Thermoelectric wine cooler drying and curing - DIY
- Thread starter Hook Daddy
- Start date
misterlaxx
Well-Known Member
I think I saw previous posts with something like that rack size but with space bunpers
I actually rigged it by taping wooden skewers to the ends to make it wider and it will def work although very ghetto. I'll run in for the 2 weeks I need it but then might just return them and just buy the replacement one. I got the cooler used so It was missing a rack. But the racks I got would be good to add an additional shelf like we are talking about if you just use some "L" type brackets and just lay these shelves on them.
misterlaxx
Well-Known Member
I just wanted to see what everyone else's experience is when the cooler is on but the controller is off? I finished a run where it took me 12-13 days to reach a point where it is sitting in bags at 60% humidity. It worked great! After it was empty, I wanted to see what the conditions are inside the wine fridge with the temp set to 65 and the dehumidifier controller off. I noticed that the empty fridge gets to 80-90% humidity. Is that normal with the fridges? And if it is, how does mold not form on all the wine bottles if that's what it is for?
solakani
Well-Known Member
Thanks for sharing. I need this for my stash. Hoping it will improve my yields on a squish. Getting started with Koolatron 10 bottle, AC Infinity 79 pro. Unable to source Pohl dehumidifier. Pro Breeze brand is available. Small model is rated for 9 oz per day or dual peltier for 16 oz per day. Comments?
DerpyTerps
New Member
Anyone have issues with the grassy chlorophyll smell sort of getting stuck in the fridge and not going away? Like it's the dominant/only smell for the full 2 week dry and beyond. The smell leaves the buds after being in a jar for a week but it's still in the fridge. With tent drying that smell goes away after a few days but it's almost like the smell has nowhere to go when it's in the fridge. I have a koolatron thermoelectric, does anyone know if it does any exhausting or is it pretty much a sealed environment in the fridge?
Hook Daddy
Well-Known Member
A good cleaning with just a bit of soap and water has always worked for me, but if it still has a smell you can put some baking soda on a paper plate and place it in there for a while, that should take care of any lingering odors.
DerpyTerps
New Member
Yeah, I figured I could do cleanings between runs but the smell during the dry is the main problem for me. Not only is it less fun to just smell grass the whole time instead of danky goodness, but I can't help but feel like that smell is just getting trapped in the fridge and even absorbing into the buds.
Do you have any insight about whether the fridges exhaust any air? If it's not then I may toy with rigging up some sort of exhaust that could at least refresh the air in there every 6 hours or so.
solakani
Well-Known Member
Decided to go with single peltier Pro Breeze dehumidifier, ACI 79 pro controller, 10 bottle Koolatron and HD grill mesh for shelves.
Need a reality check.
I don't have the time to grow and only buy a QP of flower from growers or dispensaries for my personal. Problem is sometimes the flower becomes overly dry and the yield on a squish suffers. Lost terpenes cannot be recovered but I want a method to re-hydrate my flower when needed and maintain my stash at 62% RH. The plan is to start by calibrating equipment. Get the Koolatron running at 55F, Put in some apple peels to simulate ideal cure stage environment inside Koolatron. Once reaches, cooler is loaded with some Apple Fritter. Hope this will have a 2 way humidity control and it will re-hydrate or maintain optimum RH.
Comments?
Need a reality check.
I don't have the time to grow and only buy a QP of flower from growers or dispensaries for my personal. Problem is sometimes the flower becomes overly dry and the yield on a squish suffers. Lost terpenes cannot be recovered but I want a method to re-hydrate my flower when needed and maintain my stash at 62% RH. The plan is to start by calibrating equipment. Get the Koolatron running at 55F, Put in some apple peels to simulate ideal cure stage environment inside Koolatron. Once reaches, cooler is loaded with some Apple Fritter. Hope this will have a 2 way humidity control and it will re-hydrate or maintain optimum RH.
Comments?
taproot
Well-Known Member
Why not just a grove bag and a boveda pack, then put into the fridge? Or divide the qp in 8 parts and vacuum seal and freeze.
solakani
Well-Known Member
Thanks for your reply.
