Fridge with in built freezer ?

[sbond10]

My neighbour has offered me a fridge with a inbuilt freezer part. Is this suitable for converting to fv chamber or will the freezer get in the way.
Also the neighbour has said it's absolutly minging if the fridge is suitable best cleaner to use. Caustic soda ? Bleach ?

[gobuchul]

Is there enough space for a FV with the freezer in there? If so then it will be fine. If not then it's not much use. The freezer compartment os on the same circuit as the main fridge which makes it impossible to remove.

To clean it and would use hot water, bleach and oxi clean.

[sbond10]

Can door seals be pulled off and ill just bath these in bleach ?

Good shout on trying to put a fv in there first

[BenB]

The references I have seen suggest bleach is not good for fridges or freezers and white wine vinegar is recommended instead. Something to do with mould spores being killed by the acidic whereas the bleach just kills the mould but not the spores.

[sbond10]

The references I have seen suggest bleach is not good for fridges or freezers and white wine vinegar is recommended instead. Something to do with mould spores being killed by the acidic whereas the bleach just kills the mould but not the spores.

Cheers for that looks like I may struggle I need 37.5 of height to get it to fit

[bobsbeer]

As the fridge is cooled by the freezer part, once you get the temp in the freezer section to fermenting temp the fridge will be above that temp especially in summer. The other thing to look for is the layout of the freezer. Many upright freezers have cooling elements between the drawers, so will be no good as a FV cupboard. You may be able to use the fridge part, but it will be very inefficient as the freezer part will be empty.

[gobuchul]

You may be able to use the fridge part, but it will be very inefficient as the freezer part will be empty.

I wouldn't worry about the efficiency if you can keep it in a cool place, as the fridge circuit rarely kicks in.

I used a non-working fridge as a fermentation fridge very effectively in the winter and spring. The fridge was in my workshop so in a fairly cool location and it maintained 19C easily.

[Fil]

dont pull the door seals off they will be a bugger to reattatch,,

clean in the grooves with a toothbrush n bleach solution

if the fv fits pull the freezer door and use that space for the tube heater and fan to move both warm and cold air around

[Pinto]

If the FV wont fit, then perhaps its time to get into Yeast Farming like you always wanted to.....

[sbond10]

Cheers pinto I know it would fit if I bought a 30 quid fv but I anit gonna do that. I'm hoping the wife will see me getting annoyed and just swap our fridge for the other

[Fil]

fwiw i kinda screwed up with my brewfridge in that i didnt check the bucket i had been using to ferment in would fit.. It didnt!! OOOPS!! the simple solution was to invest in new containers that do fit and retire the bucket to storage cleaning duties.. the 4" neck wine fermentors just about fit in and so do the 25l(27-30l) nochill cubes/jerrycans phew!! Where there is a will there is a way..

[sbond10]

Yea my actual fridge will take my bucket with ease just not measured this one I'm being offered just yet will have to get on it