Do I need a fermentation fridge?

[Galena]

this might be a very stupid question but i'll ask anyway.
Does the fridge need to work to be able to use it? Could you use the heater and ink bird and still control the temperature?

Yes you could until the ambient temperature pushes the chamber above the range for the yeast, and remember that the process itself produces heat. At the moment the refrigeration side of mine is hardly ever on, but as soon as the weather warms then it gets used quite a bit.

 

[StJayJay]

this might be a very stupid question but i'll ask anyway.
Does the fridge need to work to be able to use it? Could you use the heater and ink bird and still control the temperature?

I think it’ll depend on what you are fermenting. Without it working, it won’t get below its ambient temperature so it may be okay for ales etc, but I think it wouldn’t be good for lagers and you wouldn’t be able to get down to cold crashing temperatures if you wanted to do that

 

[RPeters]

Cheers both @Galena @StJayJay
That makes sense. Only really useful in winter months I guess then. I only really brew ales and the odd stout so I could get away with it.

 

[Galena]

Cheers both @Galena @StJayJay
That makes sense. Only really useful in winter months I guess then. I only really brew ales and the odd stout so I could get away with it.

Bear in mind that if you are going to the trouble of building a fermentation fridge, then you should be doing this to control temperature not for what you can get away with, and to get the best out of a yeast, even for an ale, that may mean starting fermentation at 17C which you are going to struggle with without some refrigeration. You can pick a used fridge up for a few quid, sometimes for free so why not do it right in the first place?

 

[RPeters]

Bear in mind that if you are going to the trouble of building a fermentation fridge, then you should be doing this to control temperature not for what you can get away with, and to get the best out of a yeast, even for an ale, that may mean starting fermentation at 17C which you are going to struggle with without some refrigeration. You can pick a used fridge up for a few quid, sometimes for free so why not do it right in the first place?

You are right and I've been looking for a used fridge but none so far have been local enough. A family member is getting rid of a broken fridge, hence my question. But i'll continue to keep an eye out for a working one. Cheers mate

 

[Binkei Huckaback]

If you're only starting out, I'd say get everything else in place first, especially if you have somewhere you can ferment which has a relatively constant temperature.

Get to know your equiment and your process. Once you're confident in your process, then move on to other things, rather than having lots of new things to deal with all at once.

Your first beer is a delight even if it a small swing in fermentation temperature means it could be better. And let's face it, you have beer to drink while putting your fridge together.

 

[Jamesman]

If you're only starting out, I'd say get everything else in place first, especially if you have somewhere you can ferment which has a relatively constant temperature.

Get to know your equiment and your process. Once you're confident in your process, then move on to other things, rather than having lots of new things to deal with all at once.

Your first beer is a delight even if it a small swing in fermentation temperature means it could be better. And let's face it, you have beer to drink while putting your fridge together.

Hi thanks for the reply. It's easy to get carried away. I've just ordered a 5l all grain kit and a few other bits and bobs so I'm gonna try brewing that as soon as it arrives. I'm looking forward to actually trying it out instead of just reading and watching videos about it. Cheers.

 

[chillipickle]

You are right and I've been looking for a used fridge but none so far have been local enough. A family member is getting rid of a broken fridge, hence my question. But i'll continue to keep an eye out for a working one. Cheers mate

Ask your family member if the compressor still works on the fridge.There is a good chance the thermostat has packed up if the compressor is still working.
It is straight forward to bypass the thermostat and get it working again.

You will be controlling the temp with an inkbird, so the fridge thermostat is not needed.

 

[RPeters]

Ask your family member if the compressor still works on the fridge.There is a good chance the thermostat has packed up if the compressor is still working.
It is straight forward to bypass the thermostat and get it working again.

You will be controlling the temp with an inkbird, so the fridge thermostat is not needed.

Sorry mate, I’ve only just seen your post. Ok cheers for that, I’ll find out!

 

[Martin-68]

I set mine up a couple of years ago & although I only do kits wouldn’t be without it
I set it going in the garage & just leave it to it for 10 days check it’s ready ,keg and condition

 

[Jamesman]

I set mine up a couple of years ago & although I only do kits wouldn’t be without it
I set it going in the garage & just leave it to it for 10 days check it’s ready ,keg and condition

Looks really good, thanks for the photos. It helps to see how simple it is to set up. Cheers

 

[RPeters]

Ask your family member if the compressor still works on the fridge.There is a good chance the thermostat has packed up if the compressor is still working.
It is straight forward to bypass the thermostat and get it working again.

You will be controlling the temp with an inkbird, so the fridge thermostat is not needed.

Hi CP, so i plugged the fridge in and all was working for around an hour or so and then stopped.. do you know what could be the issue? No worries if not. Cheers!

 

[MmmBeer]

Hi CP, so i plugged the fridge in and all was working for around an hour or so and then stopped.. do you know what could be the issue? No worries if not. Cheers!

Was the fridge actually cooling during that half hour? If so, it could well be the thermostat. Otherwise the compressor could have failed to start properly, heated up due to the current and tripped the thermal overload.

Leave the fridge switched off until the compressor is cool (its the item in the black metal ball at the back of the fridge), then turn the fridge on again, monitoring the temperature inside (ideally with a thermometer or probe). Whether the fridge chills or not will determine your next step.

 

[RPeters]

Was the fridge actually cooling during that half hour? If so, it could well be the thermostat. Otherwise the compressor could have failed to start properly, heated up due to the current and tripped the thermal overload.

Leave the fridge switched off until the compressor is cool (its the item in the black metal ball at the back of the fridge), then turn the fridge on again, monitoring the temperature inside (ideally with a thermometer or probe). Whether the fridge chills or not will determine your next step.

I'll do this check tonight with my thermometer although I'm fairly certain the fridge was cooling whilst it was on, as it did feel cold inside. What would be my next step? Thank you!

 

[MmmBeer]

I'll do this check tonight with my thermometer although I'm fairly certain the fridge was cooling whilst it was on, as it did feel cold inside. What would be my next step? Thank you!

If it is cooling, you may need to bypass the thermostat (others may need to advise you on this as I have never tried that myself) and use the Inkbird as a temperature controller.

If the compressor housing is unusually hot when the fridge stops working (you may also hear a click as it cuts out), it would probably be wise to replace the PTC relay and thermal overload. First unplug the fridge, there will be a protective safety cover over a part of the compressor housing, held in place with a screw or spring clip beneath this there will be two components that should look something like these shown below.

Thermal Overloads PTC relay

Try to read any of the model numbers or ratings on the old units (the overloads are rated in fractions of horsepower) and order replacements. You can get them from appliance spares specialists (expensive) or ebay etc (cheaper).