conpewter
Well-Known Member
Well I found one of the drawbacks to using a freezer with temperature control. If you don't put the probe in the freezer you get frozen carboys....
I ferment in the freezer normally so I had one batch that was already done sitting in the other room, had a mild in the freezer that I was ready to put into a keg. I wanted to crash cool both of them and put them in kegs so I set the control at 34 degrees. So I set both carboys in the freezer, removing the probe so I wouldn't set one on it. I forgot to put it back in... 12 hours later I notice the freezer is still running and realize my mistake...
So the two carboys seem to be frozen, the airlocks were frozen and when I removed them there was an inrush of air (the air contracted inside yet couldn't pull any more air since the airlock was frozen). I put new airlocks on the fermenters and unplugged the freezer, it is currently setting open at home hopefully slowly thawing.
I didn't see any cracks on the carboys so I hope they are OK, we'll see when I get home tonight. I figure the beer will be fine, I'm just worried about the carboys as they are hard to get now. Think the beer froze all the way through in 12 hours? (two 5 gallon batches in 6.5 gallon carboys).
I ferment in the freezer normally so I had one batch that was already done sitting in the other room, had a mild in the freezer that I was ready to put into a keg. I wanted to crash cool both of them and put them in kegs so I set the control at 34 degrees. So I set both carboys in the freezer, removing the probe so I wouldn't set one on it. I forgot to put it back in... 12 hours later I notice the freezer is still running and realize my mistake...
So the two carboys seem to be frozen, the airlocks were frozen and when I removed them there was an inrush of air (the air contracted inside yet couldn't pull any more air since the airlock was frozen). I put new airlocks on the fermenters and unplugged the freezer, it is currently setting open at home hopefully slowly thawing.
I didn't see any cracks on the carboys so I hope they are OK, we'll see when I get home tonight. I figure the beer will be fine, I'm just worried about the carboys as they are hard to get now. Think the beer froze all the way through in 12 hours? (two 5 gallon batches in 6.5 gallon carboys).