Thermoelectric wine cooler drying and curing - DIY

[Billytheluther]

So in my initial post I just used the existing drain hole and showed the cables true it. Works great with just the cables from the dehumidifier and sensor.
I have now changed my design since I noticed a lot of fluctuation of the humidity.
I would set the fridge temp to 14c and then wait a 12 hours to let it cool down and stabilise the humidity. it stoped at 72% so I set the humidity controller to 71% with 1% Dif. And the humidity would spike as soon as the dehumidifier started. Causing the dehumidifier to run for too long and heating up the fridge.

So I just finished up my new design that includes a small computer fan as well. So I had to drill a hole in the end any way.
I unscrewed the back plate from the inside. And drilled a hole from the backside in the hole that is already there. Its just below the barcode in the picture.
View attachment 5426873

I then just made the hole bigger from the inside with a step drill bit, I fucked up a little and damage the inside a bit but its only aesthetics.
Next up was to just get all the cables true the hole, I used a zip tie around the cables and used it pull them true to make as small hole as possible.
View attachment 5426874
I have a new controller now. I got my self an inkbird with wifi. I just opened it up and removed the sensor, since the connection is much smaller then the sensor it self. It is a small clip connector, so just push the lever and use a plier to gently remove it.View attachment 5426876

So this is how it looks right now.
The fan is blowing air down in hopes of creating some kind of airflow since the fridge it self don't have a fan.
I this picture you can see mistake nr 2 as well.
I drilled the hole in the wrong place off the metal plate. Will cover it up with silicone so no water gets in behind.
View attachment 5426878

I also created a custom shelf so I have space for the dehumidifier and so that the air is directed to the back plate.View attachment 5426881

I have just loaded her up with a whole bunch of leafs and it's cooling down at the moment. Will make updates along the way.View attachment 5426882

Nice, i like the idea of loading it up with leaves and giving it a test run to get an understanding of how it works prior to loading it up with buds..
Honestly i think I would’ve done the same if it it wasn’t for the fact that i was already pushing harvest time..

 

[Trust1337]

So in my initial post I just used the existing drain hole and showed the cables true it. Works great with just the cables from the dehumidifier and sensor.
I have now changed my design since I noticed a lot of fluctuation of the humidity.
I would set the fridge temp to 14c and then wait a 12 hours to let it cool down and stabilise the humidity. it stoped at 72% so I set the humidity controller to 71% with 1% Dif. And the humidity would spike as soon as the dehumidifier started. Causing the dehumidifier to run for too long and heating up the fridge.

So I just finished up my new design that includes a small computer fan as well. So I had to drill a hole in the end any way.
I unscrewed the back plate from the inside. And drilled a hole from the backside in the hole that is already there. Its just below the barcode in the picture.
View attachment 5426873

I then just made the hole bigger from the inside with a step drill bit, I fucked up a little and damage the inside a bit but its only aesthetics.
Next up was to just get all the cables true the hole, I used a zip tie around the cables and used it pull them true to make as small hole as possible.
View attachment 5426874
I have a new controller now. I got my self an inkbird with wifi. I just opened it up and removed the sensor, since the connection is much smaller then the sensor it self. It is a small clip connector, so just push the lever and use a plier to gently remove it.View attachment 5426876

So this is how it looks right now.
The fan is blowing air down in hopes of creating some kind of airflow since the fridge it self don't have a fan.
I this picture you can see mistake nr 2 as well.
I drilled the hole in the wrong place off the metal plate. Will cover it up with silicone so no water gets in behind.
View attachment 5426878

I also created a custom shelf so I have space for the dehumidifier and so that the air is directed to the back plate.View attachment 5426881

I have just loaded her up with a whole bunch of leafs and it's cooling down at the moment. Will make updates along the way.View attachment 5426882

Many thanks for the detailed article. I would have given you a link or asked you via PM but unfortunately I don't have these functions yet.

Can you please continue to share your experiences? That would be very helpful.

