Wine fridge at Aldi

[megabyte]

I expect the fan will be enclosed somewhere up the top near the LEDs but that's only a guess. It could be on the side like the keg master ones too. The fan is separate to the evaporator. Evaporator is just a fancy word for the big metal plate on the back that gets cold, and having a fan makes sure that all of the air in the fridge gets circulated past the evaporator to keep it cooled evenly.

The brewers here have a lot of experience (far more than I do!) and they're not steering you wrong. Full disclosure, I also have one of the kegmaster style fridges at home too. It fits 3 cornies perfectly and it's been running for half a decade with no hiccups. I'm still not sold on whether this Aldi fridge will be tall enough for my fermentor and airlock though as it's about 5cm shorter than the kegmaster style fridges.

 

[jackgym]

Florian's note about Peltier-based fridges for fermentation squares with my experience.

Get thee to eBay! Here are three fridges on auction right now on eBay within 50k of postcode 4560. The first one is the same as our house fridge and it's the best fridge I've ever had. Well-designed, easy to clean and has never frozen anything on me.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Fisher-Paykel-upside-down-520ltr-S-steel-warranty-/171875192653?hash=item28048f4f4d

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Upside-down-500ltr-frost-free-warranty-and-sweet-as-/181818189673?hash=item2a55356769

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Westinghouse-Mastermind-/191648670831?hash=item2c9f26a46f

Good luck mate.

They look pretty good but I'm pushed for room. I live in a home park and it's only a small house.

 

[jackgym]

I expect the fan will be enclosed somewhere up the top near the LEDs but that's only a guess. It could be on the side like the keg master ones too. The fan is separate to the evaporator. Evaporator is just a fancy word for the big metal plate on the back that gets cold, and having a fan makes sure that all of the air in the fridge gets circulated past the evaporator to keep it cooled evenly.

The brewers here have a lot of experience (far more than I do!) and they're not steering you wrong. Full disclosure, I also have one of the kegmaster style fridges at home too. It fits 3 cornies perfectly and it's been running for half a decade with no hiccups. I'm still not sold on whether this Aldi fridge will be tall enough for my fermentor and airlock though as it's about 5cm shorter than the kegmaster style fridges.

Okay, it seems this needs more thought. Thanks for your opinion. I was also looking at an 'all fridge' as I've read that the freezer section of a fridge can cause a problem?

 

[pcqypcqy]

I have a very similar unit (different brand but they're all the same machine), and it can fit my 30 litre fermenter with an airlock (just). My friend uses a coopers fermenter, and from memory we had trouble fitting his fermenter in my fridge, as my fermenter is slightly shorter and fatter. So check your fermenter dimensions and check the fridge dimensions first.

My experience with this style of cheap wine fridge is that it's barely OK at maintaining a temperature, but don't expect it to cool your fermenter for you. I've put a kit-and-kilo brew in at 25 degrees, pitched the yeast, and left it in a coolish room for a week (ambient was probably 20 degrees), and it was still above 20 at the end of the week even with the fridge on it's coldest setting.

Then again, same friend and I did some Pale Ale over summer here in Tamworth with many 40 degree days. He used is immersion chiller to get fairly close to 20 degrees and pitched, and it was fairly stable (ambient temps were in his shed).

When they say it can go down to 5 degrees, this is probably best case scenario (as in cool ambient temperatures and only one bottle of wine in there). The temp control is going to be a simple potentiometer that's not calibrated to any scale, simply cool and cooler.

It's better than nothing, but it'll never do everything you want from it.

For the price, you could almost buy a brand new chest freezer and rig up an stc-1000. I've done this externally so as not to visibly change the wiring and void the warranty. If you're really worried about looks, shop around for a second hand unit that looks good, or consider a coffin keezer type build.

 

[jackgym]

I have a very similar unit (different brand but they're all the same machine), and it can fit my 30 litre fermenter with an airlock (just). My friend uses a coopers fermenter, and from memory we had trouble fitting his fermenter in my fridge, as my fermenter is slightly shorter and fatter. So check your fermenter dimensions and check the fridge dimensions first.

