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techrunner · 05-25-2011, 05:47 PM

ok, so i have a deep freeze and a fridge available. i am thinking one should be a kegerator and one should be a fermentation chamber. but does it matter which one becomes what? should i use the deep freeze as a kegerator for serving and ferment in the fridge? any thoughts? thanks, nick

**SD-SLIM** · 05-25-2011, 05:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by techrunner

ok, so i have a deep freeze and a fridge available. i am thinking one should be a kegerator and one should be a fermentation chamber. but does it matter which one becomes what? should i use the deep freeze as a kegerator for serving and ferment in the fridge? any thoughts? thanks, nick

I would recommend using the fridge for your kegerator, as long as your ok with 1-4 taps...my reasoning for this, is that you can use the rest of the fridge space to store yeast that you wash, slants, pedri dishes with yeast colonies...as well as using the freezer portion to hold your mugs and bulk hops.
The upside to a keezer is that you can put more kegs, which equals more varieties of beer.
I started out with a keezer, but as I got more involved in yeast I then built a fridge kegerator...but have plus's and minuses, it just matters whats best for you.

**hillhousesawdustco** · 05-25-2011, 06:03 PM

The downside to using the chest freezer as a fermentation chamber (i imagine, i use mine as a keezer) is putting in and pulling out the carboys. It just seems like it would be an uncomfortable amount of bending over, especially if you have a sizeable collar.

shortyjacobs · 05-25-2011, 06:04 PM

I'd use the deep freeze as the kegerator and the fridge as the fermenter, simply because lifting kegs in and out of a freezer is easier than lifting carboys in and out.

However, what I'd do is see how many kegs you can fit in both fridge and freezer, and how many carboys you can fit in each. Choose which one to make the fermenter based on that.

Personally, I have a fridge as my kegerator, and have no problem fitting 6 kegs in there. I have 5 on tap, 1 conditioning.

techrunner · 05-26-2011, 02:34 PM

i know i can get 6 kegs in the fridge nicely if i have external co2. the freezer will fit 3, maybe 4 with a collar if i can get one on the compressor hump.

as far as lifting a fermentor, i guess i'm not too worried about that part. i figure 5 gallons in a corny isnt a lot lighter than 5.5 in a fermentor.

is there no advantage of one vs the other relating to which keeps what temps better? i am actually ok with 3-4 taps for now, the most i've ever had tapped was 3 anyway at once. then i can have on appliance for serving, and all the hop and yeast storage can be in the fermentation appliance.

guess its time to go searching for ideas on the collar and lid with coffin box for the keezer then.

shortyjacobs · 05-26-2011, 02:39 PM

They are about the same with regards to holding temps IMHO, (keezer may have the advantage here though, due to the top opening and potentially thicker insulation). Nice thing about a fridge is it usually has a built in fan for air circulation, (albeit a small, badly located one).

As for lifting them in, it's more about handles, not weight. A keg can be lifted from the top easily due to handles, and no risk of smashing it if you drop it. Lifting a full carboy by the neck only is tricky, and if you set it down too hard you have beer-and-glass soup.

***Yooper*** · 05-26-2011, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by techrunner

i know i can get 6 kegs in the fridge nicely if i have external co2. the freezer will fit 3, maybe 4 with a collar if i can get one on the compressor hump.

as far as lifting a fermentor, i guess i'm not too worried about that part. i figure 5 gallons in a corny isnt a lot lighter than 5.5 in a fermentor.

is there no advantage of one vs the other relating to which keeps what temps better? i am actually ok with 3-4 taps for now, the most i've ever had tapped was 3 anyway at once. then i can have on appliance for serving, and all the hop and yeast storage can be in the fermentation appliance.

guess its time to go searching for ideas on the collar and lid with coffin box for the keezer then.

5 gallons in a keg is a LOT easier to handle than 5 gallons in a carboy. But if you're using buckets, I don't see any advantage to the keezer vs. kegerator. Remember that opening the keezer means you have to pull it away from the wall, so if it's in a place that is up against the wall that will be inconvenient. I really like the looks of a keezer with the taps, though, more than an upright fridge. I have an upright fridge for my kegerator, and it looks like a fridge with taps through the door (which it is). A keezer looks more professional and "slick" in the room it's in. But my body is old, I'm short, and I'm weak, and can't lift kegs in and out of a keezer that easily, so I went with the kegerator.

techrunner · 05-26-2011, 02:45 PM

i ferment in buckets and a bb with a brewhauler, so i have plactic and handles all around. i think the kicker for me is gonna be that like yoop said, i can make a keezer look a little nicer, and then maybe it won't have to live in the garage.