Fridge

[homebrewkid]

just wondering what temp a fridge will get down to in cold weather if it is not turned on will it drop below ambient temp?

 

[praxis178]

just wondering what temp a fridge will get down to in cold weather if it is not turned on will it drop below ambient temp?

Nooooo, well not unless it gets to equilibrate with say a cold night and then you measure it at noon the next day.

Sort of what you wanted to know?

 

[homebrewkid]

Nooooo, well not unless it gets to equilibrate with say a cold night and then you measure it at noon the next day.

Sort of what you wanted to know?

yeah just looking at setting up a fermenting fridge but worried about getting too cold during the winter

 

[praxis178]

yeah just looking at setting up a fermenting fridge but worried about getting too cold during the winter

That is always an issue, if your ambient temps are about right then the fridge (not running) will even things out, but if they are cooler then you will need some sort of heater available for a tempmate type controller to use to maintain the desired range. If too hot the obvious happens.

 

[Hatchy]

I'm wondering about this as well. If I'm trying to keep my fermenting fridge at 18-20 during winter then I'll be needing to heat it, not cool it. I've got a heat belt I could put around my fermenter in the fridge. The other thing I was thinking about doing is having a light globe in the fridge, they generate a fair bit of heat. I reckon I'll go with the heat belt but I'm open to suggestions. I'll still have the thermostat plugged in so there's no problems with it getting too hot.

 

[Nick JD]

I reckon I'll go with the heat belt but I'm open to suggestions.

Make lager.

 

[Hatchy]

Make lager.

The thought has crossed my mind.

 

[gava]

With my fermenting fridges I use a tempmate + heat belt/sub heater. Works a treat can do any type of beer all year round.

 

[Dave70]

Buy a Fridgemate, http://mashmaster.com.au/p/365439/fridgema...roller-kit.html and make life easy on yourself.

You can use it in conjunction with a heating belt, just plug it in and duct tape the thermostat to the outside of the fermenter.

Unless you do your brewing on the Antarctic tundra, you should be sweet.

 

[QldKev]

Move up north, then you won't need a heater even in winter

QldKev

 

[jetfoley]

My fridge always just even is out... 5c at night 22c in the day = 14c prettymuch consistanly

 

[gava]

Buy a Fridgemate, http://mashmaster.com.au/p/365439/fridgema...roller-kit.html and make life easy on yourself.

You can use it in conjunction with a heating belt, just plug it in and duct tape the thermostat to the outside of the fermenter.

Unless you do your brewing on the Antarctic tundra, you should be sweet.

You'd go a tempmate theses days wouldn't you, dual temp controlling v's just the fridge.. sure its a little more but worth it in my mind. Tempmate link
there are also cheap ones on ebay Ebay Link ive brought one of theses but haven't set it up yet. They dont look as good quality as the tempmate but should do the trick.

I love the tempmate.. set and forget..

 

[Pennywise]

The fridgemate heats as well, and for the 30 odd less $$ it costs, I'd rather spend the 10 seconds to programe it

 

[gava]

The fridgemate heats as well, and for the 30 odd less $$ it costs, I'd rather spend the 10 seconds to programe it

Sure? It controls both the Fridge and the Heating at the same time? or only one at a time?

from what I've read its only one.

 

[Pennywise]

Yes only one at a time, but it can still do both. I can't see why you'd need both to be operating at the same time. It only takes a few seconds to switch the programing

 

[gava]

Yes only one at a time, but it can still do both. I can't see why you'd need both to be operating at the same time. It only takes a few seconds to switch the programing

Ahhh ok.. I like both so I can just set and forget it and it stays at the temp I want.. Mind you, the fridgemate might do that same but I just like the idea of having it able to raise and lower temp..

each to their own I guess. if it works go for it!

edit: spelling.

 

[Pollux]

Aren't we all forgetting that fermentation is exothermic??

I'd dare say if wort were to placed in a fermentation fridge with a fridgemate set at 18deg (using an ale yeast obviously) that the fridge would still have to work from time to time to keep the temp down.

Given that when I used to use my frozen bottles system in a dead fridge, forgot one time to place the bottles in and then remembered 3 days later and found 29deg wort in a fridge that was sitting in a room that was only 7deg overnight and 17deg during the day...

 

[gava]

Aren't we all forgetting that fermentation is exothermic??

I'd dare say if wort were to placed in a fermentation fridge with a fridgemate set at 18deg (using an ale yeast obviously) that the fridge would still have to work from time to time to keep the temp down.

Given that when I used to use my frozen bottles system in a dead fridge, forgot one time to place the bottles in and then remembered 3 days later and found 29deg wort in a fridge that was sitting in a room that was only 7deg overnight and 17deg during the day...

Interesting, Did not know that.. what about after its fermented out? would it then start to chill quicker? could you end up with a half frozen wort?

 

[Pennywise]

I find that in the coldest parts of winter once the first vigorous part of the ferment is done I tend to loose a few degrees because the exothermic reaction is lessened. I get a pretty constant 18 degrees untill say day 4-5, and sometimes I would need to use a heating element to keep it that 18 to drop the last couple of points and really to just keep the temp constant. I brew out of the fridge in winter and I have a timer I "borrowed" from work that I use with the heat pad which is placed on the side of the fermenter. From memory it get a 15 min on and an hour or so off. So I do think heating elements have their place, well they do in my setup.

 

[the_yobbo]

+1 for tempmate set and forget.

I haven't done much experimenting but I recall last winter when putting my brews down, the first few days the fridge would be actively trying to keep the temp down, but after that the light globe was operating to keep it warm.
It's great peice of mind to be able to go on a holiday for a week and know your brew will stay within the temperature range no matter what the weather.