Brew Fridge Upgrade Recommendations

[bum]

May not help you with the future-proofing side of things (re:100L fermenter, etc) but it might be worth considering doing what I did. I "downgraded" the food fridge to a fermenting fridge and got SWMBO to pick a new kitchen fridge. She's happy, I'm happy and because it's not some $50 roughy from Gumtree I've even been able to keep it in the kitchen - no running out to the garage just to stare at the yeasties (lazy bastards won't do anything if I'm not breathing down their necks - you need eyes like a hawk in this game).

 

[QldKev]

Hey guys, first post

Bought a 2nd hand chest freezer off Gumtree for $50, motor was running but it wasn't cooling at all. Had to drive 50km (each way) and spend $25 on toll to get it, so after fuel etc. was probably closer to $90. Everything closer to me was more like $150-$250. I was very disappointed and frustrated since I have been having a few issues lately due to the incredibly hot weather we had (lost a batch). I had another look on Gumtree and ebay and decided, screw this, there surely must be a cheap new freezer somewhere...

I ended up finding a 203l Palsonic chest freezer at Betta Electrical for under $300. It has 2 years warranty, fast freeze for crash chilling and best of all can fit up to 4 corny kegs! Or a fermentor and 2 kegs. Plus a few beers on the side on top of the step. And no funky 2nd hand smell from whatever they stored in there before. Much, much happier

I know there are a gizzilion 2nd hand freezers available out there, but a 10 year old freezer for $150 and I have to pick it up, or a brand new one for $300 and they deliver with 2 year warranty... $150 extra was worth it for me.

I probably could have found another one closer at $50-$100 again, but what if it also didn't work, or just worked for a year and then died? Too much hassle when all I want to do is brew perfect beer

Another benefit of a newer fridge/freezer is they are more energy efficient. So over a few years the initial cost difference is reduced. Depending on how old the fridge is, the savings may be a substantial amount. I recently replaced my really old kegerator with a newer upright freezer(and stc-1000), and I am looking at saving around $140 a year in power going by the Belkin power meter. (to be fair I replaced a large 450+L upside down fridge/freezer, with a 320L all freezer set at 4c; so no freezer section to keep at -18c) As a bonus I no longer have an ugly fridge in my carport, I have a nice clean modern fridge.

As did bum, I updated the wifes kitchen fridge and scored the old pidgeon pair for my brewery; the freezer from the pigeon pair is my new kegerator, and the fridge section is my new fermenting fridge.

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QldKev

 

[stux]

So, the moral of the story is when picking your main kitchen fridge always keep an eye out for its second life in your brewery one day

Unfortunately our kitchen fridge is still too damn nice to replace, even though its six years old they're still selling the same model.

I measured it up a year ago. I reckon it'd fit 7 kegs

 

[QldKev]

So, the moral of the story is when picking your main kitchen fridge always keep an eye out for its second life in your brewery one day

Unfortunately our kitchen fridge is still too damn nice to replace, even though its six years old they're still selling the same model.

I measured it up a year ago. I reckon it'd fit 7 kegs

The wife may get suss when you go out to buy a new fridge and you have kegs under your arms :lol:

 

[kahlerisms]

Out kitchen fridge is (quite rightly) the least appropriate for my beer related endeavours.

I have a full height freezer that I use as a 4 tap keg fridge, a fairly tall bar fridge I use for stubbies, and a half and half (the $50 guy that I started this thread about) as my ferment fridge. Meanwhile the inside food fridge is tiny and about 40% freezer.

The $50 guy is on his way out and he's kind of a pain in the arse anyway. He no longer gets below about 10 degrees so I can't crash cool in him any more (well not as efficiently anyway, I'm sure most ale yeast would get sleepy at those temps). It's also not wide enough for two fermenters side by side and my better bottle is too tall to put two in vertically, so I'm back to Coopers fermenters when I want to have two on the go at once.

I would love a big arse freezer with enough width to put two fermenters side by side on two shelves (or two on the top shelves while you've got your cubes and starters coming to temp on the bottom or vice versa) but I don't seem to have nearly the luck of you guys spotting all these $100 enormous full size freezers. What kinda magic keywords are you kids using?

 

[pommiebloke]

The key is UPRIGHT freezer and FROST-FREE. You can usually tell from the pictures if they are not frost free as the shelves have the cooling coil underneath them which renders them unsuitable for holding a fermenter.

I picked mine up on eBay locally but it was quite pricey at $200. Didn't mind paying as it was perfect for my needs - lots of space, commercial model (not domestic), stainless steel and even has a temperature readout on the door.

Also have another huge fridge/freezer which I picked up on eBay for $120. Freezer for the hops (and as an overflow for the missus to keep frozen stuff in) and fridge part for lagering and storing bottled beer. Bosch brand, with its own controllable temp setting from 0 to 8 degrees which negates the need for another temp mate.

Took me a few weeks for these to come up in my area but you can set a search so that you get emailed new eBay matches every day which helps.

 

[Jan Meyer]

I thought I would post a pic as it says way more

Have a thermostat that keeps the freezer at the correct temp as well. Hanging in the middle of the freezer from the lid as you can see.

 

[stux]

The wife may get suss when you go out to buy a new fridge and you have kegs under your arms :lol:

take a few cardboard cutouts... 6.5" in diameter... iirc

 

[pommiebloke]

Where are you based? This bloke is giving away an upright freezer and a fridge in Sydney.

http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/70451-free-large-upright-freezerand-free-beer-fridge/