Comments on: Caskerator http://duoteam.com/blog/2007/03/02/caskerator/ Live broadcasts from the Duo Team world headquarters in Minneapolis Fri, 21 Nov 2008 10:10:24 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.2 By: Monday Night Brewery : Atlanta, GA » Blog Archive » Danger: busy Saturday approaching http://duoteam.com/blog/2007/03/02/caskerator/#comment-6474 Monday Night Brewery : Atlanta, GA » Blog Archive » Danger: busy Saturday approaching Fri, 29 Feb 2008 16:02:22 +0000 http://duoteam.com/blog/2007/03/02/caskerator/#comment-6474 [...] Tomorrow is arts-and-crafts day at Jeff’s house! Joel will be building out a fermentation chamber for our new conical fermenters. The chamber will involve an insulated box that ducts cold air from our freezer, similar to the one built here by the Duo Team. [...] […] Tomorrow is arts-and-crafts day at Jeff’s house! Joel will be building out a fermentation chamber for our new conical fermenters. The chamber will involve an insulated box that ducts cold air from our freezer, similar to the one built here by the Duo Team. […]

]]> By: Nate http://duoteam.com/blog/2007/03/02/caskerator/#comment-6270 Nate Tue, 19 Feb 2008 16:29:33 +0000 http://duoteam.com/blog/2007/03/02/caskerator/#comment-6270 @Joel - It's doing great! Temps are holding steady using the modified home thermostat, and the oxidation hasn't been too aggressive using the "buffer tank" (see <a href="http://forum.northernbrewer.com/viewtopic.php?t=42705&highlight=#375470" rel="nofollow">this thread</a> at NB). I'm currently finishing an ESB that I put on tap before Christmas, and it's STILL delicious. Thing to watch out for / do differently: - Get as much distance below the keg to the faucet as you can. As the keg empties it ends up being a sloooow trickle, and a little extra height seems to make a difference (but not huge). I actually moved one tap onto the caskerator to test this and it seems to help. - Keep those lines clean! Since the beer is warmer and potentially around for a month, I've noticed some off flavors creeping into the lines after a while. Seems to resolve after cleaning and the kegged beer seems fine somehow? Just some junk in the lines. - Get a thermowell for doing lager ferments. It's really nice to be able to basically drop the temperature probe into the center of the beer while it ferments, then you know exactly what you're getting. Lager fermenting has been a great benefit of this project... - Build a sub-chamber! My next project is going to be to partition a carboy-sized box on the bottom and fit it with another fan and maybe a "flap" to be able to hit ale fermenting temps in the summer. This needs some testing, but it's on the radar so keep an eye on the blog. - Plan your "door" better. I'm currently wedging the face on and off every time I want access to the inside. I had planned on cutting it a little smaller so it fit without wedging, but I haven't been able to find magnetic tape in a layout I liked. I imagine something like they use on a refrigerator door would work nicely and come off without too much effort... I should look again. Good luck and let me know how it goes! @Joel -

It’s doing great! Temps are holding steady using the modified home thermostat, and the oxidation hasn’t been too aggressive using the “buffer tank” (see this thread at NB). I’m currently finishing an ESB that I put on tap before Christmas, and it’s STILL delicious.

Thing to watch out for / do differently:
- Get as much distance below the keg to the faucet as you can. As the keg empties it ends up being a sloooow trickle, and a little extra height seems to make a difference (but not huge). I actually moved one tap onto the caskerator to test this and it seems to help.
- Keep those lines clean! Since the beer is warmer and potentially around for a month, I’ve noticed some off flavors creeping into the lines after a while. Seems to resolve after cleaning and the kegged beer seems fine somehow? Just some junk in the lines.
- Get a thermowell for doing lager ferments. It’s really nice to be able to basically drop the temperature probe into the center of the beer while it ferments, then you know exactly what you’re getting. Lager fermenting has been a great benefit of this project…
- Build a sub-chamber! My next project is going to be to partition a carboy-sized box on the bottom and fit it with another fan and maybe a “flap” to be able to hit ale fermenting temps in the summer. This needs some testing, but it’s on the radar so keep an eye on the blog.
- Plan your “door” better. I’m currently wedging the face on and off every time I want access to the inside. I had planned on cutting it a little smaller so it fit without wedging, but I haven’t been able to find magnetic tape in a layout I liked. I imagine something like they use on a refrigerator door would work nicely and come off without too much effort… I should look again.

