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Kegerator/Ferm Chamber - All in one?
I've looked all over the place to see if anyone's done this before, but haven't found anything. I'm wondering if i can take my old side by side refrigerator/freezer and turn the fridge side into the kegerator and the freezer side into a fermentation chamber?
With quick measurements, i'm pretty sure i'd be able to get two of my 6 gal better bottles in the freezer side, on top of each other. If i can only fit one, then that would be alright too. On the fridge side, i'm thinking i could fit a 1/2 keg on the bottom and build a shelf to hold to cornys on top of that. it would be really tight fit, but i think i could make the work with the right build (CO2 would have to be outside the unit)
Have any of you guys see anything like this, or have any thoughts as to how to make this work, if possible?
Well the idea of using the freezer side for a temp controlled area is fine, however you do need to use a controller, which will cycle your freezer on when the temp goes up a couple of degrees. This may only need to happen for a couple of minutes every few hours. Which means your unit will not be running, meaning your fridge side will not keep beer cold. If you disconnected the freezer lines, so only the fridge worked, you would be left with an insulated area, but no means to keep the temp steady. I personally use seperate units.
Yeah, I agree with Thirsty. Is the freezer unit separate in terms of temp control in a refrigerator? I think there might be only one compressor, which means that the fridge compartment and the freezer compartment are both being cooled if it is on. This would make it impossible to control them separately. Perhaps one could rig something up with 2 air conditioner units each cooling 2 separate chambers; something like Jamil did to make his homemade walk in cold room. Cheers!
Separate the two areas and use the regular temp controller for the fridge. Set up a separate temp control with a fan to pull air in from the fridge. There are a number of fermentation chamber systems in the DIY sections of the internet that show how to set up systems like this. Should work similar in this case, but that assumes the freezer section is actually big enough to do fermenting.
I didnt think it would be to easy to make work. I do have seperate controls for fridge and freezer, but they probably run off just the one compressor.
Crabnut - i was starting to think about making a vent in the middle divider to try and get the freezer side between 66-72 degrees. I'll try and find a DIY on using a temp control to operate a fan. Thanks for the idea
Or maybe i'll just open the whole thing up and remove all of the divider to make a bigger kegerator! I don't have too much room and brew in AZ so i'd like to try and make an all in one first.
1n1m3g - Wouldn't that be sweet if we could all have a walk in cold room like that!
1n1m3g wrote:
something like Jamil did to make his homemade walk in cold room. Cheers!
I must have missed that episode. I just wonder about the danger of the C02 in an enclosed room. I know it’s a problem in wineries.
Back when the economy was good, I built a cedar wine cellar with a Whisperkool A/C unit. It is controlled by a probe that you put in an old wine bottle filled with water. So the unit only kicks on when the “liquid” temperature rises, not every time someone opens the cellar door. I do store kegs in there but I’ve been too apprehensive to use it as a fermentation chamber.
The side by side I have at home I'm pretty sure works on a damper. Meaning the compressor kicks in to cool the freezer, and a damper and fan blow cold air into the fridge side...I think. So if that were the case, It seems in theory it wouldn't be that difficult to wire in a different thermostat on the freezer side and use that side as service/storage. Then wire in another controller on the fridge side, since it controlls the damper, you could keep the fridge side at the fermentation temp of your choice. Basically just allowing the temperature on both sides to rise and hold about 30 degrees higher than they were meant to work at.
I have been searching around for pics and a how to on building a chest freezer tap setup with a seperate fermentation chamber. They all have links to a page from the Oregon Brew Crew, but the webpage doesn't work. (http://www.oregonbrewcrew.com/freezer/freezer.html) Anyone know of another one somewhere on the internet?
I have got to say, if space is a concern, then maximizing the number of fridge/freezers I can understand. However if yoiu have the space, basement or garage, I think just getting cheap craigslist fridge/freezer for whatever application is best, you will spend more $$ in thermostats and and temptrollers to multitask one unit, then you would just getting a seperate unit for each.
I am lucky enough to have the room, and over the years have accumulated a lot of equipt, however having a unit to dispense from, a unit to control ferm temps, and a unit for cool storage/lagering/crashing is great. And I only need 1 temp controller. If the temp controller costs $45-65 a piece, why not just get a craigslist fridge/freezer for the same price?
Again unless space is an issue.
After thinking alot about this, and with all the input from you guys - I think i'll leave that fridge in the garage as is. Use it as extra beer storage, keg conditioning, and possible lagering when that time comes.
I'll try and look for a craiglist mini fridge that i can setup as a fermentation chamber and will go all in and get a new chest freezer for my kegerator. I'll start with the kegerator and make it work.
If i'm putting all this time and effort and $ into a kegerator, i figure ill buy new so it will last a long time. Now the search is on for the perfect freezer!
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