Fridge Temperature Mod

[sutepan]

I finally got around to looking at the temp control unit on my Whirlpool WAR449 keg fridge. At it's warmest setting it was sitting at 5C, far too cold for tasty brew!

(All temp readings were taken at least 6hrs after adjustment with the thermometer in 2L of water.)

The control unit is mounted on the ceiling. In the first pic you can see the inside of the unit with the adjustment dial on the front. To the right of this at 3 o'clock is the fine adjustment screw. I drilled through the front of the cover so I could have access to the screw (drilled too low the first time, doh!). I first turned the fine-adjust all the way in (clockwise), which resulted in a high temp of 0C. With my highly developed deductive-reasoning abilities lubricated by a fine pint of St Ambroise clone, I came to the conclusion that backing the screw out (counter-clockwise) would raise the temperature. By backing this screw out all the way, I am now able to adjust the temp as high as 11C. :rockin:

I would think any fridge with a control unit that looks like this could be modified by drilling at 3 o'clock and backing the screw all the way out.

 

[sutepan]

I probably should have put this in the DIY forum...

 

[naga77777]

Thats pretty awesome!

 

[BetterSense]

5C sounds like a pretty good temperature to me. That's already warmer than safe fridge temps. USDA says that fridges need to be below 4.4C for food safety. i do not like ice cold beer, and I keep my keezer at 4 which seems pretty good.

 

[sutepan]

5C sounds like a pretty good temperature to me. That's already warmer than safe fridge temps. USDA says that fridges need to be below 4.4C for food safety. i do not like ice cold beer, and I keep my keezer at 4 which seems pretty good.

As I understand it a keg is a hermetically sealed environment that has been sanitized before pressurizing, and all air is purged, effectively like food in a can (or beer in a bottle for that matter). I may be wrong, I'm not a food scientist. I like my beer to be around 8-10C when I drink it.