 

[by2]

Is its been up and running for about 36 hours by now and it is working.
I don't have time to do a full test cycle so decided to shorten it.
I have constantly decreased the humidity set point by 0.5% some times 1% but then the temp raised too much and I had to back off manually.

My conclusion is that it will work perfectly if I just keep to 0.5%-1% decrees per day as recommend and the temp will be fine.
I have an Ecowitt sensor inside and its no the most accurate. It is off by 2-5% humidity from the ink bird but at least it shows that the Graf is going in the right direction.

The 2 bigger spike was when I change the setting with 1%
But yeah I can see a trend so feel confident it will work.
Inbird sensor had 79.8% at 12.6c when I first recorded it and we are now at 74.5 at 13.3c.

What humidity starting point do you have after you loaded it up?
Mine was around 80% after the temp settled around 13c so should leave me plenty of time before mould growth.

 

[Hook Daddy]

Is its been up and running for about 36 hours by now and it is working.
I don't have time to do a full test cycle so decided to shorten it.
I have constantly decreased the humidity set point by 0.5% some times 1% but then the temp raised too much and I had to back off manually.

My conclusion is that it will work perfectly if I just keep to 0.5%-1% decrees per day as recommend and the temp will be fine.
I have an Ecowitt sensor inside and its no the most accurate. It is off by 2-5% humidity from the ink bird but at least it shows that the Graf is going in the right direction.
View attachment 5427393
The 2 bigger spike was when I change the setting with 1%
But yeah I can see a trend so feel confident it will work.
Inbird sensor had 79.8% at 12.6c when I first recorded it and we are now at 74.5 at 13.3c.

What humidity starting point do you have after you loaded it up?
Mine was around 80% after the temp settled around 13c so should leave me plenty of time before mould growth.

Looks like it’s working exactly as it should. The starting rh will be determined by how wet the bud is going in, mid to high 70’s is normal.

 

[Trust1337]

Is its been up and running for about 36 hours by now and it is working.
I don't have time to do a full test cycle so decided to shorten it.
I have constantly decreased the humidity set point by 0.5% some times 1% but then the temp raised too much and I had to back off manually.

My conclusion is that it will work perfectly if I just keep to 0.5%-1% decrees per day as recommend and the temp will be fine.
I have an Ecowitt sensor inside and its no the most accurate. It is off by 2-5% humidity from the ink bird but at least it shows that the Graf is going in the right direction.
View attachment 5427393
The 2 bigger spike was when I change the setting with 1%
But yeah I can see a trend so feel confident it will work.
Inbird sensor had 79.8% at 12.6c when I first recorded it and we are now at 74.5 at 13.3c.

What humidity starting point do you have after you loaded it up?
Mine was around 80% after the temp settled around 13c so should leave me plenty of time before mould growth.

Looks like it’s working exactly as it should. The starting rh will be determined by how wet the bud is going in, mid to high 70’s is normal.

Thank you, that helps me a lot. Did you pre-dry the buds or did you cut them and put them in directly after cutting?

And as I understand it correctly, do you both stay at a temperature of 13 degrees and then simply lower the humidity by 1% every day?

 

[Hook Daddy]

Thank you, that helps me a lot. Did you pre-dry the buds or did you cut them and put them in directly after cutting?

And as I understand it correctly, do you both stay at a temperature of 13 degrees and then simply lower the humidity by 1% every day?

I have done both hang drying first and just putting them in directly after harvest, I don’t hang dry first anymore. I have been setting my temp at 12C and lowering rh by .5 to 1% a day, starting at .5 and going quicker if I want after the first few days. Watch the water drip tray the first few days, it can fill quickly.

 

[Trust1337]

I have done both hang drying first and just putting them in directly after harvest, I don’t hang dry first anymore. I have been setting my temp at 12C and lowering rh by .5 to 1% a day, starting at .5 and going quicker if I want after the first few days. Watch the water drip tray the first few days, it can fill quickly.

