My new brewing fridge

acuk63 · Feb 21, 2015

Due to my house being colder than an igloo added to the fact that I like tinkering, I got myself a second-hand larder fridge from ebay and set about making a brewing fridge.
I got a project box http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_f...OJECT+BOX+ENCLOSURE+177+X+120+X+83MM&_sacat=0

acuk63 · Feb 21, 2015

I cut out a hole to fit an stc 1000 http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_f...7.TRC2.A0.H0.Xstc.TRS0&_nkw=stc-1000&_sacat=0

Here's a pic with it fitted and wired

acuk63 · Feb 21, 2015

The stc-1000 was wired as per this pic

There is a video on the forum showing a different wiring diagram so please follow the instructions on your STC-1000 as they may differ from the one below.

.

acuk63 · Feb 21, 2015

I then made some timber shelf supports, a shelf with slots cut out for the heat to
radiate up better and fitted a green house heater http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_o...+heater.TRS0&_nkw=60w+tubular+heater&_sacat=0
I managed to get the wire for the heater and the probe wire through the drainage hole at the back of the fridge

Chippy_Tea · Feb 21, 2015

:clap:

.........

acuk63 · Feb 21, 2015

Here it is finished, complete with it's first brew on the go. I bought a nice tall larder fridge so that I can do some wine on the shelf above at the same time

bigbeefy · Feb 21, 2015

looks good that m8

Fil · Feb 21, 2015

nice one, fill her up

acuk63 · Feb 21, 2015

thanks Chippy/beefy and Fil, gonna get 3 DJ's of WOW on the go this weekend, to cover up the empty shelf :-D

Chippy_Tea · Feb 21, 2015

You may have to beef that shelf up a bit, i reckon 3 DJ's will be around 15Kg

Fil · Feb 21, 2015

a fan to move both hot and cold air about would help efficiency and counter any lag and therefore guard against cycling between the 2 inputs.

bigbeefy · Feb 21, 2015

Chippy_Tea said:
You may have to beef that shelf up a bit, i reckon 3 DJ's will be around 15Kg

the liquid alone in 3 dj would be 15kg i would think more like 20kg

a sheet of 3/4 inch marine ply would do the job nicely

LarryF · Feb 21, 2015

Looks gorgeous.

acuk63 · Feb 21, 2015

Thanks for the input, I've cobbled 3 of the old shelves together, put 3 DJ's full of water on top and they never bowed, but I'll pick up a piece of plywood in the week and change it over. I've been looking at fans, would you wire that in with the heater, so that it only operated when the heater was running?

Fil · Feb 21, 2015

imho for best results run a fan 24/7, the air and its movement is what transfers the heat and cold from their respective radiators to the beer, the more it moves about the more effective both heating and cooling will be. a cheap pc case fan is what i use and one failed after a few years running and its replacement is still going strong.. not an expensive component to replace, run off on old phone charger, thin bell wire is suffiucient to power it and poke in easily thru the back drain hole..

Megabrew · Feb 24, 2015

Great fridge and pretty much exactly what I did. So far mine is working out very well.

jaquiss2005 · Mar 28, 2015

Have this week purchased STC 1000, project box and greenhouse heater per original post, but am not the most proficient when it comes to electrics. Can just about follow the wiring diagram, but what else is needed to build this? Presume need electrical wire etc and 2 sockets to plug fridge / heater onto on the project box? Are there any other pictures anyone has that might help? Can see some videos on You Tube, but all seem to be american and not sure what the difference is, if any

acuk63 · Mar 30, 2015

Hi Jaquiss, you've got 2 options with the wiring, either install 2 single sockets like these http://www.screwfix.com/p/mk-13a-1-gang-dp-switched-plug-socket-white/14790 or hardwire it, as I did, if you look closely on the pic I posted of the wiring, 3 wires exit the project box on the left. 1 goes the the fridge, 1 to the heater and the other has a 3 pin plug fitted. I also used 15A terminal strips to join the wires as shown in the stc1000 wiring diagram (the white rectangles) http://www.screwfix.com/p/15a-terminal-strips-pack-of-10/91532. For cables use 2.5mm2 flexible cable http://www.screwfix.com/p/heat-resistant-flexible-cable-3183tq-3-core-2-5mm-x-1m-white/71940 or cut up an extension lead.
I also put cable ties around each of the cables, so that they can't occidentally be pulled out of the project box. If you have any doubts I'd think about getting an electrician to wire it for you to be on the safe side

Twostage · Mar 30, 2015

Word of warning. After seeing a few diagrams on the web I was going to hard wire my fish tank heater direct to an stc-1000 then I read a post warning against doing that and always presenting the power through extension sockets. The reason being that when you use extension sockets the thing you are powering keeps its plug and it's fuse which is there to protect the device and you. Hard wiring eliminates this fuse.:electric:

eezybrewer · Mar 31, 2015

A job well done there. :hat: Something I am seriously thinking about making soon.

My new brewing fridge

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