Chest freezer for the All Rounder

[RyPA]

I am looking for a chest freezer for an all rounder. I found the below at Home Depot and the internal dimensions appear to work, but the inside has a little shelf where the compressor is and not sure if there will be room on the lower shelf area. Has anyone picked up a chest freezer from Home Depot or Amazon that has confirmed fits an All Rounder?

These are internal dimensions

Magic Chef HMCF5W4 - 22.2"W x 27.9"H x 15.6"D

Edit: I know I can find one used on Marketplace or whatever, but I prefer to just buy new.

 

[lumpher]

I know this is not what you asked in any way, but are you sure you want a chest freezer for an All Rounder? It could get bulky and heavy hoisting up, in, and out. Just a thought.

 

[RyPA]

I know this is not what you asked in any way, but are you sure you want a chest freezer for an All Rounder? It could get bulky and heavy hoisting up, in, and out. Just a thought.

I am not commited to one, I also considered a mini refrigerator style freezer as well. I actually think the upright would be easier.

 

[lumpher]

I'm not a big guy, and age is catching up, so I have to think of these kinds of things. I have a chest freezer fermenter and another 1 as a keezer, and I'm ready to move to a kegerator so I don't have to lift kegs anymore. I can't imagine the fight, and risk, of hoisting an All Rounder.

 

[corncob]

I think the dorm fridge with a 2x4 collar is far and away the better choice, ergonomically. Put your body in the position required to hold the fermzilla over the open freezer and remember that it will weigh over 50 pounds. Then put your body in the position required to load it into the mini fridge.

In the first case your elbows are out in front of you and the 50lb is acting on a line pretty far out in order to clear the side of the freezer. In the second case your elbows are beside you and the weight is much closer. The fermenter can actually touch your knees (or gut, depending on how long you've been in the hobby--I use mine like a third hand, basically).

front load >>> top load

 

[corncob]

Also, the collar doesn't have to be a big production. Unfinished utility grade framing lumber with a couple of screws in the corners. Glue it to the face of the fridge with silicone caulk. Just make sure the top of the bottom member is flush with the existing floor of the fridge. Relocate the hinges to the collar. Add a strip of pipe strap for the magnetic door to stick to, or add a latch to keep the door closed.

The only pitfall is making sure not to start with a fridge that has hinges that can't be moved--there are a few of them out there.

 

[Skunkape71]

I have a 5cf no name that a buddy gave me.. the all rounder juuust fits on the floor, it’s very close and a tight fit with the compressor hump. Might be difficult to wrestle in for a short person. I’m 6’6”, so not a problem for me, but something to consider. You might even take your all rounder on a field trip to HD and give it a test drive!

 

[Broken Crow]

I see from your other post ( https://www.homebrewtalk.com/thread...l-for-you-today.337763/page-306#post-10430252 ) that you don't have your all-rounder yet, but you will be using the hop-bong with it... Apart from the major lifting concerns, with the all-rounder coming in at 21" high with no attachments, you really may want to consider a much taller upright unit for the hop-bong addition alone.
Just my 2-cents

 

[Bobby_M]

Agree with several points made already. Hoisting over the top is going to get old. If you already had it, it would do. If you're buying.... I'd lean towards a front door unit. I suppose if there was one advantage to the top door chest configuration is that you can open it and clamp your hop bong on there when you need to hop, then remove it down to the butterfly valve afterwards. If you end up with a fridge that the hop bong can't fit in, you'll have to slide the fermenter out temporarily to dry hop. That's what I currently do when I ferment in my Megamouth Torpedo keg.

Don't overlook Facebook Marketplace for Wine Bottle Coolers, Merchandiser fridges, etc...

 

[RyPA]

Thanks for the feedback guys

I am going to go with an upright/fridge-style freezer, large enough to fit the All Rounder without modification.

@Broken Crow I will only add the hop bong at dry hop time so the chamber would not need to accommodate the extra height. Like @Bobby_M, I would remove the fermenter from the chamber for dry hopping and this will be easy with the upright configuration.

