Fermenter Fridge Modifications

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m3taL

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I'm Tinkering with my fermenter fridge at the moment to try maximise usable space as well as most efficent.

The fridge is a fan forced style that has a fan in the freezer section that has a duct that flows cold air down to the fridge area and circulates back upto the freezer section.

Iv blocked all the ducts for the fan to blow into the freezer section and gutted the flow controller to open up the flow down to the fridge area, Im looking at dismantleing the ducting area in the fridge bit so its just one big duct instead of the 8 little holes that the air flows out of to make the chiller section colder and the fruit n veg cooling area etc.....

Just want to know if anyone else has done anything similar and anything they have come across....

Im looking at PID controllers for it Iv got access to a whole range of electrical equipment at work to control the temp hoping that i can try get the freezer and fridge section to regulate somewhat the same kind of temps so i can store bottles up the top for Carbing/Conditioning and fermenter & Bottles down the bottom and try keep it all at around 18-20c.

guessing with it being fan forced and getting a good flow it should regulate well, trial and error with the PID sensor placement i guess
 
If you've gutted the flap area I think it should be pretty easy.

Just run a duct via the hole where the flap is/was (ensure only covers about 1/2 the hole), from the bottom to the top with a fan to draw (or push) air through. This will cause the air to circulated through the entire fridge. You would not need a huge air flow, just enough to keep it moving. Then just use a stc-1000 (or similar) to maintain the required temp.


air_flow.jpg

QldKev
 
Iv blocked all the ducts for the fan to blow into the freezer section and gutted the flow controller to open up the flow down to the fridge area, Im looking at dismantleing the ducting area in the fridge bit so its just one big duct instead of the 8 little holes that the air flows out of to make the chiller section colder and the fruit n veg cooling area etc.....


I did the same as this. Couldnt cold crash a batch below 5 deg prior. Now i can freeze it almost :p
Controlled as kev said with a STC-1000.

Fridge is old and needs new seals but they are $60. Wondering if you or anyone has made their own seals? Would camping mat work?

Also cops a lot of sun my fridge, not ideal so may add some sarking to the top and front. May look like something out of the spacestation but could help it along during the day.


Cheers,
D80
 
Hmmmmm anyone know how the thermostat controllers are wired?? Won't run when it's unplugged, 3 wires 2 go into the controller the other seems to go to a thermostat temp probe looking thing with a loop off the controller......
There's probably a schematic on the back or similar I might have to take a look, however there's a fermenter in it now and about 25 bottles and 5 stubbies of my last brew in there so I might just wait until I get the controller and then look at the wiring side of it all....
Just keeping an eye on fermenter temps at the moment it's farking hot here at the moment so i need to use it....
 
Hmmmmm anyone know how the thermostat controllers are wired?? Won't run when it's unplugged, 3 wires 2 go into the controller the other seems to go to a thermostat temp probe looking thing with a loop off the controller......
There's probably a schematic on the back or similar I might have to take a look, however there's a fermenter in it now and about 25 bottles and 5 stubbies of my last brew in there so I might just wait until I get the controller and then look at the wiring side of it all....
Just keeping an eye on fermenter temps at the moment it's farking hot here at the moment so i need to use it....


Just turn the fridge thermostat as cold as it goes, and use an external thermostat
 
thanx fellas ordered one myself off ebay $20.65 from china lot cheaper than the temp controllers in Australia
 
thanx fellas ordered one myself off ebay $20.65 from china lot cheaper than the temp controllers in Australia
Sweet, saved yourself 3 bucks - now the wait from your yum-cha ebay seller
 
See this post. I did some experimenting and it worked well. You just have to trial it and play around with the ducting etc.

fridge mods
 
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