ive got a side x side fridge build that was working pretty well in terms of ferment temps. after running it for a while i'm realizing its giving me issues with crash cooling.
in order to stop the ferm side from freezing, i had to seal up all air passages from freezer side. the only air travel is via the fan i put in where the old upper damper was located. but that makes it hard to get much lower than about 40F. not horrible for cold crashing, but not really cold enough given i make alot of lagers.
so in order to get it down colder, i have to re-open some of the vents toward the freezer side i had originally blocked off. but it took the beer down to 22F!! ....kind of overkill. it didnt freeze the beer, but that seems a bit crazy to me. for all i know it might have kept getting colder if i hadnt sealed the vents to the freezer back up. and since i like to let the lagers sit near freezing for a while, id rather not have to constantly be opening/closing the vents to prevent dips in temp down to freezing.
so i've come to believe that the only way i can limit this problem is by going back to the fridge's "original" design- a system that uses dampers to seal off airflow. unfortunately i tossed the fridge's original damper like a dummy, and i have no desire to spend $100 on an OEM type replacement.
what i'm hoping to do is build two dampers for incoming/return air flow to freezer. but the only small devices i have been able to find that would work mechanically are expensive actuators, ($40+) or something like a "long throw" solenoid with maybe an inch or so of travel.
so there we are. any of you tinkerers and DIY'ers out there know what i can use for the damper motors without spending ton of cash? needs to be small, 12/24v dc, etc.
in order to stop the ferm side from freezing, i had to seal up all air passages from freezer side. the only air travel is via the fan i put in where the old upper damper was located. but that makes it hard to get much lower than about 40F. not horrible for cold crashing, but not really cold enough given i make alot of lagers.
so in order to get it down colder, i have to re-open some of the vents toward the freezer side i had originally blocked off. but it took the beer down to 22F!! ....kind of overkill. it didnt freeze the beer, but that seems a bit crazy to me. for all i know it might have kept getting colder if i hadnt sealed the vents to the freezer back up. and since i like to let the lagers sit near freezing for a while, id rather not have to constantly be opening/closing the vents to prevent dips in temp down to freezing.
so i've come to believe that the only way i can limit this problem is by going back to the fridge's "original" design- a system that uses dampers to seal off airflow. unfortunately i tossed the fridge's original damper like a dummy, and i have no desire to spend $100 on an OEM type replacement.
what i'm hoping to do is build two dampers for incoming/return air flow to freezer. but the only small devices i have been able to find that would work mechanically are expensive actuators, ($40+) or something like a "long throw" solenoid with maybe an inch or so of travel.
so there we are. any of you tinkerers and DIY'ers out there know what i can use for the damper motors without spending ton of cash? needs to be small, 12/24v dc, etc.
