Bottom Shelf Support For Keg Fridge?

[user 12491]

Gday brewers,

My keg fridge fits 2 kegs without the bottom shelf in place, and 3 when the shelf's in. The only catch is, the shelf can't hack the weight of 3 full (well, emptying) kegs. The fridge did come with vegie drawers but I don't want them in there and don't really trust them for the job anyway.

Any simple ideas for propping up the bottom shelf?

At the moment I have a stack of those little cans of flavoured tuna doing the job but I'm gonna want to eat the buggers eventually!

Cheers,

Wobbly

 

[benno1973]

Set up some formwork within the fridge and pour in some quick set cement? Makes for a pretty solid shelf, but its a bitch to move the fridge if you ever have to.

 

[raven19]

I use a basic timber panel with 2 vertical pieces acting as legs.

This allows me to use the space below for bottled beers, and yeast samples.

You could go as simple as some bricks, or fix a steel supporting angle along the sides, then cut a timber / steel shelf for the kegs.

Deflection will be critical imo, you dont want it sagging then breaking under the strain!

 

[Frag_Dog]

I went pretty basic with my ferment fridge, used the wire shelves, just put some timber on the shelves so they don't bow. But a full fermenter is only 25kg max

3 kegs (full) = 60kg~.... <_<

I recon knock up a timber frame as raven has said.

 

[Pollux]

I got a piece of checkerplate from a mate who was working with it and had some spare. My fridge has a beam (although it doesn't look uber strong) across the top of the vege drawers. I simply inverted the draws so there was more surface between the plate and underneath, sat the plate on and have been happy with it since.

Really should pull the drawers out while the fridge is near empty and fill them with that expanda foam stuff, for insulation if nothing else.

 

[Supra-Jim]

In my fermenting fridge i have a peice of marine ply, support with a ratching chassis stand.

Cheers SJ

 

[peas_and_corn]

I chocked up the bottom shelf of my ferment fridge with tiles I had lying around.

 

[Barley Belly]

In my fermentation fridge I made up a coupla shelves using an old security door for the grill and some aluminium frame plus corners I bought. $35 all up for 5 metres of frame plus 8 corners. Cut in a mitre box, rivet together and presto 2 solid shelves. Luckily the channels for the original shelves were a perfect fit for the frames, can slide them in and out but I made em nice and tight for strength.

And in fully operational mode

 

[rendo]

Hi Guys,

Am about to do my first brew in my shiny new fermentation fridge.

Do you think the shelf will support the weight of the ONE fermenter (approx 25kg...tops)...Its a sturdy looking glass shelf. Kelivnator 300l fridge.

Any thoughts?

I went pretty basic with my ferment fridge, used the wire shelves, just put some timber on the shelves so they don't bow. But a full fermenter is only 25kg max

3 kegs (full) = 60kg~.... <_<

I recon knock up a timber frame as raven has said.

 

[razz]

You wouldn't want to find out the hard way rendo, pack out under the shelf with some timber blocks to be sure.

 

[Barley Belly]

You wouldn't want to find out the hard way rendo, pack out under the shelf with some timber blocks to be sure.

+1

Glass will only bend/bow so far

 

[GTS350]

Milk crate with a plywood shelf .
or
Drill two holes on each side of the fridge. Bolt some angle iron to the holes on the internal side walls. Then plywood (or other type of shelving) across the brackets.

 

[rendo]

Thanks guys,

have it sorted now, I wont tempt fate. Will create my own 'shelf'

I will have to take some pics of my setup. The fridge, dig thermostat, cooling fans, shelf etc. Maybe on the weekend

Sweet

Milk crate with a plywood shelf .
or
Drill two holes on each side of the fridge. Bolt some angle iron to the holes on the internal side walls. Then plywood (or other type of shelving) across the brackets.

 

[fcmcg]

I reckon the glass would of held....but some pine would have done the trick...cheap and easy..you can paint it if your worried about moisture...
Cheeers
Ferg

 

[pokolbinguy]

Bricks...thats what supports my shelf.

 

[avaneyk]

Mine is thick ply wood (thick enough not to bend when I load it up) and it sits on the runners the wire shelf is meant to sit on. Works fine for me but its my fermenting fridge so only ever has one batch on it at a time. I'd probably reinforce the runners or add a middle support (wood, bricks etc as others have said) if I was putting 3 batches on it.

 

[mfeighan]

Bricks...thats what supports my shelf.

+1

yup i got some bricks at the bottom of my shelf too that shit isnt moving

 

[rendo]

thats funny cause thats exactly what I am going to use.

just so I can use my new ferm fridge for the first time. In the meantime (eventually...could be years) I will make a shelf out of marine ply, which should do the trick

Bricks...thats what supports my shelf.

 

[user 12491]

Done. A couple of bricks wrapped in cling wrap (so they don't scratch the shelf or fridge floor). Solved for 1.50 at the local hardware store. Cheers. :icon_cheers:

thats funny cause thats exactly what I am going to use.

just so I can use my new ferm fridge for the first time. In the meantime (eventually...could be years) I will make a shelf out of marine ply, which should do the trick

 

[rendo]

I reckon the bricks act quite a bit like a thermal mass, that will help keep the inside temp of the fridge and brew stable, eg recover quicker from when the door is opened etc.

I am probably going too deep now, but hey...I am sure its valid!

Done. A couple of bricks wrapped in cling wrap (so they don't scratch the shelf or fridge floor). Solved for 1.50 at the local hardware store. Cheers. :icon_cheers: