Fermentation Fridge

[Guysmiley54]

Hi guys,

Picked up a cheap second hand bar fridge today and I'm having some problems fitting my fermenter inside. I would really like to remove the freezer section to give me some headroom. Here'a a picture of it:



There is a cable attaching it to the thermostat, so I assume it is being supplied electricity. Is it safe/possible to remove the freezer section?

I have tried taking the plastic door insert out. This has moulded shelves, so taking it out saves lots of room. However... the door seal is only being held on by this insert. I'm pretty sure I can glue the door seal back on now that I have taken the insert out.

Has anyone run up against these issues before? Any tips/ideas?

ps The freezer tray has heaps of flaking paint coming off it. Is that a worry/bad thing?

 

[gregs]

I cant comment on the electrical safety issues of removing the freezer unit but I have see these freezer cores carefully bent down to get them out of the way or repositioned in some way.

 

[Guysmiley54]

I cant comment on the electrical safety issues of removing the freezer unit but I have see these freezer cores carefully bent down to get them out of the way or repositioned in some way.

The freezer core is sitting in plastic channels that run down the each side. I don't know how I would liberate it from these grooves. I could cut it? Break the plastic moulding?

 

[DU99]

theres only power to the light and the other end of the thermostat..which are contained in that little white box on the right...you can remove the freezer section if you not going to use it as a normal fridge..once you remove the freezer section you let out all the gas..

 

[QldKev]

That freezer section is what cools your fridge, remove it and you don't have a fridge any more.

If the fermenter is not going to fit, can you get a different fermentor?
How much did you pay for the fridge? if you try modifying it you may stuff it, are you better off trying to sell it to get your money back and buy another.

If you are happy to risk loosing the fridge and want to modify it.
Look at the bottom plastic channels holding the bottom section of the freezer in place. Get a stanley and run it along the outer corner to remove the bottoms of the plastic. Once the plastic is out of the way, gently bend the bottom of the freezer down and towards the back of the fridge; you will need to support the back of the vertical panel. If the metal cracks and leaks the gas out, your fridge is dead. If you don't get a leak, you have a taller fridge without a freezer section.

QldKev

 

[InCider]

Ferment in cubes!

 

[zabond]

how much head room do you need?if its just for airlock clearance ditch the airlock and go gladwrap,as others have said if you puncture the freezer tray no more fridge,carefully cutting the plastic then bending the tray up or down can be done but 1 pin hole and pssss [stuffed unit]

 

[Guysmiley54]

That freezer section is what cools your fridge, remove it and you don't have a fridge any more.

If the fermenter is not going to fit, can you get a different fermentor?
How much did you pay for the fridge? if you try modifying it you may stuff it, are you better off trying to sell it to get your money back and buy another.

If you are happy to risk loosing the fridge and want to modify it.
Look at the bottom plastic channels holding the bottom section of the freezer in place. Get a stanley and run it along the outer corner to remove the bottoms of the plastic. Once the plastic is out of the way, gently bend the bottom of the freezer down and towards the back of the fridge; you will need to support the back of the vertical panel. If the metal cracks and leaks the gas out, your fridge is dead. If you don't get a leak, you have a taller fridge without a freezer section.

QldKev

I did not know that the freezer was the fridges only cooling method! I have been very rough with that panel... I hope I haven't cracked it already

With the side panel off, I can fit my fermenter with the tap sideways, I will just have to glue the seal back on the door. When it comes time to rack/bottle will swivelling the fermenter 90 degrees disturb the yeast cake?

I could ferment in a cube too

 

[MarkBastard]

If you have crash chilled for a couple of days the yeast cake will be nice and compact. I ferment in bar fridges and I get the fermenter out and put it up on a bench before any racking and the yeast cake stays solid.

 

[Bribie G]

That freezer section is what cools your fridge, remove it and you don't have a fridge any more.

If the fermenter is not going to fit, can you get a different fermentor?
How much did you pay for the fridge? if you try modifying it you may stuff it, are you better off trying to sell it to get your money back and buy another.

