Chest Freezer for Fermentation Chamber?

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OmniBrewer

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Been extract brewing for awhile now (year), and have come to realize that maintaining solid 60's fermentation temps is my biggest hurdle. I keep getting an "off" flavor that is sorta harsh, mouth puckering(ish)...so I believe its astringent or "alcoholic", which I believe is either due to oxidation or high fermentation temps.

I know that I want to build a Keezer at SOME point down the road, and I was wondering if anyone had any insight in buying a chest freezer (and temp control) and use that to get solid 60-70 temps while fermenting and upgrade it to a keezer when money is more available.

I have done the wet towel route, but the scientist in me wants control and precision. I don't have room in my apartment for a full stand up fridge, so that is why I was wondering if a chest freezer would be better (since I plan to get one later anyway). Good brands that will fit a 6 gallon carboy?

Thoughts? Comments? Please tell me if I am being an idiot and should just put it in a pail of water and wet towel method for now.


Cheers :mug:
 
You're the first person to think of this! :p

No, you can absolutely do this, many many many many people have in the past and it works great. Look for floor models, end of life models or really good sales to save money. Used works as well of course.
 
I bought a chest freezer from a buddy for $60. I picked up an STC-1000 from ebay for $20 plus a few bucks shipping. I wired the controller in (no project box, direct wire-in) and it's sitting in my garage keeping my fermenting brew at a cool 66*.

Do it! It's cheap, easy, and effective.

I also have a keezer. It's extremely difficult to have one chest freezer for everything because beer needs to be served much colder than fermentation temperatures. Plus, unless you have a BIG freezer, it's tough to get 3-4 kegs plus a carboy/ferm bucket in there.
 
Awesome, thanks guys.

Just confirmed what I was thinking. I'll start to scope out CL for some cheap ones.

Thanks again!

:ban:
 
Mine's doing double duty as a fermentation chamber and 4 tap kegerator.

20130320_185103_zps94d03010.jpg




I want to add another as a dedicated kegerator in my basement, behind my bar.
 
I bought a chest freezer from a buddy for $60. I picked up an STC-1000 from ebay for $20 plus a few bucks shipping. I wired the controller in (no project box, direct wire-in) and it's sitting in my garage keeping my fermenting brew at a cool 66*.

Do it! It's cheap, easy, and effective.

I also have a keezer. It's extremely difficult to have one chest freezer for everything because beer needs to be served much colder than fermentation temperatures. Plus, unless you have a BIG freezer, it's tough to get 3-4 kegs plus a carboy/ferm bucket in there.


For the most part, you are right - however if you are making lagers, you could get away with serving and lagering at the same temps. But if you are doing ales - it'll be a little rough. Since many of the ferm temps for ales are in the 60s-70....which is too warm for basically everything...even Belgians.

You could do this though - you could brew two batches over a weekend or two weeks and then put them in the temp controller freezer at a certain temp. They would basically be on the same schedule (of course you should probably use either two lagers or two ales) unless you are going to cold crash one or both of them. That way you are utilizing the temps for as much as possible then when they are done fermenting - then you can turn the temp down to serving temps.

You could also do one other thing...I haven't tried this yet but will probably do so soon. You could get some 2" rigid foam insulation and make yourself a rectangular upright box that would encase your fermentation bucket or your carboy. Of course you would assemble it with some foamboard adhesive and assemble all sides except for the "lid". That way you can assemble it and put it in your chest freezer and then put your fermenter inside it and then put the lid on it. That way it'll keep the temps inside your "fermentation chamber" warmer than the rest of the chest freezer. We all know fermentation can increase temps by 5-10 or more degrees but with something that is insulating it...it might be able to keep it warmer. Plus it shouldn't kick on the compressor so much.
 
My first fermenter chamber was a 7 CF chest freezer with an STC-1000. Worked great. It's now been re-assigned (pic below) to be the keezer in my game room and I use a fridge for fermenting plus an upright freezer for cold crashing/lagering (@ 35*F). All of my units are controlled with STC-1000s.

handleson_zpsd8d6d2ad.jpg
 
^^^ The upright piano keezer!


Sweet looking keezer Bigfloyd. :mug:

Thanks.

