In article <23c99396.0409031937.39ed415d@posting.google.com>,
[email]paul@mantovani.com[/email] says...[color=blue]
> Bill Velek <billvelek--NO-SPAM--@alltel.net> wrote in message news:<cC3_c.1031$lM5.926@fe39.usenetserver.com>...[color=green]
> > Grommets?? You don't need no stinkin' grommets. ;-) I assume that
> > the grommets are for something different than a chiller or brewing beer.
> >
> > When I built my chiller, I used a sheet of white styrofoam which cut
> > very easily. Pink? Are you speaking about spun-fiber-glass batting?
> > I'm not much of a handyman, so I don't go to those places too often.[/color]
>
> I think the grommets were to somehow lock the top and front panels
> using some kind of pins. I just put an empty carboy on top to keep it
> sealed.
>
> The pink 2" is real nice high density rigid polystyrene. It doesn't
> crumble like the white bead-board.
>
> A Ranco or other controller would certainly work great to control the
> temp from the outside - at a cost of about three times what all the
> other components were. Slight overkill for an icepack-driven chiller!
> Of course, once you have that, you're half way to getting a used
> fridge and having a real fermentation chiller!
>
> There's many ways to skin a cat, many ways to chill a lager. Hope
> your's tastes as good as I know mine will. Cheers!
>[/color]
I use the pink 2" polystyrene. One 4'x8'sheet gave me everything I
needed, which made it convenient to use. It also holds the temps
exceedingly well, although I'll admit that I caulked the living hell out
of every joint, and I do not have a removable front panel on mine. I
figure I can lift a carboy over a wall.

I use a cheap Wal-Mart-obtained Hunter digital thermostat for mine. I DO
keep the thermostat inside the SOFC. To monitor temps, I have a small
digital indoor/outdoor thermometer sitting on top of the thing. To
change temps, it's a 10 second process, so it really isn't that
inconvenient for me to keep the thermostat inside. I use Velcro tape to
hold down the top, combined with cutting it ever so slightly oversized
so I have to force it down. I maintain temps well enough that once
fermentation has slowed in primary, it goes hours without budging even a
tenth of a degree.

My cheap thermostat goes to 40 degrees. I've not yet tried to lager with
it, so I don't know if it'll obtain that with only two one-gallon jugs
of ice. I see no reason to believe it wouldn't, though.

All told, I have far, far less than $100 in parts. In an apartment where
I really can't keep a spare fridge or chest freezer, this was my best
alternative.
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John
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Animal testing is a bad idea -
they get all nervous and give the wrong answers.