air conditioner/cooling system for small cabinet

[kevmoron]

I'm looking for suggestions. I already have two chest freezers in the house and the SWMBO won't let me have another. I want to build an insulated cabinet of sorts (something aesthetically to her taste) with a relatively weak cooling system to keep it at ales temps when the ambient air is up to the low 80's. The cabinet will be big enough to fit two carboys, so it doesn't have to be very powerful.

Anyone have ideas for how to do this? Window units are just too big. Computer cooling systems aren't really designed for this kind of thing and are too expensive. I'm also a little reluctant to try stripping the compressor and glycol lines from a minifridge, lest I bust a line open. Is there a cooling system commercially available that is designed for this kind of small work load?

 

[Runyanka]

Is there anyway you could take a fridge/freezer and cover it with some nice wood panels, molding, etc. That way it fits in as a piece of furniture?

 

[davesrose]

What about "son of fermentation chiller" within some wooden cabinet. The main thing is having an adequate insulation within the cabinet: you can then keep it cool with circulating air that's cooled by ice.

 

[Beer_Guy]

… Is there a cooling system commercially available that is designed for this kind of small work load?

Here is an idea I have been thinking about for myself.

Buy and strip a 40 Quart 12v Colman Cooler.
Link
I use one on the road and it keeps everything plenty cold. (They say 39* below room temp.) They cost around $120 at truck stops. Take a saw and cut the end off with the cooling setup. Then mount that to the back of your cabinet. Wire it through a household 12v AC thermostat mounted inside and you got it. It could be used as an Ale or Lager cabinet with just a turn of the thermostat.

Some things to note: I plan to install a 12v PC fan inside to keep the air moving when the cooling unit is not on. Also, the unit uses a lot of amps and I do not think a standard household thermostat could handle the load. I plan to use a relay of some kind, maybe a horn or starter relay for a Ford car. Any 12v relay that can handle at least 4 amps will work.

Keep us posted.

 

[Stickshaker]

I plan to install a 12v PC fan inside to keep the air moving when the cooling unit is not on.

What's the reason for this? A fan will generate heat, and moving air won't help cool things down...

 

[GreenDog]

I am planning on using a modified mini-fridge to act as a cooler for fermenting. It's pretty simple to take the thermostat apart and adjust it to any temperature you want, really just a few screws.

With the fan just make sure it pulls air from a colder environment otherwise it wont help. Just moving air around won't help unless you have some kind of moisture on the beer like a damp towel, this'll act like a swamp cooler.

 

[kevmoron]

Anyone ever tried one of these things?

http://eicsolutions.thomasnet.com/i...conditioners/400-btu-ac/aac-140b-4xt?&seo=110

 

[StAnthonyB]

Is there anyway you could take a fridge/freezer and cover it with some nice wood panels, molding, etc. That way it fits in as a piece of furniture?

We've done this here. The only problem is that on the inner portion; that is, the exterior metal of the refridgerator and behind the wood encasement, a serious amount of condensation builds up.

I haven't built a cabinet with a window unit, yet, I would imagine if it would operate rather efficiently. The R-value of a well-insulated wood cabinet is certainly higher than that of a metal-box covered in foam.

I suppose if I were to attempt to use a window unit, I would probably insulate the cabinet with R-38 or R-52 fiberglass. I don't know if y'all can get that in the rest of the country. It is building code here, but then again I still running the woodstoves and probably will on and off for the next couple of weeks.

Currently I have a field stone foundation and dirt floor cellar. The ambient temperatures in the summer hover around 55F and winter temperatures stay just about freezing even when its -20F outside. The frost line is only about 3' feet and the foundation is obviously below the frostline so this helps. Typically I am forced to heat for fermentation, even in the summer. I use a conical fermenter alongside a temperature control unit attached to a light build. Typically in order to cool the brew, I'll simply open the door to the cabinet. I keep the cabinet at about 62-65F and the brew stays about 68-72F, which is fine for many ale types, but for some styles this makes an awfully alcoholic-hot beer.

A lot of information. Might be

 

[Beer_Guy]

What's the reason for this? A fan will generate heat, and moving air won't help cool things down...

In a closed cabinet you will get some movement of air from the extra heat during high Krausen. Once that is done the air will stratify and the bottom air will be colder than the air at the top. A small slow fan facing up or down would keep the air moving and help keep the temperatures even. These 12v fans put off very little heat, plus the cooler I have uses 12v PC type fans anyway. One large one is on the outside and a smaller one on the inside.

I am planning on using a modified mini-fridge to act as a cooler for fermenting. It's pretty simple to take the thermostat apart and adjust it to any temperature you want, really just a few screws.
…

How about a quick tutorial on this. Inquiring mind want to know.

 

[Stickshaker]

In a closed cabinet you will get some movement of air from the extra heat during high Krausen. Once that is done the air will stratify and the bottom air will be colder than the air at the top. A small slow fan facing up or down would keep the air moving and help keep the temperatures even. These 12v fans put off very little heat, plus the cooler I have uses 12v PC type fans anyway. One large one is on the outside and a smaller one on the inside.

Oh sure, that makes sense...

 

[kevmoron]

Oh sure, that makes sense...

The circulation of air also aids in the transfer of heat from a warm carboy to the air around it (and from the ambient air to the ice jugs). This is much slower if you rely on natural convection.

 

[GreenDog]

How about a quick tutorial on this. Inquiring mind want to know.

First pull the cover off the thermostat. You can then find the set screw that will let you change the temperature range that the fridge operates at. Turn it until the compressor kicks in, if it doesn't turn it the other way. It is then just a case of trial and error to get it where you want it. If there are multiple screws (mine had two) just keep trying them until you find the one that controls the temperature. Then once it's operating in the proper range reassemble the thermostat and you can use the original knob to adjust the temperature to your ideal fermentation temperature.

Hope that helps!

 

[Beer_Guy]

I will look into (literally) the thermostat on my fridge.

Thanks, I have bookmarked your post.

 

[GreenDog]

Let me know if you have any more questions. I'm hoping this will help me brew during summer here in arizona without having to spend a fortune on my electric bill.