It ain't pretty, but it keeps 'em cool

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Beer:30

Chief Bottle Washer
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Location
Carmel New York
Well, just put the finishing touches on the conditioning chamber. Thanks to all previous posters on this topic for lots of great ideas. No leaks at all and it is working like a charm! :mug:

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What kind of temperatures are you able to keep in that coffin? Also it looks like it's in your garage. Does it get really hot in there?
 
That is actually in my basement. The temps down there have been 79 for a few weeks, which is way too high. That fridge dial goes up to ten. For the trial run I put it on 3 overnight and the next morning it was at 60. I backed it down to 2 now and it stays at 70. I have yet to see what 10 does! I am really excited. Maybe I can lager!
 
Soooooooooweeeeeeeeeet! I WISH I had room for something like this. I acutlly have two chest freezers with controllers, but I can only put two carboys in each, with maybe a keg added in each as well. It was not a problem in my old house where the basement would stay cool, but at my new house the basement gets warm - 80* or higher. I want to keep beers, even conditioning not just in primary, in the 60* range.

Oh- and one of the freezers is set to 33* for a lager
 
That is actually in my basement. The temps down there have been 79 for a few weeks, which is way too high. That fridge dial goes up to ten. For the trial run I put it on 3 overnight and the next morning it was at 60. I backed it down to 2 now and it stays at 70. I have yet to see what 10 does! I am really excited. Maybe I can lager!

If that doesn't work get one that goes to 11! :rockin:
 
Homebrewers... no one knew who they were, or what they were doin'.

Actually, I am seriously jonesing to build something along those lines for my basement. I just can't figure out if it's better than getting a used chest freezer on CL. Of course, I only have an Accord to move stuff with, and I could probably fit lumber and insulfoam easier than a big honkin' freezer.

BTW, I don't think it's unsightly at all. Kind of gives off this Old West feel.
 
Nice job!

This is what yours reminds me of:

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Not suggesting you write Dynamite on it, but something to that affect would be cool!
 
Nice job. I think it's a great Riaders-of-the-Lost-Ark look to it. :mug:

Great idea using the cammed window latches for the door.

One suggestion: remove the little door from the freezer compartment. That will aid convection (though will effect your temp settings). Adding a small fan would help even more. Glad you've been able to make it work without having to buy a temp controller.

Still chugging away on my chamber.
 
Dont matter how it looks as long as it works.



If your box fridge is anything like mine it will freeze beer if its set to anything higher than 8 . Its an ugly old kenmoore but it works great.
 
Nice job. How much do you have in it so far?

If your talking about how much beer, 25 gallons so far :cross:, but it was built to hold 30 gallons and enough room for a blow-off set-up between them all.

If your talking about money, I had the fridge, plywood scrap, screws, tape and some 2"X4"s, just picked up ~$25 worth of more 2"X4", $46 worth of foam, ~$15 worth of hardware, so I guess $86 if my fuzzy math serves me correct. Plus it was fun to build :). Its built to never warp. Probably overkill, but thats my middle name :mug:
 
Nice job. I think it's a great Riaders-of-the-Lost-Ark look to it. :mug:

Great idea using the cammed window latches for the door.

One suggestion: remove the little door from the freezer compartment. That will aid convection (though will effect your temp settings). Adding a small fan would help even more. Glad you've been able to make it work without having to buy a temp controller.

Still chugging away on my chamber.

Dynamite or the Raiders Ark hu?........I was thinking it looked like it could hold some kinda monster. The kind of thing a traveling circus would open up and a caged animal would be inside!
 
I have a similar size refrigerator that I am considering doing something like that with. I'd like to have room for a couple of carboys and then make part of it similar to a wine refrigerator with some room for bottles.

Wormboy, does your's cycle on and off quite a bit, or seem to hold temperature well?
 
Does that accomplish anything other than put the controls on the outside? Is it hard to do?

Not hard at all. All you have to do is plug the refrigerator into the control and then plug the control into the outlet. Fish the temp probe into the chamber and you're done.

Yes, it does put the controls on the outside but it also allows you to control the temps with better control and outside the range of the temp control that is built into the fridge.

The suggestion of taking off the freezer door and adding a small fan is a good one too.

Nice job!
 
I have a similar size refrigerator that I am considering doing something like that with. I'd like to have room for a couple of carboys and then make part of it similar to a wine refrigerator with some room for bottles.

Wormboy, does your's cycle on and off quite a bit, or seem to hold temperature well?

I haven't been around it continuously to tell. I will keep an eye on it and let ya know.
 
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