Temp Fridge + Freezer

[dans6401]

Hi,
May be way off here. But recently purchased one of those ebay temp controllers, and have it hooked up to a heat mat. (No need to cool down here in winter)
Was thinking come summer i'll really need a fridge. So my question is, are there any fridges that could wired to be used as a fermenting fridge for ales in one section while the freezer still runs normally for storing hops etc....? Perhaps one of those double door jobs?

 

[SpillsMostOfIt]

Interesting co-incidence! Are you sure you're not me trying to shamelessly self-promote?

I've just posted a blog entry about how I did this to my F&P 520litre upside down fridge.

One fridge. Two temp controllers. One 12VDC plug pack. One happy brewer.

Edit: I realise that I've gone a step further and control the temp of both sections myself, but you should see that if you've got the right sort of fridge, the rest is simple.

 

[Snow]

My fermenting fridge has a freezer. When I ferment in summer at ale temps, the freezer compartments still sits below zero C. You may not need to seperately control the freezer. Woth experimenting before you consider any mods.

Cheers - Snow.

 

[dans6401]

Perfect,

Spillsmostofit- would it be possible to use your set up with one temp controller connected to the fan, so the freezer remains a freezer? I realise your set up is more practicle, but little budget = little steps.
Snow- what sort of fridge / temp control do you have? Does this only work in summer as in winter the fridge needs to be heated?
Thanks for the replies,

 

[Phoney]

My fermenting fridge has a freezer. When I ferment in summer at ale temps, the freezer compartments still sits below zero C. You may not need to seperately control the freezer. Woth experimenting before you consider any mods.

Cheers - Snow.

OK see my old fridge didn't do that. I kept a PET bottle full of water in there to monitor the freezer temperature... For a day or two after turning the fridge on / pitching the yeast it would remain frozen, but after that it would thaw out. That's with the fermenter @ 18C in mid-summer.

It was pretty old though, ive since got rid of it & now have an upright freezer.


I just found this though:

Thermostats on fridge freezers
Some fridge freezers have a single thermostat for both the fridge and the freezer; others have a separate thermostat for each.

One-control models tend to be cheaper. However, there is a risk that, when you set the right temperature for the fridge (3C to 5C), the freezer's could be too warm or too cold.

Some dual-control models give you the option of switching off the fridge but leaving the freezer on or vice versa. This is handy if you're going on holiday. Similarly, you can leave the fridge on while the freezer is defrosting.

 

[SpillsMostOfIt]

... would it be possible to use your set up with one temp controller connected to the fan, so the freezer remains a freezer? I realise your set up is more practicle, but little budget = little steps.

Absolutely. One temperature controller. One plug pack. One dual-purpose freezer and fermenting fridge. But, of course, it assumes a fridge that works like mine.

I considered doing something similar for my own purposes, but I have a chest freezer for storing things in and this gives me maximum flexibility and (I hope, we will see before too long) minimum energy consumption.

 

[SpillsMostOfIt]

I just found this though:

My kitchen fridge has completely separate systems for the fridge and freezer - it is effectively two separate devices housed in the one cabinet. The manufacturer claims this aids energy efficiency - I am not so sure. I guess it allows for finer temperature control of both cabinets, but...

 

[wcurrall]

Unless your fridge has two seperate compressors (one for frigde, one for freezer and a thermostat for each) it is hard to control the temperatures independantly. some fridge/freezers use a fan in the freezer section to blow conditioned air into the fridge. you can try adjusting the airflow as the compressor runs off a single thermostat in the freezer. only other way is to run a 100w light bulb or a small heat pad/element off a thermostat in the fridge section to regulate fridge temps

 

[Banshee]

I have always wired my therostat in between an extension cord. I plug the male end into the wall socket and the fridge plug into the female end. I'm not sure if this is good for the compressor and weather it is better to rewire the thermostat into the existing frigde thermostat wiring. Maybe a refridgeration mechanic can shed some light.

 

[wcurrall]

its ok for your compressor but by the sounds of it you're a good chance of burning your house down!

 

[SpillsMostOfIt]

Unless your fridge has two seperate compressors (one for frigde, one for freezer and a thermostat for each) it is hard to control the temperatures independantly. some fridge/freezers use a fan in the freezer section to blow conditioned air into the fridge. you can try adjusting the airflow as the compressor runs off a single thermostat in the freezer. only other way is to run a 100w light bulb or a small heat pad/element off a thermostat in the fridge section to regulate fridge temps

... or the way I did it.

 

[wcurrall]

... or the way I did it.

sorry mate just read it