Side by Side Fermentation Chamber

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jlaureanti

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Okay so here we go...

side by side fridge to fermentation chamber... this should only take 1 week max to finish, so lets say 2 total weeks... I already have the temperature controller and I have already fermented in it, its just time to step it up a tad bit....

as a kegerator...
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as a fermenter...
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Here's what I did today...
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I knocked out the middle wall leaving behind a huge mess, which, by the way, is a pain to clean up. As you can see I ripped everything off the door on the right as well and plan to get to the freezer door tomorrow. Hopefully if everything goes as planned I will have the temperature controller where the water and ice dispensers are...

anyway. more to follow. I am a very visual learner and if you are two I hope this can help ya some
 
Paymy-
Ive got a ranco temperature controller.

So heres day two...
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Now to build some shelves and a little window to check on my pretties
 
Day three

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The shelves are built and just need to be screwed to the sides of the fridge and I need to put some plywood on top to make the shelf functional.

Also, I need to, obviously, put the door back on. But, the weather stripping is being a pain in @$$.
 
Day 4

2011-05-30231123.jpg


Almost done on the outside. Just need some paint and something to fill in the gap next to the temperature controller.

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Shelves still need to be installed but my newest IPA is done fermenting and needs to go through a diacetyl rest. So the shelves can wait a week.

All in all, once the shelves are mounted the whole thing needs a paint job... I am thinking Black on the outside and inside with bright ass red for the shelves... or dark green outside and maybe a nice limey green on the inside?

any ideas would be awesome. also any ideas on the space filler next to the temperature controller would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you
 
oh yeah... the temperature controller has the actual plug to the fridge hard-wired. We disassembled the cord and ran the three inner cords up the old water line. The plug that comes out of the temperature controller has been run up the door and through hinge where all the old electrical cords used to be... All in all I am so excited for what this fermentation chamber is turning out to be!
 
Originally I wanted to add a window but I am not sure now. I was going to cut a square out around the hole i drilled in the fridge to make it a kegerator and put a piece of plexiglass there, but I think that will compromise a constant temperature so I am not sure if that is what I want to do now...

what would you use?
 
I'd recommend putting the blow off growler below the carboy(s) to avoid siphoning junk back into the good beer.
 
I am pretty sure i can fit 12 cornies or 8 carboys at once... all in all atleast 30 gallons of delicious beer
 
Apparently my original pictures were deleted... oops. Heres a recap.

As a kegerator/fermenter
2011-04-08133544.jpg


2011-05-01224849.jpg


Taking down the wall
2011-05-26134624.jpg


2011-05-27135725.jpg


2011-05-27135736.jpg


Temp controller installed and foaming has begun...
2011-05-30231123.jpg


More to come, just have to stop brewing so I can work on the fermentation chamber
 
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Blonde ale goin through a little crash cooling. The 2x4 shelf does not have a top on it. this allows me to have my blow off tubes go above where the shelf would be, while still allowing me to put another carboy or bucket on the shelf too
 
3 6 gallon carboys on top and bottom... sooooo 6 carboys total. Corny kegs, 5 gallon sanke and 15.5 gal sanke's all fit too.
 

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