Cheap Fermentation Control Update

These are the pictures of my new modifications to my cheap fermentation temperature control system.  This post will probably not make a lot of sense if you haven't read my original post about this temperature control system (http://greatermonkey.blogspot.com/2012/03/my-cheap-fermentation-temperature.html)  As I mentioned in my last update about the system (http://greatermonkey.blogspot.com/2012/04/temperature-control-upgrade.html), I replaced my cooler of ice and water with a jug in a small refrigerator.  This is the end of the first full day it's been in use.  It's keeping a Belgian blonde at 70 degrees F (didn't want to push it too hard on its first try). 

Here's the fermentation held at a steady 70 degrees.

Here's the fermentation held at a steady 70 degrees

I saw some rope on sale at the hardware store and decided to use it to hold the sleeping bag to the carboy.  This was much easier than cramming the sleeping bag into the tub around the carboy.

This is the milk jug in my refrigerator.  You can see that I've sliced the top open to allow the pump to fit.

This blurry shot shows my hoses and the power cord for the pump going into the refrigerator.  I simply put a slit behind the magnetic strip so that I could lift away a portion of the vinyl between the door and the magnet strip.  You can see the flap of vinyl folded behind the black power cord from the pump.  You can't see it in the picture, but the slit goes around the corner a few inches.  I needed to go around the corner to make a big enough hold for the plug on the end of the pump power cord.  I made the slices a few weeks ago and have found that a little blue masking tape along the slit keeps the refrigerator operating normally when the not being used to chill my fermenter.

I'll try fermenting something a few degrees colder the next time around.