Can Someone Point Me To A Good Topic On Building A Fermenting Fridge?

[HomeBrewDan]

I've had a quick search but if I type in "fermenting fridge" I get heaps of results. Most didn't talk about how to build one.

I am currently a partial mash brewer and I'm going to start full grain over the next 12 months. I am want to start with controlling my fermentation temperature first though.

Cheers Dan

 

[[email protected]]

Step 1. Find a cheap/free fridge that still semiworks.
Step 2. Buy temperature controler
Step 3. See many many posts on building temperature controller
Step 4. Plug fridge into temp controller.

There's no need to modify the fridge in any way, unless you need to make space. The temp controller controls the power to maintain the temp and is the critical part.

 

[Cortez The Killer]

The STC-1000 controller seems to be the vogue at the moment

Probably cheapest from here @ $20.90 AUD today

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/New-Mini-Digital-Te...=item3a6443fbd0

Cheers

 

[raven19]

There's no need to modify the fridge in any way, unless you need to make space. The temp controller controls the power to maintain the temp and is the critical part.

+1.

You only need to start playing around with Fridges/Freezers once you go the kegs and need to mount taps/fonts, etc!

Good luck with sourcing an old cheap/free fridge!

 

[Logman]

I was researching a few days back. This thread has heaps of fermenter fridge/freezers.

On a side note, I am drinking my first keg from my small fermenter fridge at the moment - FWK lager. Had two of the same brew that I'd done in an esky with ice prior - not even a comparison, first awesome brew I've ever made, took it to another level.



Do any of you guys use a chest freezer for fermentation? Seems you would get plenty in it, just wondering if there is any draw backs?

 

[fcmcg]

Do any of you guys use a chest freezer for fermentation? Seems you would get plenty in it, just wondering if there is any draw backs?

I know a few guys use chesties , with a temp controller on them , to lager their beer.
From what i understand ( and i may have it wrong) Chest freezers ( with temp control ) actually are a better option motor/compresser wise as the compresser is actually more robust than the usual fridge one. If i had the room for a chest freezer , i would probably need two lol One for serving and one for fermenting !
I'm sorry , i don't know of any drawbacks...guess its why guys do chest freezer conversions for serving...some people have managed to get 12 kegs in there !
Cheers
Ferg

 

[[email protected]]

I was researching a few days back. This thread has heaps of fermenter fridge/freezers.

On a side note, I am drinking my first keg from my small fermenter fridge at the moment - FWK lager. Had two of the same brew that I'd done in an esky with ice prior - not even a comparison, first awesome brew I've ever made, took it to another level.



Do any of you guys use a chest freezer for fermentation? Seems you would get plenty in it, just wondering if there is any draw backs?

I guess your draw back is you can only have one temperature for multiple batches. It means you have to brew with the same yeast and it will make adjusting temperatures for lagering fairly difficult, unless you have a full freezer lagering at the same time.

 

[Phoney]

On drawback with a chest freezer is that you will never get a 60L fermenter in there if you ever decide to do double batches. Not that you'd want to fit it in anyway, as the the strain on your back from lifting in ~23kgs is already too much.

 

[Leigh]

Any all freezer is more efficient than a fridge.

Downside of fermenting in a chest freezer is lifting the fermenter in and out. A 20L batch is awkward, a 40L batch is very difficult.

 

[Bribie G]

Upright fridges or freezers let all the cold air spill out as soon as the door is opened, so chesties would be far more energy efficient. But on the other hand as chest freezers are meant to be run - erm, frozen - when run at fridge temperatures they can suffer from a lot of condensation build up, especially in humid climates where you might open them up frequently to have a look, do dry hopping etc. I don't know if any of the guys spray them inside with something to discourage corrosion, put in a drain hole etc?

Edit: of course when used as a kegerator build the door isn't opened so they wouldn't suffer from that problem.

Also the lifting would, to me, be the very worst OH&S ergonomic position imaginable. Ouch.

OP, if you are going to spend on a new fridge, I'd recommend a Kegmate type fridge without the fonts and tubing of course. Its huge inside, and easily holds a 60l fermenter, or three kegs if you decide to use it as a serving fridge later on, or two nochill cubes stacked... very versatile indeed. At around $500 it's far better value than a kitchen fridge, where you would be paying nearly a grand for something of similar size. The problem with kitchen fridges is that they are made tall and skinny for convenient usage in the kitchen, but that doesn't translate into what we need the fridge for, whereas the kegmate is all about beer.

The other model which I've heard good reports of is the Westinghouse 300L bar fridge. I doesn't have that annoying little freezer section with the swing up flap (like in motel fridges) - the cooling coils are in the side walls - so can fit big fermenter or two kegs easily.
Around 300 - 400 bucks I believe.

 

[captaincleanoff]

best fermenting fridges are Kegerators off ebay. They are built to hold kegs, so hold a 60L fermenter - which normal bar fridges never do. They look nice, and are only about $400. Went through about 5 fermenting fridges, will never go back from this one.

well.. $500 - http://cgi.ebay.com.au/BEER-FRIDGE-REFRIGE...=item51986ea8c3

but you can sell all the bits and pieces that come with it and just keep the fridge.

 

[Logman]

Thanks guys, yeah the negatives seem to outweigh the positive. Don't like the lifting out....

I have a 215 F&P that I'm about to collar but thought if I could ferment in the 215 I'd collar a 276 instead for serving. But I think I'll go with a 300 litre upright freezer and collar the 215.