Can I use my chest freezer to cool my wort?

I recently picked up a chest freezer off craigslist for $40 and converted it to a ferm chamber using the ebay temp controller. I don't have a wort chiller yet. I'm wondering if I can do a full boil (5 gal), stir the wort and let it cool on it's own for about an hour and then pour it in my ferm bucket and put it in the freezer. I'd turn the freezer down pretty cold and let it sit until it reaches pitching temps. Has anyone every done this? I'd keep the lid on the bucket while in the freezer to avoid a lot of condensation forming inside. Thoughts?

 

It will probably take more than an hour (much longer) but it definitely can be done. Several people brew this way and pitch their yeast the next day, or longer....

 

As SB said, the heat transfer through stagnant air is fairly poor, so you'll be waiting hours to pitch. The compressor will probably run continuously during that time as well (3-4hrs), which may reduce its life.

 

yep. I tried it in my kegerator once and it too almost 12 hours to cool. Better than nothing i guess, but not by much

 

Put it in the bathtub until it doesn't feel warm. If you're in a hurry you can drain and refill the tub a time or two. Maybe even throw ice at it.

 

Build a wort chiller...it's a great investment.

 

Like stated above, it will take 12+ hrs to cool to pitching temp, so it is kind of pointless. Ice bath will do the trick within a half hour and is cheap and easy. Good luck.