Reddit mentions: The best commercial refrigeration equipment
We found 45 Reddit comments discussing the best commercial refrigeration equipment. We ran sentiment analysis on each of these comments to determine how redditors feel about different products. We found 3 products and ranked them based on the amount of positive reactions they received. Here are the top 20.
1. Jonson Controls A19AAT-2C Freezer Temperature Controller (D132)
- Great for turning a chest freezer into a keg refrigerator
- Easy to set up and use
- Plug unit into wall and then run the sensor into your freezer
- Very economical
Features:
Specs:
Color | Grey |
Height | 3.5 Inches |
Length | 10.5 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Size | 1-(Pack) |
Width | 5.75 Inches |
2. Hydrofarm Active Aqua Chiller, 1/4 HP
- Large refrigeration capacity (recommended volume 26-80 gal/100-300 L)
- Anti-corrosive pure titanium evaporator for both fresh and salt water
- Rated BTU per hour 2300. Rate of flow: 1/4 HP (264–660 GPH, 1000-2500 L/hour); Recommended pumps: AAPW250 or AAPW550
- Tubing size: 1/2" (HGTB50), 3/4" (HGTB75); Unit Dimensions: 17.6"L x 13"W x 17.3"H
- For cooling capability, please refer to performance chart found in the product information tab.
Features:
Specs:
Color | White |
Height | 19.9 Inches |
Length | 20.7 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Size | Active Aqua Chiller, 1/4 HP |
Weight | 38.4 Pounds |
Width | 20.3 Inches |
3. Grindmaster CTR3.75 1 Swing Glass Door Countertop Merchandiser Refrigerator
- Adjustable thermostat between 34°F and 45°F
- Energy efficient double pane thermal glass door
- ETL Sanitation conforms to NSF 7 standard
- Bright interior merchandise lighting
- Secure built-in door lock
Features:
Specs:
Color | Black |
Number of items | 1 |
🎓 Reddit experts on commercial refrigeration equipment
The comments and opinions expressed on this page are written exclusively by redditors. To provide you with the most relevant data, we sourced opinions from the most knowledgeable Reddit users based the total number of upvotes and downvotes received across comments on subreddits where commercial refrigeration equipment are discussed. For your reference and for the sake of transparency, here are the specialists whose opinions mattered the most in our ranking.
Thanks. I have greatly enjoyed learning the process at home. Even some of the early disappointments were enjoyable to some degree. I would strongly recommend starting with simple ones like cream cheese and goat cheese to get an idea for the process. Plus they don't require real aging so there is immediate gratification.
My cheese cave is just a tiny little mini-fridge I got for free from a friend. I use one of these to regulate the temp. You simply plug the fridge/freezer into it and based on your settings, it controls the power to the fridge. For humidity, just a glass of water in there is the best I can do.
Alright, That was a quick message off my phone.
Freezer - Sams Club - $199 - I bought at our local SAM's. I just put my kegs in there and use picnic tabs, I am working on setting up a wood collar to add taps.
Power/Temp Control - I bought this off amazon because it was cheeper than locally. There is also a digital version (costs more) I didn't see any reason to go with it.
CO2 tank, regulator, hoses, ETC: bad teacher brewing on South Airport, they also have the temp control. I would recommend a 20LB tank if you can fit it and afford it. 5lbs are nice, they are easy to move but you will get the most "bang for your buck" our of a 20lb when doing refills and the time it will last.
Filling your CO2 tank - Northern Fire and safety is going to be the best. They are reasonable and WAY cheaper than Air Gas.
I hope this gives you a good starting point. I can provide some more advice.