Those alternatives may work but it will take the fun out of this Koolatron project. Plus I may get into curing charcuterie and exodus cheese in the unit.
taproot
Well-Known Member
That makes sense now. Have fun sir.
solakani
Well-Known Member
Optimum settings for storage at Temp 68F Dew Point 54.5F RH 62%. Goal is to raise the moisture content of my flowers from 10% to 15%. Baseline in my Koolatron set at 55F is 62% RH. Upper limit for cooler is 66F. Increasing humidity done by keeping a damp sponge in cooler for a minute and then remove sponge.
Current reading is 61F 65RH with dehumidifier ON, cooler set to 66F. I may put a heat pad in to get to 68F. My flowers are rehydrated after storing in cooler overnight. They feel spongier, not as hard to grind and yields less dust. I don't have a moisture content meter so I will see if I get better than a 10% return on the next squish.
Current reading is 61F 65RH with dehumidifier ON, cooler set to 66F. I may put a heat pad in to get to 68F. My flowers are rehydrated after storing in cooler overnight. They feel spongier, not as hard to grind and yields less dust. I don't have a moisture content meter so I will see if I get better than a 10% return on the next squish.
solakani
Well-Known Member
Koolatron fridge has a +-5F temp variance so with it set at 66F front panel reads 62F. Introducing mild heat only raises humidity and not temp. Able to maintain fridge at 62F temp, 49 dew point, 62% RH in Auto mode now.
Have to think on how to raise temp without raising RH to get to 68F temp and 62% RH.
Have to think on how to raise temp without raising RH to get to 68F temp and 62% RH.
solakani
Well-Known Member
Room is steady at 70F Temp, 46%RH. Koolatron is set to 66F. ACI79p controller has targets of 66F Temp, 61% RH, .90 VPD. Dehumidifier is set to Auto. Result is on target for Temp and VPD but the RH bounces between +- 5% variance from target 61% RH every 10 minutes. Dehumidifier runs for 2 minutes at each 10 minute interval. Have to think on how reduce the +- 5% RH swing.
Anyone heard of the DryFerm bags? Very popular in Germany right now.
They are sort of like Grove bags but designed for DRYING, not curing. It's a similar membrane that is used in dryaging meat and protects against outer influence such as molds etc. You're supposed to position these bags so air can pass around them freely as humidity is released from the inside to the outside, while protecting buds and "lock in" terpenes. The environment the bag is in should be dialed in just like a normal drying climate.
My biggest problem with my fridge has been the plastic smell. I've tried numerous things from washing it down with baking soda to letting my fridge out in the sun so that UV might get rid of the smell. It's been months since I got my fridge and the smell just won't go away, very frustrating.
I will be using these DryFerm bags inside the fridge in the hope that it will keep out the plastic fridge smell from buds.
They are sort of like Grove bags but designed for DRYING, not curing. It's a similar membrane that is used in dryaging meat and protects against outer influence such as molds etc. You're supposed to position these bags so air can pass around them freely as humidity is released from the inside to the outside, while protecting buds and "lock in" terpenes. The environment the bag is in should be dialed in just like a normal drying climate.
My biggest problem with my fridge has been the plastic smell. I've tried numerous things from washing it down with baking soda to letting my fridge out in the sun so that UV might get rid of the smell. It's been months since I got my fridge and the smell just won't go away, very frustrating.
I will be using these DryFerm bags inside the fridge in the hope that it will keep out the plastic fridge smell from buds.
gibbsfkaleroy
New Member
Hey guys, i just discovered this project this morning and by tonight I've already ordered my kooltron and a probreeze!
I'm thinking about designing and 3d printing a few things that may help and wanted to ask for some feedback on what would be useful.
After reading through the first 5-10 pages and the most recent 10-15, I have a few questions, some print related and other general questions. Apologies in advance for any misunderstandings on my part lol.
Print-related questions:
1. The pro breeze seems to blow upwards, but it seems like people want it to blow at the door. Could a directional diffuser/vent solve this? Seems like it would be an easy design/print if so.
