controlled dorm fridge

Hi Guys,
I am trying to take some of the guess work out of purchasing a dorm fridge for my 6.5 gal. glass carboy. Is there a make or model that the carboy will fit in without any modifications other then the temp. control unit. I hope I am being clear about this. Please help tired of trying to control room temperture. Thanks

I don't think any of those shorty fridges are big enough. I recommend looking at used full size fridges. Lots of people update their kitchens and get rid of the old ugly fridge even though they still work just fine. Sometimes you can score a free fridge by just cruising around the rich neighborhoods on large item garbage day. good luck!

My 4.6cuft sanyo mini fridge fits my 6 gallon better bottle just fine, with the standard airlock. This is the model with the freezer portion at the top (that won't hold a corny keg).

Old refrigerators are the things that Craigslist can be very reliable for. I got one for about $35, the folks didn't have room for it any more when they got a new one.

A lot of folks end up getting chest freezers and Ranco (or similar) temperature controllers for them, so if you are going to be really serious about the hobby and you are going to spend some money anyway, that might be something to consider moving straight towards.

The chest freezers are great for kegs cause you can fit sooo many in there. But for fermentation I just don't know. Getting the fermenter in and out could be a PITA. I guess it depends on your fermenter. Buckets would be no problem. Perhaps if you put the carboy in a milk crate that could work too. Then cleaning up the mess from the blow off etc... just some logistics to think about. I've had the chest freezers and now have a standard fridge and I prefer the fridge. But I only use mine for kegs. I get great ale fermentation temps in the house

maida7 said:

I get great ale fermentation temps in the house

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I hear ya...wish I could say the same thing for my house the warm months of the year. Here in the "sweltering" south, it can get in the 73+ range pretty easily inside and SWMBO is one of those people who like it warm inside anyways. In the dead of summer, the A/C might be on 22 of every 24 hours. Good for her, bad for my brewing. So after April, it's in the refrigerator they go.

Some of my buddies do primaries in their chest freezers with no problems in glass carboys using Burton Unions (blowoffs.) IIRC, they cut the top of a one gallon milk jug out just big enough for the tube to go through and also breath, and cover the bottom of the tube with a mix of Starsan and water.

maida7 said:

But I only use mine for kegs. I get great ale fermentation temps in the house

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Very active fermentation can be 10F over ambient and I don't often keep the house below 60F. I use a dorm refrigerator, but ferment in buckets which aren't as tall.

Scimmia said:

Very active fermentation can be 10F over ambient and I don't often keep the house below 60F. I use a dorm refrigerator, but ferment in buckets which aren't as tall.

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I have a basement that is cooler then the main part of the house. In the hottest days of summer I still get ferments in the basement occasional peak at 72F. I start them cool in the low 60's and let them warm up naturally. The difference between air temp and the ferment is never 10 degrees. At least not for me.

Fall, winter and spring the basement is almost to cold and I do more fermentation in the main part of the house. I have a strong Scotch ale that is blowing like mad at the moment and is a steady 68F. I started it yesterday at 64F with a jumbo 2.25 liter starter off the stir plate and a healthy dose of O2. It's in the bathroom right now. If it gets any warmer then I'll move it to the basement.

I have thought about a fridge for ferments but I just don't need one. :rockin:

ForRealBeer said:

I hear ya...wish I could say the same thing for my house the warm months of the year.

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Your on the wrong end of the state. You gots to move to the mtns where the cold air is.