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help with my fermentation chamber build

V

VoceWeiser

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Canyon Lake, CA
I have looked high and low for the right fridge. Then I realized I already own what I was looking for. A top fridge with 2 doors and a freezer on bottom. What I need to know is if I can hack the fridge without it affecting the freezer part. I still want the use of the freezer as a freezer.
 
Ok after much research, I believe I can do this. I believe the fridge part is cooled via a fan blowing from the freezer part. All I have to (in theory) is to build my Brewpi and have it control that fan.

I could also build a chamber and have ducting form the refrigerator to the chamber controlled by a fan. This would allow me to still have fridge space for what ever.

Yes I answered my own question in case anyone else is ever looking for an answer.  :eek:
 
I have found it depends on the temp you set the fridge at.  At temps above about 60F my freezer part is inop, below that it works. 
 
I think that type of fermenter blocks out the light better than a carboy obviously, but it does look like it's letting light in.  You might want to cover it up to block out the light.

If you decide to squeeze a carboy in there (I can't tell if one will fit in along with the one that is in there), you'd want to cover it too.

Light is bad for beer.
 
yeah, it looks a bit translucent (i can see the level of beer within in the photo), that's why i asked.
 
Scott Ickes said:
Light is bad for beer.
Click to expand...

Most light is benign. UV light is bad for beer. Specifically, UVA, which is in the visible and near visible part of the spectrum. It breaks hop isomers and flavonoids into an undesirable thiol compound. Skunk stunk is nearly the same compound.

A UV filter will allow infrared heat to warm the chamber, but not the UV. The plastic is an effective UV blocker. So is an old tee shirt.
 
Not to the OP's original question, but for what it's worth I'm using 2 coffee cup warmers, about 28 watts total, in an old fridge and it's keeping two 5 gallon carboys happily at 67 degrees. No light emitted, other than the tiny LED's on the units, which I just taped over. I'm using a $15 ebay controller. Everyone in my brew club I've talked to tells me it will be the most important improvement I can make. So far I'm very happy with the setup.
 
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