Chest freezer

[Cata_rebel]

I want to build bigger temp control fermentation chamber What size of chest freezer do I need for 2 -3 6.5 gal carboy???

 

[myelo]

For 3 carboys, probably 8 cubic feet or larger. If it's close, it's always best to measure to be sure.

Have you seen this:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/chest-freezer-specs-and-layouts.377518/

 

[RM-MN]

I want to build bigger temp control fermentation chamber What size of chest freezer do I need for 2 -3 6.5 gal carboy???

You don't need a bigger fermentation chamber. If you put in one carboy with the controller you control its fermentation temperature. Works great. When you add a second carboy, one of them has a controller, the other runs wild. Since your beer only needs fermentation control during the first few days to control the formation of esters and fusels, when that period is over (about day 4 or 5) you can take that carboy out and let it come to room temperature while you put the next one in. If that isn't fast enough turnaround for you, you need a bigger fermentation vessel or a second fermentation chamber with its own controller.

 

[Cata_rebel]

You don't need a bigger fermentation chamber. If you put in one carboy with the controller you control its fermentation temperature. Works great. When you add a second carboy, one of them has a controller, the other runs wild. Since your beer only needs fermentation control during the first few days to control the formation of esters and fusels, when that period is over (about day 4 or 5) you can take that carboy out and let it come to room temperature while you put the next one in. If that isn't fast enough turnaround for you, you need a bigger fermentation vessel or a second fermentation chamber with its own controller.

I have 1 made of refrigerator I used to used it for sausage and salami
I built it whit temp control and humidity
Right now only take 1 carboy at the time and the period is about 2 weeks
I will like to do 11 gal then 5.5 anyway I'm wasting time brewing and cleaning etc even if I keep it at room temp in keg that's why I was thinking to get chest freezer for 2 carboys
I have the temp control is easy to move (inkbird 308) also easy to bypass thermostat
Cheers

 

[Cata_rebel]

For 3 carboys, probably 8 cubic feet or larger. If it's close, it's always best to measure to be sure.

Have you seen this:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/chest-freezer-specs-and-layouts.377518/

This is whit kegs
I want something to hold 2 carboys 6.5 gal

 

[skleice]

This is whit kegs
I want something to hold 2 carboys 6.5 gal

Carboys are listed as well.

 

[Cata_rebel]

Carboys are listed as well.

I got it now
Thank you

 

[Rick Crane]

I bought a Fridgidaire at home Depot and a Inkbird temp controller.

Frigidaire 5 cu. ft. Chest Freezer in White-FFCS0522AW - The Home Depot
Store more of your favorite frozen foods and optimize bulk food storage with the Frigidaire 5.0 Cu. Ft. chest freezer. Great for storing large or small items, this chest freezer features a removable basket,
www.homedepot.com

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HXM5UAC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

One carboy or one bucket fits fine. ( 5.0 cu Feet)

 

[_BullDog_]

I have a 7 cu ft freezer from costco. Holds both my 6 gal and 7 gal fermonsters plus various 1 gal carboys.

 

[Vicat]

I bought a Fridgidaire at home Depot and a Inkbird temp controller.

Frigidaire 5 cu. ft. Chest Freezer in White-FFCS0522AW - The Home Depot
Store more of your favorite frozen foods and optimize bulk food storage with the Frigidaire 5.0 Cu. Ft. chest freezer. Great for storing large or small items, this chest freezer features a removable basket,
www.homedepot.com

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HXM5UAC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

One carboy or one bucket fits fine. ( 5.0 cu Feet)

That is what I am looking to buy. I have an Inkbird and a heater with a fan. How do you like it so far?

 

[deuc224]

Chest freezers are hard to get right now so I luckily found a fridgidaire 12 cu. ft. one for 500 that im just gonna use to storage kegs of beer on co2.

 

[Rick Crane]

That is what I am looking to buy. I have an Inkbird and a heater with a fan. How do you like it so far?

So far so good. I have my first beer fermenting, all grain Irish stout. I taped a temperature probe to the glass carboy to monitor the temp and see how the Inkbird controller and freezer behave together. Here is a graph of my temperatures over about 24 hours. The freezer temp is set to the almost lowest setting on the dial. I may crank it to the highest and make another graph. The inkbird sensor is also taped to the carboy with some foam insulation . I have the Inkbird set for 64 degrees F and my temp fluctuates 3 degrees over about 3 hours.

 

[Vicat]

Just curious if you set the +/- 3 degrees on purpose. I was thinking of only setting it to +/- 1 degree for a black IPA that I'm going to brew.

 

[Rick Crane]

The temperature fluctuation I can not control. It's just how the Inkbird works. I have turned the freezer temp up to max and have turned it down to lowest settings and there is still a 3 to 4 degree temperature swing. On the Inkbird I have also changed heating differential and cooling differential higher and lower and it does not make much difference in the temperature swing. I have my temperature probes taped to the carboy.

 

[day_trippr]

The temperature fluctuation I can not control. It's just how the Inkbird works. [...]

That's only because the "Differential" settings are still at their 3°F defaults.

If you go through the setup procedure you can change the Differential settings (HD and CD for Heating and Cooling, respectively) to something as small as 1°F.

Cheers!

 

[Rick Crane]

I will set those to ZERO and see what my temperature logger says over 24 hours. I do not believe i can maintain a constant 64 degrees 100% over time. I Mean the temp controller will kick in and drop the temp to below 64 F and turn off. The temp will rise a little above 64 before it kicks the compressor on again and the temp will fall, so there will always be some up and down over 2 weeks in the primary.

 

[Elric]

I will set those to ZERO and see what my temperature logger says over 24 hours. I do not believe i can maintain a constant 64 degrees 100% over time. I Mean the temp controller will kick in and drop the temp to below 64 F and turn off. The temp will rise a little above 64 before it kicks the compressor on again and the temp will fall, so there will always be some up and down over 2 weeks in the primary.

if you can add a thermowell to your bung and get the temperature probe into your beer it will show less fluctuations than being taped to the side of your carboy.

 

[day_trippr]

I will set those to ZERO and see what my temperature logger says over 24 hours. [...]

Pretty sure 1° is the minimum differential

fwiw, I run my controllers with a 2°F differential then set the Set Point one degree below my target temperature. So, still a 2 degree differential to cut down on compressor cycles, but keeping the kegs within a degree of my goal...

Cheers!

 

[Skeptonomicon]

Even if the inkbird is set to 1 degree, you are likely to see some larger fluctuations in the temp. This is because of the mechanical limitations of the refrigeration system. It has a lag between turning on and the evaporator coils cooling, and another lag between the coils and the air inside the unit cooling. By the time the air cools, the system has overshot the set point. You will see large swings in temp of the air, less on the side of the carboy, but almost no fluctuation of the wort. Still, taped to the side of the carboy should get you down to 1 or 2 degree fluctuations.

 

[Rick Crane]

if you can add a thermowell to your bung and get the temperature probe into your beer it will show less fluctuations than being taped to the side of your carboy.

I was thinking about putting the probe in the beer. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[Rick Crane]

Pretty sure 1° is the minimum differential

fwiw, I run my controllers with a 2°F differential then set the Set Point one degree below my target temperature. So, still a 2 degree differential to cut down on compressor cycles, but keeping the kegs within a degree of my goal...

Cheers!

I changed the settings to +4 F for a day and made another graph It does not make a big difference I set them both to +1 F for a day and did another graph, attached. I had the temp set at 63f .