Mini freezer for kegerator/keezer?

Sunfire96

Sunfire96

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I've started shopping around for used mini fridges and I've seen some mini upright freezers. Any reason why I couldn't use a mini freezer with a temp controller as a ferm chamber or serving kegerator?

Aside from size limitations (it's gotta be tall enough for a keg w/fittings duh), would a mini freezer be a bad idea? Also this is assuming the shelves do not have cooling coils and are removable.

This one is just an example (and too short for 5 gal cornys), but it seems in the mini freezers the compressor hump is smaller/non existent and there are no door shelves to fight with/remove

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Looks better than the mini fridge I bought.
 
The door gets in the way a little. The biggest problem is the bottom is probably the compressor in way? I assume that’s what it is. Huge hump. If it wasn’t there I could fit a 2.5 gallon keg in in
 
Cooling isn't the issue. Just how big a keg will fit.

Only other issue is to be careful where you poke holes.

Honestly, a $500 kegerator is the way to go. All the holes are there, and it fits cornys.
 
I'm not planning on adding any holes, at least not yet. Not interested in adding a tower, if anything I would drill through the door for a tap shank, but not anytime soon

Even used kegerators are $200+, while a used mini fridge is <$100. Seems most obvious to me to spend less money
 
Bubba Wade said:
View attachment 17180 View attachment 17178 This is mine. 5 cu ft chest freezer from Walmart. Right side has two kegs (I could go three) and dispensers while left side has a chilled water reservoir for use with my SS Brewtech brew bucket and controller. External temperature control set for 36 F.
Click to expand...
Looks pretty sweet Bubba. Do you foresee any issues with using a mini upright freezer with a temp controller as a fermentation chamber?
 
Sunfire96 said:
Looks pretty sweet Bubba. Do you foresee any issues with using a mini upright freezer with a temp controller as a fermentation chamber?
Click to expand...

@Sunfire96, for you a drawback to a keezer would be your back. You could mount a pulley to the ceiling but I think it's safe to assume your landlord would frown upon that.
 
I'm not looking at chest freezers for that exact reason, and the footprint of the unit. Upright mini fridge or freezers only
 
The main purpose of the fridge/freezer will be a temp controlled fermentation chamber for my 3 gallon fermonster. Then a temp controlled conditioning chamber for bottles. And finally lowering the temp of the bottles to serving temps to keep beer out of the main fridge. All I need is the mini fridge/freezer and a temp controller, probably the ink bird unit.

The 2nd stage/upgrade would be getting a CO2 and kegging system for conditioning and serving beer with a picnic tap or quick disconnect with tap faucet. If I can fit a 5 gallon keg awesome, but if I have to get 3 or 2.5 gallon with a 20 oz CO2 cylinder, then that's fine.

3rd stage/upgrade would be getting/making a spunding valve and floating dip tube for fermenting, conditioning, and serving from the keg system.

So I don't mind taking my time waiting for the right deal to come along cuz we're playing the long game here. I'm not gonna wake up tomorrow and buy a full kegerator and kegging system to be rolled out and usable by the weekend lol :)

I appreciate anyone's tips/insight on mini fridge/freezers they've bought in the past or modifications they made to use it for kegs and CO2, etc. :)
 
BarbarianBrewer said:
@Sunfire96, for you a drawback to a keezer would be your back. You could mount a pulley to the ceiling but I think it's safe to assume your landlord would frown upon that.
Click to expand...
The mini-fridge will work fine a a fermentation chamber...as long as it fits. The only drawback I see is that you cannot use it for fermentation and keg dispensing at the same time. There are several good temperature controllers out there that will make this work pretty easily.
 
Just get the internal dimensions before buying don't wanna end up like me and find your fermentor doesn't fit!:eek:

Any fridge freezer will work i started out in a wine fridge
 
Trialben said:
Just get the internal dimensions before buying don't wanna end up like me and find your fermentor doesn't fit!:eek:

Any fridge freezer will work i started out in a wine fridge
Click to expand...
Thanks Ben :)
 
Only disadvantage to the front load is that the cold air spills onto the floor. But a freezer will quickly replace that air, as opposed to an oversized insulated cooler like mine.
I contemplated an air conditioner cooling unit for chilling, or dehumidifier, but I’d probably bend the copper wrong and release toxic refrigerant everywhere. Intrigued by running glycol from my smaller chest freezer we use for food, but not sure how/whether that will work.
 
So, what everyone said.
1. It has to fit. Otherwise all is well.
2. The inside can only be one temperature. Fermenting at 68, bottles at 37 and kegs at 34 are incompatible, time-wise.
(Since I only keg, anytime I want to have cold beer I can't be fermenting and vice versa.)
3. If you have the room, get the biggest thing you can. There's no such thing as too much room.
4. Here in ATL I can get a used chest freezer or used fridge for under $50 almost any week, on the Nextdoor app or Assbook Marketplace. Used is the way.
 
Donoroto said:
So, what everyone said.
1. It has to fit. Otherwise all is well.
2. The inside can only be one temperature. Fermenting at 68, bottles at 37 and kegs at 34 are incompatible, time-wise.
(Since I only keg, anytime I want to have cold beer I can't be fermenting and vice versa.)
3. If you have the room, get the biggest thing you can. There's no such thing as too much room.
4. Here in ATL I can get a used chest freezer or used fridge for under $50 almost any week, on the Nextdoor app or Assbook Marketplace. Used is the way.
Click to expand...
Do you see any reason why an upright mini freezer wouldn't work?
 
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