What is the best way to keep my primary and secondary fermentation at the proper temperature?

Answer 1

I used to keep my primary & secondary fermenters in the part of my house with the most stable temperature (my bedroom closet).  I have heard of others who keep their beer in a spare bathroom and try all sorts of different method to control the temperature (add ice to the tub, have a fan blow on it) or they've built their a cooling box (an insulated box with frozen milk jugs to maintain a lower temp).

I have since purchased used, small wine/beverage fridges just for this purpose.  I originally picked up an older wine fridge that worked well for my ales, as it wouldn't get any colder than 60 degrees and once all the shelves are removed a 6 gallon bucket fits perfectly.  

That worked fine until I decided to make lagers, so I upgraded to a beverage fridge that get's down to the lower 30's and my conical fermenter fits in it like a glove. I also added an external thermostat to get a better control on the temperature fluctuations.