Fermentation chamber using fridge freezer?

[Bashley]

Hi All
I'm looking into an Inkbird fermentation chamber. My wife an I were considering buying a cheap freezer to put in the garage and it occured to me that maybe we could kill two birds with one stone. Is it possible to use the fridge part of a standard 170cm fridge freezer whilst using the freezer normally? The only downside to this possibility is that the fermentation chamber would be quite high up. Thanks for any help.

 

[Bigcol49]

Hi!
It depends on the type of fridge/freezer.
Some have two compressors, one for the fridge, the other for the freezer. That type would be OK for what you want.
Most fridge/freezers have only one compressor and would be unsuitable as a fermentation fridge because the freezer would be turned off when the fridge compartment is turned off.

 

[-Bezza-]

It depends on what type of Inkbird you're planning on using too. I'm only familiar with the ones where you plug the fridge's power socket into the Inkbird.

The reason for saying this is that even if you have dual compressors, if the Inkbird is in heating mode, it will cut all power to the fridge freezer, so both will go off. If you're handy with the electric stuff and can wire in a controller between the power line and the fridge compressor (therefore keeping the freezer compressor on) then it should be possible.

But given the dual compressor fridge freezers will be more expensive, plus you'd invalidate any warranty by tampering with the electrics, you'd probably be better off getting a second-hand fridge off of eBay.

 

[marlon]

Could you think about 2 seperate under worktop units? One fridge & one freezer. Stand one on top of the other and control one with an inkbird. Problem solved...?

 

[BeerCat]

I plan on getting a dual fridge to put kegs in the top and use the bottom for hops. Don't even need a temp controller for that.