# Show Us Your Fermentation Fridge



## Doc (3/4/07)

A slightly pointless topic, other than just to see piccies of members kit.

Here is my fermenatation freezer, with four brews on the go, and a bunch in No Chill cubes waiting. Also a starter on the stir plate.

Beers,
Doc


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## Fents (3/4/07)

Jesus christ you blokes take brewing to the next level. :blink:


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## devo (3/4/07)

Here are some older pic's of my fermenting fridge using 30ltr barrels but I've since been using the 60ltr variety. I also from time to time depending on the season and stability of the temp use what I call my Ferm bath. Which is basically a plastic tub filled with water and a 300w fish tank immersion heater. I just submerge the barrels into the tank and let it go. It's surprisingly effective and great for doing ales/stouts around Autumn time where the average temp is 18 - 22c.


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## Yeasty (3/4/07)

Doc said:


> A slightly pointless topic, other than just to see piccies of members kit.
> 
> Here is my fermenatation freezer, with four brews on the go, and a bunch in No Chill cubes waiting. Also a starter on the stir plate.
> 
> ...



:huh: 

My Sir, i take my hat off, bow down and kiss your shoes.


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## SpillsMostOfIt (3/4/07)

Here's my thermoelectric wine cooler complete with BX-24 dev board monitoring temperature via a DS18S20, a blower in the back to ensure the cool is evenly distributed and a thermometer adding no value at all. The brew is a Belgian dark ale. It all lives in my study.


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## warrenlw63 (3/4/07)

devo said:


> Here are some older pic's of my fermenting fridge using 30ltr barrels but I've since been using the 60ltr variety.



Gawd Devo I wouldn't be letting you loose at any railway station with a whiteboard marker.  

Warren -


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## lucas (3/4/07)

My very tight fitting bar fridge, about to defrost and drip water all over my floor (though I didnt realise that at the time)


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## tangent (3/4/07)

80L fermenter (only half full though  )
I plan on putting 78L of Pilsner in there soon.


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## devo (3/4/07)

warrenlw63 said:


> Gawd Devo I wouldn't be letting you loose at any railway station with a whiteboard marker.
> 
> Warren -




Yeah, I'm known for tagging batman station with OG readings.


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## bugwan (3/4/07)

I'm with Devo on the aquarium immersion heater idea. I brewed through Winter last year with one of these, matched with a $5 pond pump from Bunnings to circulate the water around the fermenter...

Sorry for the weak flash;



I don't have any photos of my fermentation fridge, but it's not much to look at. A 520Ltr dead fridge/freezer. The insulation is enough to keep it at 18C most of the year. I sometimes throw in some frozen water bottles during summer or a hot water bottle in Winter, if my aquarium system is in use.


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## warrenlw63 (3/4/07)

devo said:


> Yeah, I'm known for tagging batman station with OG readings.



:lol: :lol: 

Warren -


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## tangent (3/4/07)

:lol: so you're _1.056_?


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## Dr Gonzo (3/4/07)

Trusty old rusty


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## therook (3/4/07)

devo said:


> Yeah, I'm known for tagging batman station with OG readings.




I thought i seen your tag when i got off the train at Batman last night  

I was so nearly tempted to walk around and sneak into the shed for another stout  

Rook


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## BrotherNutz (3/4/07)

My custom made fermenter fridge controlled by a PICAXE and DS18B20 digital sensors.

Full page at

http://members.iinet.net.au/~u9013943/beer.htm

Pete


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## Steve (3/4/07)

:blink: holy crap!!!!


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## warrenlw63 (3/4/07)

Here's mine. Pretty boring huh? Beer in the picture was a wheat beer that was just finishing off. :beer: 






Warren -


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## therook (3/4/07)

As Steve says " Holy Crap "

How the hell does that setup up work BrotherNutz??????????????????

One confused rook :unsure:


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## fifteenbeerslater (3/4/07)

Here is mine, mainly used with up to four fermenters, two on top and two in the middle. At full capacity it could hold nine fermenters. Ideal for say four fermenters and heaps of bottles etc. It has an electric heat source and cooling is provided out of the coolroom.
Cheers 15BL


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## BrotherNutz (3/4/07)

therook said:


> As Steve says " Holy Crap "
> 
> How the hell does that setup up work BrotherNutz??????????????????
> 
> One confused rook :unsure:




Hehe, which part of it!