 

[Jim R]

I have a small front door refrigerator that I bought fairly cheap at Home Depot that holds the SS Brewtech fermenter that I first bought when I started home brewing several years ago. I then bought an ALL Rounder to have a second fermenter. Unfortunately the All Rounder doesn't fit in my refrigerator although my kegs fit great. I love the All Rounder and now rarely use my stainless steel SS Brewtech fermenter. Instead I use the All Rounder and ferment under pressure on my basement floor. I don't think there is much disadvantage to not having the temperature control of my refrigerator. My fermentation temperatures stay well within my goals with pressure fermentations with the All Rounder and my beers seem just as good as prior. I then do closed transfers to my kegs and cold crash them in the refrigerator. I feel no need to spend more money on a bigger refrigerator or freezer that would hold the All Rounder. In fact, it would have to be huge if I ever decided to use a Hop Bong with it. I don't think I would gain anything worth the cost of a chest freezer.

I don't think though that lifting the All Rounder into a chest freezer would be very difficult for me if I used a stool. When I do my pressure transfers, I lift it up onto my kitchen counter to take advantage of gravity and that isn't a problem. I am 66 years old, 5' 9" and 155 lbs and it isn't that heavy even for me.

 

[RyPA]

You bring up a good point @Jim R with pressurized fermentation - I wonder if that alone can satisfy my cold side needs. To be honest, I have not made a batch yet that really required cold temp control during fermentation beyond maybe 68F, my only need to date for colder than that has been for the ability to soft/cold crash. On the warm side I use a tub of water with a fish tank heater to keep Kveik happy @ 92-95F.

But, I'd like to have the ability to brew whatever and expand on my yeast choices - so far its been IPA's and Stouts, using only US-04, US-05, Kveik, Verdant IPA, and Nottingham. I am interested in brewing other styles, like a Belgian or American Tripel and maybe a lager at some point.

I am also trying to improve my IPA's. My last big discovery/change was eliminating O2, which is what kept me in the home brew game. My first time around in homebrewing was back in 2017 and I quit because of oxidation, at the time I didn't know what I didn't know.

My thought with getting a fermentation chamber was if I keep my fermentation temperature as consistent as possible, I will get a tangible improvement, but not sure if this is realistic. I am not sure what else I can change... do I just need to explore better yeasts?

 

[Carolina_Matt]

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Frigidaire-7-0-Cu-ft-Chest-Freezer-EFRF7003-White/1343755292

I bought this chest freezer a year ago, and it fits my All Rounder. I'm 5'8" and 160 pounds, 45 years old, and I don't really have an issue lifting it over the top or lifting it onto the counter for a closed transfer, although it would be easier to just use an upright fridge/freezer.

This replaced a different 7 cu ft chest freezer that died last year, and I preferred the older one because it was slightly wider so it (barely) fit a keg as well as the All Rounder. I would purge the keg with fermentation CO2 and it was nice doing it all within the freezer. This freezer doesn't fit a keg though.

 

[RyPA]

Why do you elevate the fermenter to closed transfer, can't you just push it with CO2? Or do you do this to siphon and save CO2?

 

[Deadalus]

You bring up a good point @Jim R with pressurized fermentation - I wonder if that alone can satisfy my cold side needs. To be honest, I have not made a batch yet that really required cold temp control during fermentation beyond maybe 68F, my only need to date for colder than that has been for the ability to soft/cold crash. On the warm side I use a tub of water with a fish tank heater to keep Kveik happy @ 92-95F.

But, I'd like to have the ability to brew whatever and expand on my yeast choices - so far its been IPA's and Stouts, using only US-04, US-05, Kveik, Verdant IPA, and Nottingham. I am interested in brewing other styles, like a Belgian or American Tripel and maybe a lager at some point.

I am also trying to improve my IPA's. My last big discovery/change was eliminating O2, which is what kept me in the home brew game. My first time around in homebrewing was back in 2017 and I quit because of oxidation, at the time I didn't know what I didn't know.

