Use your own controls, or add our kits.
Each kit controls one fermenter. Skip it if you run your own controller. Glycol fluid isn't included; use food-safe propylene glycol only (never ethylene), mixed to about 30% of total system volume.
What the Compact Series will cool.
Sized for the homebrewer with one jacketed fermenter or a short draught-beer line. For separate temperatures on several tanks, step up to the High Capacity Series (BEF-04 and up).
Jacketed conical
1 fermenterCools one 8 gal or 13 gal Unitank under ale fermentation. It runs on its single built-in pump.
Unitank temp control kit →Internal cooling coil
1 fermenterCools one 10G or 20G DrainPro Fermenter under ale duty. It handles the cold crash too.
Insulated trunk
Up to 75 ft trunk lineCool draught lines as well as fermenters. The BEF-02 handles up to 75 ft of insulated trunk.
Draught-ratedIn the crate.
Compact-tier specs. Single-compressor unit with 4.5 gal water bath, 120V NEMA 5-15 plug, and digital thermostat. Sized for one homebrew fermenter.
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MCED Compact chiller cabinet Hermetic compressor, copper evaporator coil, integrated circulation pump, insulated water bath. Cabinet 16.5" × 20" × 20" — fits beside your fermenter or beneath a work surface.
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Digital thermostat Digital display with set point and differential. The BEF-02 doesn't carry Chiller Watch. For control at each fermenter, add the temp control kit, or step up to the BEF-04 in the High Capacity Series.
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Integrated pump Single built-in impeller pump. Tri-clamp adapters and line sets come with the temp control kit.
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Water bath — 4.5 US gal Insulated reservoir holds your propylene glycol + water mix. Fluid not included — see Glycol BYO note above.
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Power cord · 120V · NEMA 5-15P Standard 15A wall outlet. Plug it into its own GFCI-protected circuit and run. No hardwiring.
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Install & user manual Plumbing diagram, thermostat setting guide, glycol fill instructions, maintenance schedule.
*Glycol fluid not included. Use food-safe propylene glycol only (never ethylene). Mix to ~30% propylene of total fluid volume (4.5 gal bath + jacket/coil + lines). Available at any HVAC supplier.
Refrigeration loop. Compact, but built right.
The Compact Series is small but built right: a compressor sized for sustained pull-down, a copper evaporator in a 4.5 gal water bath, a built-in pump and a digital thermostat.
01 · Compressor — hermetic, brewing-spec'd
Sized for sustained pull-down — not a 5-minute commercial freezer spike. Lives at moderate duty cycle during ale fermentation, with headroom for an occasional cold crash.
02 · Evaporator — copper coil + 4.5 gal bath
Refrigerant chills the inside of a copper coil submerged in the water bath. The bath gives you thermal mass — short compressor cycles, stable supply temp, no startup lag every time the solenoid opens.
03 · Pump — built in
Integrated circulation pump. Tri-clamp adapters and line sets come with the temp control kit.
04 · Thermostat — digital display
Digital thermostat with adjustable set point and differential. Step up to the BEF-04 in the High Capacity Series if you want Chiller Watch and up to 4 pumps.
Full specs.
2,750 BTU/hr · ambient 90°F
Up to 75 ft of insulated trunk line
1/3 HP hermetic
R513a · low-GWP · 9.25 oz charge
Single built-in impeller pump
4.5 US gal · insulated · propylene glycol + water mix (BYO fluid)
120V · 60Hz · 8A running · NEMA 5-15P plug · 15A circuit
16.5" W × 20" D × 20" H · 61 lb dry
1× Unitank or DrainPro Fermenter · up to 75 ft draught trunk
From $1,449 USD
Other chillers in the MCED lineup.
Step up to High Capacity (BEF-04 to BEF-075) for 3,481+ BTU cooling, bigger water bath, and 3+ fermenter cold-crash capacity. Production (BEF-100/-150) for 5–10 BBL halls. Or see the full lineup.
MCED High Capacity Glycol Chiller
BEF-04, -05 and -075: 3,481–6,180 BTU/hr, 17 gal bath, up to 4 pumps, Chiller Watch built in.
MCED Production Glycol Chiller
BEF-100 and -150: 8,179–12,900 BTU/hr on 220V for bigger cellars.
Fermenter Temperature Control Kit (water or glycol)
Controller, thermowell and valves to hold a jacketed fermenter at temperature on tap water or glycol.
About the Compact Series.
Will I be charged anything at the border?+
No. Every US order ships fully duty-paid. We clear it and prepay the duties, tariffs and brokerage before it ships, and the courier delivers it like a domestic parcel. The price you see is the price you pay.
Our guarantee: if you're ever charged import duties or fees on a Bräu Supply order, send us the receipt and we refund them, no questions.
Alaska, Hawaii and international orders are quoted before you buy — contact us.
Compact or High Capacity?+
Pick by how many fermenters you have. The BEF-02 has one built-in pump and takes no extra pumps, so it’s for a single fermenter, even a larger one. For two or more tanks, the High Capacity Series starts at the BEF-04: 3,481 BTU/hr, a 17 gal bath, Chiller Watch and up to 4 pumps, or up to 10 on a BFT-67.
Should I step up to the BEF-04 instead?+
Step up to the BEF-04 if any of these apply: (1) you'll run two or more fermenters at different temperatures; (2) you ferment lagers regularly (Compact pull-down on a cold crash is enough for ales but slow for lagers); (3) you want a digital Chiller Watch panel with set point, differential, low-pressure cutout and an alarm relay. The BEF-04 adds a 17 gal bath and all of the above.
Do I need a controller at the fermenter?+
Yes, if you want the beer held at a set temperature. The thermostat on the chiller only keeps the bath cold. A temperature controller at the fermenter (included in the temp control kit) reads the beer temperature and decides when to feed glycol.
Why isn't glycol included?+
Pre-mixed propylene glycol is heavy and hazmat-classed — including it would substantially raise the freight cost. Any HVAC supplier carries food-safe propylene glycol at a lower per-gallon price than we could ship it for. Buy food-safe propylene glycol (never ethylene — that's automotive antifreeze and toxic). Mix to ~30% propylene of the total fluid volume — that's the 4.5 gal bath plus your fermenter jacket / coil and the connecting lines. For a single Unitank on a Compact, plan on roughly 1.5 gal of propylene.
Can I use this with a fermenter that isn't yours?+
Yes — a glycol chiller is just a cold reservoir with a pump. Any third-party jacketed fermenter with standard NPT supply + return ports works. Skip the connection kit (it's specific to our fermenter ports) and bring your own plumbing.
Can I add this to the BFT-67 reservoir later?+
No — the BFT-67 modular reservoir is compatible with BEF-04 and up only. The Compact Series uses its own integrated 4.5 gal bath. If you're planning to scale to a centralized glycol setup with shared reservoir + multiple pumps, get the BEF-04 (or larger) from the start instead.
What's the warranty?+
1-year warranty on the refrigeration loop (compressor, evaporator, condenser, pump). Warranty service is direct through MCED Systems — they manufacture the unit and service it. Our role is fulfillment and tech support; for actual refrigeration repairs you'll talk to MCED.
Shipping?+
7–14 days from order. The Compact Series is small enough to ship via standard courier — no LTL freight required, no delivery appointment. Free shipping to the lower 48; US tariffs and duties paid by us.
Cold beer.
On demand. Plug-in.
MCED Compact Series — 4.5 gal water bath, digital thermostat, 120V plug-in. Manufactured in Canada by MCED. 1-year warranty. Free shipping to the lower 48.