My ferm chamber build

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gmcapone

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I'm currently using a chest freezer as my fermentation chamber, but I plan on converting it to a kegerator soon so I'm making my own ferm chamber to replace it. It's going to be big enough to fit 2 carboys in pretty snug. The outside dimensions are 48 x 26 x 40.

I based my design off of Hoppopotomus' so thank you for sharing your design and hopefully mine will aid someone as well. Instead of the top coming off though, I'm going to be making doors on the side so I won't have to hurt my back picking up carboys and potentially dropping them.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/hoppos-rustic-fermentation-chambers-ale-lager-301274/

This is the start of the bottom frame.
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Some plywood will be placed on top of the frame to serve as the floor, so I'm layering some more 2x4s and creating a cross beam to assure that the floor will be level and sturdy enough to hold the weight.

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Here's the floor attached to the frame. I'm using 1/2" plywood for the top and bottom surfaces.

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The side frame is attached now and I am starting to layer the insulation on the floor. I decided to do this now because I will be creating a cross beam on the side frame that will be on top of the mini fridge and keep it in place. In order to know for sure where this beam will be placed I will need to create the floor that the fridge will sit on.

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The insulation is down. I used clear power grab all purpose adhesive to glue them in place and laid some weight on it for 24 hrs.

Here I'm estimating the height that the cross beam will need to be. I will be using a plastic lining as a surface above the insulation, so I'm not actually putting the cross beam on yet.

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Like Hoppopotomus I removed the feet to keep the fridge flush with the floor. Unfortunately the feet for this fridge was a metal strip that anchored the compressor, so it took some work to get it off. This is the mini fridge I'm using.

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Here, I'm getting the top frame going. The side frame is attached to the side of the bottom frame, and the top frame rests on top of the side frame.

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The top siding is on and I'm done for today. I'll post more soon.

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Nice work - it looks like it will be really nice.

What are you doing to secure the compressor?
 
I've been trying to come up with an idea for that myself. I'm considering just putting a mesh screen over the place that houses it and just letting it rest on the floor. I may also try to anchor it into the plastic sheet that will serve as the floor, but not sure how much that will make a difference.
 
Cut out some of the foam insulation where the compressor is and bolt it under the bottom lip of the fridge, spanning under the compressor. Then bolt/screw the compressor down to the wood.
 
Huaco said:
Cut out some of the foam insulation where the compressor is and bolt it under the bottom lip of the fridge, spanning under the compressor. Then bolt/screw the compressor down to the wood.

Or just put the original bracket back on and cut the insulation to fit.

Definitely do not turn it on until the compressor is secured.
 
Glued the insulation to the top in the same manner as I did to the bottom and added the side panel that the fridge will not be on. The side frame is 1/4 " plywood.

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Couldn't do much else today but wait for the glue to dry. I hate the waiting game. :(
 
ok, haven't been able to work on it in a while since I started my new job, but I got a good amount done today.

I put the fridge in place and the mounting cross beam to keep it secure. I also installed a white plastic lining on the floor. It will be installed on all the sides soon.

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I also used some silicone sealant for all of the cracks and corners. It should dry clear.

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Well it's fully assembled now and I'll post pics soon but I hit a snag. The compressor is generating too much heat and the walls of the fridge are acting as a conductor and transferring the heat to the inside of the chamber. So the temp won't drop inside. I thought of pushing the fridge outside so the sides aren't inside the chamber at all but I would need to make a support for the fridge on the outside of the chamber and the whole thing would not be aesthetically pleasing. Only other things I thought of would require a lot more work. Anyone got any ideas for a possible solution?
 
Wire up a fan and pvc pipe to suck air over the compressor and exit elsewhere. Just need to evacuate that heat. Of course, you will have to have "supply" air in that area if it is closed off box where the compressor is.
 
Huaco said:
Wire up a fan and pvc pipe to suck air over the compressor and exit elsewhere. Just need to evacuate that heat. Of course, you will have to have "supply" air in that area if it is closed off box where the compressor is.

