Chest Freezer for Fermenting

i was tossing the idea around of using a portable AC unit for maintaining proper fermentation temps..

well, what do you guys think about a chest freezer? like a 5.0 cubic foot one (door opens on top)?

what is entailed in getting it to run at warmer temps instead of the freeze zone?

is it hard on the compressor/evaporator if it's running warmer (i'd think it'd cycle MUCH less and maybe that could affect it's operation).

thanks for your input...

Many of us use chest freezers for fermenting or cooling kegs. I just bought this:

RANCO ETC-111000 Digital Temp Control 120/208/240V (eBay: 140129302190)

If you want to check it out, go to Ebay.ca rather than Ebay.com.

This controller reduces the duty cycle of the freezer to mimic refrigeration temps. Set your thermostat on the freezer to the warmest setting and then install a unit such as this. It will work just fine.

I use a chest freezer for my kegs with a johnson control similar to the ranco, just hard-wired in, works great. To answer your question, the smaller you set the temperature differential (the amount that the inside temp varies) the harder it is on the compressor. However, used chest freezers are cheap, and I'd rather have a more precise temp at the expense of a (possibly) slightly shorter life span on the compressor motor.

Cheers!

ya, so i actually did a search AFTER i posted and guess what, i found what i was looking for!!!

searching works! :cross:

thanks for the reply, too.

I use a broken 27 cu ft chest freezer for all my fermenting. I can't cool it, but I keep it above ambient temperature by using an aquarium heater sunk into a bucket filled with sanitizer. Worked well enough to keep it at 50 degrees during winter. You may be able to to control the temps with the heater controls alone, but I use a dual temperature controller to keep a tighter temperature swing.

I have a 5 cu ft for fermenting (ales & lagers), a 5 for storage, and a Sanyo 4912 for dispensing.

Crap, I'm out of space............time to move.

any issues with venting CO2 when fermenting in a chest freezer?

i bought a 8-9 cu ft. freezer today from sears. i walked inside carrying a 7 gal carboy, 6 gal primary bucket, and 7 gal primary bucket. needless to say, i got some looks.

all three fit in there nicely..

will get a temp controller this weekend and get to work.

Venting shouldn't be a problem. Co2 will build up in the freezer, but who cares? open it up once in a while and just don't stick yer head down inside and inhale!
You could cut a small (1/2" tube) vent through the lid just so positive pressure dosn't build inside the thing. You know, cooler gases fall through warmer gases and visa versa, so you shouldn't loose too much in the way of cooling capacity.

Gotta find a way too only work FOUR days a wk!