exterior pic you can see a 33lt fermenter which will give you an idea of scale.
The main material used is 2 inch foam insulation board and a roll of Duct Tape. The base is 3X2" timber frame filled with insulation board and with a plywood floor and castors. The sides butt together and are held in place with mini-bungee cords. This allows the box to be dismantled and flat packed for storage if not in use or for transport.
The middle pics show the thermostat and socket for the heater which is in the right pic. This is a standard fan heater, 1.5Kw and the thermostat turns it on for approximately 10 seconds three times every hour to maintain interior temp. The thermostat is a bog-standard room thermostat.
The bottom two pics are thermometers. The one on the left monitors the ambient temp inside the box and is set half-way up the front wall of the box. The other thermo has a cable which goes through the wall of the box and through the lid of one of the fermenters to allow me monitor wash temp at a glance. Each wash has its own thermometer - I bought those in IKEA for 7.50 Euros each. The small box thermo cost 6.50 Euros from Brewhaus in Texas.
If you have the time and must keep your wash in an uninsulated shed or garage I highly recommend building something like this as maintaining constant wash temp is always a problem.
AM
It's quite raw and functional but this thing is worth the 50 Euros it cost me because when I put a wash in there it keeps a constant temp that never wanders by more than one degree - 24-25oC.
Here's a few pics;
From the top the first pics are of the exterior and interior of the box and as you can see it comfortably accommodates 2 X 60lt fermenters. In the exterior pic you can see a 33lt fermenter which will give you an idea of scale.
The main material used is 2 inch foam insulation board and a roll of Duct Tape. The base is 3X2" timber frame filled with insulation board and with a plywood floor and castors. The sides butt together and are held in place with mini-bungee cords. This allows the box to be dismantled and flat packed for storage if not in use or for transport.
The middle pics show the thermostat and socket for the heater which is in the right pic. This is a standard fan heater, 1.5Kw and the thermostat turns it on for approximately 10 seconds three times every hour to maintain interior temp. The thermostat is a bog-standard room thermostat.
The bottom two pics are thermometers. The one on the left monitors the ambient temp inside the box and is set half-way up the front wall of the box. The other thermo has a cable which goes through the wall of the box and through the lid of one of the fermenters to allow me monitor wash temp at a glance. Each wash has its own thermometer - I bought those in IKEA for 7.50 Euros each. The small box thermo cost 6.50 Euros from Brewhaus in Texas.
If you have the time and must keep your wash in an uninsulated shed or garage I highly recommend building something like this as maintaining constant wash temp is always a problem.
AM
It foamed & foamed & foamed and I had to use a blow tube to allow it expand into another vessel in the early stages. The results were average and not worth the bother. Needless to say I only tried that recipe once - too much hassle. 
