Should I Buy A New Or Used Refrigerator For A Fermentation Chamber?

I am a relatively new Home Brewer, only 3 Extract Brews, and have experienced varying degrees of success, or failure depending on your point of view.  My inconsistent, yet not undrinkable beer led me on a quest to discover what the differences were in my outcomes.  Allow me to share some of my journey and what I have learned along the way.

I should probably begin with where I brew, as I believe this has played a huge role in my process.  I live and brew in south Mississippi.  Our 95 degree heat in the summer it provides another challenge in the process of fermenting.  I know what you are thinking, “Just put the fermenter in the cool basement and let it bubble away.”  That would be an excellent option if we lived in an area where basements were part of every house, but in our piece of the world, the water table is so high that any basement would quickly turn into a very unpleasant, aromatic mildew spa.  Much to the chagrin of my wife, my fermenter took up residence in our closet, right next to her clothes of course; and no, I was not using a blow off tube.

Why You Should Strongly Consider A Fermentation Chamber

This is the point in my tale where my version of the events and my wife’s version differ slightly.  My version is that the air lock and bung were ever so gently pushed out of the fermenter and my beautiful wort bubbled down the side of the fermenter, leaving a very tiny puddle for me to clean up.  Now my wife believes that Astronaut Scott Kelly saw the explosion from the International Space Station as my “smelly beer” spewed out over all of her

clothes.  You can decide for yourselves which version is true, but I must disclose that our Pastor asked my wife that following Sunday if she had been drinking.

My experience quickly taught me that I needed a new place to ferment and a hot garage in August would probably not be the way to go.  I decided that I needed to find a refrigerator but I had one more obstacle to overcome.  I am cheap.  I personally believe that why buy something brand new when you can get one for considerably less used or even better for free. 

What Are You Looking To Accomplish With Your Refrigerator?

I suppose the question would be, “What are you looking to accomplish with this refrigerator?”  If you are looking to just use it for fermentation control of one carboy, then maybe a mini-fridge would work just fine for your purposes.  An added bonus is that they are relatively cheap, even brand new, usually around $100.  If kegs, as in more than one, are in your future plans, then a full size refrigerator or freezer is likely a wiser choice.  Since we live in the era of the internet, and more importantly HomeBrewTalk, why should we reinvent the wheel and do all of our own time consuming research? Edwort over in the forum has already done an amazing job of researching and documenting freezer sizes and how many kegs each will hold .  Check it out when you have a spare few minutes, I promise that you will be impressed and have a better understanding of what you may need to meet your own personal requirements.  

There are a few things to consider when making your decision as to whether or not to go used or with a brand new refrigerator or freezer.

 First of all is cost.  Are you, or better yet your spouse, ready to drop anywhere from a few hundred to over a thousand dollars on an appliance that you will modify to suit your purposes? 

Second of all is your home brewing vision. What are your long term plans or goals with home brewing?  Are you planning on just fermenting in it or are you planning on kegging or using refrigerator/freezer for cold storage of food?  Is this a passing “hobby” or are you in this lifestyle for the long haul?  I know, I know it is a stupid question, but I had to see if you were still reading.

Let’s Take A Look At A Few Of The Pros And Cons Of New And Used Fridges. 

                                                                                NEW

Pros:

First is reliability.  A brand new fridge is well, new. There is no risk of the compressor dying the moment you complete your modifications.

Second is cleanliness.  Let’s face it, who among us relishes the thought of cleaning up someone else’s mess?  A new fridge still has that “new fridge smell” and zero mold or years’ old food and grime.

Cons:

First is your warranty.  The moment you take a drill or a pair of wire cutters to your new fridge, you can kiss your warranty goodbye.

Second is price.  A new fridge can be expensive, especially when could be modifying it.

                                                                                USED

Pros:

First is price.  A used refrigerator or freezer will be much cheaper and in some cases even free.

Second is no warranty hassles.  You can modify to your heart’s content without worrying about voiding any warranty.

Cons:

First is reliability.  You have no idea how long the compressor will last.  It could very well last for years but you just don’t know.

Second is a higher electric cost.  Your used fridge could end up costing you more in the long run by costing more in higher electric bills. 

If you find it difficult to drop a few hundred dollars on a brand new appliance just for fermentation, you may be headed down a path to acquire a used unit.  Try scouring the local classifieds, Craigslist, Facebook, or yard sales for some great deals. If you are patient, you will eventually land a fridge on the cheap.  If it is graduation season, you may be fortunate enough to find some sobering up frat boy that is unloading his beer fridge.

Either way you go, you will need some additional help to control your fermentation temperature.  There are a myriad of choices.  From the inexpensive STC-1000 that requires a bit of wiring and planning, to the  pre-wired versions that are simple to use and setup.

The STC-1000 version is the most widely recognized and used temperature controller used in the home brew community.  It does take a bit of wiring knowledge to set it up but nothing more than some basic home electrical wiring.  They are pretty simply device.  The STC-1000 uses a temperature probe to monitor your temperature in your fermentation chamber and then either close a circuit to turn on a heat source, usually an incandescent light bulb placed in your chamber, or turn on the compressor to cool the chamber.  The crux is that you need to wire up 2 outlets to power your heat source or your compressor.  Not terribly difficult, but a bit more work than a simple plug and play.

The pre-wired versions by Inkbird, Johnson Controls, and numerous others operate using the same concept.  The main difference between the 2 is the simplicity of setting them up.  They come pre-wired with outlets ready to connect your heat source and your compressor.  Your only “chore” is to set the temperature range.

My final solution was in the form of a used refrigerator from some friends.  It didn’t even cost me a 6 pack, although I foresee many samples being sent his way over the next several years.  As for temperature control, there are numerous recommendations, pictures, and instructions all over Home Brew Talk.  I chose an STC-1000 that I got through Amazon and built my own heating unit.  My new temperature controlled fermentation is on the schedule within the next few weeks and I am anticipating much better results with my free used refrigerator.