Freezer Removal

[124354nomad]

I just got a hold of a "dorm" size fridge for free the only problem is the freezer at the top gets in the way of the airlock, if not for the freezer it would be perfect to lager in. Has anyone ever removed a freezer from a small fridge? If so pleas help.

Thanks

 

[Axegod]

Would a blow-off tube in place of the airlock work?....or add the arilock after attaching
the hose?

 

[bikebryan]

I just got a hold of a "dorm" size fridge for free the only problem is the freezer at the top gets in the way of the airlock, if not for the freezer it would be perfect to lager in. Has anyone ever removed a freezer from a small fridge? If so pleas help.

Thanks

You can't easily remove the freezer from those things, as they are integrated into the cooling system. I've read that some folks have successfully bent the freezer up at an angle, but be careful. It's pretty easy to cause the coolant lines on the freezer to break, rendering the unit a big paperweight.

 

[pokey]

You can't easily remove the freezer from those things, as they are integrated into the cooling system.

True there. I thought that the freezer isn't just integrated....it IS the cooling system. Do yourself a favor and don't mess with it much.

 

[EvilTOJ]

Our office has a myriad of dorm fridges in them. Some models have the cooling coils integrated into the freezer section, and some have just a metal plate with the cooling coils behind the freezer section blowing cold air over it. As far as I know to tell the difference, if the freezer looks like it has a sandwich of metal over some tubes, most likey there are tubes in there. if it's just ribbed for holding stuff in place, then there's probably no cooling tubes in the metal. If that makes sense.

 

[david_42]

In many of those units the freezer is formed by bonding sheet metal together with cooling channels molded in. In almost all cases, messing with the freezer section is a bad idea. They are cheaply made and tend to be brittle.

If there is enough room for a rubber carboy cap, run a small hose from the cap to a glass of sanitizer in place of an airlock.

 

[124354nomad]

I think I will see if I can try the stopper and hose idea. That sounds like my best bet since I can telll that the cooling system is incoporated within the sheet metal which doesn't sound like I have many options except maybe trying to bend it.

 

[Beer Snob]

Didn't someone do this already... or attempted it and put a hole in the collant area... I seem to remember a very active thread on it. Think it was like 2 months ago.....