What to do with my Craigslist find?

So I picked this up off of craigslist for $30. It's a wine fridge in almost perfect shape. Holds 45 bottles, has a glass door on the front so you can see my junk inside, and it matches the rest of the appliances in the kitchen!





Anyways, I've got a decision to make. I can keep it as is, as SWMBO and I have always wanted a small wine fridge, or I can hack it up and turn it into what I think would be the ultimate mini fridge kegerator setup.

The inner dimentions are 28" tall, 16 1/2" wide, and 18" deep. It also has a 6"x7" indention that runs across the entire back where the fan and compressor are. I am assuming that this is plenty of space for 2 cornys and the CO2 tank, but a second opinion would be appreciated.

Keep a back-up plan. I was recently gifted a Magic Chef 16 bottle. Turns out the LG compressors in those things are crap. Many die after 2 years of life.

At least do some research on the unit. Maybe it was just the one I had that was a total fail.

I'd hate for you to go through all the effort to mod that one and have it die in a year or two.


And Dude, locking the dog inside the fridge is just not right.

Dude... I do NOT need to see your "junk".

Oh... that's not what you meant. Sorry.

GilaMinumBeer said:

And Dude, locking the dog inside the fridge is just not right.

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That is my brewhound, Bob Barker. I had to hold his collar while I snapped the photo, it was the only way to keep him out of the pic. Guess it didn't work.

Keep it for wine. Wine fridges generally don't get cold enough for beer, and even if it does the compressor will most likely be undersized and die an early death.

Also, it bears repeating that no one wants to see your junk.

Looking at the carboy next to it, it might make a nice fermentation chamber as well, with little or no modification.

Id ferment some wine and fill it up and get a better fridge for the kegerator.

+1 on use it for wine

ChshreCat said:

Looking at the carboy next to it, it might make a nice fermentation chamber as well, with little or no modification.

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I considered it for a lager fridge, but at the bottom it's only a foot deep because of the compressor. I'm not going to say it won't work, but I don't have a brew bucket that will fit. If I can find one, though, I will definately be doing this.

And, since you brought it up.... I know it's a cheap $7 water bottle and not a "real" better bottle, but hey, it's apfelwein so it doesn't count.

captianoats said:

I considered it for a lager fridge, but at the bottom it's only a foot deep because of the compressor. I'm not going to say it won't work, but I don't have a brew bucket that will fit. If I can find one, though, I will definately be doing this.

And, since you brought it up.... I know it's a cheap $7 water bottle and not a "real" better bottle, but hey, it's apfelwein so it doesn't count.

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Speaking of apfelwein... Leave the cooler as is and fill it up with that!

Don't worry. Weather it's a kegerator or a wine cooler, it will hold apfelwein. SWMBO will make sure of that.

start the wine making process. It'll be a good decision in the future!

On, topic; I'd keep it as a wine fridge

Off topic: I grew up less than 30 miles south of Jasper, IN.

Awesome. Which town did you grow up in? I just moved here a couple years ago.

It might end up being too small for a kegerator. I would keep it as a wine fridge anyway though.

So what did you end up doing, Cap'n Oats?


I don't mean to hijack the thread, but I do have a question that pertains to all this junk and I thought it best to ask here instead of cluttering up the board with another thread...

I've found this scratch and dent unit on ebay:

Vinotemp Wine Cellar Cooler Chiller Rack Refrigerator - eBay (item 250401169275 end time Aug-01-09 17:05:43 PDT)

and was curious if this was a good idea for a kegerator...

One of the main concerns is the temperature range...The temperature range for this unit is from 45°F (7°C) to 65°F (18°C).

Will that work for a kegerator? It seems like it's not cold enough, but what do I know. I'm new at this!

If I install one of the Ranco or other temp. controllers will a unit like this be capable of getting colder?

captianoats said:

Awesome. Which town did you grow up in? I just moved here a couple years ago.

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Chrisney, moved away after college Dec 88'.

ODP said:

If I install one of the Ranco or other temp. controllers will a unit like this be capable of getting colder?

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You would have to actually bypass the internal thermostat.

Hmmmmm- that sounds tricky...is that hard to do?

ODP said:

Hmmmmm- that sounds tricky...is that hard to do?

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Depends on the fridge. Could be as simple as unhooking a couple wires from the thermostat and using a wire nut to put them together or it could be a lot harder. Where in the fridge is the thermostat? Is there any access to the inside of the thermostat without getting too destructive?

good questions, but I'm afraid I don't know the answers! I haven't bought the unit yet...there is a thermostat display on the front, however I'm not sure if that's where the actual therm. is housed.