Fermenting Fridge Recommendations?

[BrewLizard]

I'm thinking of upgrading my old mini-bar fridge – complete with partially bent-down freezer section and copious mould – to something bigger and better. Due to the hump, I can only fit a single fermenter – either an FKJ, a 9.5 L Corny keg or a 10 L bunnings water container (20 L would probably also fit).

Doesn't have to be huge, but would love to fit at least 2x 9.5 L Corny kegs or any other combination of 2 fermenters simultaneously. The compressor hump and/or freezer of most mini bar fridges gets in the way.

I have more money than time these days, so something brand new (except the RAPT fridge) is fine. It seems that anything with a freezer ends up with the freezer wasted, as the temperature is too unpredictable.

Any recommendations for a small refrigerator without freezer OR independently-controllable fridge-freezer?

Thanks!

 

[BrewLizard]

This is the best value proposition I've found:
Kogan 230L Upright Fridge - White

Anyone had any experience with Kogan white goods?

 

[find_another_slave]

I've always been of this opinion straight freezer will do you needs better than a fridge. Happy to take the slings and arrows of differences of opinion though.

 

[BrewLizard]

Quite possibly, but I'd like to avoid a chest freezer for 3 reasons: (1) most are too big and small ones are poor value, (2) having to lift shit in and out is bad for the back, and (3) I'd like to store stuff on top.

If there's an upright freezer you'd recommend, I'm all ears. The small ones I've seen have relied on fixed shelves with cooling coils within.

 

[YAPN]

That Kogan looks alright. I got a similar one from a Samsung factory seconds shop, has worked a treat for 4yrs already.

 

[Simon N]

I went for a wine fridge as it is more functional when not in use, can get away with keeping it in the living room and had space to keep plants on top.

 

[CaptainMachSnot]

This is what i use, 176l freezer, an older one that had the wire shelves as opposed to the plastic drawers. Was easy to get the cables into the freezer by dropping down the fan coweling and drilling through the foam. It has an air flow channel inside that i ran the probe and belt lead down to keep them tidy. Cost all of $50 off gumtree

 

[fifis101]

An all fridge is you best option, something around the 200L mark (or external measurements of 550x550x1300). I'm currently searching marketplace to get a new one as my current one has given up the ghost on me. If you're not in a hurry, you should be able to get one on marketplace or gumtree etc for $100 or less. Maybe throw them some extra cash and they'll deliver it to you.

You are right about a fridge freezer and the freezer being a waste. An upright freezer has cooling coils you have to deal with, just not worth it. A chest freezer you have to lift in a out, painful.

 

[CaptainMachSnot]

An upright freezer has cooling coils you have to deal with, just not worth it.

Thanks for the reminder Fifis, some freezers do have shelves that carry the gas, but a lot don't in this size. Mine is all up in the bulkhead section with inbuilt fan. I also have a 304l fisher & paykel that i use for food, and its coils are in the bottom and mounted just above the compressor hump, so keep your eyes open, they are out there.
Also, i got recomended a freezer due to the thicker insulation, it stops some of the heat loss, and some come with an inbuilt fan that can be rewired so as not to need an extra airflow source.

 

[fifis101]

Thanks for the correction Captain. I always thought that most upright freezers have the coils throughout the shelves but happy to be corrected. I'll keep an eye out for a freezer also then.

 

[BrewLizard]

Thanks guys. “All fridges” seem to be as rare as hen’s teeth.

Will likely end up with a superfluous cool-box on top, as combo units are the most common out there. After briefly dipping my toes back into Gumtree to find the usual flakes, dodgy characters and non-responses to questions, it may be less painful to go the new route (though the above Kogan has a $100 delivery fee).

 

[find_another_slave]

Quite possibly, but I'd like to avoid a chest freezer for 3 reasons: (1) most are too big and small ones are poor value, (2) having to lift shit in and out is bad for the back, and (3) I'd like to store stuff on top.

If there's an upright freezer you'd recommend, I'm all ears. The small ones I've seen have relied on fixed shelves with cooling coils within.

No cooling coils here either. This was $100 of gumtree, hasn't missed a beat. It's a bit small though, have to lift out the fermenter to dry hop...

 

[duncbrewer]

@BrewLizard

I have had very stable control with a fridge with freezer on the top that is vented down via a hole I cut into the fridge. Using a brewpiless controller and heatbelt around the fermenter. Size wise it fits a fermentasaurus so could easily fit more than 2 cornys.

It's a Fisher and Paykel, advertised for a dollar but I only had 2 dollars and the guy wouldn't accept that so tossed me for it and lost.

When warm fermenting I block up the hole with the disk of foam seen in the freezer compartment. I ducted the fan assist on the freezer compartment down thru the hole and insulated the rest of the freezer space to maximise the effect. It can cold crash to a couple of degrees from 30 celsius in 24 hours which is quick enough for me.