My father did almost the same thing except he was attempting to make a keg fridge out of a stand up freezer and tried drilling holes in the side. Brand new unit that wasn't even plugged in yet was toast. You have all the important parts to make a new one. You should be able to pick up a chest freezer for a reasonable amount of money such as http://www.samsclub.com/sams/ge-chest-freezer-5-cu-ft/124989.ip and then you can buy something like this http://www.amazon.com/Johnson-Controls-A19AAT-2C-Temperature-Controller/dp/B0002EAL58 and set the temp to whatever you want This is going to be by far your cheapest solution if you remember to drill your holes in the lid and nowhere else (coolant lines don't run in the lid.) I have the same freezer and I can tell you it will fit 3 of those 5 gal pop kegs that it sounds like you're using. plus space for your CO2 source as long as the bottle isn't too big. Doing this setup might be a bit more energy efficient as well seeing you're using an external control on a better pump that gets cooler faster and has just as good if not better insulating than normal fridge style keggerators...
My time to shine! I have helped build two kegerators. The first one uses a small chest freezer and holds up to four 5-gallon kegs. We use this one for our homebrews at the house, and simply open the lid to use a cheap picnic tap to dispense the beer.
The second kegerator was a bigger undertaking. This one uses a massive chest freezer (capable of holding 4 full-size kegs and a slim keg simultaneously) and the same type of Temperature Regulator. The main difference is that instead of opening the lid to retrieve beer, we have beer lines leading to a tap wall and chalkboard. How does one get the lines out of the airtight appliance? We had heard a ^(cosmically?) funny story of some chump trying to drill through a wall of his freezer; he pierced a coil and ruined the whole thing.. We wanted to avoid something like that. Although there are no coils in the lid of the freezer, we decided on the method that follows:
Remove the lid from the appliance entirely. Make a rectangular frame of 2x4s the exact size of the top of your chest freezer. Use caulk to get a tight seal on your joints. Drill holes for your beer lines through the wood, rather than through the appliance, and put the freezer lid back on top of your wooden frame. The weight of the lid, in combination with the rubber grommet, should keep your fridge operating efficiently. If you have problems with cool air leaking out, try using big velcro strips to hold the lid on tighter. It seems pretty efficient to me, since one only needs to open the unit to replace a keg.
Best of luck! Pictures when I have them
edit: to have multiple kegs at once off the same Co2 tank requires a "splitter" to divert the gas from 1 to any number of kegs
I put together my own curing chamber after falling into the rabbit hole of this subreddit. In total it cost me about $175.
Materials:
Temp Controller
Humidity Controller This humidity controller is much cheaper than other options I saw, you will have to wire it yourself, but it works great!
Ultrasonic Humidifier, I got one for $35 on Amazon.
Humidity Monitor
I simply browsed Craigslist for a suitable full size fridge, and managed to get one for $40. This is the one I got
Let me know if you have any questions Id be happy to help!
Design and design considerations:
Heating/Cooling:
Active Aqua Chiller, 1/4 HP - Note in the temp graph below the blunting of the green curve as the red (ambient temp) went high. I have the dual stage temp controller set to kick on the cooling plug at 68, and this starts the second water pump that pumps through the cooler. The cooler is set for 69 currently so when the temp reaches 70, cooling kicks in. I am continuing to fiddle with this setting.
Nutrients:
Plant photos:
Plants received dry bare root with no green growth from starkbros.
Temp graph:
This is with the La Crosse wifi temp probe (https://www.amazon.com/Crosse-Technology-926-25106-Wgb-Wireless-Monitor/dp/B06ZYJ5L5B/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8) so I can check remotely. Red line is ambient temp, green line is water temp.
Water changes:
Honestly I think you're better off with a fridge, for the amount of time and money it would take to build an "icebox" like the Son of Fermentation.
You can get external temperature controllers that don't require any wiring at all, like this one.
I have one of these digital controllers which does exactly what you're looking for. I'm super happy with it.
If you're thinking cheaper, there's an analog version as well.
I have a dedicated fridge for dry aging. I use this fridge
https://www.amazon.com/Grindmaster-CTR3-75-Countertop-Merchandiser-Refrigerator/dp/B00M8YG3ZW
It stays below 40 and I added this fan for better air circulation.
https://www.amazon.com/OPOLAR-Operated-Rechargeable-Capacity-Hurricane/dp/B0749M96XT/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1536250984&sr=8-1-spons&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=9+inch+fan+usb&psc=1
I unscrewed the base so the fan would fit inside. I hang the ribeye using stainless steel meat hooks.
