fridge ferm chamber

[stever1000]

I have a working mini fridge i want to use for my fermentation chamber. I want to use the guts to chill an insulated wood box.

My question is: do I have to cut the fridge apart to remove the cooling system, or do I disassemble it somehow? The fridge is exposed on the back showing all the parts and where it goes through the back wall however my ice box is also the cooling unit

Does anyone have any suggestions ?

Thanks

 

[stever1000]

If possible I would like to salvage the fridge and avoid cutting it up

 

[j1n]

Should google for peoples DIY ferm chambers to get an idea of how you may want to go about configuring yours.

Some people jsut remove the door and then attach it to a box made with wood and insulation.

 

[stever1000]

I've looked at a lot and to save space i want to built my own chamber and only use the cooling system and not any of the old fridge or door. I know its a far less popular method but I would like to try it

 

[broadbill]

Some cutting will be needed to free up the cooling lines that run from the compressor to the plate (i.e. ice box) inside. I am almost positive that you will not be able to put it back together should you want it back as a refrigerator again.

I also think these builds are somewhat limited in their cooling capacity. The inclination is to expand the chamber size to hold multiple fermenters, to the point where the compressor can't keep up. You should be able to pull off ale ferments, even with the expanded capacity, but I would guess that lager ferments/lagering is a no-go in an expanded configuration.

Between this and factoring in the cost of materials to build the chamber (plywood, insulation, expanding foam, fasteners, etc), I don't know why people wouldn't just get a used fridge/freezer off Craigslist. But to each their own.

The question I have is how many of these builds are still being used 6 months after they are built. My experience will mini-fridges is aren't great at cooling the space they come with; I can't imagine they work well when attached to a space 5-10x the size. Cheap appliances aren't known to be over-built for performance.

 

[stever1000]

Excellent information, thanks for your reply
i am only expanding the volume big enough for 3 buckets and I only brew ales so I think my mini fridge should handle it no problem

I chose this setup because I am tight on space for a full-size fridge or freezer, and I plan to put a counter top on the ferm chamber to use as a work bench and additional space for my plants by the window. Out of all the options I looks at, this option fits my needs the best overall