Fridge Is Too Small!

[jasonharley]

Have you tried the new 25 L Willow water barrels? You can buy them at Big W for $22. It is thinner than the standard 23L Coopers brewing fermenter although it is slightly higher.
The dimensions are 302mm dia x 450mm high.

 

[scott_penno]

I have a 140L bar fridge with the little freezer up the top. Actually onto my second now - I tried to manipulate the freezer on the first one but the plumbing is quite fragile and the gas escaped.

Onto the second one now. The Coopers fermenters have a diameter that is too large so I changed to a slimmer 30L fermenter like you'd find at the sponsors or big green shed. Door still wouldn't close so I removed the shelving and replaced it with a large sheet of plastic that I've fitted a heat pad to (you'll find the screws under the rubber seal).

Everything now works a treat with Tempmate fitted...

sap.

 

[donburke]

try a little wedge under the fermenter at the front, so the whole fermenter sits and leans back at an angle slightly,

this is enough in my case to close the door as the door has some moulding at the bottom which is now cleared

 

[seifer]

Mate, measure the size you need, go down to bunnings and measure their water tanks/fermenters/
I guarantee you the are thinner and smaller in general but u can definately still fit your 23l brew or whatever in.
Also embrace cling wrap to lower the height down a bit. You'll be right.

 

[clintmo]

if you look under the seals on the door, you will see there are screws, unscrew them and pull the moulding off the inside of the door, replace it with something flat, wood or plastic or something. Bunnings fermenters are also great with glad wrap as the lid

 

[The Giant]

I had the same problem but i carefully pulled the freezer down and moved it to the rear, u can sort of see it in this photo, just do it nice and slow, mine was helped by the fact all the gas tubes were in the rear corner and didnt have to move much

I then built up the floor to match the compresser height and happy days. Although i now need a fridgemat cause even on my warmest setting the fermenter gets down to 12 degrees

 

[Iron23]

Thats what I was hoping to hear. Ive taped it up for the night, Its quite cool as of now (11:28 pm) at 23C but Ive put it into the fridge with alot of masking tape covering the gaps in the door. Tomorrow im going to buy some insulating material and build an extra few cm onto it

I was just really worried that it might overload the compressor, but if you can add more space to it then i can take some comfort in thinking mine wont overwork itself.

 

[Doogiechap]

Sounds like your plastic innder door skin is glued on bloke. Mine was as well and I ended up cutting the plastic around the perimeter of the seal and carefully levering the inner skin away taking care to leave the seal intact.
Cheers
Doug

 

[Iron23]

Well, The brew is underway. Finally!!! Hooraah!

I've taped up the fridge and so far it seems to actually be doing a decent job at keeping the fermenter at ~18C . However i tested the fridge before i put it in, and the highest temperature I could get was about 9C. So im guessing its putting a fair amount of stress on the compressor which is very hot to touch, I think I will turn the fridge off and on in 2 hour intervals. Also I have an old airconditioner keeping the room at about 23C .


Tomorrow I will cut out the door and put some foam and plastic with a sealer in. Hopefully the motor lasts, A helpful guy at Bunnings warned me there was a lot of calculations to be done in modifying a fridge.

-Iron