fridge/freezer for fermenting

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Date: 06 Aug 2006 12:01:21
From: Gerard Eberlein
Subject: fridge/freezer for fermenting

I just moved and took my old fridge with me. It's your standard small top
freezer/big bottom fridge type, big enough for 2-5 gallon carboys. I have
ordered an anolog therm control for it. My question is, will the freezer
become fridge temperature since I will be setting the fridge to about 60F or
will it still be too cold? I could use the extra space as a fridge, I have a
vegetarian in the house and use up alot of space in the other fridge for
veggies. Kinda trivial and I know I'll find out soon enough, but I haven't
posted for a while cause I was packing for the move an haven't brewed in
almost a month. I will be back on track as soon as I get my therm though.

Gerard

Date: 06 Aug 2006 21:58:27
From: Dick Adams
Subject: Re: fridge/freezer for fermenting

Gerard Eberlein <dormouse@charter.net > wrote:

> I just moved and took my old fridge with me. It's your standard small top
> freezer/big bottom fridge type, big enough for 2-5 gallon carboys. I have
> ordered an anolog therm control for it. My question is, will the freezer
> become fridge temperature since I will be setting the fridge to about 60F or
> will it still be too cold? I could use the extra space as a fridge, I have a
> vegetarian in the house and use up alot of space in the other fridge for
> veggies. Kinda trivial and I know I'll find out soon enough, but I haven't
> posted for a while cause I was packing for the move an haven't brewed in
> almost a month. I will be back on track as soon as I get my therm though.

I set mine at the lowest setting and empty it was 42F (5.5C).
This seemed low to me. But enter two 5-gal primaries with
blow off bottles and on a really good day, it get as low as
59F (15C). I put a low-cost digital thremometer inside with
its probe in a cup of water and check the temperature every
day or three.

Save the controller for a chest freezer!

Dick

Date: 06 Aug 2006 11:40:53
From: Scott Lindner
Subject: Re: fridge/freezer for fermenting

>I just moved and took my old fridge with me. It's your standard small top
> freezer/big bottom fridge type, big enough for 2-5 gallon carboys. I have
> ordered an anolog therm control for it. My question is, will the freezer
> become fridge temperature since I will be setting the fridge to about 60F
> or
> will it still be too cold? I could use the extra space as a fridge, I have
> a
> vegetarian in the house and use up alot of space in the other fridge for
> veggies. Kinda trivial and I know I'll find out soon enough, but I haven't
> posted for a while cause I was packing for the move an haven't brewed in
> almost a month. I will be back on track as soon as I get my therm though.

This depends on your frig. Some have completely independent controls,
others do not. If you are using the typical controller that turns the power
on and off I suspect your freezer will still be a freezer, and your frig
(where you are putting the probe) will be at the temperature you set on the
controller. I say this assuming your frig uses independent controls and
that it has good enough insulation that when your controller does turn on
the frig the freezer will have ample time to maintain the same freeze
temperatures it would if you had it constantly connected. I say this
because most friges don't run nonstop. In fact, they spend more time idle
than they do running.

One comment from my own experience using those temp controllers. Try to
mount it so it's between the two carboys, and buy a cheap frig thermometer
to put in the setup to verify you are getting what you're setting it for. I
use a cheap dorm frig modified for a two keg kegerator. One thing I've
noticed is I have the probe on one side so it's near one keg and not even
close to another. If that one keg it is near is almost empty the temps
fluctuate a lot. If the keg near it is full the temps do not fluctuate a
lot. The effect I have is if the keg near it is mostly empty, the other keg
gets overcarbonated over the long term. Just something to keep in mind when
installing the probe.

Cheers,
Scott

PS - Where did you move from and to?

Date: 09 Aug 2006 11:40:02
From: Gerard Eberlein
Subject: Re: fridge/freezer for fermenting

"Scott Lindner" <nospam@noemail.com > wrote in message
news:FMWdnQqNGq8_tEvZnZ2dnUVZ_r-dnZ2d@adelphia.com...
>
> PS - Where did you move from and to?

I just moved to the townhouse next door lol. Better rent and they pay the
water + more space and the landlord is so much nicer :) I live near Flint ,
MI though but my heart is still in ol' Virginia.

Gerard

Date: 10 Aug 2006 23:08:42
From: rjwhite6
Subject: Re: fridge/freezer for fermenting

On Sun, 6 Aug 2006 11:40:53 -0600, "Scott Lindner"
<nospam@noemail.com > wrote:

>
>One comment from my own experience using those temp controllers. Try to
>mount it so it's between the two carboys, and buy a cheap frig thermometer
>to put in the setup to verify you are getting what you're setting it for. I
>use a cheap dorm frig modified for a two keg kegerator. One thing I've
>noticed is I have the probe on one side so it's near one keg and not even
>close to another. If that one keg it is near is almost empty the temps
>fluctuate a lot. If the keg near it is full the temps do not fluctuate a
>lot. The effect I have is if the keg near it is mostly empty, the other keg
>gets overcarbonated over the long term. Just something to keep in mind when
>installing the probe.

If you put the probe in a quart jar or 2 liter bottle filled with
water it will keep the temp more even.

Date: 11 Aug 2006 06:22:11
From: Scott Lindner
Subject: Re: fridge/freezer for fermenting

> If you put the probe in a quart jar or 2 liter bottle filled with
> water it will keep the temp more even.

That sounds like a great suggestion. I'll see if I can fit something like
that in my kegerator. It's a tight fit in that sucker.

Date: 10 Aug 2006 23:05:49
From: rjwhite6
Subject: Re: fridge/freezer for fermenting

On Sun, 6 Aug 2006 12:01:21 -0400, "Gerard Eberlein"
<dormouse@charter.net > wrote:

>I just moved and took my old fridge with me. It's your standard small top
>freezer/big bottom fridge type, big enough for 2-5 gallon carboys. I have
>ordered an anolog therm control for it. My question is, will the freezer
>become fridge temperature since I will be setting the fridge to about 60F or
>will it still be too cold? I could use the extra space as a fridge, I have a
>vegetarian in the house and use up alot of space in the other fridge for
>veggies. Kinda trivial and I know I'll find out soon enough, but I haven't
>posted for a while cause I was packing for the move an haven't brewed in
>almost a month. I will be back on track as soon as I get my therm though.
>
>Gerard
>
I have the same setup (for lagering). The freezer is same temp as
fridge.

Date: 15 Aug 2006 19:26:53
From: Dick Adams
Subject: Re: fridge/freezer for fermenting

Date: 15 Aug 2006 12:40:43
From: Ryan Case
Subject: Re: fridge/freezer for fermenting

Dick Adams wrote:
>> I just moved and took my old fridge with me. It's your standard small top
>> freezer/big bottom fridge type, big enough for 2-5 gallon carboys. I have
>> ordered an anolog therm control for it. My question is, will the freezer
>> become fridge temperature since I will be setting the fridge to about 60F
>> or
>> will it still be too cold? I could use the extra space as a fridge, I have
>> a
>> vegetarian in the house and use up alot of space in the other fridge for
>> veggies. Kinda trivial and I know I'll find out soon enough, but I haven't
>> posted for a while cause I was packing for the move an haven't brewed in
>> almost a month. I will be back on track as soon as I get my therm though.
>
> My ISP hiccupped and brought up posts from a week ago.

The one here at work has decided that a bunch of stuff I had already
read was new too.

Ryan