Pete


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## therook (3/4/07)

BrotherNutz said:


> Hehe, which part of it!
> 
> Pete



the upside down fermenters.

Rook


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## BrotherNutz (3/4/07)

therook said:


> the upside down fermenters.
> 
> Rook




Ahh, ok. I spun some nylon rod and made caps for the ends of the fermenters. The ones you see in the pics there were the prototypes. Into the caps there is a stainless tap with stainless barb, a stainless tube that runs to the 'top' of the fermenter, and a stainless barb to release CO2. OK, so the tube is connected internally in the nylon cap to the CO2 barb, liquid does not come out here, save for the krausen blow-off. Internally in the nylon cap there is also a port that leads to the valve. Trub, yeast etc can be dumped out here during ferment. 

The idea is nice enough, but not as practical as it seems. The shoulders of the carboys are too flat and gunk does not fall to the bottom as I would like.

When running the beer out into a keg, it does get some yeast into it. Not an issue I reckon, but I would prefer it didn't. A connect is plugged into a CO2 purged keg, and gravity runs it straight from the fermenter, through a line, into the keg.

It is a pretty neat 'no-rack' system, but is not perfect. I may just end up going back to using the carboys in the vertical position and using CO2 to rack the beer off.

The cupboard I bought from a kitchen shop, lagged it with foam, installed a light bulb in each side and a cooling coil in each side. Cooling water is provided by two aquarium pumps, each independently controlled by the PICAXE processor. The cooling water is chilled by a fridge motor/condenser system I ripped from an old fridge. Water is held between 1 and 3 degC. I can be lagering in one side at ~2degC, and fermenting an Ale in the other at 20degC.


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## Steve (3/4/07)

BrotherNutz - introduce yourself at the meeting on thursday if you are going - I wanna see this bad boy in action! Im the pommie skinhead - prolly wearing a Man Utd shirt.
Cheers
Steve


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## warrenlw63 (3/4/07)

Ah you're a Manc Steve... That explains the Boddies avatar. :lol: 

Warren -


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## Steve (3/4/07)

warrenlw63 said:


> Ah you're a Manc Steve... That explains the Boddies avatar. :lol:
> 
> Warren -




near as damn it Warren, me dad and grandad were. :beer: I started having Boddies on me porridge when I was two - its kinda close to me heart! Anyways back to fridges.
Cheers
Steve


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## gnewell (3/4/07)

BrotherNutz said:


> My custom made fermenter fridge controlled by a PICAXE and DS18B20 digital sensors.
> 
> Full page at
> 
> ...


Love your custom fermenter fridge. You've inspired me. I like the fact you can control the temperature in each section of the fridge independently. Great idea.
Would love to know how you got the whole fridge / glycol chiller thing working.

Geoff,


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## BrotherNutz (3/4/07)

Yep, shall do. Beats me what I look like! Although some would have plenty to say on that.....Just ask who Nutzy is. Get Dr Kurtz to point me out.



Steve said:


> BrotherNutz - introduce yourself at the meeting on thursday if you are going - I wanna see this bad boy in action! Im the pommie skinhead - prolly wearing a Man Utd shirt.
> Cheers
> Steve


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## Ross (3/4/07)

Steve said:


> BrotherNutz - introduce yourself at the meeting on thursday if you are going - I wanna see this bad boy in action! Im the pommie skinhead - prolly wearing a Man Utd shirt.
> Cheers
> Steve



Off Topic - But what a game against Blackburn yesterday :super: 

cheers Ross


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## Steve (3/4/07)

Ross said:


> Off Topic - But what a game against Blackburn yesterday :super:
> 
> cheers Ross




yeah it was a good result.

Nutzy why is there no krausen in the fermenter on the left and then krausen on the right at the very top with a few inches between that and the wort. Is that just loss from taking hydro readings. What size are those fermenters?
Cheers
Steve


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## warrenlw63 (3/4/07)

Ross said:


> Off Topic - But what a game against Blackburn yesterday :super:
> 
> cheers Ross



:lol: We'll be hearing from KoNG soon.  

Warren -


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## KoNG (3/4/07)

Yawn.... 
yeh yeh, The "Scum" rises to the top again.


