Fermentation Fridge - What make and model of fridges are you using?

[Paul Foster]

I am planning to build a fermentation fridge in the near future and at the stage of looking where to locate one.

So as the title says, what make and model of fridges are people using, may be freezers too?

and for a bit of fun, where have you located it?


Apologies if this has already been asked, I did a search though I cant say it was comprehensive.

 

[Horners]

Despite trying to find one on gumtree etc I got impatient and bought a

Indesit OS1A200H2 81cm Wide 204L Chest Freezer - White

for about £200 delivered. Good thing is that it has a cooling (rather than freezing mode as well) so temperature can be set anywhere from lager temps down to minus 20 or whatever. Size wise it holds my SS Brewbucket Brewmaster ed and a 25L (or maybe 30L) Klarstein SS fermenter and a tube heater in the basket thing.

Also us it for kegs - not converted it to kegerator but find it still seals with one gas line and one beer out line. It holds 3 corneys with plenty of room for bottles, hops etc

Edit: Would add though that if you have a bad back then wouldn't be ideal as lifting 23L up from the bottom would give you a bit of an issue.

 

[the_quick]

Paul if you want to save yourself bit of money go on Facebook marketplace, I have set up account just for that. Got my small fridge for £20 and same for small freezer (keezer).

For the fridge if it a small one, look for one without freezing compartment. Make and model really don't make much difference imo - as long as it works. Dead easy to set it up and would recommend inkbird stat - great piece of kit

 

[simon12]

Just look on ebay near by I have got many that way.

 

[Deathstar]

Also make sure it’s not a slimline fridge, otherwise your fermentation vessel may not fit in.
£30 of Gumtree for me.

 

[mattpc]

I recently bought this kenwood one.

https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/house...er-inox-10175325-pdt.html?intcmpid=display~RR
It fits an SS Brewtech like so in very nicely but hides under my utility room worktop so is not a domestic eysore.

https://www.braumarkt.com/homepage-...MIxpW1_t2t6AIVi7TtCh2nAA3kEAQYASABEgLFO_D_BwE
I drilled right next to the drain hole to make a hole big enough to run the power cord for the tubular heater. The heater sits happily on the plastic area around the drain hole. I haven’t worked out how to secure the retaining brackets for the heater but it happily sits loose in position. There are two more things I want to do with it. The fermenter is a great fit but the floor of the fridge is uneven so the fermenter wobbles. I need to put a solid base over the fridge floor to fix this. The tubular Heater is a new dimplex one from screwfix. I get a few smells when the fridge door is shut, probably because the heater is new but it might be nice to install a fan to get some air circulation in there. Unsure where to put this....

 

[marshbrewer]

Mine is a Beko larder fridge that was our primary fridge until I moved into my current house and needed an integrated fridge so the Beko became surplus to requirements.

 

[Buffers brewery]

I got a secondhand Bosch fridge off Gumtree For £30. I was a bit of an animal and drilled (carefully) holes on the side for the heater cable and temperature probe. Fixed the heater brackets to the floor of the fridge using silicone sealant. It’s a bit scruffy but fits in with the shed decor. Bought one of these for my (posh) indoor beer fridge.
https://www.argos.co.uk/product/8357896I can get 2 King Kegs in plus a few cans.

 

[Frog 1]

My mate has a firm that does fridge repairs and air con, so he had a freezer in the back that we have rigged up as a fermentation fridge, its actually really good but big and very harsh as its commercial, loads of space, but the heater is really intense so its kicking in and out a lot, also very noisy as its intended for commercial use so doesn't need a low power compressor etc. so it kicks in with a proper corner shop fridge starting kinda sound, this is stored at my dads cos he's on his own and has the room, might not be there too long as he doesn't like his house sounding like the local Spar shop.

My remedy to this is to buy a under counter size freezer and fit it with a heater pad and temperature controller, I don't want a chest freezer as it means lost of heavy lifting and my back aint up to that and I also want it to double up as a keg fridge with taps fitted to the top, so I want a door on the front. Also my mate has told me to be very careful where I drill for wires/tubes etc as the refrigerant may go through a series of coils that may be housed in the walls or the top.

 

[Clint]

I got mine as a kitchen refit off a mate for a bottle of whiskey.
I think avoiding the ones with the ice box is the easiest way and obviously you need to fit your fv in! I found I couldn't use my normal airlock so went to a blow off tube.

