Fermenting Fridge

[crilly]

Just a quick question on building a fermenting fridge, finally got a second hand fridge, tube heater and Inkbird temperature controller. Any guidelines to drilling a hole for they temperature probe, don't want to drill through something important and ruin the fridge. Watch a number of videos and people just seem to drill the holes where it best suits there needs.

 

[HarryFlatters]

If there's a drain hole, feed the cables through there. If not, I'd be inclined to just have them go through the door seal rather than drill into something possibly important.

 

[pvt_ak]

If not the drain hole , I drill through door .

 

[foxbat]

I just let the door insulation strip close over it. No holes needed.

 

[Dutto]

Because colder air is more dense than warmer air, the cooling coils in a fridge are normally fairly high up, so drilling from the inside at floor level and angling the drill bit slightly downwards will on 99.9% of occasions miss any refrigerating coils.

The hole will also be at the level where one normally wishes to introduce an electric supply to the heater and the one hole can then serve for the electric cable for the heater and the cable for the temperature control.

 

[MickDundee]

I'd be inclined to just have them go through the door seal rather than drill into something possibly important.

This is all I do. One of my fridges seals fine with the cables in the door, I use masking tape to keep the door closed on my other one.

 

[BeerCat]

The sides of my fridges only contain foam. I have drilled them and blocked the holes with blue tack.

 

[crilly]

Thanks for all the replies, really helpful as usual. Just one further question regarding mounting the heating tube, would it be safe to glue it to the floor of the fridge rather than screwing it in.

 

[Dutto]

Not really!

I mount mine of a bit of ply-wood that is supported at the back with triangular pieces of wood.

That way, I can remove it, wipe it down with a cloth damped with bleach or Star-San and sanitise where it sits before replacing it.

It lurking in the photograph, down there under the bottom shelf.

 

[Seangrimshaw89]

Sorry to jump on the post but does anyone have a particular recommendation for a fridge that’s good for fermenting? After something small enough to get the missus to agree but big enough for 25L bucket and blow off.