Covnerting a Fridge to a Fermentor

[SpaghettiMonster]

So I picked up a small fridge (14.4 CuFt I think) on the cheap to use as a fermenter (I live in AZ and it's too fricking hot in the house right now). So my question is, what would be the quickest/easiest/cheapest way to rig it to keep a steady fermenting temp? Is there something I can get from Home Depot or some kind of a ‘kit’ that would have thermometer that would cut the fridge on/off? Can I just run it as is? Thanks

 

[-TH-]

Do you have a lot of bottles?

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f16/trade-johnson-temp-controller-beer-bottles-121333/

 

[SpaghettiMonster]

Do you have a lot of bottles?

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f16/trade-johnson-temp-controller-beer-bottles-121333/

Unfournatly no, I'm actually kind of short bottles at the moment. Plus Iowa is kind of far from AZ so a swap would be tough as well. Thanks for the info though!

 

[BrothersBrewing]

Williamsbrewing.com -Called the Brewers Edge Controller II. Just go to the search bar on there web site...

cheers

 

[SpaghettiMonster]

Williamsbrewing.com -Called the Brewers Edge Controller II. Just go to the search bar on there web site...

cheers

OK,the site is blocked here at work so i'll check it out tonight.
Thank you

 

[Whut]

I live in AZ and it's too fricking hot in the house right now.

SpaghettiMonster, I'm here in Peoria and I'm using a Johnson Digital Controller on a chest freezer in my garage and it keeps the temp contstant with a preset temp.

 

[SpaghettiMonster]

SpaghettiMonster, I'm here in Peoria and I'm using a Johnson Digital Controller on a chest freezer in my garage and it keeps the temp contstant with a preset temp.

Cool, are you worried about the heat shortining the life or your freezer? I was do some google searching and it seems like some controllers are all set up and you just plug your fridge cord into them and then some people DIY it with appliance extension cords, box and wiring it all up. Seems like that route doesn't save that much money though so i'll probably go with the pre-made set up. How is yours set up? (FWIW I'm out in east mesa)

 

[Roman Brewer]

If you get the prewired Johnson Controls A419, (I got mine from Northern Brewer I think), you can have your freezer up and running in 15 minutes. The set up is so easy. I live in Michigan, so I rigged a fridge to work in both summer and winter. I just switch the jumper inside from heat to cool and vice versa, and then plug in either my heating element or my fridge. Works great in the either summer or winter.

I built and installed that whole heating contraption in less than 1 hour.

Cheers.

Roman

 

[MMW]

Just an FYI...I picked up the elctro-mechanical Johnson on eBay for $34 shipped. I think I should have bought two

 

[FxdGrMind]

Just got a Chest Freezer and Johnson Controler... then stopped by the brew shop and picked up another kit... =) Woo hoo time to brew!

I have no other alternative as I can't regulate the temp close enough for fermentation.

And there is the possibility to do a Lager in the future!

 

[JollyToper]

Cool, are you worried about the heat shortining the life or your freezer?

I live in Phoenix area too. I've got a chest freezer in the garage as my fermentation chiller and an upright freezer for food. The chest freezer runs far less than the upright. For one I'm keeping it in the 60s rather than freezing and second even when I open it the cold air stays in there. It all runs out of the upright when it is opened. The chest freezer is 10 years old off of CL but because it runs so little even now with temps in the 90s that I suspect it will last a long time.

It is so convenient for brewing and is a great place to store beer instead of the fridge when I don't have a batch going! You'll love it. Have fun.

 

[Whut]

Cool, are you worried about the heat shortining the life or your freezer?

Nope, not really. I have some friends who have theirs in their garage, use it for food, and it's been there for 10 years. One thing I did do was remove the plate where the controller is to allow more air flow around the compressor so to not get "as" hot. But a garage in Arizona during the summer is just going to be dang hot. But as JT said, it runs less because it's set to a higher temp.

As for the Johnson Controller the only thing I had to do was set it to cycle on/off within 1 degree of the set temp. I did add some electrical outlets in the garage because I needed them and this gave me the motivation to get it done. But, the project build is always half the fun for me.