Help! Need a mini fridge for primary/secondary temp control

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g0dolphins

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Although I've done some research in the forums, I haven’t yet been able to find an answer to this question: I’m wondering what commercially available mini fridges are big enough to allow a 6.5 gallon plastic bucket or 5 gallon carboy so that you can better control temperatures during primary and secondary fermentation. I’ve seen several references for kegging systems, but I’m finding my house temps too variable for fermentation. And while it is winter here in N Texas, come summer time I’ll have a dandy of a time getting the AC to pull below 80 degrees during the day, which will really limit what I can brew.

If you have recommendations, please reply.

Cheers
Steve
 
I can only suggest taking your proposed fermenter to the store & checking. Some sales people will find this strange, but if you simply tell them, "No fit, no sale.", they'll be more helpful.

Mine holds a 8 gallon bucket, but it is a 10 cube, not a mini.

People at used appliance stores can be very accommodating.
 
david_42: I like your idea, only I'll modify it slightly and measure the 6.5G and take a tape measure with me.

dcbrewmeister: I have space constraints to some degree (a full size fridge is not an option. Width is less of a concern). Do you happen to know the measurements of the small chest freezer? I've needed an excuse to renew my Sam's membership, and this might be it :)
 
H: 31 7/8, W: 37 1/4, D: 23 5/8 is the one they show online. I'm pretty sure they smaller ones. You can use your card to go into the store and look at what they have in stock.
 
There are almost always chest freezers available on craigslist. I picked up a 16 cubic foot chest freezer for $100.
 
I second DC Brewmeister's suggestion---that's exactly what I did. The $140 model can only hold one carboy at a time, but I think the next model up, which is $175, can hold 2. The largest, which is in the $250+ range, can probably hold four. But I went cheap. It works...given that I typically don't need to lager more than one thing at a time. Just get a johnson temp controller for $50 from any online HBS, and you're there. I use the remaining space to cold-condition bottles and store my big 1-lb bags of hops.
 
I'm off to Sam's now! Will post my results (if not Sam's, then what I do get eventually) here. I like the idea of a 2 carboy set-up. It seems that it will fit quite snugly in a corner of my home office/game room/brew room.
 
Looks like I'm a little late, But I converted two Mini fridges, one for a one keg kegereator and the other for lagering. You cant get a bucket in to it but you can get a 6gal glass carboy into it, but you have to run a hose into a water bottle for a fermentation lock.

P1010081.jpg

This is my mini keg-o-rator. I have the same set up for the lagering fridge, but I did not have to remove the door shelfing, and I kept the bottom shelf in. I wired a Jonson controller to the compressor, and removed all the plastic surrounding the "freezer" area. then I GENTLY bent the freezer unit to the back of the fridge. be carefully because this is the part that cools the fridge and if you kink , or break the lines it will be ruined. I have not had a chance to lager in it yet but it keeps a constant temp of 48ºF, and it fits the 6gal glass carboy.

If you take the door shelfing off you can get two kegs in to it.
 
ok,

Sam's had the GE 7.0 cu. ft. chest freezer in stock, but there was a built in shelf that would prevent storage of 2 carboys. DOH! Good thing I took my tape measure.

So I am now back to the starter's block in my search. As of today, still nothing on craigslist.
 
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