Temp Control: Fridge or Freezer?

I am going to buy a temp control setup but am wondering which would work better for fermentation. Should I get a fridge or a freezer?

Both would work but a chest freezer is:
better insulated
opens from the top so cold air wouldn't fall out every time you open the door
easily expandable with a collar
and is likely more energy efficient.

+1 on the freezer. You may want to consider a stand up model though. It may have some trade offs (cold air escaping) but it will safe your back.

I got the 7ft Holiday and just put a full 5.5 gallon fermenter in it last night and I didn't think it would be backbreaking. With a collar it might be though.

If you use a fridge with a freezer attached it becomes unusable if you use a thermostat.

petep1980 said:

I got the 7ft Holiday and just put a full 5.5 gallon fermenter in it last night and I didn't think it would be backbreaking. With a collar it might be though.

If you use a fridge with a freezer attached it becomes unusable if you use a thermostat.

Click to expand...

Any space for a 2nd carboy or future corny kegs with a carboy in the event I do upgrade to kegs?

Right now I have a corney and a 6.5 gallon wine fermenting bucket. I think if I put the CO2 on the shelf and removed some grains I might be able to fit a second corney in. I am not sure about another carboy.

I plan to check later today because I would love to be able to re-use my wyeast 2206 yeast cake for another lager.

In fact I'll let you know in about 10 minutes.

I checked. I definitely cannot do a bucket, a carboy and a corney. I think they only way to condition, serve and ferment would be 3 corney's actually.

I'll have to plan my lagers for when the freezer is empty.

Freezers are a lot faster at dropping temperature too, if you need to say get from 70 to 45 to pitch a lager. Also you can get freezers that hold a carboy for like $150, most of the fridges that will hold one cost more.

I use a freezer for serving and a fridge for fermentation. Yeah, the front door lets the cold air out, but this is a minor problem compared to the lift-over IMO. I can turn a cornie sideways and ease it down, can't do that with a carboy or pail.

david_42 said:

I use a freezer for serving and a fridge for fermentation. Yeah, the front door lets the cold air out, but this is a minor problem compared to the lift-over IMO. I can turn a cornie sideways and ease it down, can't do that with a carboy or pail.

Click to expand...

+1. I'm getting to old to be trying to lift or lower a full carboy into or out of a freezer. Like david_42 I can slide a corny easily down into my keezer.

GT

david_42 said:

I use a freezer for serving and a fridge for fermentation. Yeah, the front door lets the cold air out, but this is a minor problem compared to the lift-over IMO. I can turn a cornie sideways and ease it down, can't do that with a carboy or pail.

Click to expand...

I do the same. I recently purchased a Kenmore refrigerator-only unit that will fit four Better Bottles, or perhaps six cornies.

Not to hijack the threat but how would
the chest freezer work in a garage that
the ambient temps got higher than
say 90 for a couple months of the year?

ebaynote said:

Not to hijack the threat but how would
the chest freezer work in a garage that
the ambient temps got higher than
say 90 for a couple months of the year?

Click to expand...

search for temperature controller. It would work fine, maybe cycle on a little more often.

ebaynote said:

Not to hijack the threat but how would
the chest freezer work in a garage that
the ambient temps got higher than
say 90 for a couple months of the year?

Click to expand...

Fine. My chest freezer sits outside (under a patio roof, but at outside temps). It gets warm down here.