I’m looking at converting a small fridge or freezer to a fermentation chamber (using a temperature controller). Assuming the equipment has the right space, is there an advantage to one or the other?
I see the following on Craigslist: http://www.ajmadison.com/cgi-bin/ajmadison/VM301W.html – but I see a number of fridges as well. I plan to take a carboy with me when I check out the items.
I use the “keezer” model made from a chest freezer. Once things are in place it’s still easy access all of the connections if adjustments are necessary. Swap outs don’t involve moving other kegs out of the way. Drawbacks to the chest freezer would be the awkward lifting of full kegs into the keezer and cleanout is not as easy as it would be with “fridge” model.
I went with a chest freezer only because it easily holds 2 carboys, plus a few 1-gallon jugs. Depending on the fridge, you may have a hard time fitting two in there. If you only need it to hold one, then either would work, and the fridge-style would probably be easier to get beer into and out of.
At the time, I didn’t have the desire or time to scour CL and find a good deal, and you can buy a basic freezer for under $200.
Thanks to both of you – you actually answered a number of questions and made me feel ok about buying new if need be–my fiddle-factor is fairly limited 95% of the year. The fridge-style freezer is almost required from a physical-access point of view.
That’s what I was going to mention - lifting a full five gallons out of a chest freezer requires either a healthy back or some winches. I’m OK with the first option, but I’m not getting any younger.
I opted for a stand up freezer. With one temperature controller, that is better than a fridge-freezer combo. And I did not want to lift carboys and buckets in and out of a chest model. Mine holds two buckets on the bottom and two carboys above them on a shelf. There is still storage in the door. Make sure the shelves are removable. Some actually are part of the cooling system and can’t be removed.
I’m going to visit Sears to look at this one:
http://www.sears.com/kenmore-6.5-cu-ft-upright-freezer/p-04629702000P
I read one of the reviews and it stated the freezer coils are imbedded in the shelves. That means you won’t be able to remove or adjust the shelves. Which means buckets or carboys won’t fit.
That would indeed be a show stopper. I’ll report back.
If buying new, I would make a cardboard cutout of the diameter of your carboy and take it with you to the store. I’m only assuming you want two to fit on the bottom at one time.
Dave
I am planning to take an actual carboy with me. 
Looks like that Sears model (and a couple similar to it) do have fixed shelves used as conduit for coolant. Darn. I’m still going into Sears soon to see what they have.
I like the selection of items they chose for that pic. a bowl of strawberries and two grapefruits? in the freezer? then several half gallon boxes of ice cream, and am I mistaken or is that a twelve pack of cheep beer on the bottom shelf?
Must keep that cheap beer fresh.
I think that is actually “butter”.
ahh okay, that makes slightly more sense. still don’t get the strawberries and g-fruit.
Wow off topic much?
kgs,
I have two used fridges, one for keggerator the other for fermentation. I wish that I had a chest freezer for fermentation just based on footprint v. capacity and efficiency but I can see the problems with lifting fermenters out. If you could rig up a transfer method, syphon or pump and put a chest freezer on wheels so you could roll it over to your kettle that would be ideal in my opinion.
NICE!
This is what I really need: You Know You Want One: Personal Robots Are Coming, But Not Ready For You Yet |
However, I think I’ll find a small fridge or used upright freezer – it is in the cards for me this summer. I appreciate all the help!
I would go with the fridge as the upright freezer will have shelves made of cooling coils. Unless you definitely do not want to have a couple of carboys on the shelves…
Dave
I am starting to see what you mean – the upright freezers in the size range I’m looking at seem to have shelves made of cooling coils. The larger freezers are too big. Boolean logic is coming in to play here.
If I attach a controller to a fridge, what happens to the freezer? I understand it’s not usable for fermentation, but I don’t know why. Is it on a separate control? Does it stay a usable freezer or is it rendered non-usable?
Many fridges today are actually cooled by the freezer coils which blow down into the refrigerator compartment. I think it would work anyway with a controller as long as the probe is in the fridge compartment.