Cut out the bottom of a deep Freezer?

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Thebraves2000

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I'm thinking about cutting the bottom out of a deep freezer but I'm not sure if it has coils in the bottom. I figured out the deep freezer empty doesn't weight that mush compared to 5.5 gal of beer and would be an easy lift compared to my fermenter. Add some pulley and up the chest freezer would go. Besides using a laser temperature to check for hot spot (ie the coil) I can't think of any other way. I know the coils are in the side walls (super cold) and the outside wall gets (hot).
Its a insignia deep freezer. Your thoughts?
 
There won't be any tubing running inside the bottom-most level of a chest freezer. The coil assemblies for both evaporator and condenser run around the cabinet perimeter (sides and front - usually nothing running in the back). There will be attaching runs in the compressor compartment to the coils and you can usually see those clearly, but that would be under the "hump", not the "floor".

It is true modern chest freezers are remarkably light. My K2 keezer was built on a 12cf freezer and when it died I picked the carcass up and stuffed it in my Durango single-handed, no big whoop.

So, you didn't actually specify why you're thinking of this rather radical idea. Is it to avoid constructing a collar or replacement lid, or something else? It almost reads like you'd spot your kegs, then lower the chest freezer over them, and then raise the freezer any time you want to change out a keg?

Cheers!
 
But then he doesn't get to dismember a freezer... and rig up some pulleys...

Geez man, do you even DYI, Bro? 🤣 😁 :bigmug:

Oh yeah, lets have fun with a cut off wheel and sawzall, painted aluminum, random unclassified insulation products and always the exiting chance of hitting a coolant line. he heh {; well, I guess there are some who have to do this sort of thing to know it might be better avoided. Please don't ask how I know 'bout that. Anyway, good luck. smiley face & isht,

To OP, thoughts above, In all semi seriousness, I'd keep things intact if the unit you are doing to cut up is fully operational & can be used to purpose, unless of course you are pretty familiar with unit you are going to cut up & have a plan.

I'm thinking about cutting the bottom out of a deep freezer but I'm not sure if it has coils in the bottom. I figured out the deep freezer empty doesn't weight that mush compared to 5.5 gal of beer and would be an easy lift compared to my fermenter. Add some pulley and up the chest freezer would go. Besides using a laser temperature to check for hot spot (ie the coil) I can't think of any other way. I know the coils are in the side walls (super cold) and the outside wall gets (hot).
Its a insignia deep freezer. Your thoughts?
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Is there a way to run a chest freezer upside-down? Is it the compressor unit that needs to be upright? Maybe that can be rotated somehow so it runs properly flipped. Maybe you could then lay down foam, place your fermenter on it lower your freezer over it. May not be ideal to everyone, but may get you what you want with less modification to the freezer?
 
I wish I had thought of this instead of mounting unistrut to the ceiling with a roller and pulley in it to remove fermented beer from my chest freezer. Set it on a counter. Siphon to keg and use the same pulley to put the keg into my keezer.

I say go for it.

:ghostly::bravo:
 
You all crack me up and put a little smile on my face. The big question why, I have a deep freezer and my new conical a little too (tall) and heavy when full of beer. In the past I would just break my back and pull the bucket out of the deep freezer. Make it easy to do a trub/yeast dump.

I’m thinking I should cut out part of the bottom of the deep freezer and put it on top of an insulated box with a door. Perhaps just a few 2-inch holes in the deep freezer bottom with some fans to help move air to the bottom unit.
 
I wish I had thought of this instead of mounting unistrut to the ceiling with a roller and pulley in it to remove fermented beer from my chest freezer. Set it on a counter. Siphon to keg and use the same pulley to put the keg into my keezer.

I say go for it.

:ghostly::bravo:
Can you please post a picture?
 
problem being the cold air will fall out the bottom. I have an old freezer and I have tuned it on it's end, would have twisted the compressor so it was upright but found it was faulty anyway so changed it and re-gassed. makes a good spacious kegerator for two 30lt kegs controlled with a cheap w1209 temperature controller.
 
Some homebrewers built their own ferm chamber using a refrigerator or an AC window unit as the cold source inside a foam lined "box," with access doors and all. And a fan to move the cold air around when the cold source turns on.

Your idea is a bit more extreme version of that.
I think you'd could cut one or more decent openings out of the bottom and put fans in them, as well as a return duct.
How big of a freezer are you thinking of using?

For comparison, I have an upright freezer I use for fermentation. It fits 2 brew buckets or my one 7 gallon conical. Lifting the conical in and out is about the max I can handle by myself. Lifting height is about 6".
 
Is there a way to run a chest freezer upside-down? Is it the compressor unit that needs to be upright? Maybe that can be rotated somehow so it runs properly flipped. Maybe you could then lay down foam, place your fermenter on it lower your freezer over it. May not be ideal to everyone, but may get you what you want with less modification to the freezer?
If you're going to the trouble of reorienting the compressor, might as well stand it up on one end with compressor hump to the top, and have the door open to the side like an upright freezer.