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## BrotherNutz (3/4/07)

Geoff - Brisbane said:


> Love your custom fermenter fridge. You've inspired me. I like the fact you can control the temperature in each section of the fridge independently. Great idea.
> Would love to know how you got the whole fridge / glycol chiller thing working.
> 
> Geoff,




The chiller.....Really, if one is to play with these things, you need to have a little technical knowledge of fridge systems. They are simple enough, but building one up needs a little know-how. Also some special gear is needed to pull the vacuum into the system, then gas it using an appropriate refridgerant.


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## DarkFaerytale (3/4/07)

i can see a new thread

"the brothernutz method"

very cool system you have there, beats my fridge...i'm almost scared to post a pic now, perhaps later after i have a couple 

-Phill


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## BrotherNutz (3/4/07)

Steve said:


> Nutzy why is there no krausen in the fermenter on the left and then krausen on the right at the very top with a few inches between that and the wort. Is that just loss from taking hydro readings. What size are those fermenters?
> Cheers
> Steve



Judging by the wet floor, I would say I had just brewed, ergo, just pitched.

The low levels were due to me not brewing enough wort, and also the stainless CO2 spike not reaching right to the top of the carboy. I use a 5" piece of silicon tube on top of each spike now. I can fill the fermenters right up.

Not sure what size they are, but they fill a keg and leave several liters behind.


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## eric8 (3/4/07)

very cool system you have there, beats my fridge...i'm almost scared to post a pic now, perhaps later after i have a couple 


At least you have a fridge, mine sits on the floor in the bathroom  .
One day. But damn some of these set ups are good, Doc how much do you have on the go at once???
Eric


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## SpillsMostOfIt (3/4/07)

BrotherNutz said:


> [ Images removed ]
> My custom made fermenter fridge controlled by a PICAXE and DS18B20 digital sensors.
> 
> Full page at
> ...



I feel very inadequate right now... :unsure:


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## Doc (3/4/07)

eric8 said:


> Doc how much do you have on the go at once???
> Eric



Usually at least three brews in fermenters at a time. Almost at capcity at the moment. The first photo is my Ale Fermentation Freezer. I also have a lager fridge. Only one in there ATM; a Baltic Porter.

Beers,
Doc


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## Duff (3/4/07)

Cheers.

PS: I do have a lager fridge


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## Steve (3/4/07)

This is a combined post for "show us your fermenting fridge" ...the white one
"Show us your kegging setup"....the grey one
and
"Whats in the glass".....Coopers traditional draught








Cheers
Steve

P.S. I was going to take a photo of my laundry for the "Show me your brewery" but its just a normal laundry, seen one seen them all.


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## Josh (3/4/07)

Here's my fermenting fridge complete with APA in secondary. All the cans and stubbies are from the soccer esky.



And my kegs serving fridge with a newly emptied keg and Pilsner yeast starter cooling down in the main part. Wit yeast starter in the door.


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## Yeasty (3/4/07)

Steve said:


> View attachment 11986



I like the drive through service


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## Steve (3/4/07)

Yeasty said:


> I like the drive through service




:lol: good one yeasty


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## Slurpdog (3/4/07)

Small but effective.
$45 fridge from ebay and a Mashmaster temp controller.
I thought 3 ferm capacity would be plenty but after seeing Doc's set up........ :blink:


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## SpillsMostOfIt (3/4/07)

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has shared their setups with the rest of us.

I have forwarded this topic to my wife. We live in hope...


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## Slurpdog (3/4/07)

SpillsMostOfIt said:


> I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has shared their setups with the rest of us.
> 
> I have forwarded this topic to my wife. We live in hope...



Best of luck SMO.
My wife happens to like the beer I make, so when it comes to making things better she turns a blind eye to the cost


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## Doc (9/4/07)

I've almost reach full capacity (cubes two deep).
Will keg another beer tomorrow, kick off fermentation on one of the cubes, allowing me to get maybe two more brew days in this week, and that will be it. For the first time in a couple of years (even though the potential capcity has increased), I'll be at full production 
Also both stir plates in action. WLP300 on the right, and WLP029 on the left.

Doc


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## redbeard (10/4/07)

Doc, the WLP300 stir plate on the right is turned off ! woops !

before photo ?


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## Doc (10/4/07)

redbeard said:


> Doc, the WLP300 stir plate on the right is turned off ! woops !
> 
> before photo ?



