# Use for a non-functioning wine fridge?



## apicius9 (Jul 4, 2016)

Bought a used one cheap under questionable circumstances, doesn't work - should have known better... Before I throw it away, i'm just challenging the cumulative wisdom of the forum to see if there is anything that I can use it for. 

Stefan


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## JBroida (Jul 4, 2016)

with a little work, you could have an incubation chamber for all kinds of things... eggs, beer, koji, etc.


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## brainsausage (Jul 4, 2016)

Define non functioning... Is it completely dead, or...?


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## malexthekid (Jul 4, 2016)

Dry ager? No idea the work for that convert... just a suggestion


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## mr drinky (Jul 4, 2016)

Come on Stefan, you are on the mainland now. Put a lock on it and make a gun safe for all those handguns that you are buying 

k.


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## brainsausage (Jul 4, 2016)

mr drinky said:


> Come on Stefan, you are on the mainland now. Put a lock on it and make a gun safe for all those handguns that you are buying
> 
> k.


 
Hah! That's especially funny considering I was just thinking about how I hadn't seen you post in a bit Karring. TELEPATHYYYYYYYYY!!!


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## daveb (Jul 4, 2016)

mr drinky said:


> Come on Stefan, you are on the mainland now. Put a lock on it and make a gun safe for all those handguns that you are buying
> 
> k.



Like


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## mr drinky (Jul 4, 2016)

brainsausage said:


> Hah! That's especially funny considering I was just thinking about how I hadn't seen you post in a bit Karring. TELEPATHYYYYYYYYY!!!



Yeah, I thought I felt a vibe come through from the East -- or was it this bottle of wine I am drinking?

Anyhow, I should hang out here more, but I have been going to way too many punk shows, and Chuckles and Mario are awesome enough to come along and make things even more fun. I do have a couple of chipped blades that need some repair though. You'd think in-laws wouldn't try cut oxtail meat off the bone with a carter -- but they will. And when that breaks, they pick up a nakiri and do the same to that. Awesome. 

k.


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## brainsausage (Jul 4, 2016)

mr drinky said:


> Yeah, I thought I felt a vibe come through from the East -- or was it this bottle of wine I am drinking?
> 
> Anyhow, I should hang out here more, but I have been going to way too many punk shows, and Chuckles and Mario are awesome enough to come along and make things even more fun. I do have a couple of chipped blades that need some repair though. You'd think in-laws wouldn't try cut oxtail meat off the bone with a carter -- but they will. And when that breaks, they pick up a nakiri and do the same to that. Awesome.
> 
> k.



It was the vibes, accentuated by the wine. Hoping Chuckles will find his way up here when Panda is visiting in a few weeks.


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## mr drinky (Jul 4, 2016)

brainsausage said:


> It was the vibes, accentuated by the wine. Hoping Chuckles will find his way up here when Panda is visiting in a few weeks.



Not to hi-jack the thread, but we talked about it a couple of days ago. We're thinking, and thunking about it. 

k.


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## brainsausage (Jul 4, 2016)

mr drinky said:


> Not to hi-jack the thread, but we talked about it a couple of days ago. We're thinking, and thunking about it.
> 
> k.



THINK HARDER


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## brainsausage (Jul 4, 2016)

daveb said:


> Like



I just noticed your new signature Dave. My ego wishes it had to do with me, but I'm sure that's not the case

Back on topic- If the fridge is running warm, it could be a good candidate for dry curing meats. Pretty quick and easy mod to get it going in that direction.


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## apicius9 (Jul 4, 2016)

You guys are all crazy  No guns in my house, so that is out. Something is running because there is a bit of a hum and the back gets warm, but no cooling effect inside. But the lamp works... I guess the cooling unit is gone byebye. It's a small 18 bottle Haier unit, so size-wise it would be good for ripening cheeses or meats. I'm afraid eggs would turn into little chickies in there right now  Maybe growing mushrooms? I'll also see what a new cooling unit would cost, but I assume it will be cheaper buying another used fridge. I'm only out $40, that alone should have told me something - but the seller was a cute blonde girl and she said it worked... :angel2:

Stefan


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## brainsausage (Jul 4, 2016)

apicius9 said:


> You guys are all crazy  No guns in my house, so that is out. Something is running because there is a bit of a hum and the back gets warm, but no cooling effect inside. But the lamp works... I guess the cooling unit is gone byebye. It's a small 18 bottle Haier unit, so size-wise it would be good for ripening cheeses or meats. I'm afraid eggs would turn into little chickies in there right now  Maybe growing mushrooms? I'll also see what a new cooling unit would cost, but I assume it will be cheaper buying another used fridge. I'm only out $40, that alone should have told me something - but the seller was a cute blonde girl and she said it worked... :angel2:
> 
> Stefan



From the mouths of babes...

