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GENERAL CHEESE MAKING BOARDS (Specific Cheese Making in Boards above) => EQUIPMENT - Aging Cheese, Caves => Topic started by: wharris on May 08, 2009, 12:24:12 AM
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I take possession of this 46.5 cubic inch stainless steel beauty on Saturday.
It was a medication fridge used in a hospital.
Bought on Ebay. There was a hospital in Indiana that was being sold off.
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Great buy Wayne
Herc
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That is nice, especially the dents in the doors, saves the stress of parkin a new car in the far corner of a parking lot to avoid shopping cart rash ;D.
Assume you mean 46.5 cubic feet, otherwise it would be very small ;D ;D.
If it was mine (if I had room), one side would be for white mold cheeses and the other for blues or is the wall between jus for rigidity and both sides are mixed by air flow? What are you going to put in your new fridge?
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I'm not so sure those are dents. I think they may be left over tape. I am hoping.
It is 46 cuft. not cuin. was so excited I missed that.
I believe that the interior of this refridgerator is a single compartment. I do not believe that there is any seperation between the left and right doors. I will know more in the morning when I pick it up. I just rented a U-haul trailer.
I plan on using this to age all my natural rind and waxed cheeses. I will not be allowing any mold to form in this fridge. This will strictly be for cave compatible cheeses. I got this size of a fridge mainly due to my percieved deal I got on it. (and If it was not a deal, let me believe it.)
But more practically, I will be aging all of my bulk cheddars for a year. That will put a lot of cheese in various stages of production. I also intend to put several cases of my personal 2007&2008 vintages in there.
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Awsome fridge Wayne! Wish I had a house big enough for something like that! That's gonna be a great cave! Congrats.
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I picked it up today. 460mile jaunt.
The whole hospital is up for sale. There was so much Stainless Steel for sale in the cafeteria, it made my head swim. I wish I had more room and more money. Numerous 20 ft long Stainless steel tables, with deep sinks, SS racks, SS fridges, SS everything.
The fridge itself is is a bit worse condition than I hoped. So damn dirty and grimey. Sides are banged into a bit. But the doors are solid and ding free. (just dirty) Remind me never to eat at a hospital cafeteria. So gross.
I will spend the day tommorrow cleaning and working on it. It does turn on. (thank god)
I will post pictures of this tomorrow. I picked up a couple of other goodies that I will share tomorrow.
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Hi Wayne, good news!
FYI, before I moved a used side by side fridge via friends pickup, I asked at Lowe's and was told that "can transport on back, buy oil in motor will flow up into cooling coils, so before starting, ensure unit is vertical for a few hours first to allow oil to drain back".
At least I think that's correct. Good news on doors, side dents are just optics.
Bit off topic, but here in US we were at a Sonic drive in rest and back door was broken so we had to go through kitchen to toilet. After seeing the grease, boxes and mess in back, daughters decided not to eat there!
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Good call on the oil.
In reading the manual (http://www.victory-refrig.com/pdf/RS-RSA-RA.pdf), they advise the same, or to just not tip it all all.
Here is the ongoing Ebay auction (http://stores.shop.ebay.com/Spring-Grove-Development__W0QQ_armrsZ1):
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Thx for link, had a look, nothing there of interest for me, at 49 a little too early for the hospital bed ;D.
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We're not worthy, we're not worthy. Good buy Young Skywalker.
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Some pics.
I made room for this in my garage. (had to take the legs off to get it though the dang door.) But all is well now..
(http://vxxwgg.blu.livefilestore.com/y1p2bvCP0enhx5GTDXHZnwLUDL1J54mr5ZVqV54ctxiaSUaMu8i6QJrZ3cGpGRQ2t-O3UA7tguwRvWZPcDFK4yboaL14arJiIBo/DSC_0143.jpg)
(http://vxxwgg.blu.livefilestore.com/y1pRK8h5hDpVBj8OtaVVPtWT44f9i_IbT6VAfe-XxVLiTPLrGmSlGschsX8AhQBEjlUZPRfc23xfbUkVFyyuf2_vPD4eXbk6_3y/DSC_0144.jpg)
(http://vxxwgg.blu.livefilestore.com/y1pFQNVRKxx9nXdYDL8WK35kdFzA1An0mF-NcCdmQ2GxjFo7UEotxJkn0SUMwn5rJA_re9wZ-oLfU4vVgnVFk07bVk_upwJYXtE/DSC_0146.jpg)
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You lucky SOB, that cleaned up nice.
