I'm looking into buying a used fridge for a fermenting chamber. Not sure if I want the standard top freezer, French door bottom freezer, or side by side. 2 things I'm thinking:
How much footprint space will I need to house a 6 1/2 glass and 5 glass carboy in the same fridge? Can I stack em?
Also, I'm pretty sure I can monkey around with it so I can get serving temps in the freezer at the same time. So which configuration is gonna maximize the usage for fermenting a primary and secondary carboy plus keep a lot of bottles ready to drink? Just don't want to add 2 more fridges to the light bill.
fermenting/serving fridge
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Re: fermenting/serving fridge
I think you're best off with a standard top freezer. I'm not sure, but I think you can usually get two carboys on the floor.
I don't think side-by-side would work because I don't think most of them would be wide enough to hold a carboy, bucket, or sanke keg.
The french door version would be annoying and dangerous because you'll need to lift a heavy glass container full of liquid several feet off the ground to get it into the fridge section. If you ditch the carboys in favor of safer fermenters like buckets or a sanke keg, then it just becomes annoying to have to lift it that high.
I would avoid stacking, especially with glass carboys. You'll need to build something sturdy to put them on, and then you'll be lifting them pretty high to get them on a shelf. Too dangerous for my tastes.
I don't think side-by-side would work because I don't think most of them would be wide enough to hold a carboy, bucket, or sanke keg.
The french door version would be annoying and dangerous because you'll need to lift a heavy glass container full of liquid several feet off the ground to get it into the fridge section. If you ditch the carboys in favor of safer fermenters like buckets or a sanke keg, then it just becomes annoying to have to lift it that high.
I would avoid stacking, especially with glass carboys. You'll need to build something sturdy to put them on, and then you'll be lifting them pretty high to get them on a shelf. Too dangerous for my tastes.
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backhousebrew
- Posts: 476
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- Location: Tustin
Re: fermenting/serving fridge
A freezer might work for you.
You would need to buy an external thermostat.
You could set one carboy on the floor of the freezer and then build a shelf above it for another carboy.
You would have room left over at the top shelves for beer bottles.
Here is a craigslist ad I saw today.
http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/app/2481586824.html
You would need to buy an external thermostat.
You could set one carboy on the floor of the freezer and then build a shelf above it for another carboy.
You would have room left over at the top shelves for beer bottles.
Here is a craigslist ad I saw today.
http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/app/2481586824.html
Drink Good Beer!
Re: fermenting/serving fridge
I say chest freezer. 
I have a regular fridge and it's a complete PITA to move stuff in and out.
I have a regular fridge and it's a complete PITA to move stuff in and out.
Re: fermenting/serving fridge
How many bottles fit in a top freezer?
Re: fermenting/serving fridge
It's easier to move a full carboy into a chest freezer than a regular fridge? That doesn't sound right...Brew30 wrote:I say chest freezer.
I have a regular fridge and it's a complete PITA to move stuff in and out.
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maltbarley
- Posts: 2404
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- Location: Orange, CA
Re: fermenting/serving fridge
A note of caution on those upright freezers: many of them have the evaporator coil built into one or more shelves. Make sure the shelves can be removed for the configuration you want before you buy.
Re: fermenting/serving fridge
Good call my man. Didn't even enter my thought process, but I have seen ones with those shelves