Chest freezer or mini fridge

[Romex2121]

My (4.4 Galanz) mini fridge crapped out sometime early this morning, the ink bird alarm woke me up when the temp started going up…
looks like the compressor seized up and to have it replaced would cost more than what I paid for the mini fridge to start with and yes there was a keg with about 2 gallons of cream ale in it when it stopped working…
I used the fridge for fermenting, cold crashing and keeping keg cold . I usually only do 3 gallon batches sometimes a five gallon here and there and keg with a 3 gallon keg set up and bottle the rest when doing five gallons .
Im wondering if there’s any up sides to going with a small chest freezer over another mini fridge ??
What would you do
Mini fridge or chest freezer ??

 

[Rish]

Never know when you might want to go bigger, so I'd go with the chest freezer. Would also let you do colder temperatures if you want to cold crash.

 

[beerfactory]

I am in your boat with a Frigidaire 7.5(compact fridge). It's all I have to ferment and serve out of... I think I am going to get a 2nd one... but my compressor locked up (and had to be reset) when trying to cool a fermenter from 75 down to 65 - I wonder if a chest freezer would perform better.

 

[toadie]

I'm no expert on the topic but see no reason not to get a chest freezer. A good used one is easy to find, cheap and why not let the inkbird do the work!

 

[Staticsouls]

Find a normal sized fridge for free. They perform better and can hold at least 4 kegs. The thing with chest freezers is lifting in and out is a chore. Mine always over cooled, but that could have been my build issue. Fridges are so much easier to load fermenters and kegs into than a chest freezer.

 

[724b]

I prefer a chest freezer, but the clear advantage of a mini fridge is that it's easier to get kegs in and out.

 

[Stonecold_OM]

I went with a chest freezer myself as they are usually cheaper to find. I picked up a brand new one from target for $200. 7CuFt I believe. My issue with fridges are that even used they can be pricey, and if they have drawers in the bottom then it causes a problem because of weight or the shape of the floor.

 

[kccabs44]

Craigslist is your friend here. I have a keezer I built from chest freezer purchased from a home brewer giving up the hobby. And a free fridge for fermenting in from someone looking to clear up space in the garage. Ya kinda need both if you're brewing frequently IMO

 

[jrgtr42]

Craigslist is your friend here. I have a keezer I built from chest freezer purchased from a home brewer giving up the hobby. And a free fridge for fermenting in from someone looking to clear up space in the garage. Ya kinda need both if you're brewing frequently IMO

TBH Craigslist isn’t always your friend. I’ve been watching for those for a while now, and I’ve rarely seen them selling cheaper than a brand-new one from Target or Home Depot. 4.4cf fridge, $190 at HD, $225 or more on CL. 5.0cf chest freezer, similar prices new, $300 on cl, all well used.

 

[DannyBoy270]

I currently have a mini fridge set up for fermenting/cold crashing and if it craps out will probably give the freezer a shot just to see if it performs better. My mini fridge takes awhile to get the beer down to 40F...