Good luck and let me know how it goes!

]]> By: Joel http://duoteam.com/blog/2007/03/02/caskerator/#comment-6269 Joel Tue, 19 Feb 2008 15:19:51 +0000 http://duoteam.com/blog/2007/03/02/caskerator/#comment-6269 Found your site in a google search looking at what homebrewers are doing. I'm looking to build a fermentation chamber similar to your Caskerator and wanted to know how it is doing. It is able to maintain steady temperature and are there any changes you would make? Any insights would be greatly appreciated. Joel Found your site in a google search looking at what homebrewers are doing. I’m looking to build a fermentation chamber similar to your Caskerator and wanted to know how it is doing. It is able to maintain steady temperature and are there any changes you would make? Any insights would be greatly appreciated.

Joel

]]> By: troy http://duoteam.com/blog/2007/03/02/caskerator/#comment-657 troy Mon, 05 Mar 2007 20:21:48 +0000 http://duoteam.com/blog/2007/03/02/caskerator/#comment-657 I love it!! I don't fully get it, but it looks cool and I won't hide that that goes a long way in my book. Call me over when you've figured out how to attach the billiard table to it. It could be called the "sloparator" perhaps? I love it!! I don’t fully get it, but it looks cool and I won’t hide that that goes a long way in my book. Call me over when you’ve figured out how to attach the billiard table to it. It could be called the “sloparator” perhaps?

]]> By: Q http://duoteam.com/blog/2007/03/02/caskerator/#comment-650 Q Sat, 03 Mar 2007 17:35:31 +0000 http://duoteam.com/blog/2007/03/02/caskerator/#comment-650 Haha, I recognize CPU fans any day of the week! You just happened to have to spares lying around? And maybe you should paint that puppy or cover it. It kinda takes the manliness out of beer if it comes from a big pink box. ;) Haha, I recognize CPU fans any day of the week! You just happened to have to spares lying around? And maybe you should paint that puppy or cover it. It kinda takes the manliness out of beer if it comes from a big pink box. ;)

]]> By: MJ http://duoteam.com/blog/2007/03/02/caskerator/#comment-647 MJ Sat, 03 Mar 2007 02:09:03 +0000 http://duoteam.com/blog/2007/03/02/caskerator/#comment-647 Wow, never in my wildest dreams--or nightmares (?) did I ever envision that freezer that used to hold food for a family of 6 winding up like this--sure are getting the use out of it, that's for sure. Who says recycling doesn't work? Wow, never in my wildest dreams–or nightmares (?) did I ever envision that freezer that used to hold food for a family of 6 winding up like this–sure are getting the use out of it, that’s for sure. Who says recycling doesn’t work?

]]> By: Brent http://duoteam.com/blog/2007/03/02/caskerator/#comment-646 Brent Sat, 03 Mar 2007 00:27:52 +0000 http://duoteam.com/blog/2007/03/02/caskerator/#comment-646 Obviously should be the Caskenator. Obviously should be the Caskenator.

]]> By: Rick http://duoteam.com/blog/2007/03/02/caskerator/#comment-645 Rick Fri, 02 Mar 2007 23:51:38 +0000 http://duoteam.com/blog/2007/03/02/caskerator/#comment-645 Oh man, I would love a taste of the British bitter! Your "caskerator" looks pretty amazing. Good idea to move it all into the work room and leave your finished part for the visiting and sampling of the beers. So, is the pink color from the insulating foam? Oh man, I would love a taste of the British bitter! Your “caskerator” looks pretty amazing. Good idea to move it all into the work room and leave your finished part for the visiting and sampling of the beers. So, is the pink color from the insulating foam?

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