Cannabis Drying/Curing Refrigerator - Build Questions - Need Help!

[PahPahCee]

Quick question @PahPahCee . I ended up getting a used thermoelectric wine cooler similar to the one you have. For the peltier dehumidifier in the bottom of yours. Did you just take apart and pull the innards from a dehumidifier? Also, where/how do you drain out the water it pulls in your picture?

Yup! Just gently break it and inside you will probably find an identical unit. I used a dremel to cut off some extra plastic but that’s not necessary.

you should see a little rubber drain hole in the bottom of your unit. It allows water to drip down into a little collection tray. You will probably need a larger collection tray under the unit. If it doesn’t have a drain hole then you might need to add one.


I actually just made a second fridge. All in all I only spent $130.

 

[zipperdoyle]

Yup! Just gently break it and inside you will probably find an identical unit. I used a dremel to cut off some extra plastic but that’s not necessary.

you should see a little rubber drain hole in the bottom of your unit. It allows water to drip down into a little collection tray. You will probably need a larger collection tray under the unit. If it doesn’t have a drain hole then you might need to add one.


I actually just made a second fridge. All in all I only spent $130.

Perfect. I just noticed the drain hole in the bottom so I think I'm good. Now to find the cheapest thermoelectric dehumidifier on amazon. Have you actually tried to dry and cure yet in on of these fridges yet? Also any thoughts on putting UV or blackout tint on the wine screen? Guess I could just put a bunch of slaps on it.

 

[Week4Bytch]

I live in the desert too (currently 100-106 degrees) and a small bedroom in the house used as a lung room with a 4x2 tent is perfect for drying. Don't need a dehumidifier, not in the dry desert. The room I picked out is the coolest room of the house. 73 degrees at the warmest (coolest?), have a humidifier in there set at 60% for a 2-3 week dry period. The infinity tent is all set up with it's charcoal filtration so no sweet smells coming out of that room unfortunately. My thermostat for the house is set at 77.

 

[PahPahCee]

Perfect. I just noticed the drain hole in the bottom so I think I'm good. Now to find the cheapest thermoelectric dehumidifier on amazon. Have you actually tried to dry and cure yet in on of these fridges yet? Also any thoughts on putting UV or blackout tint on the wine screen? Guess I could just put a bunch of slaps on it.

I’m splicing my dehumidifer wires. I don’t know if you’re comfortable doing that. If not making sure you get one that has a physical “rocking” on/off switch. You need it to auto restart when the inkbird controller turns it on.

Most wine coolers already add UV tint to protect the wine.

I’ve done two harvest through my first one. Had great results. I had my bud in there for around two weeks each time before I transfer to a jar.

I’m in the process of harvesting my room right now so I'm loading up both my fridges.

 

[StaticEmmanuel]

Can you guys add pictures of all you have done please?
Thanks for all that info
Amazing

 

[Natep]

Add a portable ac into your grow tent for curing. You will need to have a big humidifier. The ac will dry out the air. SoCal is a tough area for drying. I know the struggle to well. I have my tent in a air conditioner room and leave it hanging for at least 14 days.

 

[Fatdaddy]

My next project is to build a dry and cure fridge because I refuse to spend 1700 on a cannatrol even if I had the money. There settings are 68 temp with 54 dew point for dry and then 68 temp with 52 dew point cure. I just need recommendations for what fridge and dehumidifier to use. Humidors come so close to those levels but would like to build something to get more percise levels. Can anyone help point me in right direction?

 

[PahPahCee]

This is my second canna troll I made.

 

[Fatdaddy]

That fan is the dehumidifier? Where do you drain?

 

[PahPahCee]

That fan is the dehumidifier? Where do you drain?

Pulled the innards out of this. Disassembled it, dremeled off the excess plastic, and then spliced the power to the power supply.

Buy a mini Dehum with a physical rocking on/off switch if you aren’t interested in hacking it apart.

 

[Pilted]

I read the post but not the comments, sorry if this is already covered. Why don't you just setup an inline fan with a carbon filter in the closet you usually use, maybe a little caulking to seal up air leaks. Boom bang boom the house doesn't smell anymore unless you leave the door open.

 

[PahPahCee]

I read the post but not the comments, sorry if this is already covered. Why don't you just setup an inline fan with a carbon filter in the closet you usually use, maybe a little caulking to seal up air leaks. Boom bang boom the house doesn't smell anymore unless you leave the door open.

A lot of people struggle drying. To the point that they justify a 1600 dollar drying machine. To each their own.

I built them because it was a fun project. Now I don’t have to shutdown my room for 2 weeks to dry. It also is cheaper in electricity verses running my room.