That wood (all solid oak) is from an old 10ft+ church pew we bought for next to nothing many years ago from a remodeling at our church. It was starting to split along the glued joints, so I "re-purposed" it. If you look closely enough, the faucets are mounted through a communion cup holder and the drain pan sits inside the hymnal holder that had been on the back of the pew. :D
 
That's awesome! I thought that the faucet mounting plate looked weird but never would have put it together.
 
craigslist. I have 2, paid less than $50 for each one. They both have Ranco controllers. The smaller one I use for a Ferm chamber. Once its fermented, I keg it into Cornies, and put the in the larger one to condition, it holds 6 Cornies and a 15lb CO2 bottle. They sit in there for 30-60 days conditioning until I transfer to my 2 tap kegerator . I brew 10 gallon batches.
 
Thanks.

That wood (all solid oak) is from an old 10ft+ church pew we bought for next to nothing many years ago from a remodeling at our church. It was starting to split along the glued joints, so I "re-purposed" it. If you look closely enough, the faucets are mounted through a communion cup holder and the drain pan sits inside the hymnal holder that had been on the back of the pew. :D

LOL! I guess you could say that keezer is blessed.


Pretty ingenious. Very impressive!:tank:
 
BigFloyd,

That Keezer looks awesome!

I was definitely thinking about double using as a Fermentation Chamber and keezer, but currently, I am still bottling and don't have any Cornies yet. (only can do one thing at a time)...which is where I was stuck on where to spend my money. Surrently, I only have about $200 extra right now...so I can't afford to buy a keg system AND something to keep it cold (extra fridge, small fridge, or chest freezer)...so, since I can find a chest freezer for about 50-100 used, I am gonna pick one of those up, an STC-1000 temp controller (this seems to be the most popular) and then have a dedicated Fermentation Chamber and continue bottling until I can get a corny and then convert the Chamber into a Keezer...and at that point, I'll come back to the double usage debate :)


Thanks for all the insight, and the pics guys! Something to get me motivated and inspired :ban:
 
Not trying to throw a monkey wrench into your path towards kegging, but I think if I found a deal on some used 5 gallon cornies, I would jump on that first whether you have the chest freezer or not. The used market seems to be drying up.

I've only been brewing for a year, but when I started last summer, I saw a distributor on eBay that was selling ball lock cornies by the hundreds. I bought half a dozen for about $30 each after shipping. I think I bought the kegs before I bought the starter kit or propane burner :drunk:
 
BigFloyd,

That Keezer looks awesome!

I was definitely thinking about double using as a Fermentation Chamber and keezer, but currently, I am still bottling and don't have any Cornies yet. (only can do one thing at a time)...which is where I was stuck on where to spend my money. Surrently, I only have about $200 extra right now...so I can't afford to buy a keg system AND something to keep it cold (extra fridge, small fridge, or chest freezer)...so, since I can find a chest freezer for about 50-100 used, I am gonna pick one of those up, an STC-1000 temp controller (this seems to be the most popular) and then have a dedicated Fermentation Chamber and continue bottling until I can get a corny and then convert the Chamber into a Keezer...and at that point, I'll come back to the double usage debate :)

Thanks.

If you have to pick one, go for the STC-1000 regulated fermenter chamber before all of the kegging stuff. Good temp control (both pitching and fermenting) will have more of a positive impact on the quality of your brew than anything else (including switching from extract to AG).

Unfortunately, I don't see how you can ever use one freezer or fridge for both fermenting and as a keezer/kegerator at the same time. My keezer stays at 38-39*F all the time. My fermenter chamber runs anywhere between 48*F for a lager to 73.5*F at the tail end of doing a Belgian dubbel.
 
......Unfortunately, I don't see how you can ever use one freezer or fridge for both fermenting and as a keezer/kegerator at the same time. My keezer stays at 38-39*F all the time. My fermenter chamber runs anywhere between 48*F for a lager to 73.5*F at the tail end of doing a Belgian dubbel.[/FONT]

Going from what I read here, it is possible to have a chest freezer do double duty. Is it easy? Maybe, maybe not. I can't because my Johnson controller is single stage only so I'll never know. The STC will let you run both, so you could have the ability to keep your kegs and use a brew belt or two for the higher temp ales and lagers. That's what I would have been doing if I had known about the STC controller (or any two stage controller for that matter) before jumping the gun on my Johnson.
 
Not trying to throw a monkey wrench into your path towards kegging, but I think if I found a deal on some used 5 gallon cornies, I would jump on that first whether you have the chest freezer or not. The used market seems to be drying up.


Yesfan,

Oh yeah, I have my eye out for any used cornies for sure..but I guess I meant full set up, i.e. corny, regulator, CO2, etc etc to get me fully kegging. I actually am talking to a guy that has a couple ball lock at $45 a piece and I might snag 1 or both and just clean them up and store them until I can get the rest.

