Beer Fridge

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wezzel01
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Beer Fridge

Post by wezzel01 » Sat Jun 09, 2018 6:09 pm

I’ve recently added a second cornie to my beer fridge. It’s a single height (under counter size) larder fridge which now contains 2 standard cornies and one small 1.5Kg co2 bottle.

Since adding the second keg, however, the fridge struggles to get below 11 degrees and the compressor seems to be running all the time. When crash chilling with just a fermenter inside it will go down to around 2 degrees.

I’m assuming that there is not enough air space/ air flow with two cornies for it to work efficiently. What do you think?


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Fil
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Re: Beer Fridge

Post by Fil » Sat Jun 09, 2018 7:27 pm

perhaps? try pulling the co2 out, it will perform better @ room temps and your reg wont die as early due to condensation too.

adding a pc case fan powered by a spare dc power brick could sort out air movement..
ist update for months n months..
Fermnting: not a lot..
Conditioning: nowt
Maturing: Challenger smash, and a kit lager
Drinking: dry one minikeg left in the store
Coming Soon Lots planned for the near future nowt for the immediate :(

wezzel01
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Re: Beer Fridge

Post by wezzel01 » Sat Jun 09, 2018 8:23 pm

Thanks, that’s definitely an option. I’ve resisted moving the gas bottle so far as I’m not keen on drilling the fridge for the co2 line in case I go through a coolant pipe.


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Re: Beer Fridge

Post by Fil » Sat Jun 09, 2018 11:04 pm

if needed expand the condensation drain hole at the rear of the fridge, a wipe with epoxy or silicone will reseal the foam insulation within the plastic shell after drilling. tho afaik most mass produced fridges recently manufactured will have cooling concentrated at the back wall unless its a premium or catering model.
OR a hot screwdriver heated over a flame can be used to melt through the iner plastic shell and probe the foam for any cooling pipes prior to drilling wherever you want.


fwiw i drilled out from the inside of our kitchen fridge up thru the roof/top for the temp probe access and plugged up the hole with blutack round the probe flex..
ist update for months n months..
Fermnting: not a lot..
Conditioning: nowt
Maturing: Challenger smash, and a kit lager
Drinking: dry one minikeg left in the store
Coming Soon Lots planned for the near future nowt for the immediate :(

wezzel01
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Re: Beer Fridge

Post by wezzel01 » Sun Jun 10, 2018 8:56 pm

Thanks I might be brave and have a go at drilling the side. I’ll poke a hole carefully first from inside to check for pipes.

I’m already using the drain hole as a route for the tube heater.


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Jim
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Re: Beer Fridge

Post by Jim » Mon Jun 11, 2018 9:17 am

I definitely wouldn't want my CO2 bottle it the fridge. Less room for beer for one thing, but also you'll have to open the door every time you want to use it (I'm assuming you have the beer lines coming out somewhere.
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wezzel01
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Beer Fridge

Post by wezzel01 » Mon Jun 11, 2018 5:38 pm

The co2 bottle is just a small one and sits on the raised bit at the back (above the compressor). The bottle is kept turned on and the reg set to 10 psi for both kegs. I’ve 2 taps mounted on the door so I rarely need to open the door.

I suspect that my fridge is too small for 2 cornies because, although they physically fit, there is not enough air circulation.


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vacant
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Re: Beer Fridge

Post by vacant » Mon Jun 11, 2018 6:06 pm

Fridges, fridges. Hmm.

If your compressor is running then you should be able to feel near freezing pipework somewhere inside the fridge a few seconds after the compressor starts. If the pipework isn't cooling your coolant has leaked - time for a new fridge.

I had this happen a month or so ago on my fermenting fridge (coolmax picnic fridge I was given, with celotex extension to fit a 25 ltr jerrycan fermenter. Took the fridge to recycling a couple of days ago :cry: ).

Lack of free air space won't stop cooling. I've been running two cornys in an old freebee fridge for a couple of years: I had to bend the U-shaped ice-box/cooling plate out of the way and I had to hack the plastic shelf supports and part of the door plastic out to get the second corny in. They're a real tight fit.

If the cooling plate is at the back rather than under the top is it possible you're freezing the base of the kegs? A small fan will sort that out.
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wezzel01
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Re: Beer Fridge

Post by wezzel01 » Mon Jun 11, 2018 8:34 pm

Thanks for the response. The fridge is cooling as there is ice accumulating at the top rear wall. It just isn’t getting very cold. I think I will take everything thing out and run it empty as a check. I’ll also check the door seal, that the drain isn’t blocked and maybe lag the inside where the taps are fitted.

Failing that it may be time for a new fridge (may as well get a bigger one )


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Fil
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Re: Beer Fridge

Post by Fil » Tue Jun 12, 2018 8:06 pm

if your fridge can build up ice its working well enough.

the air inside the fridge is the major medium of heat exchange between the fridges contents and the cold radiator.

to maximise the heat exchange between a fridge and its contents MOVE THE AIR!! look at commercial and very top end domestic fridges, THEY ALL CONTAIN A FAN edit or blower.
ist update for months n months..
Fermnting: not a lot..
Conditioning: nowt
Maturing: Challenger smash, and a kit lager
Drinking: dry one minikeg left in the store
Coming Soon Lots planned for the near future nowt for the immediate :(

wezzel01
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Posts: 114
Joined: Sat May 09, 2015 7:19 pm

Re: Beer Fridge

Post by wezzel01 » Tue Jun 12, 2018 8:48 pm

Thanks Fil, I’ll get hold of a computer fan and see what happens.



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Fil
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Re: Beer Fridge

Post by Fil » Wed Jun 13, 2018 11:58 am

you should have a visual indicator of effectiveness after an hour or two if you direct the fan flow over the ice build up on your radiator. If the ice mass diminishes or disappears the cold that had previously built up in that area has been successfully moved elsewhere in the fridge ;)

If this fails to have significant impact on the beer the only other thing i can think of is a dodgy door seal thats dropping any cold air out into the house as soon as it sinks to the 'leak level' . To rule this out careful application of a strip or strips of gaffer or similar width tape joining the door to the body all the way round (bottom too) can be used to double seal the door for a test.
ist update for months n months..
Fermnting: not a lot..
Conditioning: nowt
Maturing: Challenger smash, and a kit lager
Drinking: dry one minikeg left in the store
Coming Soon Lots planned for the near future nowt for the immediate :(

wezzel01
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Posts: 114
Joined: Sat May 09, 2015 7:19 pm

Re: Beer Fridge

Post by wezzel01 » Sat Jul 14, 2018 10:30 am

Well in the end I took everything out to the fridge, and it still refused to get cold. The compressor was running so it was probably loss of coolant.

Yesterday I picked up a new larder fridge and this time bought a larger one with much more room. All now installed and working fine so well happy


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Re: Beer Fridge

Post by orlando » Wed Jul 18, 2018 7:58 am

If you're nervous about drilling holes try running the temp probe under the rubber door seal. Closing the door with the very thin lead trapped between the jamb and the seal leaves little, if any, "leak". Done this for years, not noticeable.
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wezzel01
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Re: Beer Fridge

Post by wezzel01 » Wed Jul 18, 2018 11:48 am

orlando wrote:If you're nervous about drilling holes try running the temp probe under the rubber door seal. Closing the door with the very thin lead trapped between the jamb and the seal leaves little, if any, "leak". Done this for years, not noticeable.
Thanks, that is what I have done. The power cable for the tube heater exits through the drain hole and is kinked so that any water still lands in the evaporation trayImage


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