10 cu chest freezer or 7 cu?

[JHulen]

Hi all,

I’m about to pull the trigger on kegging and I want to go the chest freezer route. I want to fit 4 cornys, 3 taps and one for lagering. Could I fit 4 in a 7 cu? This is the one I’m looking at. The 10 is $70 more.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/insignia-10-2-cu-ft-chest-freezer-white/8389389.p?skuId=8389389

 

[grampamark]

This thread will help you make up your mind.

 

[day_trippr]

Right - and as that page illustrates it's a tight call whether a collarless 7 cf will fit four ball lock kegs.
At the least I'd cut out four 9" diameter pieces of cardboard and find a model to test, but tbh I'd probably just go with the next larger size...

Cheers!

 

[RM-MN]

Wait! What if you ever decided to do 3 taps and have 2 kegs lagering? How will that 7CF freezer work out? A 10CF? Maybe look at the space you have available and the space each keg takes before choosing. Maybe look at Craigslist of some place similar for a used freezer that is bigger?

 

[Dland]

The largest freezer I could find holds 12 C kegs. Since I like to make and drink lagers, that is what I bought. I think it is 22CF.

 

[MaxStout]

If you have space for the 10 and since the price difference isn't much, I'd say go with the larger one.

I bought a small freezer once for a ferm chamber and quickly regretted it as it would only hold one fermenter. Now that I'm sometimes doing 10 gal batches I finally stepped up to a larger freezer.

Different applications, I know, but you see the point. Go big and only buy once.

 

[snarf7]

I have the Lowes version of that 7 cu-ft model (looks really similar so they're probably all made by the same Chinese manufacturer and then individually branded for sale abroad). They never seem to list the interior dimensions online though which is annoying. If you're nearby go and measure it (or maybe call them and ask? they'd probably measure it for you?)

Anyway, if it is indeed the same thing, interior dimensions are 31 5/8 x 15 1/4 x 27 3/8. This will 'just' barely fit 3 sankey kegs on the floor and an extra one on the compressor hump with a collar on top to give you the required height. Since sankeys are a hair bigger, this will work for 4 cornys too

 

[purplerat]

Personally I have three 7cu freezers from three different manufactures (2 keezers, 1 fermentation chamber) and none would hold 4 corny kegs on the floor. A 2.5 or 3 gallon keg will fit on the compressor hump to give me four total but if you want four full sized corny kegs you'll most likely need something bigger than 7cu.

 

[mongoose33]

Get the 10cf. Later, when you want to add another tap or keg or two, you'll wish you had.

So just....do it. The 10, I mean.

 

[BSheridan]

I have a 7cu.ft. and it will only fit 3 corny kegs on the floor. If you built a high collar (2x10 or 12 maybe?) you could put one on top of the compressor hump but if I were you, I would just go with the larger one right off the bat