Looking for a bar fridge as a ferm chamber

[takai]

In our new place the massive 440L fridge I have as a ferm fridge is a bit of an overkill and a waste of space, and so im looking at replacing it with a smaller bar sized ferm only fridge (rather than a fridge/freezer).

In the past i have seen a small number of bar fridges around that don't have a freezer section, but they seem to be few and far between at the moment.

Can anyone recommend a good bar sized fridge that will fit a variety of 30Lish fermenters? I use 30L pails, 30L SS olive oil fustis and a 26L Brewbucket.

 

[Zorco]

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/ferny-grove/fridges-freezers/westinghouse-bar-fridge/1132130434

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/grange/fridges-freezers/freezer/1132011806

 

[Meddo]

I know it's not exactly what you've asked for (not sure if you're looking new or secondhand either) but I've got a small 240L Westinghouse fridge-only unit that's surplus to needs, it's pretty close to the smallest fridge you can fit two 30L pails in. Might be an option if a tweener size would work for you?

Spoiler

Total external height- 1450mm
Internal depth- 430mm
Internal width - 440mm
Internal height from the lowest shelf (not the base of the crispa- 1095mm

 

[Bribie G]

How much do you want to spend?
The perfect solution would be a series 4 Kegmate for around 500.
It will take up to a 60L FV, or a Brewbucket and a cornie side by side so you can ferment a batch while conditioning the previous batch.
Not much bigger than a bar fridge and temperature is diallable from 1 to 20 so you can ferment or lager at the touch of a button.

 

[pcqypcqy]

cheap style wine fridges will do your ferment temps, maybe, but can't do lagers or crash chilling.

A bar fridge of that size should do it.

I'm partial to freezers, and even the smallest freezer should be able to handle a 30 litre fermenter. Might need a collar to be fully closed if using an airlock, but for a long time I've just left it propped open enough to fit and draped some blankets around the gap. Hasn't been an issue with power consumption, seems to insulate fine.

 

[Liam_snorkel]

I use a 140 litre bar fridge for fermenting @ crash chilling. Removed the shelves from the door and it fits standard 30 litre fermented no worries. Has no trouble getting to 2deg (any lower it freezes the top of the beer). Best of all it was free.

I'll add that if you get a bar fridge be sure to rig up a computer fan (if it doesn't have fans, they generally don't). It makes a big difference to the level of frost & dripping from the freezer plate.

 

[kaiserben]

I've just had a mate decide to clamber aboard the slippery slope of homebrewing.

He & I did a fair bit of research about suitable fridges. His SWMBO made it clear the fridges had to be brand new, not white and preferably black (which kinda restricts choice a bit). It looks like he has settled on this model: Changhong FSR117R02B. If you google "Changhong FSR117R02B" it can be bought brand new for $200-250. (have not researched second hand)

He believes the freezer compartment can simply be removed (and there are cooling lines in the walls of the fridge) as was mentioned in a thread once upon a time on this forum (here, first post, second photo, back then it was a different manufacturer, but having seen the forum post photo and a photo of the Changhong version they look the same).

I'm still a bit wary that the 2 different makes are the same. I'd like to take a closer look first (or have someone who is already using one to ferment with confirm it).

 

[nosco]

I have been using a 98lt bigw one for a few years. I had to bend down the freezer coils to the back of the fridge. It fits a 30lt plastic fermenter easy with about 200mm head room.

I have it in the garage which means in summer it struggles to do lager temps, cold crashing to 4c has it working over time. 0deg is out. Thats why i got a bigger fridge as well at a bargain price off AHB. It does ale temps down to about 15c easily any time of year.

 

[damoninja]

I just looked on gummie until one showed up, took my FV around and made sure it fit. Was a squeeze but with the lining removed no trouble.

 

[nosco]

Yeah ive had 2 and took the door lining off both. 1st had a colar and the 2nd has been extended to fit 2 fermenters (i seal off half to lager/cc if you are wondering abouty above comment's).

 

[Leyther]

I picked up a 290L fridge of gumtree yesterday for $20, old but in perfect working condition, holds 2 kegs and 6kg CO2 but I will also use it for fermenting lager in conjunction with recent inkbird 310T purchase. I'm not a lager drinker myself but SWMBO is so to keep her happy with all my recent purchases I have put a brew on for her and cant ferment at a consistent 15C in the garage without some control.

 

[Rambo]

https://www.westinghouse.com.au/fridges/wrm1300wc/

This is the bar fridge I ferment in. Fits a Bunnings 30 litre fermentor and Sansone olive oil drum. Works great for me, previously used one as a keg fridge before making my keezer. I saved a bit by getting it from a factory seconds place.

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

I have a wine fridge that does the trick. It gets down to 7 degrees at the lowest temp, so no proper CCing, but I can ferment lagers at least (I have another, basically unused fridge that can do it, but it only can fit a jerry can).

Only caveat is the taller 30 L fermenters don't fit, only squat and wider ones.

 

[Bridges]

I ferment in a bar fridge an oldie from gumtree that is all fridge. Fits a mangrove jacks stainless or a 30 litre oil drum fermenter no worries. No space for an airlock, stick with gladwrap! Its a hotpoint branded one and goes great I'll try to put some pics up tomorrow.