 

[Grmblz]

Upright freezer, better insulation so more efficient (less power used) and generally a bigger compressor than a similarly sized fridge, old ones more likely to have cooling shelves, it's possible with some to bend the shelves flat against the back (if you're feeling brave) not sure where you're located but here's a couple of examples that appear to not have the cooling shelves.
https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/yar...stinghouse-upright-freezer-190-lt-/1290420630https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/south-toowoomba/fridges-freezers/freezer-upright-hisense/1290426939https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/macquarie-fields/fridges-freezers/freezer/1290425407Worth a mention, if it says "frost free" be aware that it will have a heater that turns on automatically at regular intervals, find it and kill it, it's just using power unnecessarily.

 

[duncbrewer]

@Grmblz What would the heater look like?

Thanks.

 

[Grmblz]

Hopefully one of our fridgies will chime in, I've never seen one, just looked at the wiring diagram, found the wire (they're colour coded) and disconnected it, one freezer I converted had no wiring diagram (on the unit itself and google was no help) so it was a matter of elimination, which was a right royal pita, but ultimately worth it. The newer the freezer the harder it becomes because many now have printed circuit boards, I'm not an electronics guy so it becomes trial and error. The problem is these things don't seem to be temp dependant, they're on some sort of timer ie: every 7 days they turn on for 30 min's or something similar, it wont effect a fermenting chamber, just chew power that we don't need it to. I mentioned it purely as a power saving thing, and probably no big deal in the overall scheme of things. I only found out because I put a power logger on one of my freezers and noticed a regular spike, a bit of googling turned up the culprit, sorry I can't be more specific because every freezer will be different. fwiw they're located somewhere behind all the plastic, the compressor is turned off, the heater is turned on for X amount of time, apparently to melt the "frost" but not the food, then the compressor is turned on again (more waste of power as the heat generated by the defrost element now has to be dissipated) allegedly it's why "frost free" freezers have a shorter storage life of frozen food than the old freezers that just held -18c constantly, the price of convenience I suppose. There's plenty of info on this under frozen yeast banks and frost free freezers.

 

[Grok]

No cooling coils here either. This was $100 of gumtree, hasn't missed a beat. It's a bit small though, have to lift out the fermenter to dry hop...View attachment 121789

Hey what is the name of this fermenter? I picked one up recently and don't know who makes it, there are no names on it, a solid bit of kit though!

 

[livo]

Definitely go with fridge only (or upright freezer as it's temp controlled anyway). Fridge freezer combo is a bit pointless. The one I bought for $180 easily fits 2 X 28 litre bucket style fermenters. While I do intend to put plywood shelving in, the glass shelves provided have proved adequate so far in supporting 23 litre brews. I think mine is a Fisher and Paykel. When I'm down in the shed later I'll take note of the model and post.

I also have another old banger fridge only I scored for nothing, with a second STC-1000, which only holds 1 fermenter. 3 temp controlled fermenters is a big advancement for me, but boy bottling has become a burden already. I did 60 yesterday and I have another 30 to do on Thursday.

What do you need at Christmas? another fridge or another freezer?

 

[fifis101]

@Grmblz What would the heater look like?

Thanks.

The heater element is generally located underneath the evaporator inside the freezer. When it heats up it melts the ice off the evaporator and the water runs out a small drain hole to a dish out the back or underneath the fridge to evaporate away. The condesor outside generally aids in this evaporation because it's warm. The heater element is controlled by a timer. The timer switches on, turning on the heater while turning off the compressor and fan (to keep the heating isolated the the evaporator area). I'm not 100% sure but the timers i've seen are generally marked 6 hours 20 mins, which I always thought meant every 6 hours the heater runs for 20 mins. This varies alot though. Could be 8h30m or 12h45m.

 

[hotwaterpls]

Started with a 140L kevinator bar fridge with freezer section on one side (U shape) so could fit a 30L plastic fermenter, a tiny bit short for an all rounder (especially with the hump making it awkward).

Moved to 140L Westinghouse bar fridge with freezer plate up top, bent down and could *squeeze* two cornies in, just. Did a couple of batches under pressure in the corny (split some to a 5L demijon or half keg on the hump).

Found my current fridge on marketplace I think, $20 (basically the same as the bar fridge, just taller). Fits an all rounder, fits a brew bucket, and can even fit both at the same time (pic is with the mini bb but does fit the regular one). Can fit a keg or two, could even fit a fermzilla 27L (with collection jar) but not with additional fermenter at the same time. About 1370 tall as I wanted it to fit under an existing shelf at about 1400mm. Size constraints are going to be your biggest factor, I've found plenty of upright fridges that would be great, but are a bit taller than this one or a bit wider, so just don't fit my space.

Ultimately it will depend on your fermenter - height, width, overall shape and any attachments (spunding valve, sight glass, dump valve etc).

Also if you can find one without moulded shelves in the door that's even better - I sometimes need to be particular about placement so the shelves don't get in the way (I could cut them off like I did the bar fridge, but good to have the option to convert back to a fridge if needed e.g. at christmas).

Upright freezer would probably be ideal especially for cold crashing or lagers, but for 90% of my beers this does a great job. Freezer I imagine you'd also just have to be careful with your heating and cooling differential (if going from 18 down to 1 degree and the probe is attached to the fermenter, potential to freeze the beer).

I'm sure I've also seen bar fridges about 160L (much less common though) which would easily fit most fermenters or 2x9.5L cornies, but not two fermenters at once.