The fermentation chamber seems like the best pay off for the buck as all I need is a used freezer and the STC-1000.

Thanks for the insight though, much appreciated :mug:
 
Thanks.

If you have to pick one, go for the STC-1000 regulated fermenter chamber before all of the kegging stuff. Good temp control (both pitching and fermenting) will have more of a positive impact on the quality of your brew than anything else (including switching from extract to AG).

Unfortunately, I don't see how you can ever use one freezer or fridge for both fermenting and as a keezer/kegerator at the same time. My keezer stays at 38-39*F all the time. My fermenter chamber runs anywhere between 48*F for a lager to 73.5*F at the tail end of doing a Belgian dubbel.

You know, I have been looking at STC-1000s and it seems more complicated than, say a Johnson controller. There seems to be a lot of wiring and adding outlets to the STC-1000. I know they are cheaper, but if I am only using a temp controller to either A) keep chest at 60-66 degrees while its a ferm chamber OR B) around 40-48 degrees once I convert it fully into a keezer...wouldn't a Johnson be easier, since I don't need to control more than 1 thing?
 
^^^ The Johnson would be much easier as all you have to do is plug it up, set it and forget it.


However, IMO, the STC is a much more flexible controller and it is much cheaper than the Johnson. It is a two stage controller so one stage can do cooling (your freezer) and the other heating (a brew belt or two). It is also much cheaper and when you figure in the rest of the parts to make a full fledge controller (outlet, wiring, etc.) you'll still be in at half the cost of the Johnson.

I plan on adding the STC to my chest freezer so I can do lagers and ales at the same time. My Johnson controller will be retired to a future second freezer that will become a dedicated keezer.

Don't let the wiring intimidate you. Check out this topic on how to build a STC controller (I thought it was a sticky....it needs to be to be honest)

LINK



After you make a parts list, I think you will find it easier than you think. Good luck!
 
^^^ The Johnson would be much easier as all you have to do is plug it up, set it and forget it.


However, IMO, the STC is a much more flexible controller and it is much cheaper than the Johnson. It is a two stage controller so one stage can do cooling (your freezer) and the other heating (a brew belt or two). It is also much cheaper and when you figure in the rest of the parts to make a full fledge controller (outlet, wiring, etc.) you'll still be in at half the cost of the Johnson.

I plan on adding the STC to my chest freezer so I can do lagers and ales at the same time. My Johnson controller will be retired to a future second freezer that will become a dedicated keezer.

Don't let the wiring intimidate you. Check out this topic on how to build a STC controller (I thought it was a sticky....it needs to be to be honest)

LINK



After you make a parts list, I think you will find it easier than you think. Good luck!

Thanks Yesfan,

I have to admit, I am a bit intimidated with the whole wiring thing as I looked at a couple threads and I was completely confused...they were talking about adding fuses here and there, amps and some pretty technical stuff. Now, don't get me wrong...I can handle a simple, ground here, hot wire there, etc. set up. I was just thinking that since I know that I am not going to use the heating part, if the added cost of the Johnson is worth it.

I am definitely going to check this link out and reevaluate, as half the price is mighty tempting.

Thanks again!

Cheers :mug:
 
Take a look at-

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/ebay-fish-tank-controller-build-using-wal-mart-parts-261506/

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/stc-1000-ebay-temperature-controller-build-330427/


It's basic wiring. Think of the STC-1000 as a switch since that's what it basically is. It turns the "hot" (black) wires to the outlet off and on as needed. Just be sure to break the "bridge" on the hot side of the outlet so that it can activate the outlets separately (one for cool, the other for heat).
 
I've got two chest freezers, one for fermentation and the other is a keezer. Both are controlled by Johnson A419's. I bought my first freezer off of craigslist and my second from Costco. When buying, beware of the interior space of the freezer. Not all 7.x cu. ft. freezers are the same. I have a black Frigidaire(craigslist) that is 7.2 cu. ft., but the hump is fairly large and the lower footprint will only hold 3 corny's or one carboy at a time. My Costco Haier 7.2 cu. ft. has a smaller hump and will hold four corny's or two carboys(a 6.5 and a 5) at a time. I use this for fermentation so I can have two brews going at once. I'll eventually throw the Frigidaire back on craigslist and replace it with another Haier from Costco. In hindsight, I should have just gotten two from Costco in the first place since they're only $50 more than what I paid for the craigslist freezer. The Haier is built much better than the Frigidaire as well. The Frigidaire has a very flimsy shell and the lid is light so there isn't much weight to create a good seal. The Haier is quite solid.

