So I pulled the trigger on an old chest freezer I found on craigslist. 100 dollars and it works perfect. My plan as of now is to convert it into a temperature controlled chest (and eventually acquire kegerator parts and make a kegerator) . I feel that this is one of the biggest steps towards me making more consistent beers. I've been looking at the options for temperature control units. I have very little electrical knowledge (surprisingly, an economics degree has very little mechanical training), so I am considering using a plug-in system like this:
http://www.micromatic.com/draft-keg-beer/kegerator-conversion-kits-pid-E26.html or this
http://www.amazon.com/RANCO-ETC-111000-Digital-Temperature-Control/dp/B0015NV5BEMy question(s) is:
Is this going to be a good set up? I've read various forum posts supporting these while others say I will burn out the motor.
Will something like a plug in temperature control work out in the long run for a kegging system down the road?
I'm looking for some knowledgeable opinions to help guide my next step.