Fridge Or Freezer

[paul]

Ive got a chest freezer with two fonts on it and five taps. These fonts pour perfect beers every time. Chilled fonts and flow restrictors are not needed to get a good pour. If you need a flow restrictor to get a good pour then your system isnt balanced right for the carbonation in the beer.

Have a read here:

http://www.micromatic.com/direct-draw-draf...em-aid-121.html

This should explain how to get it working.

 

[PistolPatch]

I'm sorry Pat, but I'm going to have to disagree with your essay on a number of points.

I definitely buggered up on the number of corny kegs I can fit in. Just had a look then and only 7 is possible! Quite pleased about that as I always sort of regretted not initially buying cornies. Quite happy now with the 6 x 23lts I do have!

You're also correct on the taps through the wooden collar. Still haven't seen a beer pour properly out of a font though without cooling lines. Looks like Paul above has had a win though.

(Made another 46lts of your amarillo ale yesterday too :super

Spot ya,
Pat

 

[yardy]

Still haven't seen a beer pour properly out of a font though without cooling lines.

Pat

after a bit of experimentation and mucking around with temps and pressure i have no need to hook up the chilling side of my font, perfect beer every pour

cheers

 

[big d]

Pat to put things into perspective i reckon you should post a pic of your fridge set up .Ive seen it in person but as they say a pic is worth a thousand words and im sure if you havent posted a pic of it yet it will sure inspire a few brewers out there.
I was quite impressed with it other than the foolish few who on the day mucked around with your settings to achieve a kalidoscope of beer flavours. :lol:

Cheers
Big D

 

[hughman666]

an eyesore like a lot of dispensing uprights are.

how the hell can anything that dispenses cold beer on tap be an eyesore?! regardless of looks, by its very nature it is a thing of beauty!!

 

[KGB]

I've installed a FridgeMate (FM) controller into an old upright fridge and freezer combination.

I've set the thermostat in the fridge section to 'lowest temperature' and the thermostat in the freezer section to 'highest temperature'.

This is an attempt to get the unit to concentrate on cooling the fridge section as much as possible.

Unfortunately this doesn't work too well. When I first put the ale into the fridge it was at around 24C and I had the FM set to 19C.

After working away for half a day or so to bring down the temperature of the fridge section to around 19C, the freezer had dropped to minus 5!

I suspect that this fridge works by concentrating on getting the freezer to a frozen state first, and then cooling the fridge as a secondary effect.

I'm wondering whether I can cut a large hole between the two sections to transfer cold air from the freezer to the fridge?

Alternatively i'm looking for a single upright fridge or freezer, and preferably the freezer I think.

Sam

Why not just set everything to the coldest and then put the FM inside the fridge section? The reason your fridge wont get cold enough is because the fridge is cutting out before the FM can do its job properly. Set them both to coldest and let the good times roll.

EDIT: I vote chest freezer btw; kegs fit better/more looks better IMO, chills faster (and more efficiently?) than a fridge but it does cost more than an old fridge to purchase.

 

[NRB]

Made another 46lts of your amarillo ale yesterday too :super:

Nice one brother. But it's YOUR Amarillo Ale, not mine

I've installed a FridgeMate (FM) controller into an old upright fridge and freezer combination.

[snip]

Sam, where is your temperature probe located? I find taping it to my fermenter wall underneath a polystyrene block works excpetionally well for measuring wort temperature.

 

[PistolPatch]

Pat to put things into perspective i reckon you should post a pic of your fridge set up.

I just threw some pics up here bigD. Have since modified the beer lines with non-return valves to prevent visiting brewers mixing up Ross's Schwartzbier with NRB's All Amarillo Ale and my other pale coloured beers

Damo, when you get your fridge or freezer up and running make sure you put NRB's All Amarillo Ale in it. Top drop!

Spot ya,
Pat

 

[big d]

Link doesnt work for me Pat.Hope others dont have the same prob.

Cheers
Big D

 

[PistolPatch]

Just fixed mate!

 

[big d]

Thanx Pat.Linky be good now.

Cheers
Big D

 

[Damian44]

Very sleek setup PistolPatch. Ive actually just done a few K&K Amarillo ales that came up very nice. Im finding some of the upright freezers shelfs (that i wont to remove) are the elements. Ill keep looking. Thanks again.

Cheers Damo

 

[justsomeguy]

Very sleek setup PistolPatch. Ive actually just done a few K&K Amarillo ales that came up very nice. Im finding some of the upright freezers shelfs (that i wont to remove) are the elements. Ill keep looking. Thanks again.

Cheers Damo

Upright freezers can be had that don't have element coils mounted in the actual shelves.

I have used both a chest freezer and upright freezer with good results from each. I started with a chest freezer and collar that worked well. The temp was stable with very little condensation. I only had picnic taps in the thing so was always opening the lid to pour a beer. Got a bit annoying.

