Dorm fridge size
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Look for a 4.4 cu foot fridge. This is a perfect time of year to be trolling Craigslist for one as the college students leave and put excess stuff on CL.
Do they typically have tiny freezer attachment toodoes it matter if they do?
Yes, they do. There are two options. One is to try to bend that down and out of the way. I didn't have the guts to do that, so the second option was what I did, as showing in the pic below, using a blowoff tube instead of an airlock.
The door can be dealt with in one of two ways. One is if you get lucky--and I did with mine--the molding is offset and if I put the fermenter to the left, nothing has to be removed from the door.
Interestingly, with mine the biggest conflict w/ the door was the bottom part of the molding. I solved that by raising the fermenter with a piece of wood, enough that it would clear the molding when the door was closed.
The other option is to cut the plastic molding off and cover w/ duct tape and plastic or similar. That'll gain you some room. My son did that on his.
Th
1) Did you cut a hole in the fridge for the blowoff tubing?
2) Would at 4.3 CU ft fridge work as well or must it be a 4.4 or 4.5?
3) What are your recommendations for removing the interior molding?
Thanks for all the help. A few more questions:
1) Did you cut a hole in the fridge for the blowoff tubing?
2) Would at 4.3 CU ft fridge work as well or must it be a 4.4 or 4.5?
3) What are your recommendations for removing the interior molding?
Yeah, but there was a different reason--I was trying to do CO2 harvesting when I crashed to 32 degrees; you could just as easily run that tube into a jar of star-san inside the refrigerator. You can see where that tube terminates in the other pic below.
I also ran the wiring for the heat mat through there as well. You can just pass that between door and fridge, but I wanted a cleaner look.
All I did here was drill a couple holes very close to the front where there are no cooling lines, and used some rubber grommets to isolate the wiring/tubing from the sharp edges of the holes. You can get those grommets at a home store.
Probably; take your fermenter along when you look at one and see if it'll fit. I just know my 4.4 works, so that's the size I note.
Utility knife.
You should be able to take the door off the fridge and work with it that way. Just carefully cut the plastic molding away, and then cover the exposed area with whatever you want to make it look good.
Definately recommend taking your fermenter as metioned above. I also recommend looking for one without the freezer. They do exist. This is mine. Is an Avanti. I think it is 4.3 CF. Some companies call a mini fridge this size a "countertop height" fridge.
![NCM_0145[1].JPG](https://cdn.homebrewtalk.com/data/attach/508/508643-NCM-0145-1-.JPG "NCM_0145[1].JPG")
I had to replace the glass shelf with one I made out of wood. 7.9 gallon wine buckets fit perfectly with room for an airlock and I did not have to mod the fridge.
![NCM_0145[1].JPG](https://cdn.homebrewtalk.com/data/attachments/508/508643-79d11f8ccd75faaa5452b4bf8d6eab51.jpg "NCM_0145[1].JPG")
corbmonster
Active Member
There is another variety of dorm fridge that is more common now. The style that has 2 doors, with the top door being for the freezer. Avoid this one, it isn't usable for our purposes.
Notice the differences in the heights of each refrigerator and the fermenters with airlocks attached. You do not need to use a carboy as a cheap bucket works just as well for a fermenter nor do you need to have that airlock sticking up above the fermenter. The airlock serves 3 purposes, to let out excess gas, to keep insects from getting into the beer, and to entertain brewers with the bubbles. A simple hole covered with a piece of plastic does the same function as the first 2 and even the the plastic cover may not be needed since your fermenter will be inside a closed up refrigerator where there should be no insects to get in. Once the fermentation slows down your beer does not need to be cooled so it can be removed from the refrigerator and an airlock inserted then.
bluebanksmalt
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why isn't it usable?
Because the bottom part, where the refrigerator is, is too short.
corbmonster
Active Member
Ya, they are not big enough for coventional carboy fermenters / buckets. You might be able to get a 1 or 2 gallon bucket in there, but that's the most you coukd get.
If you can get your hands on a 5.5 cu ft fridge you might be able to get 2 ball lock kegs in there. Chest freezer are also a viable option.
If you can get your hands on a 5.5 cu ft fridge you might be able to get 2 ball lock kegs in there. Chest freezer are also a viable option.
mirthfuldragon
Well-Known Member
The oscillating multi-tools are fantastic for cutting through plastic (and drywall) with precision. https://www.harborfreight.com/Variable-Speed-Oscillating-Multi-Tool-63113.html is the one I have - and for the price, it's great.
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