It is on.
There is no orange dot on that power switch. An you should be able to see the vortex in the middle of the growler. Definitely on.

Beers,
Doc


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## Duff (10/4/07)

Doc, you're turning into a 'No Chill' junkie. Good to see :beerbang: 

Cheers.


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## Lindsay Dive (10/4/07)

Just a little photograph showing six fermenters being comforted by six little Camemberts showing their first signs of white mould. 11c degrees and 96 % humidity.




Regards,
Lindsay.


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## Lukes (12/4/07)

Pic of my General Motors ferm fridge.
An oldie but a goodie. :beerbang: 





-- Luke​


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## Little_Squares (13/4/07)

Lindsay Dive said:


> Just a little photograph showing six fermenters being comforted by six little Camemberts showing their first signs of white mould. 11c degrees and 96 % humidity.
> 
> View attachment 12065
> 
> ...




How do you adjust the humidity for your cheese? I'm going to start attempting to make some cheeses and was thinking of sharing <gulp> hubby's brew fridge - don't feel sorry for him - he's got 3!


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## Lindsay Dive (14/4/07)

I guess I'm lucky that the chest frezeer adjusted to run at 10c to 13c seems to produce enough moisture to run at about 94 to 96% humidity.
You need high humidity when maturing cheese.
I bought a little elcheapo hygrometer off eBay for the job which seems to do the job efficiently.


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## Little_Squares (14/4/07)

thanks for the info. I'll grab a hygro and see what our fridges are.....


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## Asher (15/4/07)

Check out my first attempt at camembert here:
beer accompaniment

...but heres my fermenting fridge in action :super: although only at 1/2 capacity...


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## lucas (15/4/07)

that's beautiful asher. is that permanently mounted in there? is it difficult to clean? how much did it lighten your wallet?


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## Linz (15/4/07)

Little_Squares said:


> How do you adjust the humidity for your cheese? I'm going to start attempting to make some cheeses and was thinking of sharing <gulp> hubby's brew fridge - don't feel sorry for him - he's got 3!





DANG!!!!, JUST SAW THIS REPLY..........

and Ive only got 2!! the other one is a yeast and hops storage fridge...


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## brettprevans (30/4/07)

someone has a quote asking if homwbrewing is an obsession or a hobby. I think these pics provde the answer. you guys are insane this the rigs you set up. I now have something to aspire to and to provide to my wife that no matter how much HB stuff I but theres people out there more obsessed than me.

Thanks guys. great pics.


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## pokolbinguy (30/4/07)

Asher said:


> Check out my first attempt at camembert here:
> beer accompaniment
> 
> ...but heres my fermenting fridge in action :super: although only at 1/2 capacity...
> View attachment 12154



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OH YES I WANT ONE.

Where did you get that baby Asher???? and what did it set you back? How does it mount inside the fridge?

Cheers, Pok


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## yardy (30/4/07)

pokolbinguy said:


> I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want.!!!
> 
> OH YES I WANT ONE.
> 
> ...



Me too, i see it says 'Rota Moulding' on the conical, time for a google i think......

yard



EDIT: found it here


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## pokolbinguy (30/4/07)

100lt Cone Bottom Measuring as seen in Ashers Post = $306.90

A little out of my league in $$ at the moment, but would be a nice investment.

I'll put it on the wish list


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## poppa joe (30/4/07)

I have a 510 lt upright Fridge Freezer...Dead but i think can be fixed easy..
MOVED FROM Gold Coast to NOWRA..Plugged it in went PHFFTT.
Little box near compressor blew..We bought the fridge in the house we bought.
Had to get a fridgie in to fix it ...He looked at our fridge Quoted me 35 bucks...
Said he had to get a box..never saw him again....COST ME $500 to fix the one we bought..
I wanted to fix this one MUMMMY says get rid of it...
FREE if anyone interested for fermenting fridge(Box)..PICKUP NOWRA NTH.
Shame to dump it...
PJ
P.S. My longest post PP eat your heart out.


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## frogman (23/5/07)

Silly people at work were going to throw out fridge on the left 'cause the thermostat was stuffed.
1 electrical connector fixed that (bypass thermostat) now its running perfectly through a FridgeMate.
Glasses in the freezer section get up to 8 deg when fridge set at 18.




