Fridge for Fermentation Chamber - Still Use Freezer?

I am going to be setting up an old upright fridge to use as a fermentation chamber but want to continue to use the freezer to store hops, meat, and other such frozen stuff.

Anyone know whether this will work? In theory I could just turn the freezer setting as far down as it can go and hope that the compressor cycles frequently enough to keep it frozen in there.

well, it depends on how your fridge is designed, If you only have a temp control in your fridge, your going to have to get lucky. On the fridge/freezer im converting into a heated ferm chamber, there are vents from the freezer into the fridge section where the temp probe is located. In my case, i could probably block the vents near the condenser unit in the freezer to reduce the cold air flow into the fridge section so it will need to run longer to get the fridge section to a reasonable temp and will therefore drop the freezer temp into an acceptable range as well. If you only have a single compressor system, no matter what, I would imagine you would have to do some airflow tweaking to achieve temps you want on both sides.

It may work if you don't have to use a temp control devise. I did and it makes the freezer just as warm as the fridge. Some freezer/fridges have two controls for each and if yours is that way you may be in luck. I would set your fridge as warm as you can and take the temps in the fridge and the freezer and see if it is possible.

I know this is an old post, but maybe someone has a good answer to this good man's question about his fermentation chamber. I am in the same predicament and wondered if anyone has made it work properly.

I have been considering putting 2 server cooling fans on one side of the fridge; one flowing in, the other flowing out, to circulate warmer (~70 degree) air with the cooler (~59 degree) air (which is the lowest I have been able to get my fridge since a single compressor controls freezer and fridge) and seeing how well that regulates the temp. Logic would tell me that having the inflow on top to push out the cold air at the bottom would regulate around 62-65 degrees...but not everything works like my brain (especially if you ask my wife...).

Please let me know your thoughts, on the matter, or what has worked for you in the past.

THanks!

Handy

Handy,

That seems like it may work, but I don't think that its the optimal solution. There are a few things that will happen as a consequence of what you're trying:

1) Assuming that you leave the fans running constantly, and that they are the same size, I think that the warmer air would overpower the cooling capability of the fridge. It takes a normal fridge quite a while to remove energy from solid/liquid materials; it's not a very powerful process. I would bet that after putting those fans in action, that the air temperature inside the fridge would be just below the air temperature of the outside air, not the average of the two air temperatures.

2) The refrigerator would be running constantly, racking up some huge power bills! A normal fridge only runs when the temperature is above the thermostat level, and kicks off the remainder of the time.

3) Condensation/contaminants would build up on the inner lining of the fride, where the relativly cold panels meet the warmer air. Unless you have filters on the fans, dust, spores, bugs, and you name it will find their way into the fridge.

I think that most people try to modify refrigerators in the sense that they want to raise the maximum temperature of the thermostat, and let the fridge continue to work as normal as opposed to effectively reducing the power of the fridge itself. The closest analogy I can think of for what you are trying to do is basically putting an X Watt light bulb inside the fridge to produce some heat to raise the temperature.

I don't want to come off as nitpicking! These are just some thoughts.

Kyle B

That is why I ask! Another person's point of view is always nice to have because I haven't thought about those points you have made.

With #1 I think that using a small like 80mm fan on a rheostat might work, but it would take a really long time to get the optimal air movment...which in the time it takes me to do that...I can just buy a johnson control module and just call it good.

You sir, have made some excellent points and I appreciate you taking the time to respond and give me another's perspective.

Cheers to you!

Handy