This is a good idea, I'll have to try. I'm not sure if alone it will do the trick but probably in conjunction with something else it could be enough. Thank you
 
Doh! My wine fridge that I converted to a ferm chamber has coils on the back and in one side of the fridge. I didn't notice at first but there was a split off in the tubing.

I can only suggest you create a new internal wall at the opening of the fridge and open up the side or sides where the fridge is to allow that heat to dissipate.
 
Doh! My wine fridge that I converted to a ferm chamber has coils on the back and in one side of the fridge. I didn't notice at first but there was a split off in the tubing.

I can only suggest you create a new internal wall at the opening of the fridge and open up the side or sides where the fridge is to allow that heat to dissipate.

Yeah, pretty much what I decided to do and install two fans to circulate air in that portion, one in and one out.
 
I say pull it out and build a support. If you really care about aesthetics you can add on to the frame and attach more plywood around it. It takes up too much floor space anyhow.
 
I say pull it out and build a support. If you really care about aesthetics you can add on to the frame and attach more plywood around it. It takes up too much floor space anyhow.

well, the other negative side affect of doing this is it will create more space for the fridge to cool. I'm not so sure how much more space it can keep cool.
 
I'm new here, but it only needs to keep the space around 60 degrees correct? I feel like a fridge should be able to manage that in that space considering it is typically trying to keep its contents at 35 degrees or so. Could be wrong though. Can't hurt to try it.
 
I'm new here, but it only needs to keep the space around 60 degrees correct? I feel like a fridge should be able to manage that in that space considering it is typically trying to keep its contents at 35 degrees or so. Could be wrong though. Can't hurt to try it.

This is true, I may try to use it for lagering though. I'm kind of doubting it has the power to do that now too. I might just get a small chest freezer later for lagering instead.
 
I decided to just push the fridge back so its fully out of the chamber and the inside is flush.

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I made a pretty simple support underneath the fridge. Its secured to the side frame and has a cross beam at the end.

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So far its at 18 degrees C and dropping. I'm hoping for at least 15.2 but wishing for more. It started at 21 deg. I haven't put the fan in yet since it hasn't arrived. After a successful test run I plan on redoing the inside lining.
 
made it to 15.2 degrees pretty quickly and without a fan to circulate air. Going to see how low it can get now.
 
Looks nice man. I have a spare mini fridge sittin around, this is inspiring ideas.

Thank you, and you should totally do it.

12 degrees now. I'm going to leave it running over night and see what happens. /cross fingers
 
It was at 9.9 degrees in the morning. I'm guessing with a fan and a bit better lining around the upper and lower parts of the door I could get it around 6-7. The insulation seemed solid though. The bolts I had keeping the doors closed weren't overly cold which is a good sign.

I'm probably going to just use this for ales though and maybe later on down the line buy a small chest freezer for lagering.
 
this is an awesome idea, I made a SoFC but temp regulation was a big PITA, will pick up a mini fridge sometime soon. What temp controller are you using
 
It's an eBay temp control. This is the schematic I made for it. With this set up I can keep the fan always on and toggle the fridge.

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You'll want to put something in there to absorb moisture then, damprid is what I use. When it's hot out the fridge will create condensation and the last thing you want in there is mold. I also covered the entire inside of mine with vinyl and caulked all the seams. Even with the best intentions and safety practices you will get blow off and spillage and whatnot in there. The vinyl coating makes things easy to clean up

This pic was before caulking:

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Here's my build thread.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/my-mini-fridge-fermentation-chamber-build-256068/
 
You'll want to put something in there to absorb moisture then, damprid is what I use. When it's hot out the fridge will create condensation and the last thing you want in there is mold. I also covered the entire inside of mine with vinyl and caulked all the seams. Even with the best intentions and safety practices you will get blow off and spillage and whatnot in there. The vinyl coating makes things easy to clean up

This pic was before caulking:

DSCN4870-600.jpg


Here's my build thread.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/my-mini-fridge-fermentation-chamber-build-256068/

yeah, I got a covering for the insulation. I also lined all the seams with a silicone caulk. Thanks for the advice on the damprid.
 
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