FROGMAN


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## InCider (23/5/07)

frogman said:


> Silly people at work were going to throw out fridge on the left 'cause the thermostat was stuffed.
> 1 electrical connector fixed that (bypass thermostat) now its running perfectly through a FridgeMate.
> Glasses in the freezer section get up to 8 deg when fridge set at 18.
> 
> ...



Do the frogs take kindly to the variation in temps?


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## Uncle Fester (11/8/07)

My first lager bubbling happily @ 12 degrees in my recently acquired fermentation fridge :beer: 

Gotta love freebies!




Fester


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## Kai (11/8/07)

That is undoubtedly the most awesome iced tea I have ever seen.


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## Screwtop (11/8/07)

Little_Squares said:


> How do you adjust the humidity for your cheese? I'm going to start attempting to make some cheeses and was thinking of sharing <gulp> hubby's brew fridge - don't feel sorry for him - he's got 3!




Hey Mel, grab any little el cheapo water feature/bubbler and put it inside the fridge, works great to lift the humidity for cheeses. Try the warehouse etc, they have those little ones for the kitchen bench etc were flavour of the month a while ago.

Screwy


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## Kingy (9/1/08)

You guys are all MAD!!! I thought i had a problem, This thread makes me feel so much better :lol:


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## amita (9/1/08)

Groundhog Day???

cheers amita


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## the_fuzz (9/1/08)

Anyone got any idea where would be a good place to try to get something like that?


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## SJW (9/1/08)

I love it!


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## mitysa (10/1/08)

This is my ferm fridge

351ltr westinghouse upright freezer with fridgemate attached

can fit 3 fermenters plus 1 or 2 cubes

mike


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## hando (11/1/08)

That fermenter looks so nice in the iced tea fridge but I was wondering if there was any bad effects that can happen to a brew which is exposed to light like that?


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## Uncle Fester (15/1/08)

Whats_Wrong_with_Hahn said:


> Anyone got any idea where would be a good place to try to get something like that?



sorry about the late reply - I got this for free from my local Indoor Cricket Centre. It's amazing the amount of promotional stuff Coca Cola Amatil leave around the place and then forget about.

On its warmest setting it maintains the brew at 12 degrees. For Ales, I have it run off a standard timer. 1 hour on, 3 hours off maintains 18 degrees.


Fester.


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## Uncle Fester (15/1/08)

hando said:


> That fermenter looks so nice in the iced tea fridge but I was wondering if there was any bad effects that can happen to a brew which is exposed to light like that?



All of my fridges have lights in them......


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## reVoxAHB (24/1/08)

Finally got around to snapping my Ferm Fridge MKII:





As precautionary measure, I threw together a 3 legged under-shelf re-enforcement that squeezes just below the wire fridge shelf:




A quick snip of the (wire shelf) area at front right, allows for airlock/blowoff to extend into second tier.
Terracotta/Paver is for heating in winter, or I slide it out of the way when not in use to fit glass demijohn starters, etc.
Inside plastic door was removed and replaced with 3mm MDF, sealed, painted along with shelf support. 
Cups of white stuff is just baking powder (sorry folks!) to absorb yeasty/ferm odor as SWMBO also uses the room for storage/projects. 

reVox


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## NRB (24/1/08)

Please tell me that first pic is taken whilst standing on something reVox?! If not, you're one tall bugger!


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## tk75 (23/3/08)

I am wondering if anyone has a fermentation room?
I am looking at partioning a small section in the garage and having some sort of temp. control having the room sit at a constant 18C or so. I plan on doing more Ales than Lagers and so I can get a chiller fridge later when needed.


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## InCider (23/3/08)

maltaddict said:


> I am wondering if anyone has a fermentation room?
> I am looking at partioning a small section in the garage and having some sort of temp. control having the room sit at a constant 18C or so. I plan on doing more Ales than Lagers and so I can get a chiller fridge later when needed.



Ross does - and there are pics, and also DeckedoutDaz I think.... I'd search for you Maltaddict, but I'm off to the Zooo! :icon_cheers: 

Cheers,

InCider.


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## tk75 (23/3/08)

InCider said:


> Ross does - and there are pics, and also DeckedoutDaz I think.... I'd search for you Maltaddict, but I'm off to the Zooo! :icon_cheers:
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> InCider.



Thanks InCider :icon_cheers: Just sent a PM to Ross.
Hey, have a great day at the zoo and a Happy Easter too!!


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