Temperature control

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

More experimentation with water and my makeshift attempt at temperature control at last. Gonna try this with my next brew on Saturday.

My genius hubby @Jim Goer has realised we can put the wire of the heater through the hole of the water dispenser! Haven’t done it yet though, but rewiring a plug is something I’m sure we can manage. I’d have never have thought of putting the wire through there! So no drilling required!

 

[Clint]

Looks great! Even easier...cut a chunk out the door seal at the bottom about the same thickness as your cable...seals perfectly,easy peasy!

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Some members use the drain hole to get the probe wire to the FV but i havent a clue if it would be big enough to take a wire to a 3 pin plug.

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Some members use the drain hole to get the probe wire to the FV but i havent a clue if it would be big enough to take a wire to a 3 pin plug.

No good as the hole is needed for the overflow water down to the container at the bottom. Otherwise we’ll have a puddle in the fridge if the water can’t evaporate. Thanks @DocAnna for pointing that out!

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Looks great! Even easier...cut a chunk out the door seal at the bottom about the same thickness as your cable...seals perfectly,easy peasy!

We had thought of that yes but this seems easier somehow. Either way it’s a cut the plug off job

Edit - oh I’ve just realised what you mean Clint! However the problem with that is, it then won’t seal without the heater in, and the heater won’t always be in. We use it as a normal fridge / freezer when there’s no beer in it.

Bit annoying having to keep taking the plug off like. There must be a better way.

 

[Clint]

Try just cutting the seal from the inside,not completely through and bend it outwards. That way you can just push it back into place when going normal with it.
Or rather...from the bottom,up.

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Thanks Clint - worth a go.

 

[RoomWithABrew]

You can very safely drill the door, there are no lines or pipes in that so you could route your cable thru the front. Flatter cables are also available or thinner, the load on your heater doesn't need a really thick cable as it will only be a few amps. Most of that cable is actually plastic sheath.

 

[DocAnna]

I’m not sure whether it was blissful ignorance or just being a bit gung ho but I was fine drilling holes in the side of the fridge. Has anyone found a fridge with coolant lines in the side rather than the back or top?

 

[DocAnna]

Nice looking fridge though - very neat and tidy and routing the cable through the water dispenser certainly is innovative! Does your pressure fermenter fit just as well?

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

The all-rounder doesn’t as the back of the water dispenser is in the way, but the taller Fermzilla does, sat on top of the upside down Dutch oven that you see here lol.

So what I tend to do is use the all-rounder with kveik to ferment in, and then transfer into the taller Fermzilla to serve and carbonate in. But now I have this bucket so I will give that a go

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Thanks Anna - can’t believe it was only £20! Need a chest freezer now to fit the all-rounder in!

 

[RoomWithABrew]

I’m not sure whether it was blissful ignorance or just being a bit gung ho but I was fine drilling holes in the side of the fridge. Has anyone found a fridge with coolant lines in the side rather than the back or top?

Our freezer.


The fridge freezer I have for ferment control also has lines in the side, but can't find the flir picture.

Flir camera handy to find lines but I haven't needed to do it.
If there is no black dusty grille on the back then the lines are in the sides, not checked the top though of the fridge freezer.
It's why you shouldn't clad your keezer / kegerator build tightly as the heat can't be lost as well , the compressor works harder and more electricity and noise with earlier failure. Nor should you have your fridge tight to the cabinets in the kitchen for the same reason.

Commercial fridges often have grille on the back so can be drilled happily as per my keg fridge.


Of note I did cut a hole in the base of the top freezer thru into the fridge. Insulated the inside of the freezer to improve efficiency and put some ducting from the fan in the top freezer directly to the hole. This means when cold crashing I get the freezer air being blown into the fridge as well as the back fridge plate working. When not cooling say a kveik ferment then I just put the circle of insulation back into the hole to keep the heat in a smaller space.
Can cold crash a 25 litre fermentasaurus to 0.5 degree in 24 hours.


Bargain hunting competition entry, got the ferment fridge freezer was on sale for a dollar ( 50p) only had 2 dollar coin when I picked it up, guy wouldn't take the 2 dollars insisted on tossing for it and lost the bet.
Commercial display fridge was 50 dollars and i replaced the fan inside with 2 pc fans and a fan control for 3 dollars. Takes 8 kegs, bargain with a paint job.

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Updates - the fridge closes perfectly fine with the two wires. So absolutely no need whatsoever to mutilate anything!

 

[RoomWithABrew]

Do my eyes deceive me or is there a small hole in the front door of the fridge?
You'll get a better seal around the wires going in if you spread them out a bit.

 

[mrhardware]

My larder fridge has the thermostat in the plastic top. I removed the top and the capillary tube went through a hole into fridge compartment. Removed the sealer and managed to get the temp probe through hole then refitted the top. Then drilled a small hole through the compressor step at bottom of fridge. Did it from back to ensure I missed anything important. Sealed all holes with a small blob of white silicone.

 

[Leon103]

Updates - the fridge closes perfectly fine with the two wires. So absolutely no need whatsoever to mutilate anything!

View attachment 53757

Although it shuts you may find it will constantly run because there will be a gap. My old fridge had a poor seal, it constantly ran, large cold wet patches on the outside and condensation inside gave it away. I fixed it with sealant tape

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Ah ok, I will keep an eye out for that - Thanks Leon.