Glass door refrigerator for 7 gallon conical

[NeoBrew]

I have the SS Brewtech 7 gallon unitank. I've been using a bodged together glycol system using a chest freezer and a pond pump. I opened the freezer yesterday after doing several batches and several months to find the thing had been condensing water and growing funky stuff.

This setup was only a stop gap. The chest freezer was my fermentation chamber prior to purchasing the conical. I was just making due. Now with my newfound biological experiment it's time to do something better.

I had been leaning towards a glycol chiller setup. I know one of the versatile parts about a chiller is that you can run more than one conical on it. But, I have been doing 5 gallon batches for 5 years, don't share much beer, and find doing single batches for variety suits me just fine. I don't foresee the need to do bigger batches or multiple fermenters in my future.

After monkeying around with the glycol setup I had, dealing with condensation on the conical, and not being able to crash cool below about 42 degrees, I'm wondering if I should just switch to a refrigerator setup. I am interested in a limited footprint to fit in my bar area. Also, the idea of another old refrigerator in the house sends my wife up a wall.

Has anybody tried one of these kinds of units? I've always lusted after a glass door refrigerator with lighting to show off the conical. I like the idea that I don't have to worry about dust, dog fur, and condensation with something like this. I know commercial units can have some noise, but so do all the glycol systems out there. At $810 plus shipping it is competitive with a glycol system.

I'm also a little concerned that it seems to have an electronic temp control on it. I would want to control based on the thermowell on the conical. Any ideas how hard it would be to hack the thing to run the cooling off an Inkbird or STC 1000?

As usual, any help or advice would be much appreciated.

 

[IslandLizard]

For cold crashing a freezer would work best, faster. Many full size fridges won't go much below 36F, some modern or commercial ones might, but it may take awhile.

Splicing a temp controller into the thermostat circuit should be fairly easy. The more electronics that are in some fridges/freezers could make it more difficult.

 

[mongoose33]

Before you do that, make sure your fermenter will fit. It's not just the standard width; it's how far things like butterfly valves protrude out from the body.

You're at a price point where you can consider also a glycol chiller, like a Penguin. One advantage to using such a setup is the fermenter can be put on casters and rolled to wherever I want it, full or not.

And I'll add this before anyone else: your freezer's "biology" problem is due to somebody, maybe a brewer, I don't know for sure, who ignored the setup for months before inspecting it. If the reservoir is sealed to the freezer ambient, you shouldn't get much condensation in there, and even if you do, you can use a dehumidifier like this to keep that stuff manageable. I have one in my keezer, works great.

I made up a kludged-together glycol reservoir in the upper freezer compartment of my ferm chamber. It actually worked pretty well. I had the belief that a Penguin would allow me to take the fermenter down to 32 degrees whereas the setup I had couldn't get me below about 38-40. I was wrong about that, as it happens, and there are times I wish I had the money from the Penguin back as I had a system that would work.

On the other hand, you *can* crash a freezer (or even refrigerator) down lower than 38-40. My ferm chamber/refrigerator can take beer kegs down to 34 degrees; it's controlled by an inkbird. I just turn the refrigerator to as cold as it can go, and let the inkbird decide when to run it, by plugging the refrigerator power cord into the refrigerator.

On the gripping hand, having a shiny conical in a glass-door ferm chamber would look very cool.

 

[rex clingan]

It'd be a variant on the 'nother old fridge approach, but I'm a big fan of commercial milk coolers. They can be sourced at restaurant auctions.

I'm currently using one of these for a Pico keg. I think I picked it up at auction for $5.

https://www.silverking.com/project/majestic-series-milk-dispensers-c3-series/

The Beverage Air milk storage coolers have a flip-down door that is helpful for lifting heavier containers in.

 

[NeoBrew]

Before you do that, make sure your fermenter will fit. It's not just the standard width; it's how far things like butterfly valves protrude out from the body.

Of course. I've assumed that already.

