How can I make this into a fermentation cooler?

Building fermenter on Twitch Creative now if you want to join in and watch. Just keep the "beer" talk to a minimum "distilling" is against their TOS, but designing a refrigerator with a warmer temp is ok

https://www.twitch.tv/thomasjoseph315

 

Ok all done for the day with broadcasting.

 

Update! It don't look pretty right now, but while measuring the fridge guts I looked over and saw things and was like BINGO! . I'll have to find a way to get the evaporator init with mounting the compressor etc, but inside it fits 2 6 gallon carboys by measurement. So I'll take top drawer out, cut out the middle area, insulate the inside and presto. I'll have the carboys on a rolling platform and when the bottom drawer closes it can draw tight the seal via weather stripping. It measures 15"x26"x25" And this thing was given to me so bonus! It's free!

 

Ok, I straightened out the Freon tube and got it situated. Come to find out there is no bottom to this filing cabinet. so on the back side I am going to cut a slit up the back and slide the cooler part into the cabinet from the bottom then riviot that shut with a piece of metal cut from the upper filing cabinet. Then for the bottom either get wood or source something to close it off. again insulate the inside and wire up that mentioned thermometer

 

Just out of curiosity,.. what thickness of foam insulation do you really need? I mean,.. I herd 1" is best, but can you go thinner?

 

Yea problem is we use that smaller fridge, we have two in the house. Long story short, it keeps housemates out of my food.

Yea, the cool part is the fridge and filing cabinet where both given to me, so really the only thing I have to do is buy some insulation and make it work. I'll prolly be able to make it work for like $30 so that's not too bad!

I'm trying to make one look semi neat inside the house. That's not a bad idea about the outside. If it comes to it I'll definitely consider it, but if I put it in the inside it will help define the interior space.

 

Update: I gave up on making my own fridge. It just wasn't cost effective enough. I added up the cost of wood and then decided to just go and buy a mini fridge that would fit, but then I found on CL that someone was giving away a mini fridge for $10, only one problem it was leaking coolant. I went and looked at it the leak was in the ice tray. Ironically I just watched a repair video on YouTube 2 days ago how to repair this. So I JB welded the leak and now I am waiting for it to dry. And it just so happens I have a can of refrigerant around . I'll need to get a compression fitting and such, but I'd say I got a mini fridge for $10-$20 . it will fit a caryboy. So not only do I have a fermenter I also have a potential Kegerator!

 

I'll get them soon it's like 110°f today. I may or may not go outside today. I do know I can fit a 5 gallon carboy standing up inside on top of the compressor area. Not sure if I have enough room for air lock, but if not I'll just get a 90° bend and run tube into a clean voldka filled skinny beer bottle on the side of it. I think I might be able to fit 2 5 gal corny kegs, but well see. I got to fix the leak first. That line tap for me to refill the fridge just got here yesterday but it's been so got I haven't gone to auto parts store to get one additional part I need. Running on the default thermostat should be in a few days. At that point beer should be good to cold crash it. Once that's done then I bottle and then I have to order the Inkbird.

 

InkBird Showed up today, I'll be installing this tomorrow. I'm going to break out the cut off wheel and mount it in the base of the fridge.

 

She's all hooked up for some beer making fun! I got it set right now to 70°f so I can fine tune the adjuster on it, you can offset the temp +/- 15° which is nice because you can set the temp sensor where ever. I have that mounted in the stock location behind the cooling plate. Once the internal thermometer reaches 70°f I'll compare and adjust. I also have it set up for ~2°f, I think that's enough? 3 mins compressor delay because there is still the overload switch on the compressor that I think that takes a few to turn on and off, again I'll have to play with it.
Other then that, this is pretty much plug and play. If you can assemble the Millennium Falcon Lego set and/or ever changed out a house light switch, you can pretty much do this Job. It really was as simple are replacing the factory thermostat.

 

Oh, one more cool thing to note, as you can see in the pic, the Fermenter fits in there perfectly. I just need to figure out what to do with the smell from the check valve. Would Vodka kill the smell if I use that in a bottle with a blow off tube in it?

 

It's fine down there, you won't be changing the settings very much aside from between stages. ATM, I am watching it at 70°f to see how it acts. I've already learned you can't set it to 70°f if you want it at 70°f with a ~2°f swing. You have to set it to 69°f so it will turn on at 71°f and off at 69°f your 70°f will be the median.

 

Update: I had to move the thermometer sensor from the back of the cooling plate to the side of the wall. Having it attached literally on the cooling plate is not working out. As soon as the compressor clicks on it literally cools the sensor and the compressor was turning on and off very quickly, you could see the thermostat going up and down like a stop watch. I'll keep posting updates until I dial this in

 

New Location for the sensor. The thought is heat rises and it's off the plate so... Lets see.