Chest Freezer

[MyCarHasAbs]

I'm buying a chest freezer or two this weekend and I just want to make sure I understand how it will work.

Temp controller gets plugged in, temp probe goes to carboy. Carboy goes inside chest freezer. Chest freezer plugs up to temp controller. Set chest freezer for a little warmer of temp...maybe 50f if it's capable of going that high.

 

[McKnuckle]

Correct... Only minor tweak to that summary is the placement of the temperature probe. Since you're likely to have multiple brews in your freezer, many people place a gallon jug of water in the corner and put the probe in there. That way, you don't have to sanitize it and move it around when you deal with your carboys or kegs.

 

[Brian77095]

I would buy only one in less it is a package deal. I got one cheap and it works great but, putting full carboys in and out is rough on the back!

You can put the probe in a number of places. I have mine in a small container with zip lock bags of water around it. It works great for me.

You will want to make sure the probe either can get wet or you have it protected.

Also just leave the freezer temp setting alone. What you don't want is for the temp to get to warm and your controller kicks on to cool but your freezer does not.

Hope that helps!

 

[MyCarHasAbs]

Probably buying two 5.1 cubic freezers. So one for each carboy. I have thermo hoods.

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

Not to hijack but Im building my controller today,what amp receptical does everyone use.I bought a 20A

 

[kombat]

Temp controller gets plugged in, temp probe goes to carboy. Carboy goes inside chest freezer. Chest freezer plugs up to temp controller. Set chest freezer for a little warmer of temp...maybe 50f if it's capable of going that high.

Correct, except for the part about "setting the chest freezer." Mine are not adjustable, they simply try to get to freezing. If your chest freezer (not the temperature controller, we're talking about the freezer itself) is adjustable, set it to the lowest possible setting. The temperature controller will take care of cutting the power when the interior gets cold enough.

 

[kombat]

Correct... Only minor tweak to that summary is the placement of the temperature probe. Since you're likely to have multiple brews in your freezer, many people place a gallon jug of water in the corner and put the probe in there. That way, you don't have to sanitize it and move it around when you deal with your carboys or kegs.

With due respect, this is bad advice. Inside a cup of water is the worst possible placement for a temperature probe in a freezer being employed as a fermentation chamber.

Fermentation produces heat. As your beer warms up, you want your temperature controller to be able to recognize that as soon as possible, so it can activate the cooling circuit and cool the beer back down before the yeast get overexcited and produce off flavours. If you have your temperature probe in a cup of water, then the beer warms up, then it warms up the air in the freezer, then that warmer air slowly warms up the cup of water, until eventually, finally, the temperature controller recognizes that things are too warm, and it kicks on the freezer. By this time, the beer could be several degrees warmer than the water in the cup containing the temperature probe.

Also, why would you need to sanitize the temperature probe if moving it from fermenter to fermenter? Attach it to the outside of the fermenter (under some Styrofoam or bubble wrap), or shove it down the inside of a thermowell. In either case, it's not actually touching any beer, and does not need to be sanitized.

 

[MyCarHasAbs]

I think this got lost in translation somewhere. The probe is going inside the carboy tucked in the metal rod attached to the thermowell hood on top of the carboy. It's staying completely dry but reading internal temp of the wort.

My biggest question was if I needed to set the chest freezer temp up higher, but it Appears there's no reason to mess with it and let the electronics do their job.

 

[Ungoliant]

No need to mest with the chest freezer temp, the controller will do all the work.

I use a thermowell in my carboys for my probe as well. I have a Johnson A419. Jumpers are set to cut out and cooling. I have the offset set at 1, so all I do is put the setpoint to 1 degree below what I want my beer and it keeps it there until I say otherwise. It works great!

 

[MyCarHasAbs]

Hell yea, sounds like a plan. Ordered a 5.1 cubic freezer. Just enough room for one and to do a. Brew two weeks at a time. I figure I can take it out after two weeks and let it warm up a little before cold crashing.

 

[schematix]

I agree that putting the probe in a separate jug of water is a horrible awful idea. You'd be better hanging it in free air. The best thing to do is get a thermowell, second best is taping it onto a carboy and insulating it from the air.

For what it's worth, I have a fan in mine to circulate the air, and an Eva dry desiccant unit to take care of the humidity.

 

[MindenMan]

I am of the tape it to the carboy under a piece of foam and call it good school of thought. I have a 7.1 cu/ft chest freezer that I can put one 6.5G bucket on the floor in the corner, and one 6.5G bucket up on a 6" shelf due to the hump from the compressor blocking the floor.
Personally, I don't like reaching over the top the freezer to remove a fermenter either, so I DIY'ed a better system using what I had on hand: an extra bicycle ceiling rack. It will more than handle the weight and depending on where your carboy/fermenter is before lifting it in or out of your freezer you can decide where to place the pulleys. Cost-$9.95 + tax, and 20 minutes of your time. You have my permission to thank me later.

 

[Ungoliant]

an Eva dry desiccant unit to take care of the humidity.

I highly recommend this as well. I did a batch without one, and my 8.1 Cu Ft freezer got all full of mold. My fermenters were fine, but I've done 2-3 batches since getting the Eva Dry and I haven't seen much, if any, mold.

 

[kombat]

I highly recommend this as well. I did a batch without one, and my 8.1 Cu Ft freezer got all full of mold. My fermenters were fine, but I've done 2-3 batches since getting the Eva Dry and I haven't seen much, if any, mold.

Yup, I have an Eva Dry in all of my temperature-controlled freezer. Highly recommend.

 

[brewpool]

I agree that putting the probe in a separate jug of water is a horrible awful idea. You'd be better hanging it in free air. The best thing to do is get a thermowell, second best is taping it onto a carboy and insulating it from the air.

For what it's worth, I have a fan in mine to circulate the air, and an Eva dry desiccant unit to take care of the humidity.

Just saw your post and ordered an E-333 dessicant unit to keep moisture out of my chest freezer. Thanks!

 

[McKnuckle]

For the record... placement of the temp probe in a small container of water was meant when using the freezer for serving beer, NOT fermenting! (Maybe I missed something re: the OP's intended use of the freezer?)

 

[beernutz]

I do what most people are reporting:
wall outlet <-> STC 1000 plug <-> power strip plug connected to cold side STC 1k outlet<-> computer fan plug and freezer plug connected to power strip outlets

I use a small low power hair dryer for heating which does a good job of distributing heat in the freezer so I just plug it straight into the hot side outlet of the STC 1000. I tape my probe to a piece of solid insulation then tape that to the side of my fermentation container. Seems to work pretty well and negates installing a thermowell.

 

[beernutz]

For the record... placement of the temp probe in a small container of water was meant when using the freezer for serving beer, NOT fermenting! (Maybe I missed something re: the OP's intended use of the freezer?)

OP referred to carboys in the freezer which are typically associated with fermentation and not serving.

 

[AF1HomeBrew]

I thought I came upon a new topic. - Chest Freezers, but apparently not, so I am #19 a topic. I've had two Haier 7.2 Cu Ft. chest freezers until one of them crapped out recently, so I replaced it with a 9 cu ft. Thomson chest freezer that was available @ Sam's Club. The size is almost exactly what I had w/ a 7.2 cu Ft. Haier Chest Freezer, but the Thomson chest freezer was slightly deeper.clm