Finally got a fermentation fridge!

[FazerPete]

The missus forced me to buy a new fridge for the house last week because the kids eat too much and we needed something bigger. While that was painful on the wallet it did mean that I got our old 350l F&P job to use as a fermentation fridge

Got 2 TempMate units from CraftBrewer, wired the fridge up to 1 of them and raided the pet shop for one of these heat cords http://www.ozpetshop.com.au/product_info.php/products_id/322 to use as heating on the other 1. I thought it would be good because it's waterproof and the length allows you to spread the heat around the fridge more evenly.

I did a dry test yesterday and it sat beautifully within 1/2 degree of whatever I set it at. The whole setup cost me less than $150 (minus the fridge of course) Yippee

Time to get brewing on the weekend and do a real test.

[Wakkatoo]

Nice

I've started dropping hints that perhaps we could do with a larger fridge. SWMBO is clued in tho so no luck on that front yet.
Mind you, I'm really keen on a single or double door fridge like you see in shops with the glass door and compressor on top. Always a few of those floating around on grays auctions.

[FazerPete]

Thanks Wakka

I've always liked the look of those glass door fridges too but I hear they are pretty inefficient because there's no insulation on the door. Could be big power bills but I suppose it'd be OK for a fermentation fridge because it doesn't need to be as cold.

[Scroopster]

Don’t mean to change the course of this conversation, but I just had a quick question. When the CO2 pressure builds up enough in the fermenter, it then pushes up through the airlock. Wouldn’t the CO2 then build up in the fermentation fridge? How does it get released from the fridge after it builds up pressure in the actual fridge?

[FazerPete]

I suppose it could build up if the fridge is totally sealed. Mine has a couple of small holes in the side for the heater cord and the temperature probe to go through so there are small vents in it. I'm not sure that 2 fermenters would make enough CO2 to do anything but if somehow the pressure got that much it would just force the door open.

[bhami]

Yeah,

Mine have similar sorts of holes that would let the gas out.

Cheers
Ben