Dorm Fridge Cooler?

[Cpt_Kirks]

I have heard of people taking dorm fridges apart for the cooling elements, then using the parts to build a kegerator or fermentation cooler.

I see dorm fridges for $50 all the way down to free on CL all the time, so this could be worth looking into.

Does anybody have a link where a dorm fridge was disassembled?

ETA: D'oh! I guess using the search function first would have been smart. Never mind.

 

[Cpt_Kirks]

I have looked at some fermenters made from dorm fridges.

I wonder if this would work:

Take a dorm fridge, and cut a large hole in the bottom, large enough that only a couple of inches is left, all around. Put a grate or heavy screen over the hole.

Under the fridge would be the fermenter. The cold would just "fall" into the cooler. The cooler would be similar to others I have seen, but have two chambers, insulated from each other. Directly under the fridge would be a lager chamber, big enough for a pail or Better Bottle. The other side would be a conditioning/storage chamber, big enough for four or six cornies.

Between the two sides would be a little muffin fan, controlled by a thermostat. The idea would be that the lager chamber would be kept about 50 degrees or so (a separate thermostat will control the dorm fridge). When the conditioning/storage chamber gets up to 60 degrees, the fan would come on, sucking cold air over.

This would require minimum modification to the dorm fridge and be less likely to trash the hot lines. Also, the hot lines will work more efficiently with the metal shell of the fridge intact. A plus would be the fridge could still be used to hold bottles.

Thoughts?

 

[Mirage]

I think you would be better off just using the fridge as a fermentation chamber (unless it is too small). You can bend (CAREFULLY!!!) the freezer element to the back of the fridge, and using your temp controller, set the temperature you want to ferment at. Good luck!

 

[DutchK9]

Alot of people take the door off and attach the fridge to a homemade fermentation chamber. You can put a small fan inside to push the air around.

 

[Mirage]

That is a really good idea. Less risk or killing your fridge by bending the plate.

 

[Cpt_Kirks]

I think you would be better off just using the fridge as a fermentation chamber (unless it is too small). You can bend (CAREFULLY!!!) the freezer element to the back of the fridge, and using your temp controller, set the temperature you want to ferment at. Good luck!

Too small, these are the little (1.5 cubic foot?) fridges. I actually have two of them now, but they are nice and I use them in our camper.

If I am going to cut one up (or just remove the door, as mentioned in the other post, I will have to think on that), I want to use a $25 beater off of CL.

I hope to replace a big wall unit in my office with a small book shelve unit, a kegerator (full sized fridge or small freezer) and a fermentation unit. The fermeter will be cooler based at first, but I plan on some form of powered fridge unit to replace the cooler later. I need some winter projects.

 

[Mirage]

If you are going to buy it off of CL. I have seen many fridges on there that would fit a fermenter for around $50. Keep a look out, and you may score a decently sized one.

 

[rcrabb22]

check this out

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/converted-fridge-fermentation-chamber-questions-79561/