Freezer for fermentation chamber

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Ajhutch

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We are considering getting an extra second hand freezer so that when our second child arrives we can have a ready stocked freezer of meals for both us and our toddler, our current freezer is pretty rubbish in terms of storage (don't mention the hop drawer....:whistle:) and is integrated so not easily or cheaply replaced. Is there any reason a freezer couldn't be repurposed for fermentation once we are through that initial crazy baby period? I know using a fridge would be more normal but, to be frank, this freezer is going to sit where I was planning to put my fridge so if I can piggy back off its presence that would be helpful!
 
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other than many front opening freezers employ the shelves as part of the coolant transport and cold radiators..

chest freezes dont have any expectation of liquid water and condensation so can get manky with stagnant pools of water that can soak into the expanded foam insulation but a regular towel exchange to soak up and remove any condensation drips n pools can sort that out..

generally the insulation of freezers is better than with fridges so that should work for you ;)
 
I tried for a while to use a top opening chest freezer for fermentation control, and what I found was that it was so efficient at cooling, even at the warmest setting, that it would continue to cool the beer even after the controller shut it off, and then the heater would have to kick on to warm it back up, taking so long that it would get too warm, repeating the cycle. It was great for cold conditioning, though. I ended up giving it away and picked up a free fridge from a friend that works much better.
 
other than many front opening freezers employ the shelves as part of the coolant transport and cold radiators..

chest freezes dont have any expectation of liquid water and condensation so can get manky with stagnant pools of water that can soak into the expanded foam insulation but a regular towel exchange to soak up and remove any condensation drips n pools can sort that out..

generally the insulation of freezers is better than with fridges so that should work for you ;)

Thank you. I had no idea that the shelves were part of the cooling system, shows how useless I am with these things!
 
I tried for a while to use a top opening chest freezer for fermentation control, and what I found was that it was so efficient at cooling, even at the warmest setting, that it would continue to cool the beer even after the controller shut it off, and then the heater would have to kick on to warm it back up, taking so long that it would get too warm, repeating the cycle. It was great for cold conditioning, though. I ended up giving it away and picked up a free fridge from a friend that works much better.

Thank you. Yes, I had assumed that the risk of overshooting the cycles was a possibility. I think this freezer is going to be a fact of life, and when it's served it original purpose I will have a go at using it, and if it's no good then I'll get rid of it.
 
I tried for a while to use a top opening chest freezer for fermentation control, and what I found was that it was so efficient at cooling, even at the warmest setting, that it would continue to cool the beer even after the controller shut it off, and then the heater would have to kick on to warm it back up, taking so long that it would get too warm, repeating the cycle. It was great for cold conditioning, though. I ended up giving it away and picked up a free fridge from a friend that works much better.

This wouldn't be a problem for a controller with a learning algorithm that adjusts to your setup, like the BrewPi Spark, the latest version of which should be going on sale in a month or so. I'll be getting one once I get a fermentation chamber up and running. They typically keep the internal temperature of the brew within 0.2C of the set temp, and can be controlled to slowly raise the temperature during the course of the brew, cold crash, or do diacetyl rests etc...
 
This wouldn't be a problem for a controller with a learning algorithm that adjusts to your setup, like the BrewPi Spark, the latest version of which should be going on sale in a month or so. I'll be getting one once I get a fermentation chamber up and running. They typically keep the internal temperature of the brew within 0.2C of the set temp, and can be controlled to slowly raise the temperature during the course of the brew, cold crash, or do diacetyl rests etc...
I also have could have sprung for the second temp probe for my controller for measuring ambient air, and that would have shut off the heating and the cooling at whatever temp range I wanted. I was just too lazy :cheers:
 
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