Wine fridge at Aldi

[jackgym]

Hi
This is my first time here. I used to brew years ago and thinking seriously of getting back into it. After reading a lot on the web the main concern seems to be the fermenting temperature. Aldi have a wine fridge coming on special on Wed. August 5 ($299) which has cooling and heating facilities and temp. control between 5-18deg. It holds 46 bottles of wine so should be big enough for a fermenter with the shelves taken out. If I got my fermenter down around 18 deg. (ale) then threw the yeast in and bunged it into the wine fridge set at 18, how would that go? No having to buy a chest freezer, temp controller and heat belt. I reckon it's a good price.

 

[nosco]

I'd be looking for an old fridge or freezer. You can even get a bar fridge for cheaper than that. Does need some mods though. Costs less plus you get more options. About 2c-21c+

 

[paulyman]

Welcome.

If it's a peltier fridge I've heard, (happy to be corrected), that they don't cope so well with an active source of heat such as fermenting wort. So you may need to watch the actual temp of the fermentor and use bottles of ice water or some such. I'm sure it will be better than just ambient though.

Still I'd try and look into a second hand appropriate sized bar fridge if possible.

 

[crowmanz]

A second hand fridge (I use a bar fridge for ferm) and temp controller will be cheaper, you will hardly need a heat belt in QLD (unless you want to do a saison in winter).

 

[jackgym]

A second hand fridge (I use a bar fridge for ferm) and temp controller will be cheaper, you will hardly need a heat belt in QLD (unless you want to do a saison in winter).

Yes, a fridge would be cheaper but this unit cuts out the addons. It gets down to 8-10 deg. here in winter at times then up to 24-25 daytime so it's a big swing if I need to keep it at 18.

 

[jackgym]

Welcome.

If it's a peltier fridge I've heard, (happy to be corrected), that they don't cope so well with an active source of heat such as fermenting wort. So you may need to watch the actual temp of the fermentor and use bottles of ice water or some such. I'm sure it will be better than just ambient though.

Still I'd try and look into a second hand appropriate sized bar fridge if possible.

I don't know the brand of the unit, it isn't on sale till Wed. 5th, if I do purchase it. Thanks for the tip on the ice water.

 

[jackgym]

I'd be looking for an old fridge or freezer. You can even get a bar fridge for cheaper than that. Does need some mods though. Costs less plus you get more options. About 2c-21c+

I'm more or less forced into a new unit because it needs to go in the house so pleasing the good wife is a priority. She's happy with spending the money. I think the Good Guys have new bar fridges and chest freezers under $300 for another option.

 

[crowmanz]

Yes, a fridge would be cheaper but this unit cuts out the addons. It gets down to 8-10 deg. here in winter at times then up to 24-25 daytime so it's a big swing if I need to keep it at 18.

A pre built keg king temp controller is ~$70, an STC-1000 is even cheaper.

As a fridge is insulated and fermenting wort produces heat the need for heating is minimal, many in SEQ do not use a heating belt in their ferm fridges.

With the min temp being 5degrees, cold crashing wont be as effective (generally 0-2 degrees).

 

[antiphile]

OK. It's a Stirling brand (one of Aldi's own brands) and from my limited experience they aren't too bad. I got one a Stirling robot vacuum cleaner about 10 weeks ago (?) and it works well and goes like a charm.

The specs for the wine fridge are here, My only question would be the internal dimensions which are not mentioned other than the depth with the door closed (535 mm). I think the height and width quoted may be external dimensions? It looks as though all the shelves are removable, so that's good, but I'd double check the internals with the size of your preferred fermenters (plus about 50-75 mm height if you use an airlock or steriloc etc.

It's great to see you've taken your better half into consideration to keep her onside.

 

[Coodgee]

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.

 

[jackgym]

OK. It's a Stirling brand (one of Aldi's own brands) and from my limited experience they aren't too bad. I got one a Stirling robot vacuum cleaner about 10 weeks ago (?) and it works well and goes like a charm.

The specs for the wine fridge are here, My only question would be the internal dimensions which are not mentioned other than the depth with the door closed (535 mm). I think the height and width quoted may be external dimensions? It looks as though all the shelves are removable, so that's good, but I'd double check the internals with the size of your preferred fermenters (plus about 50-75 mm height if you use an airlock or steriloc etc.

It's great to see you've taken your better half into consideration to keep her onside.

Thanks for the link. I've estimated the internal dimensions looking at the picture and adding up the bottles and the space in between the shelves. A fermenter should fit easily, but I'll take a tape to the store. I like the Coopers fermenter without the air-lock. Do you need to keep the beer after bottling at a stable temperature?

 

[Florian]

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.

 

[megabyte]

It would be neat to have a well sized fridge with a glass door on front to show off all my stainless bling.

Fingers crossed they've engineered something that will maintain the advertised 5 celsius on a hot day. I've been working a lot with thermoelectric coolers (peltiers) lately and I doubt they could achieve it using thermoelectric coolers for sub $300 on such a large fridge. I expect it will have a lot of caveats about its performance unless they use an actual compressor instead. Aldi is good at delivering value so it will be interesting to see what they come up with.

Thanks for the find jackgym.

 

[Mardoo]

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.

 

[megabyte]

Hey I just took a closer look and in their third picture you can see an evaporator on the back of the fridge. Here's a direct link, it's that bendy serpentine panel so don't worry about all these Peltier/Thermoelectric shenanigans

No doubt those second hand fridges are probably better quality, just depends on whether you like new stuff or quality used stuff.

 

[Bribie G]

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.

 

[Benn]

I remember a client doing a bit of homework on his fridge set up for a bar/wine area in the new home we were buiding for him, in the end he gave the glass doors a miss in favour of conventional fridges due to the increased running costs of the glass doors lesser insulation properties. It was a couple of years ago now so things might have changed but could be worth considering if the fridge is running all the time.

 

[Rambo]

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.

I have two of these. One I picked up second hand and is used as my keg fridge. Holds two 19 litre cornies and a 9 litre keg on the hump easily and an extra 9 litre keg with a little modification. The other one I bought new from a factory seconds place (with warranty) for about $250 if I remember correctly. This one I use as my fermenting fridge and holds a 30 litre fermenter easily. I have a slab of wood across the top of the two to act as part of my bar.

While I would rather own two of the kegmaster fridges you refer to, I think these also offer a good alternative at a cheaper price.

Edit: Maybe that's not the exact one I have... looking closer, mine has glass shelves and not wire. It is a 130L Westinghouse though.

 

[jackgym]

It would be neat to have a well sized fridge with a glass door on front to show off all my stainless bling.

Fingers crossed they've engineered something that will maintain the advertised 5 celsius on a hot day. I've been working a lot with thermoelectric coolers (peltiers) lately and I doubt they could achieve it using thermoelectric coolers for sub $300 on such a large fridge. I expect it will have a lot of caveats about its performance unless they use an actual compressor instead. Aldi is good at delivering value so it will be interesting to see what they come up with.

Thanks for the find jackgym.

It does have a compressor: http://www.stirlingappliances.com.au/product-categories/fridge/46-bottle-wine-fridge.html
I'm inclined to give it a go although I've had conflicting reports here from brewers here. Time will tell.

 

[jackgym]

Hey I just took a closer look and in their third picture you can see an evaporator on the back of the fridge. Here's a direct link, it's that bendy serpentine panel so don't worry about all these Peltier/Thermoelectric shenanigans

No doubt those second hand fridges are probably better quality, just depends on whether you like new stuff or quality used stuff.

It mentions a fan, is that the evaporator? It will be interesting to see how the wine fridge handles the "mass" of the fermenter.