My experience with this style of cheap wine fridge is that it's barely OK at maintaining a temperature, but don't expect it to cool your fermenter for you. I've put a kit-and-kilo brew in at 25 degrees, pitched the yeast, and left it in a coolish room for a week (ambient was probably 20 degrees), and it was still above 20 at the end of the week even with the fridge on it's coldest setting.

Then again, same friend and I did some Pale Ale over summer here in Tamworth with many 40 degree days. He used is immersion chiller to get fairly close to 20 degrees and pitched, and it was fairly stable (ambient temps were in his shed).

When they say it can go down to 5 degrees, this is probably best case scenario (as in cool ambient temperatures and only one bottle of wine in there). The temp control is going to be a simple potentiometer that's not calibrated to any scale, simply cool and cooler.

It's better than nothing, but it'll never do everything you want from it.

For the price, you could almost buy a brand new chest freezer and rig up an stc-1000. I've done this externally so as not to visibly change the wiring and void the warranty. If you're really worried about looks, shop around for a second hand unit that looks good, or consider a coffin keezer type build.

That sounds like more good information, more study on this. That's interesting about the fermenter temp not changing much.

 

[Rambo]

If you can make it down to Brisbane you could pick up the one I linked to earlier for cheaper than the aldi one here...
http://brisbanewhitegoods.com.au/refrigeration/bar-all-fridges/wrm1300wc

I was mistaken earlier, it is the one I have (glass shelf at the bottom). Fits a 30 litre bunnings fermenter, I don't use an airlock though.

 

[jackgym]

Peltier is not actually a brand but rather a method of cooling. Google peltier effect or peltier cooling for info.

Basically peltier fridges suck for fermentation control, I would steer well clear of them.

If you need something eye pleasing there are other options of compressor fridges available, one of them being the kegmaster kegerators, which have also the added benefit that you can transform it into an eye pleasing home bar complete with soda water for the wife once you get to that stage.

Soda water? She wouldn't know what that was, she quaffes wine, mate But I get the idea. Thanks.

 

[jackgym]

If you are looking to buy new as opposed to second hand (where you can be lucky, but unless the fridge is from a "trusted source" you could be buying someone else's problems) I would concur with Florian that a kegmaster fridge would be the ducks nuts.

Domestic fridges are tall and thin, so you don't need to bend too far for the butter or milk. However smaller fridges from the likes of Harvey Norman are usually too thin to hold a fermenter or more than one cornie keg. I did research and actually took a cornie into a few outlets (HE'S GOT A BOMB, HE'S GOT A BOMB) to test normal fridge offerings. I found that to buy an all-fridge that would even hold two kegs I would need to spend a grand. Fermenter? not a hope.

A better alternative is a larger bar fridge as opposed to a kitchen fridge. However the kegmaster type fridge is made for beer, you can put a 60L fermenter in it, or three cornies and various combinations of cornies and cubes. All for around $500. I have two, one fitted with fonts and the other used as a fermenting or lagering fridge.

The initial pain of the purchase will be long eclipsed by the pleasure of using these reliable and relatively cheap fridges.

Sounds good to me, thanks. I'll give the wine fridge a miss.

 

[jackgym]

I picked up a 500L fridge for $150 including delivery on the weekend for my fermenting fridge. It is missing the crisper drawers and had a bit of mold on the inside but apart from that it was in good condition. There are heaps of cheap fridges out there that will pass the wife test.

Yes, I'm starting to like the idea of a bar fridge or freezer, tried and tested by you good brewers here.

 

[Florian]

Soda water? She wouldn't know what that was, she quaffes wine, mate But I get the idea. Thanks.

Make that sparkling wine or champagne then.
If she's into that stuff she'll love you forever if you put it on tap.

 

[Moad]

There are often freebies available, I picked a great fridge up myself through this great forum just last week. Keep an eye out and cross fingers. If you are in a hurry then check gumtree as well, often a bargain to be had on there.