Weird smell from freezer

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Reno_eNVy

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We got a fridge that was ready to be used as a kegerator which we have been using for roughly a month and a half now; we keep the CO2 tank and kegs in the fridge compartment and pint glasses in the freezer compartment above.

Today I just noticed that the glasses (some of which have been sitting in the freezer for a couple weeks) smell rather odd. Consulted with SWMBO and neither of us think it smells like mold; we cleaned the crap out of the thing when we got it... though frozen mold may smell different:D The thought of it being CO2 occasionally purged from the kegs below crossed our minds as there is a drain in the freezer so the fridge and freezer are KINDA connected... but CO2 doesn't smell (derp.)

Here are a couple specifics:
- not sure how long this has been going on for. just noticed the smell but I could have been oblivious
- the glasses got taken out and still smell even at room temperature
- the freezer compartment smells just like the
- fridge and freezer are cooled using condensation plate chillers (like in dorm fridges)
- the freezer's plate chiller is the bottom surface, so the glasses actually sit on the plate chiller

The last point makes me wonder if the smell is from coolant leeching smells. The smell is actually really hard to describe. Adjectives that come to mind would be stale/chemically/harsh but combined they really don't describe it properly. SWMBO says the only thing it reminds her of is new tires, like when you walk into a Les Schwab.

Has anybody experienced this or maybe have any idea as to what is going on? The help is much appreciated!
 
No idea what it is but I would try putting a box of baking soda, top cut off in the freezer for a few days and see if it absorbs the odors.
 
It might be the plastic tops and bottoms on the kegs. They get smelly if you don't clean them well.

Check the bottom of your kegs for grunge.

They've been cleaned thoroughly but the fridge compartment doesn't have the weird smell whatsoever.
 
Do you have any moisture buildup in either compartment, (fridge especially?). The freezer will go through a defrost cycle, at which point some of that moisture could make it's way to the freezer and deposit on the glasses...

I second the baking soda for the smell, and Damprid (Calcium Chloride, also IceMelt or pool chemical), for the moisture if it exists.....
 
Defrost it, wash with oxy/bleach, starsan the snot out of it, try using it again.
Could be something exploded and got into the vents.

-OCD
 
No idea what it is but I would try putting a box of baking soda, top cut off in the freezer for a few days and see if it absorbs the odors.

Crumpled up news paper offers way more surface area and absorbs odors in fridges pretty well, especially if it is moisture based.
 
Crumpled up news paper offers way more surface area and absorbs odors in fridges pretty well, especially if it is moisture based.

No s**t? Gonna have to try that.

shortyjacobs, that makes a lot of sense. Considering it's a condensation plate chiller it does go through defrost often. We've decided since the winter beers will be coming soon it would be better to not have frosty glasses anyway. It's back to the cabinet for them! We have a chest freezer lined up to be fixed into a keezer, just waiting on the extra dough. Maybe come "frosty mug" season we won't even have our kegerator anymore.

Thanks for the advice everybody. We'll try some of your ideas; we're going to need at least a couple frosty glasses for the hefe coming up. Kind of a good-bye to warm weather
 
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