Might be a good idea to throw a thermometer in there while it's running, to see if any cooling is going on. Dry curing of meats is safe around 58-62*, as long as the humidity and air flow is also regulated. And also assuming said meats were cured properly to begin with of course.


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## panda (Jul 4, 2016)

use it for cold smoking


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## apicius9 (Jul 4, 2016)

Forgot to pick up a thermometer today at the hardware store, will do that next week. I thought dry aging was at lower temps, maybe that's an option if I move the thing into the basement and add a fan inside. Gotta check out the temp ranges down there. 

Panda, any thoughts on how to set that up? I first thought you were joking, but there are these external units for cold smoking in regular smokers, so something like that looks like an interesting option. But what do I know...

Stefan


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## brainsausage (Jul 4, 2016)

apicius9 said:


> Forgot to pick up a thermometer today at the hardware store, will do that next week. I thought dry aging was at lower temps, maybe that's an option if I move the thing into the basement and add a fan inside. Gotta check out the temp ranges down there.
> 
> Panda, any thoughts on how to set that up? I first thought you were joking, but there are these external units for cold smoking in regular smokers, so something like that looks like an interesting option. But what do I know...
> 
> Stefan



Dry aging is done at standard fridge temps, so 41* on average.

Edit: Dry aging and dry curing are different concepts, if you're not aware. Sorry if I added any confusion Stefan.


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## apicius9 (Jul 4, 2016)

brainsausage said:


> Dry aging is done at standard fridge temps, so 41* on average.
> 
> Edit: Dry aging and dry curing are different concepts, if you're not aware. Sorry if I added any confusion Stefan.



Thanks, I was mixing those up. When I was a kid, we usually got half a pig in the fall and butchered it in the kitchen into sausages. Those were then hung on broomsticks over a few chairs in the rarely used and unheated 'good room' (=formal living room) and were eaten over the winter. I giess that comes closer to the dry curing idea. Will read up on it, but not tonight,

G'night,

Stefan


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## brainsausage (Jul 4, 2016)

apicius9 said:


> Thanks, I was mixing those up. When I was a kid, we usually got half a pig in the fall and butchered it in the kitchen into sausages. Those were then hung on broomsticks over a few chairs in the rarely used and unheated 'good room' (=formal living room) and were eaten over the winter. I giess that comes closer to the dry curing idea. Will read up on it, but not tonight,
> 
> G'night,
> 
> Stefan



You're on the right track. Shoot me a pm, and I can give you some more info.


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## ecchef (Jul 4, 2016)

Glass door? Cut a couple of holes in the side and make a blasting cabinet.


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## malexthekid (Jul 4, 2016)

ecchef said:


> Glass door? Cut a couple of holes in the side and make a blasting cabinet.



This


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## LifeByA1000Cuts (Jul 5, 2016)

So what kind of kaput is it - blows fuse, does not turn on, turns on but no cooling action, wrong cooling action, doesn't match the decor?


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## boomchakabowwow (Jul 5, 2016)

can it be fixed and turned into..a wine fridge?


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## apicius9 (Jul 5, 2016)

boomchakabowwow said:


> can it be fixed and turned into..a wine fridge?



Mmhh, interesting idea  I will follow up on that, but I may have a line on a slightly larger one that actually works, so I was wondering what to do with this one. It turns on but no cooling action - if anything, it gets warmer inside and outside. If I lay it on its back I could use it as a couch table with a glass surface that holds things like books and remote controls, but I was wondering about better uses 

Stefan


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## jmgray (Jul 5, 2016)

Fyi when moving refrigerators you should keep them upright if it can't be avoided and you have to pay them down you should let them sit unplugged for 6 hours to let the oil in the compressors settle back so as not to damage tbe compressor


Jeff


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## LifeByA1000Cuts (Jul 6, 2016)

Is this compressor or peltier cooling anyway?


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## mr drinky (Jul 6, 2016)

One thing to consider is that parts for wine fridges are pretty cheap if you order directly from China. I bought a Wine Enthusiast 28 bottle fridge about 2 years ago, and in less than a year, the fan went out. I waited for the part from WE for 4 months, and they never got it in, so the product support people told me to take the fridge apart and get the exact part number on the fan and go to a certain website. I did that. The cost of the fan was something like $7 with shipping. Wine Enthusiast wanted $30. But a month and $7 later I had my fridge running again. 

Granted that was only a fan....

k.


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