Chest Freezer Kegerator set up

[jimhenning]

Hey everyone, excuse my ignorance but I have a few quick questions on Keezers, and everywhere else I look I seem to get different answers.

I have built several kegerators from fridges, but never a freezer. Picked up 2 chest freezers cheap and plan to make one into a keezer for my new house. I have heard that you need to swap out the thermostat to make sure the freezer doesn't go below freezing and mess up beer, is this true, if so anyone have a walk through link? If not, what items do I need. Thanks!

Jim

 

[day_trippr]

Whomever told you about the thermostat "swap" deserves a good ignoring from now on

What most do is set the chest freezer to it's warmest setting - which will likely still be well below freezing - then plug its line cord into an external controller that has a wired temperature probe that is strategically placed inside the freezer cabinet.

Add a small DC fan (anything from 80mm on up will work) running 24/7 to keep the cabinet air from stratifying (which is definitely a thing with chest freezers) and you're good to go...

Cheers!

 

[Tommydee]

Whomever told you about the thermostat "swap" deserves a good ignoring from now on

What most do is set the chest freezer to it's warmest setting - which will likely still be well below freezing - then plug its line cord into an external controller that has a wired temperature probe that is strategically placed inside the freezer cabinet.

Add a small DC fan (anything from 80mm on up will work) running 24/7 to keep the cabinet air from stratifying (which is definitely a thing with chest freezers) and you're good to go...

Cheers!

+1. I like ink birds controllers, about $35 on Amazon. A lot of guys build them with project boxes and a $13 controller, but for me, the inkbird is worth the time/money factor. I've been running mine without fan, and it's generally ok IF you put the TC in a leftover gel pack or cup of water near the top of the kegerator,in the little basket that usually comes with them. and set the temp a bit on the high side (41) since controlling the top....BUT, I had family over, loaded up basket with some salad mix and warm bottles of wine, which obviously kicked the freezer o to full blast, and my beer froze in the lines!

So, better off to do a fan...

Too lazy to link, but search my posts, I did a composite collar, and there are many nice how to videos on love2brew, northern brewer, keg connection, basically all the websites that sell keg stuff. Great threads in the DIY thread here, but I feel they are too over the top for my taste, budget, and available time. I just want beer, don't care what it looks like!

 

[jimhenning]

Ok, but it requires rewiring in the control area or is it plug and play...i do most things DIY but tend to stay away from electrical, as I am prone to get electrocuted haha

 

[ericbw]

If you buy the inkbird, you just plug into it. Set the temp on the controller. The freezer comes on when the controller tells it to, not its own internal thermostat.

No wiring!

(If you build your own with an stc-1000 you have to wire it.)

 

[day_trippr]

With something like this popular Inkbird controller you would literally unplug the freezer from the wall outlet, plug the controller into the wall outlet, then plug the freezer into the Cool output of the controller.

Run the temperature sensor into the freezer cabinet, add a fan, and you're done...

Cheers!

 

[Tommydee]

Totally plug and play. Attached photo here. it plugs in wall, freezer plugs into cold control. Hot control not needed, unless you use it later for fermentation controller. Actually, there is probably a cheaper one for cold control only, which is all that's needed for a kegerator

The probe wire is thin enough that you can just close the lid right over it from the hinge side, and there is no real leakage. Basically, no drilling or wiring, just plug stuff in.

 

[bford]

Ok, but it requires rewiring in the control area or is it plug and play...i do most things DIY but tend to stay away from electrical, as I am prone to get electrocuted haha

I'm pretty sure they make some already wired and ready to go.

This one should do the trick. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MDSWXY4/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[jimhenning]

you guys rock, thanks for the info!