My thought with getting a fermentation chamber was if I keep my fermentation temperature as consistent as possible, I will get a tangible improvement, but not sure if this is realistic. I am not sure what else I can change... do I just need to explore better yeasts?

Since you mentioned using a hop bong, you may want to cold crash to get the hops to drop out. Second, while people mention being able to ferment under pressure, I haven't gotten the impression yet from people who both lager at lager temps and pressure ferment as to whether they are equivalent. I suspect they are not. And there's a variety of lager yeasts out there that probably don't have an equivalent pressure fermentable yeast. Last, and you appear to be leaning towards an upright if you go with a fermentation chamber, I think that will be your better choice vs a chest freezer. Leaning into a chest freezer and lowering down something like an all rounder is going to strain your back. You aren't lifting with your knees which is the way to avoid back injury. You could maybe find something like a carboy carrier to lower it in with your hands nearer the opening but it's something I'd recommend you avoid. Words of advice from a tall man who was a lot stronger when you he was decades younger yet still herniated a disk!

 

[Bobby_M]

I'm not convinced that fermenting under pressure warm is equivalent to fermenting at lager temps. Even if it's close, it's worth having total cooling and heating control.

 

[Carolina_Matt]

Why do you elevate the fermenter to closed transfer, can't you just push it with CO2? Or do you do this to siphon and save CO2?

I use gravity in order to save CO2.

 

[JohnDBrewer]

Have you looked at upright freezers? Frost free version have removal shelves. You wouldn't be leaning over trying to jockey into a small opening, but standing upright and have room to dry hop and adjust your spunding valve. I use two of them in my garage. Not as pretty as glycol chillers, etc, but work great. Even cheaper would be a regular frig.

I'm with Bobby-M, I'm not sure pressure fermenting is equivalent to temp control, especially if your only saving maybe a few days time. It is a nice option if you do not have the right equipment, space or cash, though.

 

[bwible]

Some dorm fridges have a hump inside or they have shelves on the door, etc that would get in your way.

Home depot sells tapless kegerators that you can buy and add your own tower to or upgrade later.

I don’t know the dimensions of the all rounder. I don’t have one.

I have this that I use as my temp control / lagering fridge with an inkbird. This one easily fits a 7 gallon Fermonster. Or 2 cornies if I wanted to use it as a kegerator. The shelves in picture are removeable.

https://www.homedepot.com/pep/20-in...MIp7vY6tC7igMVAJDuAR3uHBmVEAQYAiABEgJ-6PD_BwE

They have one thats bigger:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/EdgeSta...MIp7vY6tC7igMVAJDuAR3uHBmVEAQYAyABEgKtJfD_BwE

Good Luck!

 

[Bobby_M]

Clutch

https://www.facebook.com/share/3Nz1R5K2bPoD5odD/


https://www.facebook.com/share/6SDGYp8qnD8kRjE4/

 

[SkyPilot]

Also, the collar doesn't have to be a big production. Unfinished utility grade framing lumber with a couple of screws in the corners. Glue it to the face of the fridge with silicone caulk. Just make sure the top of the bottom member is flush with the existing floor of the fridge. Relocate the hinges to the collar. Add a strip of pipe strap for the magnetic door to stick to, or add a latch to keep the door closed.

The only pitfall is making sure not to start with a fridge that has hinges that can't be moved--there are a few of them out there.

View attachment 864926

Corncob.. what size / model is that fridge? Looks like a nice mod

 

[corncob]

Corncob.. what size / model is that fridge? Looks like a nice mod

That's a very old one--currently on its last leg. It was the type with the coils made into a plate that separated the freezer section from the main box, and I bent them down to make the whole space taller. These days, it's easier to find one with the coils in the back already. I just passed on one on close out for something like $100 new because I'm out of room.

 

[RyPA]

This might be the one, not bad at $279. They have 2 at my local store, I might go down with a tape measure, and my dog.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Vissani...ge_rr-_-n/a-_-1-_-n/a-_-n/a-_-n/a-_-n/a-_-n/a