Refrigerator Conversion

[msintek]

I actually just got done working on finding another fermentation fridge. I have had a chest freezer with Ranco controller for the past 2 years. Works great for carboys and can hold up to four kegs with room for co2. the problem has been that I have a 14 gallon SS conical from blichman and the damn thing won't fit. Well, no fridge that I could find would fit the thing either at least not for less than $500. I thought about using a/c and building a "cooler". Ultimately if you had the space this would make the most sense...your own built in cooler. Finally I found an upright chest freezer with removable shelves and a flat bottom. Holds the conical with room to spare and costs around $375. A bit more than it would have cost me to build a/c cooler box but considering time and space issues, it is worth it. This is by far the largest usable interior space for fermentation I have found and about the only thing reasonable that will fit a large conical fermentor!

Found it at lowes in case you are still looking.

[captain carrot]

I put a 2x4 collar on my 15 cubic foot freezer to raise the lid enought to fit the 14 gallon Fermenator.

[BierTodd]

$299.00 ~!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
That's optimistic.
I can get perfectly good Johnson analog controls for like 30.00 a pop~!!
Digital ones are only a little more.
And the hook up is about the same.

Methinks you don't understand how the Coolbot actually works to help control the AC unit at low temperatures, doing things that a simple (though reliable) thermostat will not, and cannot do...
I did a bit more eugoogling and found a paragraph that puts it pretty succinctly:

"A standard window-mounted room air conditioner can provide a low-cost cooling source, but if a producer tries to use it to cool below about 65°F, the cool- ing coils will freeze up. This limitation can be overcome by outfitting the air conditioner with strip heaters, a thermo- stat, and a timer to create a defrost cycle that alternates power between the strip heaters and the compressor. At least one manufacturer now offers an off-the-shelf control unit that does the same thing. The control unit is called CoolBotTM"

This might be a bit much for a simple fridge conversion, but for those of us wanting to make a bigger space to support a nano/pro-type walk-in cooler for fermentation or conditioning/storage, the Coolbot seems like a pretty nice, and affordable option.
Sure, this is out of the archives, but I hadn't found any other thread here discussing this option.
Thanks 'maui!

[forcera]

Sure, this is out of the archives, but I hadn't found any other thread here discussing this option.
Thanks 'maui!

It sure is but you did my search for me. I just bought a full size fridge/freezer and was wondering if the freezer would work once I have my temp controller.

[bcmaui]

Thank Bugeater, I'm just passing on what he shared with me.

For a chest freezer / refer go with the Ranco / Johnson.

For a walk in cooler room build it tight and an off the shelf AC and a Coolbot controller is a pretty economical way to go - vs a 8'x8'x12' walk in that can set you back $2,500 to $5,000.

Or move to Canada and keep the door open half the year. Lower energy bills and you get Bloobergooberbleepyglop as a neighbor.

Methinks you don't understand how the Coolbot actually works to help control the AC unit at low temperatures, doing things that a simple (though reliable) thermostat will not, and cannot do...
I did a bit more eugoogling and found a paragraph that puts it pretty succinctly:

"A standard window-mounted room air conditioner can provide a low-cost cooling source, but if a producer tries to use it to cool below about 65°F, the cool- ing coils will freeze up. This limitation can be overcome by outfitting the air conditioner with strip heaters, a thermo- stat, and a timer to create a defrost cycle that alternates power between the strip heaters and the compressor. At least one manufacturer now offers an off-the-shelf control unit that does the same thing. The control unit is called CoolBotTM"

This might be a bit much for a simple fridge conversion, but for those of us wanting to make a bigger space to support a nano/pro-type walk-in cooler for fermentation or conditioning/storage, the Coolbot seems like a pretty nice, and affordable option.
Sure, this is out of the archives, but I hadn't found any other thread here discussing this option.
Thanks 'maui!

[SeeFish]

$299.00 ~!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
That's optimistic.
I can get perfectly good Johnson analog controls for like 30.00 a pop~!!
Digital ones are only a little more.
And the hook up is about the same.

Methinks you don't understand how the Coolbot actually works to help control the AC unit at low temperatures, doing things that a simple (though reliable) thermostat will not, and cannot do...
I did a bit more eugoogling and found a paragraph that puts it pretty succinctly:

"A standard window-mounted room air conditioner can provide a low-cost cooling source, but if a producer tries to use it to cool below about 65°F, the cool- ing coils will freeze up. This limitation can be overcome by outfitting the air conditioner with strip heaters, a thermo- stat, and a timer to create a defrost cycle that alternates power between the strip heaters and the compressor. At least one manufacturer now offers an off-the-shelf control unit that does the same thing. The control unit is called CoolBotTM"

This might be a bit much for a simple fridge conversion, but for those of us wanting to make a bigger space to support a nano/pro-type walk-in cooler for fermentation or conditioning/storage, the Coolbot seems like a pretty nice, and affordable option.
Sure, this is out of the archives, but I hadn't found any other thread here discussing this option.
Thanks 'maui!

Didn't JZ say his AC unit only ran for like 20 min at a time a few times a day during california summers? Don't think that would be enough time for the cooling coils to freeze up but I imagine he had a buttload of insulation.

[Henning1966]

Before anyone goes and spends big money on the expensive cold room temp control. Check out this thread on northernbrewer forum http://forum.northernbrewer.com/viewtop ... m&start=15 cheap and effective way to do it.

[foomench]

The issue between just running a simple controller vs. the CoolBot is will the a/c coils freeze up or not? If you don't have a big space and the a/c doesn't run much, you can use a Johnson or other controller. If the a/c runs more, you might need to run a PC fan over the coils. And if that doesn't work, you might need to spend $299 for the CoolBot. I bought a wine cellar cooler and plan on building a large walk-in (600 ft^3 or so). I'm going to try without the CoolBot, but accept that it may be necessary.