3.2 cu ft mini fridge ferm chamber?

[andersk]

Hey there. So I'm looking to build out a ferm chamber for my 7 gallon SS brew bucket – issue is I'm a bit tight on space / wife isn't a fan of a chest freezer going in anywhere. So I've settled on the idea of building out a collar for a mini-fridge and extending the depth that way.

Curious if anyone has built these out of a 3.2 cu ft fridge vs. the bigger 4.3 cu ft ones? Especially given the height of the brew bucket with an airlock.

I'm looking at this fridge right now as a contender: https://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/produc...freestanding-bar-fridge-efr331-white/13982681

 

[IslandLizard]

Mind, the chiller element (evaporator) is either in the bottom or in the back of that little freezer compartment, you may not be able to remove it.
Will your SS brew bucket fit in there, underneath the freezer?

Also, allow enough space for any fittings mounted on top of your brew bucket lid, such as an airlock, blow-off tube, etc.

Instead of this little fridge, can you put a small chest freezer or a regular, larger size fridge in a spare room, closet, utility area, storage space, or such? It doesn't have to live in prime space.

 

[andersk]

I'll likely build a kegerator down the road with a chest freezer so trying to save space for that in the future. The other piece of this is we have a newborn and I'm making the (very weak) case we can also use the fridge for formula to avoid going down to the kitchen at night. Dangerous territory.

Probably something along these lines will fit better without the freezer compartment though good point
https://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/produc...ge-ns-cf33wh8-white-only-at-best-buy/10558696

 

[NickTheGreat]

I'll likely build a kegerator down the road with a chest freezer so trying to save space for that in the future. The other piece of this is we have a newborn and I'm making the (very weak) case we can also use the fridge for formula to avoid going down to the kitchen at night. Dangerous territory.

Probably something along these lines will fit better without the freezer compartment though good point
https://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/produc...ge-ns-cf33wh8-white-only-at-best-buy/10558696

I made that exact argument with my wife. "We need this fridge to store milk."

Though we went 4.3. It just happens to be big enough for a carboy . . .

I haven't done it yet, but I'm planning to remove the freezer. Or at least bend it out of the way, ever so carefully.

 

[IslandLizard]

Probably something along these lines will fit better without the freezer compartment though good point
https://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/produc...ge-ns-cf33wh8-white-only-at-best-buy/10558696

You've still got that (compressor) hump there, taking up half the fridge space on the bottom. By the time you put a collar around it, to increase the depth, Frankenstein may become jealous of it.