Side By Side Build Keezer/Fermentation

**drkwoods** · 10-26-2011, 09:50 PM

I decided to pick up an mid age Side by Side Fridge to build out and have serving Taps/Temps for my Corney Kegs and Fermentation chamber in the larger side. I Also wanted to be able to get down to serving temps as well on the Fridge side and have Co2 available on both side as well.. Here's what I did: I wanted to go with the idea that I control the compressor for the freezer and that on the Fridge side I use a Fan to pull cold air from the freezer and a small Heater both to control fermentation temps year round. My idea was based on this drawing. I had a couple fans available and I very hot light bulb so I made a heater out of that and a sheet metal shroud to house the PC Fan for cold air

**drkwoods** · 10-26-2011, 10:02 PM

So I got my fridge on CL for $100 and gutted it. I removed all the door plastic food item storage etc. left on the shelf in the fridge and nothing in the freezer. I picked up a Love TSS2-2100 to control the transfer fan and heat fans since its a two stage controller. I had an STC-1000 already so that would simply control the compressor. i checked the positioning of the kegs and began with finding the hot and neutral wires and cutting for the PIDs

**drkwoods** · 10-26-2011, 10:35 PM

I could not for the life of me find a schematic for this fridge but this one seemed to agree with what I was looking at. The defrost timer had red and orange running to the cold control so I went with that and it worked. Hot n Neutral was easy to find. Orange being the controlled hot (by the defrost timer) and Black being "Always" hot. The STC-1000 (from Ebay) schematic plan shown, to control just the compressor. (defrost timer removed in second pic) (110v pwr supply not 220 as shown)

**drkwoods** · 10-27-2011, 01:23 AM

Here's pics of my heat idea using a black light bulb (which I found gets 100 degrees hotter than a 200 watt incandescent bulb) a 120v Fan and Sheet metal shroud. Also the Transfer fan box made from Sheet metal and an Ebay Computer fan

**drkwoods** · 10-27-2011, 01:56 AM

This is how Im wiring the Love Control to my Heater and Transfer fan to control the temp in the Fermentation side of the fridge year round. Im pulling the hot from the defrost timer because I do not want the transfer fan trying to pull cold air from the freezer while the defrost heater is on. I know it probably doesnt matter too much but I do know that the Bi-metal (shut off thermostat) on the Defrost heater is set to allow the heater to rise all the way to 54`f , so this fan will not have power while the Defrost cycle is on.

**drkwoods** · 10-28-2011, 05:32 PM

Next step was to drill for the shanks and support it with some wood. I then covered each inside door with Sheet metal to hide the insulation and give me max room inside each chamber

**drkwoods** · 10-28-2011, 05:34 PM

Next I added my Co2 distributors and some angle iron to support my cornies in the freezer side

**rtrevino** · 10-28-2011, 06:52 PM

Nice build. I like the way you addressed the corny shelving, ive been meaning to do the same but hacent had the time. My only question is if the defrost has been keeping up with the build of ice on the coils? When I built my side by side I tried a couple of different ways to control the auto defrost but kept having icing up issues. I finally went with the "kiss" principle (keep it simple) and its worked awesome.

rgrrbt · 10-28-2011, 08:08 PM

I like what you did for the shelving on the freezer side. Did you use any adhesive on the angle iron before you fastened it to the walls with screws?

Nail · 10-29-2011, 03:51 AM

This is great. I have what looks like the same side by side. At least the exact same controls anyway. I left the defrost control intact however and used the stc to replace the thermostat. I love the angle iron shelf and am gonna have to use the same. We have tons of angle iron lying around work. Great build.