Brainstorming a chiller --- what is possible?

[tim_s]

Hi,

So my chest freezer died and it is out of warranty, I could buy a new one but I just upgraded my beer setup and my wife is already kicking my ass. I also have a working air-conditioner that we have not used in our new house.

Here is my challenges, I only have 2 locations available to me - my office and the garage and I had two ideas.

My week temperature is: 66F to 69F
Brewing Ales: Needed 60F

Chest Freezer

It does not function but I was thinking, I could place my carboy in a rubbermaid within the cooler and throw some ice in every once and awhile.

Air Conditioner

I unfortunately have to work in the room that would be air con and I would need to figure out how to route the hot air but I could somehow seal it into the closest.

 

[tim_s]

Probably the Chest Freezer would be the easier option and if I could manage the air con - would be more precise.

 

[TX_Brewing]

What is your chest freezer doing? Maybe fixing it is possible. My chest freezer is about 14 years old and stopped cooling. I could still hear the compressor run, and there was some gurgling noise so I knew it was just low refrigerant. $30 later I had new refrigerant in it and was good to go, it cools better now than it has for at least the past 5 years.

 

[iijakii]

Ambient to target is a pretty minimal difference. Water bath with frozen 2L bottles works great. I did that for my first 10 batches or so when I started brewing.

 

[tim_s]

What is your chest freezer doing? Maybe fixing it is possible. My chest freezer is about 14 years old and stopped cooling. I could still hear the compressor run, and there was some gurgling noise so I knew it was just low refrigerant. $30 later I had new refrigerant in it and was good to go, it cools better now than it has for at least the past 5 years.

It does 100% nothing, like it is not getting any power.

 

[tim_s]

Ambient to target is a pretty minimal difference. Water bath with frozen 2L bottles works great. I did that for my first 10 batches or so when I started brewing.

This is what I am thinking but I felt the freezer would:

A. Keep it dark
B. Trap in the cold air better than leaving it open to the heat

 

[tim_s]

I figure, I will throw a cooler into the freezer for a few hours to understand what kind of difference it will make.

 

[TX_Brewing]

It does 100% nothing, like it is not getting any power.

In that case I would roll with frozen water bottles in a water bath. I did it for quite a few years and made many fine brews with this method.

A problem like that with a freezer could take some $$ to diagnose, only to find out it is completely dead.

 

[notyal]

Did you try kicking it?

Used chest freezers are cheap on CL. Maybe just make do with the ice jugs as you suggest until the heat from the wife lets up a little.

I'd avoid any temporary or improved duct work to run an AC in an interior closet. Our IT guy tried to do something similar a few years ago to cool a server room (against my advice). It was a nightmare. The electric bill went through the roof because the main AC was working overtime to cool the added heat from the additional unit. I will say that this guy was an idiot, and we are in hot Texas summers. Maybe you could make it work.

 

[tim_s]

Here is what I am thinking.

1. Use *dead* chest freezer.
2. Place rubbermaid inside it.
3. fill rubbermaid with water.
4. Place carboy in water.
5. Throw ice packs into the water.
6. Close the lid for better cooling + keeping the light out.

*thoughts* i.e. the ice bath idea with a twist.

 

[tim_s]

Did you try kicking it?

Nope ... I can try that - it is dead anyways.

 

[iijakii]

Nope ... I can try that - it is dead anyways.

 

[tim_s]

Here is what I am thinking.

1. Use *dead* chest freezer.
2. Place rubbermaid inside it.
3. fill rubbermaid with water.
4. Place carboy in water.
5. Throw ice packs into the water.
6. Close the lid for better cooling + keeping the light out.

*thoughts* i.e. the ice bath idea with a twist.

Does this look like an improvement over the standard water bath?