smallest mini fridge for fermentation chamber

What's the smallest mini fridge for fermentation chamber? I plan to build a box under a work bench and have the fridge opened into it. Will the really small ones work for ales? For lagers?

I used a 4.4 cu. ft. and built a chamber large enough to hold 3-5 gal. carboys. It has worked well but runs a little more often if it is not full. It holds temps for ales at @66 but could not handle lagering temps. If you only wanted to do 1 carboy you could get away with a 1.6 cu. ft. if insulated well and use a small computer fan.

Thumbless Bastard Brewing said:

I used a 4.4 cu. ft. and built a chamber large enough to hold 3-5 gal. carboys. It has worked well but runs a little more often if it is not full. It holds temps for ales at @66 but could not handle lagering temps. If you only wanted to do 1 carboy you could get away with a 1.6 cu. ft. if insulated well and use a small computer fan.

Click to expand...

thanks, yeah I only want to do one carboy. do you think you could lager temps if yours was built for one carboy?

doublehaul said:

thanks, yeah I only want to do one carboy. do you think you could lager temps if yours was built for one carboy?

Click to expand...

Possibly, but you would need to make sure it was very insulated. The worst that could happen is it doesn't work and you have an ale chamber. Ale's ferment faster anyway so you get your beer quicker. I ended up getting a 5 cu.ft. freezer to do 1 carboy for lagering. Probably will replace my ale chamber with a 9 cu.ft. freezer soon due to it would be more efficient.

Also take into account whether you'll want a blowoff and bucket of sanitizer anywhere nearby.

Do the little 2Cf ones have smaller motors than the 4cf ones? Does it even matter which if I'm building a box around it?

doublehaul said:

Do the little 2Cf ones have smaller motors than the 4cf ones? Does it even matter which if I'm building a box around it?

Click to expand...

I do not think so, but I will check when I go back to work (Lowe's).

Heckels is correct, you need to account for additional space for a gallon jug and a blowoff tube. I have space for one per carboy and often need it.