 

[Buffers brewery]

I got mine as a kitchen refit off a mate for a bottle of whiskey.
I think avoiding the ones with the ice box is the easiest way and obviously you need to fit your fv in! I found I couldn't use my normal airlock so went to a blow off tube.

Good point. I couldn’t fit a standard airlock on my FV so in typical HR fashion I used some left over copper pipe to make an “S” bend holder for my trap...

Being an elderly gent I find it a bit of a struggle getting a FV or PB into my fridge as it involves lifting it up onto the shelf over the heater so I made a wooden chute that fits onto the fridge shelf. So I just have to lift the FV onto the chute then just push it into the fridge, onto the shelf.

 

[Clint]

That's genius! I recall some other member making a similar transport aid but it might have been metal...I could do with something similar...a nice piece of PTFE maybe?

 

[Buffers brewery]

That's genius! I recall some other member making a similar transport aid but it might have been metal...I could do with something similar...a nice piece of PTFE maybe?

Thanks Clint. PTFE might be a bit expensive. I mount my FV’s on wheels. Makes it easier to move them to the shed after I do a 5 gallon brew (+50lbs).

Still working on wheels for the PB.

 

[BridgeBrew]

You sir are a steely eyed missile man. Very nice mods.. This is my little darling. Made it a couple of years ago, it's an old iceland fridge, i got for nowt off a mates mum. Looking for a tall larder fridge now to take a bin, and a PB.

 

[Graz]

I got two, both under counter / larder type fridges. First was a Zanussi which I bought years ago when I first moved into an unfurnished rental, became surplus to requirements after getting our house, new kitchen etc. and then I got back into brewing so I was glad I'd kept it. Second is some cheapo job (Fridgemaster?) that I got from eBay locally, bit smaller than the Zanussi but will take a 5 gallon FV no problem so that's all it needs to do.

Both live out in the garage, smaller one stacked on top of the bigger one.

I also have a tall John Lewis larder fridge, another eBay find, which is now a kegerator. Also in the garage next to the fermenting fridges.

 

[Richie_asg1]

This is mine. It's an old display fridge that was outside my local tip. Needed work but I think it's kind of cool.
(It's a fridge - gerrit? )

It has a 40W bar heater mounted under that shelf, and 60mm holes cut either end of it to help circulation.
I've wired the fan that is at the back to only come on when the compressor is cooling as it sucks air past the cooling coils, and I've also added a speed control to that because it was a bit noisy. Now yu don't hear it.
Temperature via STC1000 mounted inside 100mm rectangular PVC ducting which fits perfectly and keeps all the wiring safe if there is an overspill.

I've worked out a method of using my knees to help getting it in and out but I love the systems you guys have come up with.

 

[GhostShip]

Mine is a Beko that I got off ebay for £12. It works, which is all I was worried about, and both the sensor wire to the Inkbird and the power cable to the tube heater fit perfectly through the rear drainage hole, meaning no drilling required. I’ve stuck it in our back room, which has become a bit of a junk room.

 

[Banbeer]

My fridges are a Bosh, Indesit and a Hotpoint, the Hotpoint doesn't like going to 3 deg C (for cold crashing) black fridge but hey only paid £20 off ebay for it, the Indesit is OK (silver Middle) it was a bit battered but works fine, can't remember the cost but once again off ebay. The Bosh (white left) was a fridge that we used in the kitchen but became redundant when when we needed a fridge freezer but by far the best fridge of the lot.

 

[Davy6Mac]

Mine is a Beko model bought of gumtree, it was a bit tired but after a good clean up was ok and it worked.
Had to use a blow off tube for my FV as dimensions in the literature didn't include height of airlock. It's a bit tight but works ok with tubular heater and ink bird stat. Didn't drill any holes or use drainage hole seems to work ok, there is a good video on the Malt Miller website, plus numerous other ones on YouTube
Like the idea of the chute by Buffers Brewery, will have to make one of those

 

[Paul Foster]

Many thanks for your responses, some very good ideas and I think more people on here than just me have now got some great modifications planned.

I think the way Richie_asg1 has mounted the STC1000 is a fantastic idea especially the way I tend to throw wort around on brew day, and also the fridge loading chute of Buffers Brewery a great back saver.

Anyways due to the current climate and as key worker who's now busier than ever, I'm afraid for me this project is on hold for the time being.

#Keep safe everyone, happy brewing