Help With Side by Side

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budgetbrewing

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So I have decided to try my hand at a side by side kegerator/ferm chamber. I have opened the panel with the wiring and noticed only the fridge thermostat is located in there. Can I keep it simple by using a manual temperature controller by plugging the fridge into it and keeping the thermo to keep the freezer side on temp? Later on I can install fans and a heater to better regulate the fridge side if it will work.View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1455339645.526615.jpg
 
I think the only issue here is a single cooling device trying to regulate to separate environments
 
I realize that i may need a second controller if the fridge side can't hold a decent 60ish range for fermenting. Just wondering if controlling on the freezer side would cause any problems with compressor or other unforeseen issues.
 
I have a side by side setup. One side is always for lager fermenting / cold conditioning (being the freezer side). The fridge side has been modified to have a couple of fans in a push / pull configuration and lizard bulb heater. Each side has its own STC-1000 (actually the inkbirds, but same thing essentially), as well as a couple of override switches.

Override switches aren't needed, but handy every now and then. Plus bling factor. When I want to cold crash I can just ignore the STC and set the cool circuit (The fans between sections) and hit the switch. Constantly changing air between the two sides essentially makes one big chamber. Meanwhile the controller on the freezer side continues to do its own thing.

Should not need to state it, but the fridge side cannot be colder than the freezer side. Trying to do so would just have them reach equilibrium. Had it almost a year now and nothing has conked out yet.




Edit: Sounds as though you want to go with a keezer style switched outlet. I know these fridges have their own temperature regulation / baffle system to keep both sides at the desired temperature. I assume a switched outlet would have the fridge go into full chill mode every time the whole unit was energized. Now would it lose power via STC before the fridge was at real fridge temperatures? I can't say.

I went into the guts of my fridge and bypassed everything possible to make sure that it worked by my command, not something built in. In the back is where my compressor access was. Make sure to wire in the starting capacitor! In my model the compressor fan has a sensor with it, if it's needed or not. I hardwired it in to always run when the compressor is on for good measure. Either trace the wire to find the existing cooling fan or run your own (through the drain hole under cooling coils) and connect up that fan as well.

The push / pull setup for the other side is childs play by comparison. A couple of louvred duct fittings will help to prevent unwanted drafts.
 
I have a side by side setup to lager and serve. With one compressor working both units via a "trap door" I figured a ferm camber was in the too hard to do column. I have a different ferment chamber.

I have an external controller set to monitor the lager so the serve side gets what it gets from the trap door design. The serve side usually is in the 40*F(s) while I lager near freezing.
 
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