A fridge, a fridge. My Kingdom.....

[dan125]

I'm not quite sure what you mean - surely what matters is the difference between the actual ambient temp and the desired brew temp at any given time, rather than an average??

 

[Dutto]

I'm not quite sure what you mean - surely what matters is the difference between the actual ambient temp and the desired brew temp at any given time, rather than an average??

All fridges are insulated so it you keep the fridge door closed the temperature inside the fridge will level out at more or less the "average" temperature of the day, week, month etc.

On the 6th August I started a Dark European Lager - Munich Dunkel and these are my Diary Notes:

1. Ambient temperature at 29*C and tap water at 22*C!
2. Put FV in Brew Fridge No.1 with Set Point at 19*C.
3. Probe showed 22*C after two hours.

At that stage, as the evening was approaching and the temperature was due to fall, I switched off the "refrigerate" function, changed the Set Point to 20*C and just left the "Heat" function on with the heater turned down to just above "minimum".

It has fermented at between 19.8*C and 20.3*C since that time; and yesterday's ambient in the garage was up to 24*C.

If your Brew Fridge is cycling between "Refrigerate" and "Heat" it's quite possible that the controller just isn't set up properly; ditto if the "Refrigerate" only is switching on and off.

 

[Zee]

I have just invested in an additional fridge freezer.

I will be getting rid of an under counter bottle fridge (pub style) with sliding glass doors. I have used this for fermenting a 25ltr plastic bucket FV which fits nicely. The 30ltr is a bit of a squeeze. I can’t recall how cold it goes for cold crashing but it must be at least 8 degrees. It is currently housing 8ltrs of an Amarillo pale aging with Brett at 38 degrees.

I am in Southampton if anyone is interested in it.

Happy to post a pic later on.

 

[dan125]

All fridges are insulated so it you keep the fridge door closed the temperature inside the fridge will level out at more or less the "average" temperature of the day, week, month etc.

On the 6th August I started a Dark European Lager - Munich Dunkel and these are my Diary Notes:

1. Ambient temperature at 29*C and tap water at 22*C!
2. Put FV in Brew Fridge No.1 with Set Point at 19*C.
3. Probe showed 22*C after two hours.

At that stage, as the evening was approaching and the temperature was due to fall, I switched off the "refrigerate" function, changed the Set Point to 20*C and just left the "Heat" function on with the heater turned down to just above "minimum".

It has fermented at between 19.8*C and 20.3*C since that time; and yesterday's ambient in the garage was up to 24*C.

If your Brew Fridge is cycling between "Refrigerate" and "Heat" it's quite possible that the controller just isn't set up properly; ditto if the "Refrigerate" only is switching on and off.

Thanks Dutto - I see what you mean, it could be done. But I prefer to have contol over the temp, usually staring at the lower end (16-18C) and ramping it up as it calms down a bit.

No problenms with the fridge cycling - its in a shed that gets warm in the day, & set with a small differential, so the fridge can come on regularly to keep the temp in check.

It does make me wonder how they successfully managed to brew decent beer year round in the past aunsure....

 

[-Bezza-]

Remember that temperatures quoted for weather are the temperature in the shade. Stand in a poorly insulated shed with a black felt roof and you'll have some pretty wild differences!