Heating In Fridges

[jkeysers]

You can use it to heat and cool but not at the same time.
It is either in cooling mode or heat mode have a look at mashmaster web site and there are some instruction there which should clear some of it up. I think.

Bummer. Ah well. After a bit of reading around here on AHB, I think what I might do is get a Fridgemate for cooling, and sit the fermenters in tubs of water being heated by fish tank heaters for heating.

Thats a solution for all seasons. Fridgemate to keep temps around 17-18 for Summer, fisk tank heaters for winter. And the Fridgemate for CCing. I can't believe I haven't done this earlier!

 

[SJW]

Sorry Andy, I feel as thick as siht now.
I live in Newcastle where heat is our enemy. I never thought about the people who live where it gets cold and need the inside of the fridge to be warmer than ambient temps. Sorry.
Another dumb question.
As I only need to keep the fridge slightly warmer than its warmest setting ie approx 10 deg c, Set on the cooling mode would the freezer still freeze?

 

[tipsy_mcstagger]

WHy worry about heating inside a fridge, start brewing some lagers and problem is solved. There are so many fantastic european lagers to make it would take all winter and more.

 

[SJW]

How do u run the probe into the fridge? Does it just go between the door seal?

 

[Andyd]

No Prob SJW - I have my moments too

Your second question is a little tricky, and depends on your fridge.

The older fridges actually only have a single chilling circuit, and use the freezer to chill the air in the main compartment. Modern fridges use variable pressure resrtictors to alter the temperature of the freezer relatively independently of the main compartment.

At the end of the day though, the freezer will be cold compared to the main compartment. If you're running the main compartment at 10 deg C, don't expect the freezer to freeze, but it may chill.

Andy

 

[SJW]

Thanks Andy, the fridge I got is a fairly new LG job with some type of flash electronic push button temp controller in the back of the fridge that has a LOW, LOW-MED, MED,MED-HI,HI settings and a seperate freezer controller in the freezer. I guess I should just give it a go and if it does not keep the freezer frezzing I will have to buy a bar fridge for fermenting and cc'ing.

Steve

 

[Stuster]

I hate this time of year. The ambient in my garage is sitting aroudn 15 deg. too warm for lagers and too cold for ales so the hair dryer is currently doing around 19 deg. for a Bavarian Lager diacetyl rest as we speak after having the fridge down to around 10 deg. for the main ferment.

How about using the San Francisco/California lager yeast WLP810/2112. It ferments from 14-20. Or my favourite at the moment 1007 which can go down to 13C and makes a good, clean beer IMO. And "the yeast formerly known as US56" is supposed to ferment down to 13C.

 

[SpillsMostOfIt]

And "the yeast formerly known as US56" is supposed to ferment down to 13C.

aka 'Froth Symbol'...

 

[tangent]

SJW - the controller turns on and off the power to your whole fridge, so the separate controls aren't going to help.
You can still put your bottles of Vodka in the freezer and keep them at maybe 2-4C but your frozen bread will be thawed (and probably soggy from experience)

 

[warrenlw63]

aka 'Froth Symbol'...

:lol: :lol: The "Prince" of yeasts.

Warren -

 

[pb unleaded]

Hi all.
I used to run a dual controller thermostat 0 - 40C (see pic) using a heat belt as a heat source.
It worked fine, if I set the temp to say 18 deg (ambient 8 - 26) the fridge/heater will turn on/off as needed.
So at any time regardless of the ambient temp either the fridge or the heater will be running.
I didn't like this for this very reason.
For example: When the ideal temp (18 deg) inside the fridge is reached there is no need for either fridge nor heater to be running especially if the ambient temp is around 18 also.

arthur

 

[v8r]

I've got a small fan heater in the fridge when in heating mode. It runs for about 20 seconds about 8 times a day (I'm going to measure the power consumption once I get hold of a power meter).

Andy

yep, this is pretty much what i do, except im fermenting now in an old solid wardrobe. it just happens to also be where i store my spare empties (top shelf) and spare bottled beer (floor shelf).
both doors are lockable, ive got the fan heater inside, with my fridgemate setup to control the temp at 18 deg. he thing is wide enough to fit two 30l fermenters in (one each side) and have plenty ofspace in the middle..
the fan heater cuts in about 6 times during the day and around 14 times over night (even with our couple of 0 deg nights)

must post pics

:chug:

 

[fifteenbeerslater]

I use a small fan heater (same as Andyd) on low heat seeting with a digital thermostat set to 17.5 degrees, the heater only comes on for a short time and only a few times a day-would use very little power.
Cheers :super:

 

[Thirsty Boy]

I put a fish tank heater inside the fermentor. Then stick the fermentor inside my fridge. Wrap that fermentor up inside a nice layer of camping mat.

Fermentor stays at its set temp (warmer than the fridge ambient), but fridge runs normally so the freezer still works.

You burn a little more electricity than normal, but not too much if you insulate the fermentor well.

Works a treat.

Thirsty

 

[Linz]

I sit mine on a water bed heater, which comes with a controller for it...