I've learned that when it comes to homebrewing equipment, do yourself a favor and buy a little bigger, a little better, spend a little more and give yourself room to grow so you don't end up with buyer's remorse or having to do the same thing twice.
 
However, IMO, the STC is a much more flexible controller and it is much cheaper than the Johnson. It is a two stage controller so one stage can do cooling (your freezer) and the other heating (a brew belt or two). It is also much cheaper and when you figure in the rest of the parts to make a full fledge controller (outlet, wiring, etc.) you'll still be in at half the cost of the Johnson.

Either I'm misunderstanding what you're saying, or you're misunderstanding what an STC-1000 can actually do. Yes it has circuits for running both heating and cooling, but there is only one temperature probe. You can't keep kegs at 32* on one side and a brew belt at 64* in the same freezer.
 
Either I'm misunderstanding what you're saying, or you're misunderstanding what an STC-1000 can actually do. Yes it has circuits for running both heating and cooling, but there is only one temperature probe. You can't keep kegs at 32* on one side and a brew belt at 64* in the same freezer.

Correct you are. It's a dual temp controller in that it will either cool (by powering up the freezer) or heat (by powering up whatever heat source you placed inside the freezer) automatically to maintain the temp you set +\- whatever tolerance is set. You cannot run two different controlled temps at the same time with one STC-1000.

Some of the other controllers you apparently have to manually switch between modes.

I really like all three of my STC-1000s.
 
Either I'm misunderstanding what you're saying, or you're misunderstanding what an STC-1000 can actually do. Yes it has circuits for running both heating and cooling, but there is only one temperature probe. You can't keep kegs at 32* on one side and a brew belt at 64* in the same freezer.


Yep, that's on me. I didn't even consider that a single probe was used, so you and Floyd are right. Sorry about that.


So could you just add a second probe to run the second outlet for heating an ale or would you have to add a second controller to do that? I had the impression the STC could let you run a brew belt in the 60s for an ale if you were lagering another batch at colder temps.
 
There is no connection for a second temp probe in the STC-1000. The STC-1000 is designed to maintain one temperature by controlling a cooling device, refrigerator or freezer, and a heating device, brew-belt or light bulb or whatever your heat source is. This device is not a BCS-460 or BCS-462 which can control the temperature in more than one location using multiple probes and controller multiple devices. Check out Huaco's "3 Temp Fermentation Controller One Chamber" thread for how to do what you want to do.
 
My first fermenter chamber was a 7 CF chest freezer with an STC-1000. Worked great. It's now been re-assigned (pic below) to be the keezer in my game room and I use a fridge for fermenting plus an upright freezer for cold crashing/lagering (@ 35*F). All of my units are controlled with STC-1000s.

handleson_zpsd8d6d2ad.jpg
Wow, that's nice!
 
After thinking about it for a bit, and realizing my current needs, I think that I am gonna go with the Johnson A419 for my fermentation chamber (which will become a Kezzer later on). I really have no need for a 2 stage controller at this time. Perhaps once I am able to get another fridge to ferment in, and when I have more room, I'll snag an STC-1000.

I realized that I have zero tools (wire strippers, electrical tape etc, etc) even for a very basic wiring job that the STC-1000 requires. So after I added up cost for the STC, tools, parts, etc....it was nearing 40-50 bucks. My local brewshop has a Johnson A419 for around $71 out the door and I think the extra $20-$30 (which I realize would get me ANOTHER STC-1000) is worth the time and convenience of literally just setting it up and forgetting it.

Honestly, I also don't trust myself even with this super easy wiring set up. I think I would be in constant stress mode over it blowing something or starting a fire because I had wires touching, etc.

Again, thanks for everyone's insight...and once I am in need of a duel controller, I will definitely look at the STC-1000

Cheers :mug:
 
After thinking about it for a bit, and realizing my current needs, I think that I am gonna go with the Johnson A419 for my fermentation chamber (which will become a Kezzer later on). I really have no need for a 2 stage controller at this time. Perhaps once I am able to get another fridge to ferment in, and when I have more room, I'll snag an STC-1000.

I'm a little late to this thread, but I took the same approach -- though I have a Rancho instead of a Johnson.

I love that I don't have to wire anything. Replacing an electrical outlet or switch in my house is really the most complicated I really want to get.

Besides, I live in Southern California so I don't think I'll ever really need 2 stage temp control. With the weather here, I don't imagine ever having to keep a fermenting ale warm, even in the winter in my uninsulated garage.

Cheers!
 
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