Another sweet tip- Get a small chest freezer off Craigslist and convert it to a refrigerator with a Johnson controls regulator https://www.amazon.com/Johnson-Controls-A19AAT-2C-Temperature-Controller/dp/B0002EAL58/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?keywords=johnson+kegerator&qid=1566823193&s=gateway&sr=8-2 . They use about 1/10th the power, are bigger and super cheap. I did this in my rig and love it. I put it right under the counter and cut the counter to flip up.I only have 150 watts of solar and 200AH of battery and can run the refrigerator non stop and charge the batteries. The capacity is also much larger.
Yes, this one.
i decided on the Johnson because the wire is thin enough I don't have to drill and can just place it under the lid.
You'll see the copper wire in the top-right corner. Also next to it is a thermostat to make sure it's actually hitting my temperature which right now is 62F.
The glass of water is to place the probe into once the water gets to temp that way I'm not getting false readings from the side or the air and I know what the liquid temperature is to get a better reading of what the beer is actually at.
I'm pretty sure this is the one (not hone at the moment [burglars: please don't burgle me]): http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0002EAL58
Does having an external controller along the lines of this, where it cuts AC power to the fridge/freezer, significantly effect power efficiency? Or shorten the compressor life/etc.?
Is there a better solution to that part?
Nice! How are you regulating the temperature though? I would have thought you would need something like [this temperature controller] (http://www.amazon.com/Johnson-Controls-A19AAT-2C-Temperature-Controller/dp/B0002EAL58/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1381762647&sr=8-2&keywords=johnson+temperature+controller) or do you just want your beer that cold?
Effectively, all you have to do is add a thermostatically controlled switch to control the compressor. Some have recommended products like this (though I don't have personal experience with it). You plug the unit into your wall, freezer into the unit, put the thermocouple in the freezer and set the thermometer.
I have two of these http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002EAL58/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 and although they work well in the summer and spring they are not going to work well in the winter. Apparently you cannot even buy these black boxes. Wish I would have known.
It was surprisingly cheap. You can buy the necessary converter online or at any brew shop. They should run you about $60. Just search convert freezer to fridge on Amazon etc.
Basically, you plug in your freezer and the controller cuts it on and off to keep it at a fridge temp rather than freeze. Genius.
From there, I took the lid off and built a frame out of 2x4's that I glued to the chest. I used the frame to drill my holes for the taps, hoses, etc. and then re-mounted the lid's hinges to the 2x4's.
My overall cost to set up a two keg system was about $500 for kegs, taps, tanks, etc.
If you are serious and want to do it, just shoot me a message and I'm happy to help.
https://www.amazon.com/Johnson-Controls-A19AAT-2C-Temperature-Controller/dp/B0002EAL58/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1523290700&sr=8-1&keywords=convert+freezer+to+fridge
If you want to cellar but don't have a cellar, consider doing what I did:
-get a cheap chest freezer from craigslist
-get one of these
http://www.amazon.com/Johnson-Controls-A19AAT-2C-Temperature-Controller/dp/B0002EAL58/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1417031293&sr=8-3&keywords=thermostat+regulator+johnson
(you can control the temp of the freezer pretty well. mine fluctuates between 50-55 degrees)
Finally, and this is not necessary (but I love it), get a raspberry pi , analog thermometer and a breadboard. I have mine tweet me the temperature inside every hour and email me if the temp goes above or below pre set thresholds.
I'm pretty sure you can use this to turn that "Keezer" into a radically dominant kegerator.
This is what I have been looking into. Hope that helps, and maybe some others can give input.
I have this guy: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002EAL58/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Works perfectly. Shuts the power off when my fridge reaches 65 degrees.