Unfortunately I can't give you a Like, thank you!
You don't use Boveda right?
Have you noticed any improvements in the smell and taste in the meantime? I would be very interested to know

 

[Hook Daddy]

Unfortunately I can't give you a Like, thank you!
You don't use Boveda right?
Have you noticed any improvements in the smell and taste in the meantime? I would be very interested to know

I used to use Boveda packs but don’t now, I have grove bags I put them in after drying and curing until I need the space in the cooler again. The smell and taste is great, you will see soon enough, I get compliments all the time.

 

[Bodoo]

Still working on getting the plastic smell off the wine cooler, it's been a ride lol. Been using lots of baking soda, and disinfectant spray, will give it a hot water wipe tomorrow and hope it gets better soon.

 

[Douggyfresh420]

Im putting my order in tonight for everything i need for 2 koolatron builds. What baking mats are yall using? I wanna make sure i get the right size.

 

[Tony9d9ct]

Im putting my order in tonight for everything i need for 2 koolatron builds. What baking mats are yall using? I wanna make sure i get the right size.

The ones I used are on page 52, post #1023 they seem to be holding up very well. I snipped to fit and zip tied.

 

[Coach22]

Thanks to Hook Daddy and other for sharing the knowledge for this build. I wanted to get a few dry/cure cycles in so I could get a better understanding of how it all works.

1. Is the built-in TEC in the Koolatron designed to be "on" constantly to maintain temp?
For example when the system is running normally, I set and running at 55 F and stepping down RH -1% daily from 70%. Dehum is cycling to maintain RH while slightly increasing temp triggering TEC for short period. We had a heat wave for a few days and room temps were 85-90. Since TEC cannot achieve target temp it is constantly running and bringing RH at the probe to 61%.

So that has me asking if the internal TEC can be used as the dehumidifier by simply setting a target temp just outside the range of given room temp forcing TEC to constantly run.

Currently it's set at 55 and stepping down RH at 66 (62 target) and runs normally during evening/night. Daytime temp get outside the 20ish degreee range to about 83 forcing the TEC to run and drops RH to 59/60 until temp come down again. RH returns to roughly 65/66. cycle continues -1% target RH.

 

[Hook Daddy]

Thanks to Hook Daddy and other for sharing the knowledge for this build. I wanted to get a few dry/cure cycles in so I could get a better understanding of how it all works.

1. Is the built-in TEC in the Koolatron designed to be "on" constantly to maintain temp?
For example when the system is running normally, I set and running at 55 F and stepping down RH -1% daily from 70%. Dehum is cycling to maintain RH while slightly increasing temp triggering TEC for short period. We had a heat wave for a few days and room temps were 85-90. Since TEC cannot achieve target temp it is constantly running and bringing RH at the probe to 61%.

So that has me asking if the internal TEC can be used as the dehumidifier by simply setting a target temp just outside the range of given room temp forcing TEC to constantly run.

Currently it's set at 55 and stepping down RH at 66 (62 target) and runs normally during evening/night. Daytime temp get outside the 20ish degreee range to about 83 forcing the TEC to run and drops RH to 59/60 until temp come down again. RH returns to roughly 65/66. cycle continues -1% target RH.

The built in TEC will cycle to maintain temp, and if the room gets too hot it may have difficulty keeping up, but that would be around 90f and higher from what I’ve seen. That is when I have my target temp at 12C, or about 55F. Some people run at 20c which is what the Cannatrol default is, so the ambient temp theoretically could go to near 100 and the cooler could still keep up, I have never tested that scenario though, my room stays below 90F.

You could use the internal TEC to dehumidify to some degree, but it would probably be more costly and difficult to keep a room at the correct temp to drive the TEC to run constantly than just adding the additional dehumidifier.

It sounds like you have it working as it should, so I would let it do its thing the first round, then you can play with settings and see what you prefer. The temp and rh should cycle up and down, that’s what makes it work, so don’t worry about a couple degrees or rh points as long as it’s dropping rh over time. Keep us posted on the progress!

 

[Douggyfresh420]

The built in TEC will cycle to maintain temp, and if the room gets too hot it may have difficulty keeping up, but that would be around 90f and higher from what I’ve seen. That is when I have my target temp at 12C, or about 55F. Some people run at 20c which is what the Cannatrol default is, so the ambient temp theoretically could go to near 100 and the cooler could still keep up, I have never tested that scenario though, my room stays below 90F.

