Dorm fridge to yeast freezer conversion

Phideaoux44 · 07-01-2009, 03:16 PM

So I was sitting here looking at my college dorm room fridge when I thought, "I've already converted a freezer to a fridge for my bar, but I bet I could go the other way and convert that fridge to a freezer for some yeast slants." So, anybody know about this? Seems like I could do the same thing with the external thermostat or a love controller and just have it run all the time and hopefully do a decent job of freezing.

However, I'm not sure how this will work because it has a little plate with pipes in it that is shaped and mounted to the top to make a small freezer section. It clearly has coolant running through it (it freezes up and frosts over during normal use). I'm not sure if this little feature will hurt or help, not sure either way. So, what do you guys/ gals think? Feasible? Not worth it? Won't work? Brilliant?

Thanks in advance.

-B

ClaudiusB · 07-01-2009, 05:00 PM

I converted a cube fridge into a incubator, but it is not used to freeze my slants.
Do a test run to see if your fridge has enough BTU's to stay cold for your requirement.
All my glycerol stocks are stored in the freezer between ice packs to reduce the effect of the defrost cycle.

Incubator under construction pictures by ClaudiusB - Photobucket

My edit:Added the word "glycerol"

Cheers,
ClaudiusB

Joe Camel · 07-02-2009, 04:12 PM

I think you're confusing your terms here. Slants are made with agar and are not frozen. You store them at 4C, fridge temps, and reslant every 6 mos to a year. Glycerol stocks are frozen. To properly freeze a glycerol stock you need -20C, or about 0F. Any less than this, you'll get some freezing and some thawing, which will make for large ice crystals and dead yeast. I don't think your dorm fridge has the horsepower to maintain these temps, your best bet if you don't have room in a real chest freezer is to use the agar method and store in a fridge.

Cheers

ClaudiusB · 07-02-2009, 06:13 PM

Joe Camel if you are referring to my post, let me clarify.
Only my glycerol stocks are frozen in a freezer as posted above.
Unfortunately I left the magic word out " Glycerol"
Thanks

Cheers,
ClaudiusB

Joe Camel · 07-02-2009, 08:58 PM

Claudius, I was referring to the OP who was talking about freezing his slants.

Cheers

Schnitzengiggle · 07-02-2009, 09:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe Camel

I think you're confusing your terms here. Slants are made with agar and are not frozen. You store them at 4C, fridge temps, and reslant every 6 mos to a year. Glycerol stocks are frozen. To properly freeze a glycerol stock you need -20C, or about 0F. Any less than this, you'll get some freezing and some thawing, which will make for large ice crystals and dead yeast. I don't think your dorm fridge has the horsepower to maintain these temps, your best bet if you don't have room in a real chest freezer is to use the agar method and store in a fridge.

Cheers

Isn't this the reason for storing "frozen" slants in a container such as a thermos or small coleman cooler to prevent damage from defrost cycle as well not damaging the cells by directly freezing them?

Joe Camel · 07-03-2009, 12:34 AM

Slants and frozen stocks are two completely different animals. Slants are colonies of yeast growing on agar that are stored in the fridge. Frozen stocks are yeast stored with glycerol in the freezer. Terminology may seem nitpicking, but it ensures everyone is talking about the same thing.

Maybe you can keep them in a thermos or with icepacks in the freezer compartment, but I wouldn't, it's not cold enough for me. When I look at my vials I need to see solid ice with small crystals, I don't see that from a fridge freezer. Fridge freezer combos always have to compromise between a cold freezer and frozen food in the fridge... fridge wins. If I didn't have a chest freezer to store glycerol stocks, I'd make agar slants and keep my farm that way. Just my two cents, take it for what it's worth.

Cheers