I've found a fair amount of people that have done it with chest freezers but mostly they used http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002EAL58?ie=UTF8&tag=selfsufficientlife-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0002EAL58
I'm not sure if an upright freezer is fundamentally different. In where the coils go and if that would cause the short cycling to be more of an issue. This is just stuff that I've picked up from researching this and don't really know how much is complete bs and how much is legit which is why I posted here in the hopes of someone saying you aren't crazy that makes sense
Here you go:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002EAL58?tag=wrightfood-20&camp=14573&creative=327641&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=B0002EAL58&adid=10456JWVX52RVYXDN1MK&
I use this for my meat curing fridge. Works perfectly.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002EAL58/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Got it in today, will see how it goes. Has plenty of excellent reviews.
Good idea man. You can buy external control boxes and run that thing at your desired temp. Not sure if that works for your set up, but...FYI.
Freezer control
I use This as my temperature controller, and it works really well. I keep a digital probe in there as well, so I can zero in on the actual temp.
What's the wineador model? if it's got a compressor instead of being thermoelectric you are going to need one of these or something similar.
But yeah what model is it?
I use a 1/4 horsepower watercooler.
Active Aqua Chiller, 1/4 HP https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008HV7VKG/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_TroZzb0JC63T8
I think a PID would work well. I picked up one of these (sorry for the eBay link, I can't find an actual online store). It monitors temperature and humidity, but I haven't tried it yet. It comes with a sensor and has the proper relays built in, so it should Just Work™. I'd like to hook it up to a regular size fridge, but I don't have room in my apartment for a full size fridge dedicated to curing. :(
My freezer controller works in a pinch, but I'm not sure how good it is a regulating the temperature.
It doesn't take much to convert one either. Just an independent temperature controller like this: http://www.amazon.com/Johnson-Controls-A19AAT-2C-Temperature-Controller/dp/B0002EAL58/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1372450611&sr=1-2
Also you can get something like this to control the temperature https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0002EAL58/
check out these https://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-Active-Aqua-Chiller-10/dp/B008HV7VKG?th=1 Might be what you want, might not be.
Might want to look into a chest freezer and getting a thermostat to keep the temperature in the 60-70 degree range for brewing.
A quick google search shows this thermostat as an example of what I'm talking about.
Buy a cheap used chest freezer for cheap off of craigslist (many for sale usually): ~$50-100
Buy a temperature controller off of Amazon: $49
http://www.amazon.com/Johnson-Controls-A19AAT-2C-Temperature-Controller/dp/B0002EAL58
Throw in the probe, set the temperature, plug them in, and then fill with beer when you notice it working. Problem solved, possibly under $100.
Would this work for temp control?
Johnson Controls A19AAT-2C Freezer Temperature Controller https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002EAL58/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_1j1FwbY9VRKHE
after reading through this thread, a couple people referenced the Johnson control units.
seems fairly simple to regulate the fridges temp this way.
My local homebrewing store had one in stock that I used to make my freezer a keezer. It doesn't have a temp limit on it (some of the ones I have seen can only do certain ranges).
I don't know if you could convert a freezer for that purpose though, because freezers are designed to blow out that cold air out and I don't know if that would shock your yeast or not.
Anyway, this is the unit I have
I posted this to you on a thread from two days ago then I saw this post.
The chiller is probably going to be the most expensive part of your setup. We started with a Max Chill 1/13 HP for a 20 gallon long tank. It worked fine for us.
We weren't prepared for breakdowns though and when our central air died in August the chillers ran constantly until they overloaded. It turned out to have fuses but that chiller wasn't enough for the larger size tank we wanted and so we replaced them.
Our current chillers are ActiveAqua ASCH50-25 1/4HP. They are much larger but they handle our now 40 gallon in Florida with no problem. In hindsight I would have bought my chiller for the largest tank size I expected to have rather than purchase twice.
Advice. Be ready for adapting for whatever tubing diameter the chiller uses. Ours both provide fittings for 2 sizes. Assuming you have an external filter, you will have to run tubing between them and might need an adapter. The max chill had fittings we used with 1/2 inch interior diameter tubing. The ActiveAqua has fittings for 1/2 inch or 3/4 inch. We still use adapters because our filter uses 5/8 inch tubing.