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THAT is purdy! :) You've got a lot of elbow grease in there! Does it hold temp? Did it come with an adequate amount of racks? Anyway, great find!
Ryan
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Ryan what's with all the questions, can't you just be happy for the guy? ;D
P.S. Did it come with an adequate amount of racks? ;D
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Like night and day before and after!
You could hang a deer in one side and make cheese in the other, or if not many racks you could store a beer keg in one side . . .
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A friend of mine used to own a summer camp that was handed down from his father. He slaughtered a pig and kept it in the commercial freezer in the cafeteria and the freezer went out, he didn't know for weeks until the smell hit. This story is John's fault for mentioning deer hanging.
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Oh thanks Cartierusm, now there's a visual I could have done without. Nice new cave though.
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Just remember I'm not the one who bought used morgue equipment. ;)
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I modified the new Cheese cave.
I replaced the old thermostat (32-40deg F) with my new external thermostat (40-90deg F). I simply took the other thermostat out, and hard-wired the existing leads to my new thermostat. The new one almost looks factory installed!
This is a forced air fridge with the blower on top. The Evaporator coils are actually on top of the fridge. Air is blown over the coils and back down into the fridge. I'm a little concerned that my humidity is still around 90% inside. I kinda figured that it would be in the 50% range (or lower). But the unit has only been on an hour.
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Finally
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Wayne:
Nice work, very well done. Post a pic when it's full of cheddar!
Greg H.
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Wayne, it really does look great, and lots of room to grow!
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Thanks,
I was noticing that my wheels do look wholly inadequate. I need some Carter sized wheels. (that is in the plan.)
But I am a bit concerned about humidity. It is currently in the the 75%-90% range. A lot more than i thought it would be.
I wonder why my normal refridgerator is about 30% RH, and this is higher.
Both are forced air. This new one's evaporator coils are on top, and the condensation from that coil is drained away...
I am not sure if I should be concerned yet. I picked up a wedge of that cheese in the previous picture and it was a tad damp, like a light dew had fallen on it. The good news is that this refrigerator is not actually dripping on the cheese as had been the case with my converted freezer.
I would really love some of yours, and others thoughts on this.
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Hmmm. As long as the coils are not dripping like they were with my coiled freezer or yours then it can be worked with. The damp on the cheese is a concern. Allergies have been killing me and I took a bendryl this morning so I'm totally useless, it makes me stupid, but I'll have a think on it. Can you take some pics of the coil assembly and on the inside where the vent to the fan and coils are. I can't think straight, but I think you know what I mean. I want pics of anything to do with the cooling and how it is opened up into the main chamber.
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Carter, I hope you feel better soon.
When you are feeling human again, you can look at this. Here is the manual. (http://www.victory-refrig.com/pdf/20090107152600_u0_f6.pdf) Page 2 has the component layout.
In summary, all the gear is on top. Both the condenser coil, and evaporator coils are on top of the box. Fans draw air in from the box below through slots in the top of the box, through the evaporator coils, then back into the box below through more slots. There is a pan under the evaporator coil to collect any collecting water and it drains away. This is closed circuit.
I have to go to a birthday party, but will take pictures of these components when I return.
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Your cave makes my cave feel wholly inadequate :)
Great find, I hope it works out since it looks so impressive.
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Thanks.
I never did take any further pictures. But the humidity has lowered, leveled out and stabilized at about 55%.
I can deal with that. And it has, so far, behaved PERFECTLY.
I am so very happy.
Again, this was a shot in the dark EBAY purchase. I got this for a steal.
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Sure is purdy Wayne!