Idea For Multitasking My Fridge.....

[gibbocore]

Hi All,

I've had a bit of a brainwave for multi tasking my fridge and was wondering if it would work or be efficiant.

I currently have a little frde that i use for both CCing and fermenting, in that it has a fridgemate hooked up to it but it only fits one fermenter or two kegs.

What i was thinking of doing was making up a little box to sit next to the fridge, madeof that coolroom stuff, or just ply, insulated with polystyrene and expandafoam or something like that. Have it right next to the fridge. I'd install a couple of computer fans in the side of the fridge that would be hooked up to the fridge mate, the fridge would maintain its 1 degree (coldest setting) and would blow 1 degree air into the insulated box when asked to by the fridgemate that would hold maybe two fermenters.

The problem i'm trying to overcome is that i plan to get two more kegs and would like to have two in my serving bar fridge, two chilling (getting ready to serve) and two just sitting around maturing and have two fermenters bubbling away without having to run a second fridge.

Thoughts?

 

[gros21]

this could work jaycar sells a duct that used to vent pc fans. I would also run a 80mm fan in new enclosure. If boss won't let u run a second fridge. Get old fish tank add foam to sides to insulate it. Then get a heater and tank chiller. That's what I want to do. Will cost $300ish to set up.

 

[~MikE]

a second fridge sounds like an easier solution... i've got a similar conundrum, i recently converted my fermenting fridge to a keggerator, now i can't do lagers . i'm thinking of making a jacket for my fermenter and regulate with chilled water or something.

if i were you i'd be looking into a second fridge or chest freezer...

 

[gibbocore]

thats the thing, i don't want a second fridge.

 

[Simon W]

What i was thinking of doing was making up a little box to sit next to the fridge, madeof that coolroom stuff, or just ply, insulated with polystyrene and expandafoam or something like that. Have it right next to the fridge. I'd install a couple of computer fans in the side of the fridge that would be hooked up to the fridge mate, the fridge would maintain its 1 degree (coldest setting) and would blow 1 degree air into the insulated box when asked to by the fridgemate that would hold maybe two fermenters.

Have seen a few photo's around here of exactly that, no idea what to use as search terms tho, nothing I use seems to get the right hits. :unsure:

 

[porky]

I do hope (and expect) it will work. I just bought a new 80 liter freezer to do the same thing. I have lots of foam sheets I got from a battery place (got that hint on this board) and will take the door off the freezer and build a cabinet long and narrow out the front. A few fans and I can't see how I won't be able to keep at least four and with double height eight fermenters at 18 degrees.

 

[johnno]

Comrade Mike has the right idea.
Get more fridges if you have room for them. Do not stop at one fridge. If you have room go directly to at least 4 fridges.

good luck.

cheers
johnno

 

[FarsideOfCrazy]

If your worried about power consumption I would have thought that doing what you are thinking will still use the same amount of power (maybe even more than) running two fridges due to heat/cooling loss of having something hanging off the side of a fridge that only has the power to cool the capacitry of the original design.I'd be thinking of a second, or upgrading to a larger fridge/freezer.

 

[Brewtus]

You need the fridge to be the coldest part. Put the duct at the bottom of the fridge and feed it up to the top of the box. As cold air falls the cold air will not move as fast to the warmer box unless you have the fan running. Then the cold air will fall across the fermenter. You will need a return air duct the from the bottom of the box to the fermenter that only opens when the fan is running. Or you could put some chiller blocks in the freezer of the fridge and put then near the top of the box. Or buy another fridge.

 

[ausdb]

Have seen a few photo's around here of exactly that, no idea what to use as search terms tho, nothing I use seems to get the right hits. :unsure:

Just google (including the quotes) "son of fermentation"

 

[clean brewer]

Hi All,

I've had a bit of a brainwave for multi tasking my fridge and was wondering if it would work or be efficiant.

I currently have a little frde that i use for both CCing and fermenting, in that it has a fridgemate hooked up to it but it only fits one fermenter or two kegs.

What i was thinking of doing was making up a little box to sit next to the fridge, madeof that coolroom stuff, or just ply, insulated with polystyrene and expandafoam or something like that. Have it right next to the fridge. I'd install a couple of computer fans in the side of the fridge that would be hooked up to the fridge mate, the fridge would maintain its 1 degree (coldest setting) and would blow 1 degree air into the insulated box when asked to by the fridgemate that would hold maybe two fermenters.

The problem i'm trying to overcome is that i plan to get two more kegs and would like to have two in my serving bar fridge, two chilling (getting ready to serve) and two just sitting around maturing and have two fermenters bubbling away without having to run a second fridge.

Thoughts?

Hey mate,

From what im reading, you have a LITTLE fridge that only holds 1 fermenter or 2 kegs.. Correct?

Somehow you maybe want to cut a hole in the side of this fridge to attach your box and to blow cold air into??

So now, you want this little fridge that only holds 1 fermenter or 2 kegs to turn into a fridge that holds 4 KEGS AND 2 FERMENTERS??
Is that right?????????

Im confused, the way I see it why f--k around? Just get another fridge tiger, and id be suprised if even another you had another fridge, not sure if you could still put 2 kegs and 2 fermenters in it unless its a big one..

What temp you want your fermenters at??

 

[katzke]

Just google (including the quotes) "son of fermentation"

Second that suggestion. It will save you lots of time & money by looking at what works.

I have been thinking of doing about the same thing. My twist is to put the box next to a serving freezer and use the box for fermenting. Unlike ice in son of fermentation the freezer will provide the cold for the fermentation box. Got the thought last night of using a wet cooling loop with disconnects so I can move the box around if needed, but that is a different story. I think it would work well as the box will be at a higher temp then the freezer. If enough insulation is used the draw will not be that much more on the freezer if used just for ale fermenting.

 

[gibbocore]

The box only needs to hold two fermenters and the fridge only needs to hold two kegs for ccing. I pretty much just brew ales. I'm pretty much not gonna get another fridge because having a second compressor starting and stopping is always going to draw more power than a computer fan starting and stopping even though the compressor on the current fridge will be running for longer at a time.

Cheers for the advice on taking my duct from the bottom of the fridge to the top of the box.

 

[Simon W]

Just google (including the quotes) "son of fermentation"

I had seen a similar box in place of a fridge door somewhere here on AHB.
But this is close enough Cheers.