Side by Side Refrigerator to Fermentation Chamber conversion question??

So I've read through a lot of the side by side conversion threads that have popped up over the years and can't find an answer to this question or anyone that has tried what I'm thinking.

I currently control fermentations in my side by side by using the freezer side of my fridge. I can do 2 beers at once using separate dual stage temp controllers and ferm wraps on each carboy. One controller has the fridge and ferm wrap plugged in, the other just the ferm wrap. This has worked out great but i am wanting to and more capacity by utilizing the fridge side for fermentation as well.

I am wondering if I can do this somewhat easier than rewiring my fridge like most builds do. Is this possible:

Say I buy two more temp controllers for 2 more carboys of capacity in the fridge side. I'd wire up a computer fan to one of the new controllers and that would get connected with a fermwrap to a carboy in fridge side. The 2nd carboy would just have a fermwrap. I'd be fermenting ales along same temp profiles in this side.

On the freezer side rather than rewire whole fridge, I'll just plug in fridge as normal to one temp controller which would shut on/off compressor as needed to bring that carboy into temp range and then the other carboy in freezer is on its own temp controller to control its fermwrap.

Is this even doable or do I have to wire the whole fridge to a temp controller? I am not that skilled at electrical stuff so avoiding that piece would be great if I could just achieve the same effect using the fan to move air and adding a couple more temp controllers.

Any thoughts?

Bump -Still looking for an answer.

I just made a chamber out of a side by side, only I am holding the frig side to ale temps, which gives the freezer side a temp right around 40F (it swings between 37 and 43 depending on whether the frig side needs cooling), which is basically frig temps. I am going to ferment ales (65F - 18.3C) on the frig side, and use the other side to cold crash for bottling and as a frig for storage of grains etc. I don't know enough about how these things work to answer your specific question, but I wonder if keeping the freezer at ale temps is going to give enough cooling to the frig side. If I did this with my side by side, the frig would never get cold enough. Maybe the fans would help, don't know. Also having the heaters in there may cause some sort of dueling temp controllers where they are never satisfied. Make sense? I think you'd have to remove most of the wall between the two side in order to do what you want to do.

The other big difference is I am using Mr Beer little brown kegs, so everything fits in very efficiently. I think I can get 4 in the freezer and 9 in the frig. So I am fermenting about 18 gallons of ale in the frig side. And then I can cold crash 4 kegs (8 gal) at a time.

Monty

monsteroyd said:

I am holding the frig side to ale temps, which gives the freezer side a temp right around 40F (it swings between 37 and 43 depending on whether the frig side needs cooling), which is basically frig temps. I am going to ferment ales (65F - 18.3C) on the frig side, and use the other side to cold crash for bottling and as a frig for storage of grains etc.

Click to expand...

This is basically the set up i have going on and it works well for me. I need to construct some sort of shelf so that i can stack two carboys in the fridge side. The freezer side is also good for housing the home brew.

Anyway, that being said, there's an incredibly detailed thread in the DIY forums which details how to deconstruct a side by side, install independent temp controllers for each side and it looks pretty slick. Def a long term goal of mine. That's probably along the lines of what you'll want to do. I dont have time to search at the moment otherwise I'd post it...

Keep us posted and upload some pics when you have it all finished, i'd love to see what you set up looks like.

I built something sort of like what you're talking about. Short answer is that it works fine, I wouldn't say I have super tight control over my temperatures, but still plenty good for me.

Here are a few shots;
The Front is covered in chalkboard paint.


Here it is all open, I'd never wedged two brewing buckets in here before but it works (tho it totally sketches me out and I think I'll build a rack soon).


This is on the right side of the fridge, not the greatest photo, but this is the thermostat that regulates the freezer side (holds at 40*). The probe goes around back, and through a hole that used to run water to the icemaker.


Here is the Thermostat inside the fridge side, that controls the computer fan. I normally leave it off, as I usually just use this side for cellaring beer, or I'll use it for ales I want fermented a little cooler. Though running, it can make a mighty tasty lager!



And Here is the fan, mounting it was a bit frustrating, in the end I cut a hole in the wall, and kind of sandwiched it in place with a few bolts and a couple pieces of plastic


Anyway, hope that helps!