Using a Mini Fridge to ferment Mead etc

It is hot here for the summer, 80's-90's and my air conditioner can't cool my whole apartment so I haven't been using it. Would it be possible to use a mini fridge to ferment mead, beer (ales) or would it be too cold? I realize I would be stuck at 3 gallon batches, but that would be ok since that is what I make in mead anyway.

Probably too cold for mead unless you change the thermostat. You could lager a beer in there but again the temps would be too low to ferment in a timely manner I believe. A lot of the yeasts used for mead can take temps into the 80's I think but you're going to have the possibility of some off flavors. What about a saison? Anyone else care to chime in?

GTG

You can use a fridge, but you're going to need a temp controller. You can get one from most online homebrewing supply shops.

yep, you need to bypass the normal thermostat or you'll have a hard time getting it warm enough to keep the yeast active. the external temp controllers are convenient and could be moved to a bigger fridge/freezer down the road (vs wiring one into the fridge)

Check out some of the "Cooler" style fridges they run on 120v AC or 12vDC They only cool 30-35 degrees cooler than ambient. I have one I won from a pepsi promotion. It can hold a 1 gallon carboy with extra space. Also I think wine coolers like at wal-mart work on a similar principle and have an adjustable thermostat you would have to take the shelves out though.

jfulton said:

It is hot here for the summer, 80's-90's and my air conditioner can't cool my whole apartment so I haven't been using it. Would it be possible to use a mini fridge to ferment mead, beer (ales) or would it be too cold? I realize I would be stuck at 3 gallon batches, but that would be ok since that is what I make in mead anyway.

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belgian dubbels like to ferment in the 80s I believe, so that might be an option.

Unfortunately I'm still in the middle of replacing my beer making equipment, so its mead for now. I had planned on buying one anyway for making lagers, and was wondering if they could be used for meads and ales too. I live in a college town so mini fridges usually sell pretty cheap on craigslist. Now if only other expenses like car repairs etc stop appearing I might finish my brewing equipment. I defiantly will be getting one of those external temperature controllers sometime.

the wife and I have our braggot in our mini fridge right now. We did not do it for primary fermentation but we are using it for secondary aging. I have a Johnson Control hooked up and we have it at about 60 degree's for the aging.