With the temperatures starting to be in the 90s and up, now is a good time to look into temperature controlled fermentation if you don’t already have a means for such. Your humble, and cheap, editor stumbled onto this resource when looking for an inexpensive refrigerator, and I didn’t have to settle for used.
I found this generically named “Appliance Store” which is crammed full of opened box returns and scrach-and-dent appliances that are significantly marked down from the retail price and which are half-off of that marked down price. The result – I was able to get this Vassani 7 cubic foot refrigerator/freezer for $134 and change, “out the door”. This model MDUFC7SS retails for $349 at Home Depot. It is convertible, meaning it has the capability to be set to refrigerator temps or freezer temps. You will still want to use your own temperature controller, as the temp selector dial is probably not very accurate. This model allowed me to switch the door to open from the opposite direction. You will need to build a small shelf, above the compressor compartment on the bottom, or do like I did and replace the bottom glass shelf with a wood or metal one to set your fermenter/keg on. I found a small bucket I had in the garage to be the perfect height to be a support for the middle of the shelf.
These appliances are dinged up, some more than others. You can see some of the cosmetic damage in the phots, and I’m not going to mislead you, I spent quite a while looking around to find one with this few dents and scratches, but their stock does get replenished so who knows what you might find.
I found this generically named “Appliance Store” which is crammed full of opened box returns and scrach-and-dent appliances that are significantly marked down from the retail price and which are half-off of that marked down price. The result – I was able to get this Vassani 7 cubic foot refrigerator/freezer for $134 and change, “out the door”. This model MDUFC7SS retails for $349 at Home Depot. It is convertible, meaning it has the capability to be set to refrigerator temps or freezer temps. You will still want to use your own temperature controller, as the temp selector dial is probably not very accurate. This model allowed me to switch the door to open from the opposite direction. You will need to build a small shelf, above the compressor compartment on the bottom, or replace the bottom glass shelf with a wood or metal one to set your fermenter/keg on.
It is located at 4645 E Broadway Rd in Phoenix – just over a mile west of the ASH Clubhouse on Broadway Road. Here is the map. I’m sure there are other scratch-and-dent outlets like this one around the Valley. Bear in mind that there is no service or warrantee, but then you don’t get these on used items you would get on Offer Up or Craig’s List, either, and these are “new”. I suggest asking to plug yours in to verify that it works before buying it, like I did.
If you have questions or comments, leave them below or email me at craig.greenwood[at]azhomebrewers.org.