2. If I didn't want to take apart my ink bird, could i just cut a bigger hole, slip the moisture sensor through and make a bigger plug? Also would be an easy print.
3. Curious how people are mounting the silicone mesh mats (these appear to be meta for airflow/flavor). Theoretically, might there be a way to get more layers through 3d printed adapters that fit into the tray slots?
4. Are there any other printable parts that people would find helpful?
currently considering
--nice lil case to seat the dehu in the fridge
--hooks for the inkbird sensor inside and the controller outside
--and an enclosure for any remaining "guts" from the dehumidifier
---
5. General question--Wet/Dry Trim
I have always done the classic dry trim after a 14 day hang the whole plant, followed by a light debuck before a 2-4 day binning stage in the same hanging environment. (As described by exotic genetix big shimmy method on discord).
I originally thought I saw op say he hung for 24-36 hours before cutting to stalks, doing a light debuck to remove any large fan leaves and then proceeding with the .5% incremental adjustment until finish. *could be wrong about where I saw this, I've been reading a lot today lol
However, in later posts I've seen people say they do a full wet trim right on chop day and start the .5% adjustments that day.
I've only ever had bad experiences with day of harvest wet trims, and have even had a bad time with trims that I thought were dry but actually had some moisture left, so I am scared to do a full wet trim.
Instead, I was thinking of doing something more like what I describe above, 24-36hr whole plant hang, then debuck and then start in the fridge. Finally, once I'm dry I'd finish up by trimming the rest of the sugarleaf, and store back in the fridge.
Would that be the safest way to avoid grassy flavor and loss of terps? I have all the time in the world to wait for perfection here haha.
Ok thanks rant over
Pic for attention vanilla shaved ice bx1
I'm thinking about designing and 3d printing a few things that may help and wanted to ask for some feedback on what would be useful.
After reading through the first 5-10 pages and the most recent 10-15, I have a few questions, some print related and other general questions. Apologies in advance for any misunderstandings on my part lol.
Print-related questions:
1. The pro breeze seems to blow upwards, but it seems like people want it to blow at the door. Could a directional diffuser/vent solve this? Seems like it would be an easy design/print if so.
2. If I didn't want to take apart my ink bird, could i just cut a bigger hole, slip the moisture sensor through and make a bigger plug? Also would be an easy print.
3. Curious how people are mounting the silicone mesh mats (these appear to be meta for airflow/flavor). Theoretically, might there be a way to get more layers through 3d printed adapters that fit into the tray slots?
4. Are there any other printable parts that people would find helpful?
currently considering
--nice lil case to seat the dehu in the fridge
--hooks for the inkbird sensor inside and the controller outside
--and an enclosure for any remaining "guts" from the dehumidifier
---
5. General question--Wet/Dry Trim
I have always done the classic dry trim after a 14 day hang the whole plant, followed by a light debuck before a 2-4 day binning stage in the same hanging environment. (As described by exotic genetix big shimmy method on discord).
I originally thought I saw op say he hung for 24-36 hours before cutting to stalks, doing a light debuck to remove any large fan leaves and then proceeding with the .5% incremental adjustment until finish. *could be wrong about where I saw this, I've been reading a lot today lol
However, in later posts I've seen people say they do a full wet trim right on chop day and start the .5% adjustments that day.
I've only ever had bad experiences with day of harvest wet trims, and have even had a bad time with trims that I thought were dry but actually had some moisture left, so I am scared to do a full wet trim.
Instead, I was thinking of doing something more like what I describe above, 24-36hr whole plant hang, then debuck and then start in the fridge. Finally, once I'm dry I'd finish up by trimming the rest of the sugarleaf, and store back in the fridge.
Would that be the safest way to avoid grassy flavor and loss of terps? I have all the time in the world to wait for perfection here haha.
Ok thanks rant over
Pic for attention vanilla shaved ice bx1
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gibbsfkaleroy
New Member
Hey I'd love the files for this if you felt like sharing! I was going to do something similar
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