When I relocated the chestie packed it in. No idea why, she just refused to go below around 12c. I spent a while looking around at new chest freezers with SWMBO's blessing and ended up getting a second hand upright freezer with all cooling in the walls and ceiling. I've since pulled the door lining off and fitted a flush plastic face to it as well a making a metal frame to put kegs on inside it.

I actually prefer the upright for a couple of reasons.
1. Easy to swap out kegs. Having a bad back, it could get painful lifting kegs in and out of the chest freezer.
2. Space usage appears to be a little more efficient. I reckon I can actually fit a little more in the upright than the chestie even though they are similar volumes.
3. Smaller footprint.

What I don't like about the upright.
1. Condensation is a real bitch. I get far more condensation in the upright than the chestie even though I run a fan to stabilise the temperature. This may be debatable though because I was never able to check the chestie in the same environment.

The main thing to remember is that the freezer you buy can keep the beer cold and isn't going to break the bank with its running costs. Also having a little extra room for SWMBO to put a couple of her drinks helps

gary

 

[PistolPatch]

Thanks and no worries Damo.

I'm a bit lucky with my freezer as it has none of those inbuilt cooling shelves and is also frost-free so no condensation at all. Those permanent cooling shelves never seem to be in the right place You want to avoid a freezer with those shelves if at all possible. By the way, the model number of my freezer is a Westinghouse Frost Free Freezer 383. Sometimes you'll see them for sale.

Cheers,
Pat

(Hope you're settling in OK here Gary and looking forward to a beer with you :icon_cheers: )
Oh and forgot. I lied in my kegging set-up post. When changing beers, there is more than 20mls - it is more like a large mouthful. Better go and fix that post.

 

[justsomeguy]

Thanks and no worries Damo.

I'm a bit lucky with my freezer as it has none of those inbuilt cooling shelves and is also frost-free so no condensation at all. Those permanent cooling shelves never seem to be in the right place You want to avoid a freezer with those shelves if at all possible. By the way, the model number of my freezer is a Westinghouse Frost Free Freezer 383. Sometimes you'll see them for sale.

Cheers,
Pat

(Hope you're settling in OK here Gary and looking forward to a beer with you :icon_cheers: )
Oh and forgot. I lied in my kegging set-up post. When changing beers, there is more than 20mls - it is more like a large mouthful. Better go and fix that post.

Thanks PP.

Won't be able to have a beer with you for a little while yet though. As of today I've been told we are expected to be doing 60+ hours per week until the end of Feb at least :angry:

Will only have one day per week to all the family stuff as well as try to get some brewing done. :huh:

gary

 

[Damian44]

With the fridgemat, it says i need a box for mounting. How did they no!! Do i have to fashion that my self? What have you used? Thanks.

Cheers Damo

 

[justsomeguy]

With the fridgemat, it says i need a box for mounting. How did they no!! Do i have to fashion that my self? What have you used? Thanks.

Cheers Damo

Pretty much any electronics shop sells jiffy boxes which are just small plastic boxes. Chuck the fridgemate in one of those and you are good to go. THen again you could go for something a little more elaborate.

gary

 

[PistolPatch]

As Gary said above Damo. You might find it easier to get your controller from Brissy Brew first and then take it to Jaycar (preferably) or Dick Smith and say to them that you need to mount the controller. If you get someone who knows what they are talking about then they should explain how to do it. Also while you are there, buy three grommets. You need two for your leads (extension cord) in and out plus one for the probe. Ask them what drill size you need for the grommets while you are there as well.

You also need to cut a square hole in the face of this box where the display part of the unit slides through. Once again, ask them while you are there how to do that.

As for wiring it up, I have an email with pics on how to do this though there is probably a good link on this already on AHB somewhere???

Gary Sorry to hear you are so busy but we'll get that beer in eventually. Let me know as soon as you get a chance. By then I should have my fridge full again!

Cheers guys,
Pat

P.S. Some Fridge/Freezer Trivia For my fermenting fridge, I have an upside down fridge/freezer. The top (the fridge section) holds two fermenters and the bottom (the freezer section) holds one. As a matter of interest, when I run the fridge section at 17 degrees, the freezer section hovers at a little below zero. I'm going to put a jug of water in there now (and a some beer) to see if it freezes or not. I'm hoping it doesn't as I really need to find a use for the freezer section.

 

[tangent]

i know what you're talking about Pat
my freezer was just below freezing with lagers so i was storing hops and a few bottles of spirits in it, but i did a Belgian Wit at 20C and it must have taken the freezer above 0C
Half a 450gm packet of hop plugs in the freezer went mouldy!!

 

[PistolPatch]

Oh no Tangent! I was thinking of doing my hops in there especially as the ice packs I have in there are frozen. I'm going to whack that fridge up by a few degrees early next week. I'll let you know if the same happens to me. Ross's fridge/freezer though works perfectly for ales and lagers.

Agh!
Pat

P.S. Haven't checked my jug of water and beer yet. Will leave it until the morning.