If you are happy to risk losing the fridge and want to modify it.
Look at the bottom plastic channels holding the bottom section of the freezer in place. Get a stanley and run it along the outer corner to remove the bottoms of the plastic. Once the plastic is out of the way, gently bend the bottom of the freezer down and towards the back of the fridge; you will need to support the back of the vertical panel. If the metal cracks and leaks the gas out, your fridge is dead. If you don't get a leak, you have a taller fridge without a freezer section.

QldKev

Mark^B above actually sold me this bar fridge, which he had bought from GravityGuru who had bought it off someone else and no doubt was modded by the original owner. You will note that the freezer plate has been removed totally from the tracks and bent down and even screwed to the back of the fridge "A". It works perfectly and is a ripper little unit, currently doing a lager at 12 degrees.

I use a 25 L fermenter with clingo as you can see, and in fact my 'real' lager production line is 20L square cube for nochill, 25L smaller fermenter (Bunnings do them) for primary and a 20L square cube with tap that goes back into the fridge for secondary. So my lager production line is quite separate from my ales.

The main disadvantage is that as condensation builds up "B" it runs down the back and also drips onto the fermenter. I may screw on some channel and a drip tube but find an acceptable option is to support the bottom wire shelf with a little cube full of water with a towel on top, and that absorbs condensation then into the washing machine at the end of the brew. Works ok.

 

[MarkBastard]

slut fridge lives!!!

 

[Guysmiley54]

If you have crash chilled for a couple of days the yeast cake will be nice and compact. I ferment in bar fridges and I get the fermenter out and put it up on a bench before any racking and the yeast cake stays solid.

I bottle my beer (due to no keg setup yet ) Will a crash chill leave enough yeast in the bottle to carb up?

 

[Guysmiley54]

All right guys! I have gotten the freezer plate bent down just like the slut fridge Even better.... I turned it on and it's working great :icon_cheers:

You mentioned that your fridge had the plate screwed to the back wall to keep it stable. Mine seems to be doing just fine the way it is, do you recommend that I attach it or just let it hang in the breeze?

 

[MarkBastard]

Yeah a crash chill will still leave plenty of yeast in suspension.

As for securing the cooling to the back, nah you don't have to. If you can get a fermenter in there now just leave it as if. Try not to have the fermenter touch the chilling plate though.

 

[Guysmiley54]

Yeah a crash chill will still leave plenty of yeast in suspension.

As for securing the cooling to the back, nah you don't have to. If you can get a fermenter in there now just leave it as if. Try not to have the fermenter touch the chilling plate though.

Thanks mate. My thermostat dial goes from 0-7, which do you thinking is the coldest setting? Should I even be aiming for the coldest setting?

Have you ever tried damp-rid or the likes to soak up extra moisture when the fridge cycles on and off?

 

[MarkBastard]

I would be very careful and set your fridge at 5 to be on the safe side. Now that the freezer and fridge are all one big area it may go colder than you think. I know slut fridge above is capable of freezing your beer.

As for damp rid, I know people use it. I don't have any personal experience.

 

[QldKev]

All right guys! I have gotten the freezer plate bent down just like the slut fridge Even better.... I turned it on and it's working great :icon_cheers:

You mentioned that your fridge had the plate screwed to the back wall to keep it stable. Mine seems to be doing just fine the way it is, do you recommend that I attach it or just let it hang in the breeze?

slut fridge has a friend

glad it worked for ya

QldKev

 

[MarkBastard]

slut fridge has a friend

post pics :icon_drool2:

 

[Guysmiley54]

post pics :icon_drool2:

Now, what shall I name her... Westinghouse Whore? :super:

On the topic of crash chilling... After the yeast has dropped out of suspension, should I bring the temperature back to 18 before bulk priming and bottling?

 

[MarkBastard]

gee she has some battle wounds but thats never stopped anyone :huh:

I'm not a botteler so I wouldn't really know mate. I can't see why you couldn't rack cold and then let the beers warm up. Maybe you'd have to give them a shake once they hit room temperature though?