New member intro + freezer mod question

[bassboneman69]

Hello all
I just joined the group. An amateur brewer. Brew about 20-30gallons/year.
Working on growing my own hops (Cascade/Nugget).

I have a new(ish) upright freezer that I would love to make into a beer fridge or use to lager.

I have read that inkbird makes a temp control and that “heat wrap” may be useful.

Is there a previous thread that explains this better OR is there an online resource I can check out?

Thanks for any help.
Sam

 

[IslandLizard]

Welcome to HBT!

There are many threads on refrigerator/freezer modifications such as the one you have in mind. Look in our Bottling & Kegging forum for ideas:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forums/bottling-kegging.35/There's also information on building kegerators and ferm chambers in this DIY Projects sub forum:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forums/kegerators-keezers.252/
I've been using an upright freezer as a kegerator for many years, taps mounted through the door. If you keep the CO2 tank outside the freezer, most of the common ones can hold 4 kegs comfortably, as is. Or 5 kegs (ball locks only) if you remove the bottom part of the inside door shelves. It's tight, though!
You could use picnic taps inside, if you don't want taps through the door.

Indeed, you need to plug the freezer (or refrigerator) into the external temp controller (such as Inkbird's) which in turn is plugged into an outlet. Make sure to set the compressor delay to its maximum time interval, which is 10 minutes on Inkbirds, IIRC. I'd prefer 30-60 minutes, if possible, to reduce (short on/off) cycling.

If used as a keezer, there's usually no need for heating.
But when used as a ferm chamber, some sort of heating may be necessary. A small fan heater or a heating pad, etc. will suffice.

You could double up its use as ferm chamber/keezer but you you can only do one function at a time, either fermentation or keezer. But you could lager kegs in your keezer for as many weeks as you want, while tapping beer from the others.

Many use regular "top freezer" refrigerators as kegerators or ferm chambers. The bigger ones can hold up to 6 kegs or 2 buckets/fermenters.