Came across this online.
Using a mini fridge, taking the door off to build a fermentation chamber
Anyone have one and possibly their own version write up that they’d like to share ;D
http://www.nchomebrewing.com/diy-mini-fridge-beer-fermentation-chamber-build/
I like it! I have a chest freezer chamber but was wanting another chest freezer to make a keezer. I could make one of these and use my current freezer for the keezer.
I was thinking the same… I want both a keggerator and a ferm. Chamber.
With this build I would be extending the space. Would it be crazy to use one side for a 5gal glass carboy and the other for a corny keg and add tap handles.
If you are thinking of using the same chamber for both, I would think you would be serving warm beer if your fermenting a saison or ramping your temp up for a diacytl rest. But, on the otherhand, could you use the same idea for a kegerator?
Good point.
So let’s scratch the ferm chamber And just make it a kegerator? I don’t see why it wouldn’t work as long as its all sealed properly right.
What do you think?
Not sure. That would be a much larger volume to cool than the compressor would be designed for. But it wouldn’t be opened very often so it shouldn’t loose very much cool (gain heat). It would be nice to know someone else did it successfully before investing the time and materials.
True.
I posted this question along with some pics onto the general discussion board. Let’s hope we get some answers.
Thanks alot.
I’m guessing that this build works poorly and may not work AT ALL. Most mini-fridges use the sheet metal on the sides and top to radiate/transfer the heat from the condenser to the atmosphere. From the pictures, it looks like top and most of the sides are covered in insulated plywood effectively putting the heat radiator inside the chamber. Not gonna work.
I don’t want to get into any conflict on my first post, but using the solid walls/top of a fridge sounds incredibly inefficient. The fridge shown in the link looks like what we would call an under-counter fridge in the UK, and these have a radiator at the back like most other fridges. I do agree that the design may stress the compressor though, but I guess it depends where it’s sited. If it’s not having to do a lot of cooling, then it’s probably OK.
I bought a mini Danby refrigerator, removed the door and built a wooden skirt (a box with 4 sides and no top or bottom) the silicon glued it to the face then re-attached door to wood skirt. I also added/attached one of those thermal under tank heaters (8" x 18") to apply heat when required. I now can heat or cool by either plugging in fridge or heat pad to the temp controller. I place the temp sensor up against the side of my carboy.
E8F5gLJ (7.37 KB)
http://imgur.com/E8F5gLJ
Great idea.
I recently built a kegerator out of a mini-fridge. I looked at a dozen or so makes and models at Sears, Walmart and Home Depot. None had the radiator at the back like a normal fridge. I bought a Danby online, also no radiator. After it ran for a while, I noticed that the sheet metal on the sides and across the top near the front were warm to the touch. There is a reason they all come in flat black.
Well, it appears he built this almost 3 years ago, maybe someone should leave a question to see how well it has worked and whether or not the compressor gave out?
Fair enough, still sounds like a horribly inefficient way of dispersing the heat, never seen that over here though. Rarely see black fridges either.
I think that you are absolutely correct. Using the side sheet metal to radiate condenser heat would not work very well for a full size fridge or even a half size, under counter model. The area of the sides relative to the interior volume (4 cu. ft.) of a mini-fridge, however, is plenty for heat radiation and it’s cheap. Those things are built to a price. At least the ones we get over here. 