And I'll add this before anyone else: your freezer's "biology" problem is due to somebody, maybe a brewer, I don't know for sure, who ignored the setup for months before inspecting it. If the reservoir is sealed to the freezer ambient, you shouldn't get much condensation in there, and even if you do, you can use a dehumidifier like this to keep that stuff manageable. I have one in my keezer, works great.

No doubt. I'm a very busy guy and this particular problem was out of sight and out of mind for some time. A big part of my design parameters are easy maintenance and low time commitment. In this case it would include idiot proofing thing thing from knuckleheads like me.

On the gripping hand, having a shiny conical in a glass-door ferm chamber would look very cool.

This is 99% of why I would buy a commercial one. Obviously a residential one would be cheaper.

 

[Dave Sarber]

I have a smaller version of what you're looking at, sold as a wine cooler. It looks neat, but...mine at least, has a real condensation problem, and the electronic temperature control is wacky. No matter what i set it to, it will change temperature. Ruined some dry yeast packets I had stored in there, with condensation.
The refrigeration tubing is all on the back wall, and I do get condensation on the glass. The (blue) lighting looks cool, but I didn't buy it for looks, and I'm about ready to take this to the dump.

 

[NeoBrew]

I have a smaller version of what you're looking at, sold as a wine cooler. It looks neat, but...mine at least, has a real condensation problem, and the electronic temperature control is wacky. No matter what i set it to, it will change temperature. Ruined some dry yeast packets I had stored in there, with condensation.
The refrigeration tubing is all on the back wall, and I do get condensation on the glass. The (blue) lighting looks cool, but I didn't buy it for looks, and I'm about ready to take this to the dump.

I wonder if the wine cooler was designed to run warmer? This unit indicates a temperature range of 40F - 65F, the unit I linked above is 33F - 40F. I would suppose the moisture control is a little more robust in that kind of refrigerator.

 

[Bobby_M]

Temp ranges listed on any refrigeration device is based on the thermostat. It can always be bypassed with an external. I can freeze beer in my minifridges.

Keep in mind that fermenters in room temp ambient environments are always going to be more trouble than being in a fridge. More condensation. More energy use. More plumbing headaches. The only justification for glycol is for reducing footprint in a multi FV situation.

 

[NeoBrew]

Temp ranges listed on any refrigeration device is based on the thermostat. It can always be bypassed with an external. I can freeze beer in my minifridges.

Keep in mind that fermenters in room temp ambient environments are always going to be more trouble than being in a fridge. More condensation. More energy use. More plumbing headaches. The only justification for glycol is for reducing footprint in a multi FV situation.

Good advice.

In this case bypassing the controller is going to take some surgery I'm sure. I'd want the lights to stay on separately so I'm likely going to have to dig into the electronics.

 

[sicktght311]

I dont have conicals, i use brewbuckets, but i also put a vote out for using a fridge or freezer temp controlled. EVerything is contained, and you're not fighting ambient temps on the outside with a cold coil on the inside trying to affect the wort. My Haier wine fridges will get down to any temp i ask them to (including frozen) with an Inkbird so cold crashing is easy. My only gripe is the compressor hump makes it so my brewbuckets have to sit on little stands, and give me only a couple inches of clearance on top. If i ever wanted to put a domed lid on, i'd have no luck and i'd have to get a different fridge

 

[Dave Sarber]

Yes, I use a temp controlled chest freezer for fermenting, and I love it. I thought the wine cooler would make a good backup, and it doesn't. I was using it for storing yeasts, until the condensation ruined some dry yeast packets.
My problem now is that I keep my house fairly cold (~60°) and the chest freezer will go into a refrigeration cycle, taking the temp several degrees below my target, and then won't warm up again. I'm fermenting a batch of tripel tight now, and had to pull it out, and park it on a heater vent to warm it up. That was less headache than rigging up my heat blanket to my controller!
During the summer, the freezer is the only way to keep it cool enough (I live near Tucson, and summer temps run ~110-115°).