How many kegs will fit

[william_shakes_beer]

I have a Holiday, 5CF chest freezer that i've been using as a single bucket fermenter for several years. Works well, but am considering upgrading to a ferm chamber that will hold a double batch.

If I get a larger chest freezer ferm chamber and repurpose the present one as a kegerator, how many kegs will it fit?

 

[Yourrealdad]

Do you have a keg already? Cut out some cardboard that you have traced from a keg and see.

I don't know what the compressor hump looks like but my guess is one, possibly two.

You could build a collar for it and it would definitely hold 2 then, or you could build a collar and then build up the floor to the hump level and possibly get three, but I doubt it.

Use the cutout method.

Otherwise there is a thread on the forums that has a lot of freezers and what they hold. Try searching it

 

[mnm6677]

Glad you posted this. I found 5 cf Haier chest freezer cheap on craigslist and want to use it as a fermenator. Do you know if I can fit a 6 gal glass carboy with airlock inside?

 

[william_shakes_beer]

no, i bottle only. Also, I assume the c02 tank needs to fit inside. a 7 gallon fermenter fits at the botom of the freezer with a little room to spare. I'll google up the other thread and see what I can find.

 

[Orthobrewsky]

You should check out this thread:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/sizing-your-chest-freezer-corny-kegs-75449/

 

[william_shakes_beer]

Glad you posted this. I found 5 cf Haier chest freezer cheap on craigslist and want to use it as a fermenator. Do you know if I can fit a 6 gal glass carboy with airlock inside?

I use a 7 gallon ale pale with a 3 peice airlock and it fits fine. When I get home I'll measure the base well and height and update this post for ya.

Update: my memory is not what it used to be. My freezer is a Holiday, 5CF. The floor dimensions are 15 1/2"W x 15 1/4"D. Headspace with door closed is 27 1/2" The upper dimensions (above the compressor hump) are 22 3/4"W x 15 1/4"D. Headspace above the compressor hump is 18 1/2"

 

[mnm6677]

Ok great! Thank you for the help.

You have me thinking about getting a larger size too. Do you feel limited by only having enough room for one ferm?

 

[Yourrealdad]

Mnm

I personally feel like I am held back on brewing by having a small chest freezer. I have a 5ft freezer running off a dual stage controller with a fermwrap. Works perfectly but I can only brew once every two-three weeks cause it only will fit one carboy.

I am actually picking up a huge freezer this weekend. Now my excuse for not brewing will be laziness and time. I would check on Craigslist and get something like a 14 ft or bigger to ferment with if you have room.

I have a 7.2 for my keezer and I think for fermenting I would still want bigger. Again if you have room.



Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[Yourrealdad]

Oh and William. You don't need to put the co2 inside. I have mine outside my keezer. It can sit on the ground or hang it off the collar. Like I said if you want more than one keg you will most likely need a collar


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[william_shakes_beer]

read the sticky, and apparently with a 7 inch collar I can fit 3 corny kegs (2 in the recess one on the hump) my question to all you keggers: is 3 on tap enough variety? I'm used to having all my conditioned beers (in cases) available to enjoy whenever I choose.

I usually begin the spring season by boiling up a double batch of wee heavy, then push out a 5 gallon batch every 4 weeks through the summer, ending up with a double batch of guiness in the fall, and a couple no boil batches throughout the winter (skeeter pee, cider) the second fermenter in the double batches gets chucked into a ghetto swamp cooler. I'm swerving between getting a larger ferm chamber (for 2 fermenters) or getting a keezer that will fit 5 kegs. 3 on tap and 2 on deck cooling. What does the forum think? How long does it take to move a room temp keg to serving temp?

Another question: is the compressor hump strong enough to support a 5 gallon keg without deforming or do I need to build a platform to spread the load of all kegs to the floor? As stated in the corrected first post, I have a 5CF holiday freezer.