Humidifier/Dehumidifier

[rawcalls]

I'm looking at building a curing chamber out of a standard fridge with a top freezer. Are there certain brands/models of humidifiers/dehumidifiers you guys are using in your builds? I have watched the videos from 2 Guys and a Cooler but most of the ones he links to on his YouTube are no longer available.

 

[BGKYSmoker]

Your going to run into problems with a top freezer.

 

[geostriata]

I'm looking at building a curing chamber out of a standard fridge with a top freezer. Are there certain brands/models of humidifiers/dehumidifiers you guys are using in your builds? I have watched the videos from 2 Guys and a Cooler but most of the ones he links to on his YouTube are no longer available.

Here's the dehumidifier I used: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DC5PPWM

The key is to get one with a physical switch, so that it turns off and on without interaction. Almost any ultrasonic humidifier with a physical switch would work as it doesn't require much supplemental humidity (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07VVNP7F3)

I think it'd be really really tricky to get it to work within a top freezer. I think you'd have better luck using the main chamber of the fridge itself instead of the freezer.

 

[02ebz06]

This is what I use for humidifier, nice and small and uses a soda bottle for the reservoir.
Humidifier

And the dehumidifier, like the others use.
Dehumidifier

 

[mr_whipple]

This is what I use for humidifier, nice and small and uses a soda bottle for the reservoir.
Humidifier

And the dehumidifier, like the others use.
Dehumidifier

I have the same dehumidifier, but have two different humidifiers. One is a megawise 1.5 liter as the primary, and the other is water bottle fed unit from pure aire. Sorry, no links.

 

[rawcalls]

Your going to run into problems with a top freezer.

Sorry, I didn't mean that I was going to use the freezer section for my chamber. I meant that I would use the fridge section of a fridge unit with a top freezer. Are you saying that I will run into issues with this?

 

[BGKYSmoker]

Sorry, I didn't mean that I was going to use the freezer section for my chamber. I meant that I would use the fridge section of a fridge unit with a top freezer. Are you saying that I will run into issues with this?

Yes I know that but your temps are going to be wacky with the extra cold on top of the fridge section.

 

[rawcalls]

Yes I know that but your temps are going to be wacky with the extra cold on top of the fridge section.

Gotcha. Thanks for clarifying. I can't seem to find a commercial type fridge for a price I am willing to spend. Any other type you would suggest? Would a side-by-side be better or a bottom freezer?

 

[BGKYSmoker]

Gotcha. Thanks for clarifying. I can't seem to find a commercial type fridge for a price I am willing to spend. Any other type you would suggest? Would a side-by-side be better or a bottom freezer?

I would try to get a fridge without a freezer. Search market place for a beverage cooler.

 

[rawcalls]

I would try to get a fridge without a freezer. Search market place for a beverage cooler.

I would love to. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like it's going to be an option anytime soon.

 

[Dave in AZ]

Yes, I agree with BGKYSmoker here. I had a chamber with a side by side fridge for a year or so, which I ended up taking apart when I needed the fridge for a rental.
The problem with freezer fridge combos, is that the freezer is the part that is cooled. Then the refrigerator is chilled by using a fan that turns on and off, blowing cold air from freezer to fridge.

This doesn't work great with the aftermarket electronic control using an Inkbird or similar controller, because THAT setup measures tje fridge temperature, and turns the complete power to the freezer fridge unit on and off, in an attempt to modulate fridge temps. This results in the transfer fan running virtually 100% of the time power is on, because power only goes on when fridge gets warm... but with power on, it is the freezer that is cooled. So power and fan are on with a lot of airflow for a good bit. Fridge temp drops, power shuts off, and freezer cooling stops.
This is a very poor control loop setup, where the control parameter, fridge temp, is removed from the control input, power to freezer, by 2 levels: freezer temp, then transfer fan. This is guaranteed to result in a bad control modulation cycle. Yeah, it works... but your freezer fridge isn't designed for that. You end up getting a lot more constant airflow than yku want, leading to faster drying and dry ring, despite correct humidity. I ended up having to keep 90% humidity throughout the dry cycle to combat that fan airflow.

Like you, I haven't found a good deal on a beverage fridge yet, but that is for sure the best setup, leading to nice direct control of fridge temps in a system designed to hold 35-55f already instead of -5f to 20f in a freezer. My target is one of those tall but skinny clear front soda fridges restaurants use, plenty of vertical hang space but not too large for my amount like the big ones would be.

Hope that is helpful ;)

 

[rawcalls]

Yes, I agree with BGKYSmoker here. I had a chamber with a side by side fridge for a year or so, which I ended up taking apart when I needed the fridge for a rental.
The problem with freezer fridge combos, is that the freezer is the part that is cooled. Then the refrigerator is chilled by using a fan that turns on and off, blowing cold air from freezer to fridge.

This doesn't work great with the aftermarket electronic control using an Inkbird or similar controller, because THAT setup measures tje fridge temperature, and turns the complete power to the freezer fridge unit on and off, in an attempt to modulate fridge temps. This results in the transfer fan running virtually 100% of the time power is on, because power only goes on when fridge gets warm... but with power on, it is the freezer that is cooled. So power and fan are on with a lot of airflow for a good bit. Fridge temp drops, power shuts off, and freezer cooling stops.
This is a very poor control loop setup, where the control parameter, fridge temp, is removed from the control input, power to freezer, by 2 levels: freezer temp, then transfer fan. This is guaranteed to result in a bad control modulation cycle. Yeah, it works... but your freezer fridge isn't designed for that. You end up getting a lot more constant airflow than yku want, leading to faster drying and dry ring, despite correct humidity. I ended up having to keep 90% humidity throughout the dry cycle to combat that fan airflow.

Like you, I haven't found a good deal on a beverage fridge yet, but that is for sure the best setup, leading to nice direct control of fridge temps in a system designed to hold 35-55f already instead of -5f to 20f in a freezer. My target is one of those tall but skinny clear front soda fridges restaurants use, plenty of vertical hang space but not too large for my amount like the big ones would be.

Hope that is helpful ;)

Yes, very helpful. Thanks for the explanation. I drove over 2 hours today (one direction) to pick up a Red Bull True beverage cooler, lol. Got it for $350, which I didn't think was too bad.

 

[Dave in AZ]

Yes, very helpful. Thanks for the explanation. I drove over 2 hours today (one direction) to pick up a Red Bull True beverage cooler, lol. Got it for $350, which I didn't think was too bad.

Thats a great price, and the perfect fridge! I was gonna call it a skinny red bull fridge, but didn't think you'd know what I meant lol. Great find!

 

[BGKYSmoker]

I will post pics of my some beverage build

 

[rawcalls]

I will post pics of my some beverage build

Please do.

 

[jcam222]

Maybe a wine cooler instead of fridge?

 

[Dave in AZ]

Maybe a wine cooler instead of fridge?

He found a fridge, skinny redbull beverage one, perfect.

 

[rawcalls]

He found a fridge, skinny redbull beverage one, perfect.

Not sure I got the "skinny" red bull one. It's branded red bull and it's a model GDM-10-LD.

 

[BGKYSmoker]

whatever you get make sure it is cooled with a compressor, not electronic cooling.