[Village Taphouse]

There will be some changes coming up in my life (long story) and I will find myself living someplace new.  If everything goes according to plan the new place has a small finished basement that I will probably turn into a bar area with a TV, dartboard, etc.  On the other side of one of the walls is the garage.  Would I be able to place my draft fridges in the garage and run the lines through the wall to wall-mounted taps and have that work all year long including in scorching heat and shivering cold?  Right now my draft fridges are in my basement and just on the other side of the back wall of my bar.  Also, my fermentation fridge is there too.  Would my fermentation fridge do what I need if it were in the garage?  Or would that only work when the temps are moderate?  I believe there is a small closet in the basement where the fermentation fridge could go so that leaves just the draft fridges in the garage.  I'm in the Chicago area.  Thoughts?

[ynotbrusum]

So, Ken, is the garage below grade?  If so, that will help moderate the ambient temperature to some degree and the fridges should be pretty well able to work; if not, then in the heat of summer, they may labor a bit (but should be fine) and in the winter, you may need to add a heat pad to keep them above freezing (or at least that is what I do, using a temperature controller).  Just don't leave the garage door open in the winter - that is the only thing I have to watch out for when we get the really cold winter nights and days - I live in northern Illinois, as well.

[Village Taphouse]

The garage is "at grade" I would say.  Ground level.  The basement might be considered a sort of "English basement" where it's partially below grade but there is a window as well.  The front door of the place is on one side (east) and the garage is on the opposite side (west) so maybe there is a slight grade.  I guess I wonder what happens when the temp outside is say 10° and my garage is maybe 25-30°... I assume that once the garage gets below the temp where the fridge is set, you're hosed, right?  It just keeps dropping if the temp gets that cold.  I have always considered putting a heater in a garage just to keep things in the 50s or so.  Maybe I'll have to look into that.  Thanks for the reply. 

[ynotbrusum]

Yes, a small ceramic heater would likely get you above freezing in the garage - I use that to dry the floor overnight in the winter - set very low and sitting on the floor near the garage door.  I also have an electric ceiling mounted space heater (240V) that can warm up the whole garage for brewing in the extreme part of winter.

Good luck with your new location!  Cheers. 

[Oiscout]

Those 240 volt heaters put out some serious heat and are pretty efficient!


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