You could use the internal TEC to dehumidify to some degree, but it would probably be more costly and difficult to keep a room at the correct temp to drive the TEC to run constantly than just adding the additional dehumidifier.

It sounds like you have it working as it should, so I would let it do its thing the first round, then you can play with settings and see what you prefer. The temp and rh should cycle up and down, that’s what makes it work, so don’t worry about a couple degrees or rh points as long as it’s dropping rh over time. Keep us posted on the progress!

Im assuming keeping your starting temps as low as possible will also help reduce humidity as well? Got 2 units and all the components ordered and on the way. Thanks for this write up homie.

 

[Hook Daddy]

Im assuming keeping your starting temps as low as possible will also help reduce humidity as well? Got 2 units and all the components ordered and on the way. Thanks for this write up homie.

I keep the temp at 55f myself. The Koolatron will go lower, but that seems to me to be the sweet spot. It also means even with temp swings it never really goes above 60.

 

[Fladawg01]

Well I came across a Non-Thermo electric wine fridge for $50 and grabbed it. I honestly believe I can make it work similar. It has held 59 to 61 degrees since I purchased it in a warmer room, opened a few time and seemed to bounce right back and stabelise. I'll just add a super small USB fan to make sure the air circulates inside but not directly on plants, extra small thermo-electric dehumidifier in bottom and it has plenty of room to hang up to 36 branches on a sock hangar or depending on size of plant a small roughly 20" height and width plant. I purchased a humidity detector/power switch with sensor and will run it through the back. All I need is tint for the window, though it is double-paned. It beats my 78 degree tent for a dry/cure attempt. Hopefully it works out.

 

[by2]

Well I came across a Non-Thermo electric wine fridge for $50 and grabbed it. I honestly believe I can make it work similar. It has held 59 to 61 degrees since I purchased it in a warmer room, opened a few time and seemed to bounce right back and stabelise. I'll just add a super small USB fan to make sure the air circulates inside but not directly on plants, extra small thermo-electric dehumidifier in bottom and it has plenty of room to hang up to 36 branches on a sock hangar or depending on size of plant a small roughly 20" height and width plant. I purchased a humidity detector/power switch with sensor and will run it through the back. All I need is tint for the window, though it is double-paned. It beats my 78 degree tent for a dry/cure attempt. Hopefully it works out.

It is possible but not with the same set up as with a Thermo electric fridge.
It is a totally different method than what this thread is all about. I think there is another thread for that method.
Good luck

 

[by2]

Loaded mine up yesterday with 850g of freshly cut buds. I did light trim to remove some of the leafs.
Currently at 85% at 13c. Scary but must trust the process.
The only down side is that I will need another one.

 

[Hook Daddy]

Well I came across a Non-Thermo electric wine fridge for $50 and grabbed it. I honestly believe I can make it work similar. It has held 59 to 61 degrees since I purchased it in a warmer room, opened a few time and seemed to bounce right back and stabelise. I'll just add a super small USB fan to make sure the air circulates inside but not directly on plants, extra small thermo-electric dehumidifier in bottom and it has plenty of room to hang up to 36 branches on a sock hangar or depending on size of plant a small roughly 20" height and width plant. I purchased a humidity detector/power switch with sensor and will run it through the back. All I need is tint for the window, though it is double-paned. It beats my 78 degree tent for a dry/cure attempt. Hopefully it works out.

What @by2 said. You are looking at doing a lotus cure if using a compressor fridge. You definitely don’t need a dehumidifier in a compressor fridge, it will dry your buds to fall apart crispy in days if you don’t protect them in a pizza box or paper bags, etc. lots of info if you search for lotus cure.

 

[by2]

So I just had a look inside and the whole back plate is covered in small droplets of water.
I guess that's normal?
The water droplets get stuck on the back plate and stays there so thought to maybe try a coat it with a super hydrophobic coating for next time.
Anything that speaks against it?