Keezer in garage? Cold Weather

Is there an issue with leaving my keezer out in the garage this winter in Michigan?

I was planning on bringing it into my basement but wanted to check some opinions on leaving it in my garage.

How cold does it get? As long as it doesn't stay colder than your desired beer temp. Even so, you might want to install a small heat pad in there and run it on the controller. It's cheaper to heat say 5F over ambient than it is to cool 25 below ambient.

I heard lights bulbs can do the same thing, wonder which would be more efficient?

Just don't use a glass carboy with lightbulbs.

Go Wings! and Pistons! AI? Hell yeah! Lions? Hell no!

Bobby_M said:

How cold does it get? As long as it doesn't stay colder than your desired beer temp. Even so, you might want to install a small heat pad in there and run it on the controller. It's cheaper to heat say 5F over ambient than it is to cool 25 below ambient.

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I'm trying to picture this...using the temp controller to turn the heat pad on?

I'm currently using a small heating device to keep my fermentation fridge warm.

I wired 4 10 Watt 100 Ohm resistors in series using standard 120 Volt wall outlet. This will produce 36 watts of power.
With 8 watts each, those little resistors get very hot (like touching a light bulb), and could easily melt through the fridge.
My office just got rid of tons of old computers, so I pried out some old cpus with hefty heat sinks, and clamped the heat sinks onto the resistors. Event though these just get warm, I surrounded them with ceramic asbestos insulation just to be sure.
To control temperature right now, I'm just using an a cheap electrical timer. I plan on switching to a simple heat thermostat, but since it only measures the air temp, and I want to control beer temp...I haven't installed it yet. It is in the garage, so I check it to & from work, and adjust as needed.
So far, this system has worked quite well, and cost ~$10.

Bobby I agree with minimizing the delta between ambient temp and serving temp.

I must consider heating the keezer as an option. The negative is walking outside in the snow to pour a pint

Walking in the snow for beer & the potential for freezing vs hitting the basement. I know which way I'd go.

I say go basement all the way.

It can be done in the garage but, IMO, it's a PITA to have to go out there to pull a pint and my garage is attached.

Besides, having the keezer in the basement give you reason to build around it. Next thing ya' know, pool table and big screen and you got a Man Cave.

Ummm. Just make sure the door locks from the inside or SWMBO may decide that the basement is where you belong anyways.

Yeah, I immediately assumed it was an attached garage because that's what mine is. No, I wouldn't put it in the garage unless you're trying to cut back on your consumption.

Yes my garage is detached, so thanks for the advice, today during football walking in snow to pull a pint sealed the deal.

I will be moving it in as soon as I kick a few kegs and get some help from my friends lifting it.

OK, I'm gonna pull a minor thread-jack here..... What about an attached, enclosed porch?

I have my kegerator out there right now, but i've never ran it through a winter before. The porch isn't heated - so I worry about everything freezing over!

Do I try to convince SWMBO to let me bring it indoors?

Chriso said:

Do I try to convince SWMBO to let me bring it indoors?

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Heck no!

Just bring it in and be a man! You pay half the bill right?

I have several friends who keep their freezers outside under an awning through winter. They install a small electric heater (the kind that women use to keep their toes warm at the office) inside plugged into the controller.

On the flip side, if you take my first bit of advice, your enclosed porch will be heated pretty soon since thats where you will be sleeping.

I moved mine in overnight, without so much as a mention to the wife. She noticed it about 4 days after it came in. My defence was that if she didn;t notice it for 4 days, then it must not be nusiance to her.

Just for the record: We're talking full-size fridge. The old Kitchen one in fact.

I thought about putting it downstairs in my soon-to-be-brew-room... but that's two flights of stairs with no appliance dolly.

I have a electric space heater on the porch (not in the fridge) that I could run to keep the porch above 32˚..... but it seems to me I'd be running dueling electric devices, on the same circuit (extension cord, even)..... and that just seems like a waste...

Maybe I'll get a couple of beefy friends to help move it to the brew room. It'll encourage me to start assembling the new brewhouse downstairs. I have everything to do it, and have just been lazy.

Chriso said:

I have a electric space heater on the porch (not in the fridge) that I could run to keep the porch above 32˚..... but it seems to me I'd be running dueling electric devices, on the same circuit (extension cord, even)..... and that just seems like a waste...

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Hah?

If temps are 32ºF or below, then I'd think all you'd need to worry about is raising the temp. Nature will take care of the cold bit herself. Now, if temps wildly fluctuate, then yes it will be a duel and possibly a fire on the porch if you arent using the proper coords.

Chriso said:

J
I thought about putting it downstairs in my soon-to-be-brew-room... but that's two flights of stairs with no appliance dolly.

I have a electric space heater on the porch (not in the fridge) that I could run to keep the porch above 32˚..... but it seems to me I'd be running dueling electric devices, on the same circuit (extension cord, even)..... and that just seems like a waste...

Maybe I'll get a couple of beefy friends to help move it to the brew room. It'll encourage me to start assembling the new brewhouse downstairs. I have everything to do it, and have just been lazy.

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First: Moving it downstairs sucks big time BUT do it. It also sucks to go downstairs to pull a pint. Use 20 oz glasses to conserve walking
second: Really a big waste of energy heating a porch. Nowadays we gotta conserve.
third: rent a dolly, can't be but a couple of bucks
U-Haul: Dollies and furniture pads

balto charlie said:

First: Moving it downstairs sucks big time BUT do it. It also sucks to go downstairs to pull a pint. Use 20 oz glasses to conserve walking

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Hehe. Only 20oz? That's a downgrade from my big ol' 22oz weizen glass! Perhaps I'll bust out the 1L mugs instead.

I will probably heed your advice on renting the dolly - My back is NOT what it used to be. 3 years ago, I probably could've stubbornly insisted on moving it down there myself, alone, and made it work without too much pain. These days - Not a chance.

My beer fridge is in our detached garage. I have a dual temp, digital controller. The reefer side is plugged into one circuit and the heating pad is plugged into the other circuit. The temp stays wihin a few degrees of the setpoint regardless of how hot/cold the OAT, (ambient), is.

my keezer internal temp sitting in my garage is now at 34degF, going down stairs after work thrusday

I just keep a small ceramic heater in mine. I bought it at lowes for $20. It has an analog dial on it, so I just wait for the temp to be 4 degrees lower than my setting on my temp controller for the fridge. Then I turn the dial just until the heater cuts on.

Works like a charm, and I found that the 4 degree difference is enough to not allow the compressor to cycle on and off.

She is in my basement, it wasnt easy but it is a climate controlled walk to pour myself a pint. I will put up a pic this weekend.

Woke up this AM to 15˚ outside temps, the high is only 32˚, so I got the Okie-doke from SWMBO to find a place inside. Now..... where? *ponders*

balto charlie said:

rent a dolly, can't be but a couple of bucks

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Buy a dolly, that thing will pay for itself! I've got a great two wheel one with inflatable tires. There isn't an appliance that I own that I can't move safely by myself. Beats the heck out of waiting for someone to show up and help!