Mainly, it’s convenient. I like that this run I grew 7 different varieties and was able to slowly harvest my plants at there peak time. I harvested some 8 week plants. Dried those in the fridge and now I’m currently harvesting my 10 week cultivars.

 

[Fatdaddy]

I read the post but not the comments, sorry if this is already covered. Why don't you just setup an inline fan with a carbon filter in the closet you usually use, maybe a little caulking to seal up air leaks. Boom bang boom the house doesn't smell anymore unless you leave the door open.

I use a tent to grow in garage but cant cure in same tent as it grows unless I stop growing

 

[Fatdaddy]

Can't wait to test this Cannatroll. I could have made it a bit neater but used spaces already in the fridge to feed wires so I do have to drill and caulk.

 

[PahPahCee]

Can't wait to test this Cannatroll. I could have made it a bit neater but used spaces already in the fridge to feed wires so I do have to drill and caulk.

Good work dude. On Amazon you can find “silicon baking sheets” of various sizes to throw on top of those wire racks.

 

[Fatdaddy]

Good work dude. On Amazon you can find “silicon baking sheets” of various sizes to throw on top of those wire racks.

I have some aluminum foil pans with holes in it used for grilling veggies I was gonna use but may use the silicone sheets

 

[terpscomefirst]

My next project is to build a dry and cure fridge because I refuse to spend 1700 on a cannatrol even if I had the money. There settings are 68 temp with 54 dew point for dry and then 68 temp with 52 dew point cure. I just need recommendations for what fridge and dehumidifier to use. Humidors come so close to those levels but would like to build something to get more percise levels. Can anyone help point me in right direction?

I use a refrigerator at 38 degrees for 4 weeks then bag into terploc bags. It's been a learning curve the payoff is big. Terps are very high due to the fact temps are as low as possible and the fridge dehydrates as a function of cooling. (All fridges do)

 

[simonkay]

@PahPahCee @Fatdaddy
Appreciate the info guys
If i understand correctly, you only drill holes for the sensor probe and dehu wires, not for the actual dehu fan right.also pahpahcee if you have the dehu fan inside does it also need a drain pipe?

So does that mean the fan comes on inside and pushes the wet air out the outlet fan built into the fridge?
And if you prefer not to open up a dehu you can just put it straight in and drain daily?

I'm gonna purchase a wine fridge and try but need to understand fully first.

 

[PahPahCee]

@PahPahCee @Fatdaddy
Appreciate the info guys
If i understand correctly, you only drill holes for the sensor probe and dehu wires, not for the actual dehu fan right.also pahpahcee if you have the dehu fan inside does it also need a drain pipe?

So does that mean the fan comes on inside and pushes the wet air out the outlet fan built into the fridge?
And if you prefer not to open up a dehu you can just put it straight in and drain daily?

I'm gonna purchase a wine fridge and try but need to understand fully first.

So 1 hole drilled total. You feed the probe through it inside the fridge and the Dehum power cable feeds outside of the fridge to plug into the controller.

Disassemble the probe to make it smaller. Two ways about it:

Or just unscrew the back of the controller housing and you can disconnect the probe from that side.



No drain pipe needed. All thermoelectric fridges have a little drain port in the bottom back of the unit. You just sit the Dehum ontop and it’ll drain out no problem. If you look at the back of these fridges you can see indentations and groves where water will funnel down to the drain.

You can just collect the water in the Dehum. It probably would only need to be emptied once or twice before you were done drying. The problem is space. If the Dehum is too tall then the shelves won’t fit.


The fridge peltier fan never stops spinning. This is your work horse. It does 90% of the moisture removal. The Dehum is really more about adding heat and steering the RH into the right direction.


So the procedure is:

1) Load the fridge with fresh nug
2) wait 24 hours for the RH to stabilize in the fridge. Record the RH.
3) turn on your inkbird controller so the Dehum drops the RH by 0.5 or so.
3) have the Dehum turn off before it raises the temperature to an undesirable temp.
4) temperature is back within your range and start steering your RH back down.
5) stop dropping RH once you hit 62%
6) grove bag it or leave it in the fridge until your ready.


All the people I talk to doing this have great results. Now, we all are dropping RH and adjusting temperatures a bit differently because we’re making it up as we go. The above directions work great for me. I tend to drop 0.5% RH a day, maintaining 58degrees F. Then after two weeks it’s usually ready to go into bags.

 

[simonkay]

@PahPahCee
Thank you man i finally understand this and will be ideal for dealing with mexican summers.
If i pull this off you will have a zip waiting for you in cancun anytime you fancy coming down