How Do I Get My Kegerator a Few Degrees Cooler?

[rice13]

My DIY kegerator is up and running and pouring tasty beer. Everything is working great, however I would like to get it a few degrees cooler. It is currently pouring at 50 or so degrees. Any tips or hacks to get it down cooler? Would a temperature controller like a STC-1000 help?

The kegerator is built from a Danby 4.4 cubic foot refrigerator bought from Costco with a dual tower. Everything seems to be balanced well using 12 foot beer lines at about 10 psi. I do not have a tower cooler, however the temperature measured after a couple pints is within a degree of the first pint.

Thank you in advance for your help.

 

[estricklin]

I had the same problem with my mini fridge kegerator conversion. What helped me was to add a circulation fan, which I made from an old cell phone charger, a computer fan and....a small foldgers coffee can. Keeping air moving helps to keep the place where the evaporator coil is from getting too cold and the unit shutting off before everything is as cold as you want it, can also help some with frost, though it may still frost over a few months. If your unit has a thermostat make sure it's turned down all the way too.

 

[rice13]

Thanks for the tip. I will look into adding a fan for circulation.

 

[rice13]

I tried the fan and it worked, got it 3 degrees cooler then it has ever been in a short amount of time. I used a salvaged pc fan and a 12 volt power supply.

My concern is that the fan got louder after it ran for 30 minutes or so. I don't know if it is just old or had more trouble pushing colder, denser air... not sure. When it first runs you can't hear it with the door shut, but then later it is noticeable.

Anyway, I ended up unplugging it due to noise and concern on my wiring job. Can anyone recommend a small plug and play fan that they have had success with?

 

[estricklin]

If it's getting a little nosier the longer it runs, then I'd say yeah your fan may be about to bite the dust. Mine makes quite a bit of noise too, especially with the door shut.

www.newegg.com is a great place to buy computer fans really cheap, and they have a wide selection.

 

[govner1]

I had the same problem with my mini fridge kegerator conversion. What helped me was to add a circulation fan, which I made from an old cell phone charger, a computer fan and....a small foldgers coffee can. Keeping air moving helps to keep the place where the evaporator coil is from getting too cold and the unit shutting off before everything is as cold as you want it, can also help some with frost, though it may still frost over a few months. If your unit has a thermostat make sure it's turned down all the way too.

+1 on the fan

 

[rice13]

Thanks for the help. It is surprising how much the fan helps. I am seeing 10 degrees cooler after I run it for a couple hours!

It is strange that the fan gets so loud when the door is closed, however they aren't expensive, so I will be picking up a new one soon to see if it is any quieter.

 

[estricklin]

Thanks for the help. It is surprising how much the fan helps. I am seeing 10 degrees cooler after I run it for a couple hours!

It is strange that the fan gets so loud when the door is closed, however they aren't expensive, so I will be picking up a new one soon to see if it is any quieter.

Really glad to hear it worked, 10 degrees is exactly what mine did, although it has to run for a few hours to get it down that much further, at 45 my beer just wasn't cold enough at all.

Might want to plan to defrost once a month too.

 

[govner1]

Thanks for the help. It is surprising how much the fan helps. I am seeing 10 degrees cooler after I run it for a couple hours!



It is strange that the fan gets so loud when the door is closed, however they aren't expensive, so I will be picking up a new one soon to see if it is any quieter.

I grabbed a couple at Wally World for less than $10. Very quiet w/ both a base or clip.
I have one in both my ale & lager ferm chambers.