Cooling a small fermentation box

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GreenEnvy22

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I've built a small insulated box below a countertop in my garage. It's about 4'x2'x3'
Looking for a way to keep it cool in summer. I don't often need cooling during wine fermentation time as it's usually not so hot by harvest time, but it does happen sometimes. I also make beer year round so this is probably more for that. I will use an inkbird to manage the heating and cooling.
I have an old window AC unit, but that is huge and loud for such a tiny little area, plus it would be ugly sticking out of the cabinet in my garage (unless i cut a hole in the garage wall which my wife may not appreciate).
Could also do a portable AC unit.
But wondering if something smaller might work, like mini fridge with the door removed or similar. I know it's asking it to cool a lot more air than it normally does, but it's also not having to cool it to nearly as low of a temp.

Any suggestions I'm not thinking of?
 

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But wondering if something smaller might work, like mini fridge with the door removed or similar. I know it's asking it to cool a lot more air than it normally does, but it's also not having to cool it to nearly as low of a temp.

You realize that you would need to have the back of the fridge sticking out of the box into the garage, right?
 
Yep, whether window AC or a fridge, it would need to have the hot side outside the box. There is a small cubby where I could have the back side of a small mini fridge or similar sticking out, but not big enough for my window ac (and window ac way louder). A portable AC might be a compromise, since it would be in the chamber the noise wouldn't be as bad, and exhaust pipe can be routed outside.

I see some people using peltier cooling but I think this volume is too large for that. Looks like more useful for wine fridge size. Those would have been ideal with no cooling fluids or compressors.
 
Are you thinking of one keg, two or three, carboys? How about cooling jackets? How much monitoring can you do? Dry ice might work if you can devote constant attention.
 
I want something I can set and forget for a couple weeks at a time. There may be my big 32 gallon brute in there, or a couple 20-gallons, a single 7-gal bucket, or some carboys.
 
To me the easiest choice would be a small under counter fridge.
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The quality of the insulated box will determine the heat load and I would build that out of foam board,,, >floor, walls &, top (at least one inch/ two is better). Likely the door will have the biggest loss so it needs good gaskets (magnetic?) For accurate control I have run one with a temperature control and the unit set for its coldest setting, with watermelon wine this year I wound up setting to the highest temp and was able to keep it around 48F. At that setting it generated condensate instead of a frosty coil so you will have to plan in some cleaning or water drain. ,,, A small biscuit or even desk fan is the only part that would be missing from an off the shelf cooler.
 
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