I've been wanting to do this for a long time, finally accumulated the various pieces and parts to do it.
I've wanted to both allow for carbonation in a ferm chamber while also fermenting in it, both cooling and heating. I also don't like running the temp probe and heating mat lines past the gasket in the door. I also didn't want to keep having to put a CO2 tank and regulator inside to force carb.
Part of what held me back was uncertainty about drilling holes in refrigerators; hit a cooling line and that refrigerator is toast. I ended up drilling small holes in the big fridge first and probing w/ a piece of wire. With the small fridge, it was clear due to the warm sides of the fridge and cool top that a top drilling adventure would probably end well.
Subsidiary goals included capturing fermentation gases outside the ferm chambers so I could run a CO2 capture system. I have the NorCal Krausen Catcher but it requires 1/2" silicone tubing and I had a bunch of 5/16". So I made my own to accommodate that tubing w/ some plastic canning lids and rubber grommets.
This pic shows the whole setup; I can fit two fermenters in the large refrigerator and one in the small one. BTW, I bought the large fridge from a guy whose idea of style was a camoflaged refrigerator.
Two Inkbirds, one for each refrigerator.
This pic shows the setup for the large fridge; I used two Chi Company bulkhead shanks that use MFL fittings (swivel nuts) so I could put CO2 into the fridge, and pass fermentation gases back out.
The CO2 In line is connected to a regulator; I can use that regulator to feed CO2 to other needs such as purging kegs. I haven't hooked anything up to that yet.
This pic shows both the bulkhead connectors and the grommet that allows the power line for the heating pad and the line for the temp probe to pass inside the refrigerator. I cut off the plug from the heating mat, threaded it through the grommets, and attached a new plug to it.
The inside of the big refrigerator. You can see the CO2 line in, the silicone tubing to send fermentation gases out, and the two lines for the temp probe and heat mat.
So I can force-carb a keg or, in this case, feed it CO2 to serve w/ a picnic tap. My keezer is full so this is the temporary fix. Drinking an Amber from that keg as I write this.
The mini-ferm chamber. You can see the spot for the temp probe and heat mat lines in, and the second grommet which allows the silicone tubing to pass fermentation gases out.
A lot of people will bend the freezer department down and out of the way of the fermenter. I was uncomfortable doing that, and the fermenter just barely fits if offset. But it wouldn't allow for an airlock, so I cut rigid plastic tubing from a bottling wand and inserted it in a drilled stopper. Then I could attach the 5/16" silicone tubing.
A closeup of the grommets; that silicone tubing is what is feeding the two airlock jars on the bench top.
I've wanted to both allow for carbonation in a ferm chamber while also fermenting in it, both cooling and heating. I also don't like running the temp probe and heating mat lines past the gasket in the door. I also didn't want to keep having to put a CO2 tank and regulator inside to force carb.
Part of what held me back was uncertainty about drilling holes in refrigerators; hit a cooling line and that refrigerator is toast. I ended up drilling small holes in the big fridge first and probing w/ a piece of wire. With the small fridge, it was clear due to the warm sides of the fridge and cool top that a top drilling adventure would probably end well.
Subsidiary goals included capturing fermentation gases outside the ferm chambers so I could run a CO2 capture system. I have the NorCal Krausen Catcher but it requires 1/2" silicone tubing and I had a bunch of 5/16". So I made my own to accommodate that tubing w/ some plastic canning lids and rubber grommets.
This pic shows the whole setup; I can fit two fermenters in the large refrigerator and one in the small one. BTW, I bought the large fridge from a guy whose idea of style was a camoflaged refrigerator.
Two Inkbirds, one for each refrigerator.
This pic shows the setup for the large fridge; I used two Chi Company bulkhead shanks that use MFL fittings (swivel nuts) so I could put CO2 into the fridge, and pass fermentation gases back out.
The CO2 In line is connected to a regulator; I can use that regulator to feed CO2 to other needs such as purging kegs. I haven't hooked anything up to that yet.
This pic shows both the bulkhead connectors and the grommet that allows the power line for the heating pad and the line for the temp probe to pass inside the refrigerator. I cut off the plug from the heating mat, threaded it through the grommets, and attached a new plug to it.
The inside of the big refrigerator. You can see the CO2 line in, the silicone tubing to send fermentation gases out, and the two lines for the temp probe and heat mat.
So I can force-carb a keg or, in this case, feed it CO2 to serve w/ a picnic tap. My keezer is full so this is the temporary fix. Drinking an Amber from that keg as I write this.
The mini-ferm chamber. You can see the spot for the temp probe and heat mat lines in, and the second grommet which allows the silicone tubing to pass fermentation gases out.
A lot of people will bend the freezer department down and out of the way of the fermenter. I was uncomfortable doing that, and the fermenter just barely fits if offset. But it wouldn't allow for an airlock, so I cut rigid plastic tubing from a bottling wand and inserted it in a drilled stopper. Then I could attach the 5/16" silicone tubing.
A closeup of the grommets; that silicone tubing is what is feeding the two airlock jars on the bench top.
