Side-by-side refrigerator

Systems, Gear, & DIY
1

I’ve got a side-by-side fridge (freezer/fridge) that I’ve converted to be a serving/lagering fridge.
It can fit 4 cornies on the fridge side and I’ve got 4 corresponding taps mounted on the door.

The question is, what can I do to take advantage of the freezer side?
It seems like if the fridge side is around 45F, then the freezer side is about 22F. There are analog dials for making each side colder/warmer but I’m using a digital controller so those essentially get overridden.

Ideally, I’d like to use the freezer side for lagering. So that means being able to keep the freezer side in the 32-50F range. If I take it that high right now, the fridge side will get too warm.

2

I cut the interior wall out of mine and now have a huge, wide open space. Of course, I can only keep it at one temp, instead of two but it works great for fermenting. Might not be the solution you’re looking for but I love it as a fermentation chamber.

3

Have you tried it to see where the fridge side evens out?  You could cut a smaller hole install a muffin fan, and use a different temp controller to run the fan and chill the fridge side.

4

So no worries about electronics or chiller lines in the wall between the spaces?

5

you should be able to find documentation on where electronics/coolant lines are located in your model.

6

I’d like to resurrect the idea from this old post.  I have a fridge I use as a ferm chamber but if I dial down the temp for lagering I loose the capability for the next brew to ferment.  I have an additional side-by-side that I use the fridge side to serve from.  I’d like to rack from fermenter to keg and use the freezer side of the side-by-side to lager in.  I’ve read a lot of ideas from a lot of different sites.  My side-by-side is the “trap door” style.  Has anyone successfully modified this style side-by-side to lager from the freezer and serve from the fridge and if so how was it done?

7

Quick follow up to anyone considering use of a side-by-side.  I have been very successful using the freezer side to lager in and serve from the fridge side without modification.  I simply control the whole unit with an external controller and monitor the temp in the lager side by taping a probe pocket of shop towels against the lager keg.  While the lager side is near freezing, the serving side maintains temps in the 40*F(s).