ferm chamber ?

[icebob]

noob here! always thought i will have to buy a big arse chest freezer to build a ferm chamber while exploring this forum i stumble to threads like this one.... mini fridge and home depot:rockin: my question is, what size of mini fridge would be best for a chamber that can hold 4 to 6 5 gallons batch fermenter? or can i use 2 smaller mini fridge at each end of the chamber to get the thing rolling? thx in advance.

 

[Leukass]

here is my fermentor - cheap and fairly easy to make
google son of a fermentor and mother of a fermentor.

 

[icebob]

i need something bigger than that....

 

[Leukass]

I can put 2 6 gallon carboys in it.


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[451brewer]

You can do what I did if you have a keezer. I built my chamber on the side and control two computer fans with a stc1000 to blow cool air when needed. My chamber hold two car boys but you could build it bigger.




Life's a brew, drink it.

 

[SeeMont]

There are a number of builds. I placed my free frig on a platform, Framed and insulated around it, re-atached the door and have room for three kegs or two 6.5 gal carboys. I used a paint can heater with 25 watt bulb and home built controller. Works like a champ. I wish it was larger but. Good luck.

 

[insanim8er]

Just build an insulated box with a small AC unit and heater attached to an stc1000

 

[NautiDogBrewingCo.]

Building an extension on the mini fridge was no problem for me. My fridge is slightly under 4 cubic feet, and if you go bigger than that, you'd be able to build a bigger extension. A bigger extension would could hold 4 carboys.

I've seen people build out and up, so, if you have the vertical space, you could build shelves inside the chamber.

I suggest you find a good way to attach the door to the extension, mine was a little touchy at first, but, after adding magnetic tape it works just fine.

 

[broadbill]

I'll offer a dissenting opinion, if I may...

I see alot of builds where someone takes a cheapo minifridge and builds a HUGE box around it, spending a couple of hundred bucks on plywood, foam insulation, liquid nails, hardware, computer fans, ducting etc. etc.

Is this really a better than picking up a used fridge/freezer off of Craigslist, wheeling it into the house, plugging an STC into it and being done? I get the DIY thing, but c'mon....

Another thing is there is nothing to say that that little minifridge is even capable of cooling that caverous space...I really wonder how many of these builds get scraped or repurposed soon after they are built...

Anyway, my 0.02.

 

[Temptd2]

We bought a 28 bottle wine cooler from Craigslist. It's very economical to run. We use a Johnson controller on it. We do not do any lagers, so the temp range on this little cooler was fine for our purposes.

It holds a 6 gallon carboy no problem, as well as my 8 gallon Speidel fermenter, and still has room for a blowoff jar next to it.

Works great, cost little, doesn't take up TOO much room (which is an issue for our cramped spaces), economical to run, does the job. If for some reason things need to be warmed instead, then a brew belt gets wrapped around the fermenter and the Johnson controller goes into heat mode instead of cool mode.

The glass door on the front of the wine cooler is nice, you can look in there without having to open the door, and the gasket at the top had just enough flexibility to allow the passage of the controller cords.