fermentation: freezer vs. refrigerator

Greetings to all my fellow homebrewers and crafters. I am almost at the bottling stage with my first brew while thinking about updating my setup for the next batch.

Fermentation temperature control has been an issue that need to be addressed so I ask this before I make my next purchase:

1. Freezer or Refrigerator as a fermentation chamber? (with ranco or johnson temp control)

2. are there any features I should look for or avoid?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Also, I know this has been touched on from a number of angles but this would clarify it a bit for me in one place. Please feel free to send links to associated discussions or articles.

Thanks!

HenBat said:

Greetings to all my fellow homebrewers and crafters. I am almost at the bottling stage with my first brew while thinking about updating my setup for the next batch.

Fermentation temperature control has been an issue that need to be addressed so I ask this before I make my next purchase:

1. Freezer or Refrigerator as a fermentation chamber? (with ranco or johnson temp control)

2. are there any features I should look for or avoid?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Also, I know this has been touched on from a number of angles but this would clarify it a bit for me in one place. Please feel free to send links to associated discussions or articles.

Thanks!

Click to expand...

I used a freezer with Johnson controller for a good while. I have since went to a "cool brewing" fermintaion chamber. I like the cool brewing option better as it cost nothing to use/run. And not taking up floor space when not in use.




Cool Brewing......https://cool-brewing.com/

From a cost standpoint it is cheaper to go with a fridge and temp controller because you can always find plenty of good working refrigerators on your local classifieds for $50. Not so easy to find chest freezers for cheap.

The added benefit of getting a fridge instead is when not being used as a temp controlled chamber you can store your ingredients and equipment in it or use it as a beer fridge to cold condition your brews in.
The fridge can also double as a kegerator and easily fits 3 corny kegs plus CO2 and you can simply install taps through the side wall at a perfect height for serving.

Another benefit? It's much easier to move full fermenters into and out of a fridge than a chest freezer (trust me!).

That's just my 2 cents.

If you plan on lagering i would go with the freezer to ensure that you are able to hit the desired temp. I plan on using a mini fridge for my ferm chamber but i also built a keezer so that will give me another option for lagering.

Jsslack said:

If you plan on lagering i would go with the freezer to ensure that you are able to hit the desired temp. I plan on using a mini fridge for my ferm chamber but i also built a keezer so that will give me another option for lagering.

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Refrigerators are designed to run between 34 and 38F. No problem hitting lagering temps in either.

Consider wine fridges too. There is a thread on the Vissani wine fridge which got me looking into wine fridges for fermentation chambers. I Found a really nice undercounter wine fridge on Craigslist and it fits my fermenters perfectly. Has really improved my results so far.

I agree with the benefit of the cool brewing bag though. takes no space when you are done with it. However, having the ability to set your fridge and forget it with a temp controller keeping things at the right temp is a VERY nice feature.

Jayhem said:

Refrigerators are designed to run between 34 and 38F. No problem hitting lagering temps in either.

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I understand that but building a ferm chamber with a small fridge you are in creasing the volume of air you are demanding the fridge to cool, causing it to be less efficient and possibly unable to keep up with the demand.

Jsslack said:

I understand that but building a ferm chamber with a small fridge you are in creasing the volume of air you are demanding the fridge to cool, causing it to be less efficient and possibly unable to keep up with the demand.

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What? Who said anything about increasing the volume of air? Sounds like he just wants to know what's better to put his bucket/carboy in to control fermentation temp or to lager in.

Wow thanks for everyone suggestions.

I am looking to control the temp in my apt in a set it and forget it kind of way. At the moment I am more into ales than lagers but this could change in the future.

Seems that fridge is a better option but I am more curious if I should avoid certain features like auto defrosters and things.

HenBat said:

Seems that fridge is a better option but I am curious if I should avoid certain features like auto defrosters and things.

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Auto defrosters won't be an issue as they don't even kick on more than maybe once a week since you will only need to run your compressor for maybe an hour a day in total to maintain ale fermentation temps. If there is no frost on the coils (and their will not be when using the fridge for fermentations due to their long rest periods) then the auto-defrost will cause no issues.

My fermentation fridge is in my basement and since it's generally about 65F down there the fridge only has to kick on for about 3 minutes every hour or so to maintain ale fermentation temps inside (about 60F ambient to keep my beer at 65F).

Jayhem said:

Auto defrosters won't be an issue as they don't even kick on more than maybe once a week since you will only need to run your compressor for maybe an hour a day in total to maintain ale fermentation temps. If there is no frost on the coils (and their will not be when using the fridge for fermentations due to their long rest periods) then the auto-defrost will cause no issues.

My fermentation fridge is in my basement and since it's generally about 65F down there the fridge only has to kick on for about 3 minutes every hour or so to maintain ale fermentation temps inside (about 60F ambient to keep my beer at 65F).

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Don't know where you got your information but. Frost free fridges run the defrost cycle every 12 or 24 hours they run off a timer that average time is about 28 minutes. It has nothing to do with what temperature setting it is an on/off timer.

beaksnbeer said:

Don't know where you got your information but. Frost free fridges run the defrost cycle every 12 or 24 hours they run off a timer that average time is about 28 minutes. It has nothing to do with what temperature setting it is an on/off timer.

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I did some research and top results were that the defrost cycle was based on the time that the compressor had run. When you are keeping your fridge at 65F the compressor will barely run anytime at all which would indicate that the auto defrost would kick on much less frequently. Either way I can't see how an auto defrost feature would make any real difference when using the fridge for a fermentation chamber in the 60-65F range.

beaksnbeer said:

Frost free fridges run the defrost cycle every 12 or 24 hours they run off a timer that average time is about 28 minutes. It has nothing to do with what temperature setting.

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My Frigidaire 13.7cf frost-free upright freezer runs the defrost every 12 hours of accumulated run time. However, because I use an external temperature controller, it basically unplugs the freezer after every run cycle which resets the timer. I'm fairly certain (by checking graphs from my fermenter temperature) the defrost cycle never runs.

My defroster is also temperature controlled, so it doesn't run above 40F:

Frigidaire said:

An automatic 30 minute defrosting period is initiated after every 12 hours of compressor running time. During the defrosting period a thermostat will switch the defrost heater off after the frost on the evaporator has melted. The defrost thermostat closes at 25ºF and opens at 40ºF

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Check out my ferm chamber in my sig line.
I like chest freezers because they don't have to work NEAR as hard to hit lager temps. I have fermented in a refrigerator before also and I tell ya, the wort temp seems to really move faster (i.e. cold crashing) in a chest freezer.
Here is a shot of my early planning to use 3 malt drums for fermenting vessels. The way I have it rigged up, I don't even have to lift anything in or out of the chamber. A real back saver! But that is all explained in the link on my sig line.

CapnBry said:

I'm fairly certain (by checking graphs from my fermenter temperature) the defrost cycle never runs.

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What do you use to monitor and graph the fermenter?

Either fridge or freezer will work fine for Ale or Lagers.

The main difference is in availability and your preference for loading/unloading.

A good sized chest freezer will likely hold more fermenters at a time at the expense of having to lift the fermenter over the side. With a fridge, you have to do some rigging just to fit 3 fermenters.

Or, you could buy one of those mini fridges on CL and build a ferm chamber out of insulation of any size and style you want.