Since my first post on the subject of creating a low cost cooler to manage temperature during fermentation, found here, I've made some incremental improvements to the design that I built The main issue is that the initial design for the lid had a tendency to get stuck in the cooler and without handles the act of lifting it up to change ice was a pain. The solution was simple- a couple screen door handles, 4 2-inch 6/32 machine screws, wide fender washers, and wing nuts. Now with the handle on diagonally opposing corner, lifting the lid off is much easier. An additional benefit of the improved design is that the screw running through the lid help to secure the two layers of foam much better than the spray adhesive that I'd used initially.
These photos are:
- one handle assembly (need two for each lid)
- the shiny underside of the lid- you can see the fender washers and wingnuts holding things together
- top of the lid with the handles in opposing corners
The second incremental improvement was the addition of an electronic thermometer with the wire attached probe. With the probe inserted through a square of foam to act as a float and keep the probe wiring dry while giving constant access to the temp of the water in the cooler this allows for quick and easy temp readings.
Lastly, I've found another adaptation for using these coolers. A single layer foam lid with cutout to accommodate a corny keg makes for a nicely portable keg cooler to take to parties.