Of course if it's deep enough, you could rotate the thing forward to put the opening at the front, then re-rig the door hinges to open from the side like a giant microwave oven.
 
If you're going to the trouble of reorienting the compressor, might as well stand it up on one end with compressor hump to the top, and have the door open to the side like an upright freezer.

Of course if it's deep enough, you could rotate the thing forward to put the opening at the front, then re-rig the door hinges to open from the side like a giant microwave oven.

Absolutely!
 
Is there a way to run a chest freezer upside-down? Is it the compressor unit that needs to be upright? Maybe that can be rotated somehow so it runs properly flipped. Maybe you could then lay down foam, place your fermenter on it lower your freezer over it. May not be ideal to everyone, but may get you what you want with less modification to the freezer?
The compressor has to be in the right position for the oil to do whatever it does-that's why you let it sit upright for a day before you plug it in if you've transported it other than vertically
 
You are thinking I just need to make sure the compressor faces up. Should I have the hump at the bottom or top. Most compressor are at bottom of fridges/freezers so that worries me.



IMG_2121.jpg
 
The compressor needs to be oriented in original position to work, , in fact, to not self destruct. Also in many units, it needs to be at bottom of refrigerant circuit. There are units with compressor on top (mostly commercial ones) where gravity is not a factor in coolant cycle, but unless designed that way, gravity usually plays a part in refrigerant circulation.

Also in all seriousness, Island Lizzard's comment about unit's structural integrity is a good point.

One posibility to solve you're lifting problem might be to put unit up on some blocks, it would not have to be that high up. That way you could do gravity assisted siphon closed transfers of beer & wort. Alternativly, if you have a good seal on system, you could move liquid around w CO2 pressure alone.
 
I just took plywood scraps and built a large box, insulated with 3 inches of sheet styrofoam and bubble wrap, with a window AC ,mounted on the back. Even in my old garage where summer temps easily hit 115F, I could ferment lagers once I chilled the wort to under 55F. But if I had to do it again I would probably find an upright freezer carcass and cut a hole in the back to mount the AC
 
@corkybstewart I assume you have some form of temp controller? STC 1000, brewpiless, brewpi, inkbird or some other?

Important that you have a lockout period on the fridge of several minutes so that the compressor doesn't cycle on and off rapidly. That will kill it fast.
My fridge more than happy to operate with beer in at 95 f or at cooler temps.

Regarding the OP and tall fermenter I sourced a front opening fridge with freezer on top.

Fermenter in the bottom and I cut a hole in the freezer base so that the fanned freezer is ducted thru there into the fridge chamber. Works really well especially at cold crash as the plate in the back of the fridge is also working at the same time as the icy blast.
I filled freezer at the top with insulation as it's redundant as a freeze space.
There aren't lines in the bottom of the freezer section ( as discussed above for the chest freezer).
 

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Yes, I have a temp controller for the deep freezer with a lockout period. That would make 2 in the house. The first one hold the kegs and taps and one just for fermentation. Good to hear its a bad idea to move the compressor.
 
there's a chance that the tech service dept of the company that made your freezer would confirm that there is no tubing or electricals in the floor of the freezer.

as for structural integrity, if OP cuts the floor through along the inside of the walls, as opposed to cutting the bottom off and taking the bottom inch of the walls with it, I think it should be strong enough to lift up with a pulley then reposition when lowered. you would use foam gasket on the perimeter of the bottom so when the freezer is lowered, it will compress the gasket and seal just the same way the top of the freezer now seals against the gasket which is on the top of the sides.

as for cutting the floor around the compressor area: I think I would invert the freezer and start cutting the bottom a distance in from the walls equal to the wall thickness plus probably an inch to be ultra safe. I would cut what was the front (when it was upright), the side opposite the compressor, then the rear up to a couple of inches from where the compressor is. then make the fourth cut, to remove the floor, giving wide berth to the compressor area.

next, I would turn it back upright and remove enough of the inside lining on what remains of the floor to see how much closer to the compressor you can cut the floor.

for a new floor, I think I would use 3/4" marine plywood or veneer plywood painted with a good quality epoxy paint. the marine plywood will be flat and true so the gasket material you use around the perimeter won't have any air gaps in it, and the epoxy paint will protect the plywood from the condensation that will accumulate.

I wish I could be there to help!!

Ken
 
Sounds to me like a great method to screw up an otherwise good chest freezer. Nearly impossible to get it right, you still have the collar and taps and all the beer and CO2 lines which would have to lift and clear everything inviting leaks. Try to chase those leaks down with your spray bottle while its lifted.

Then you still need a pulley to lift while you work on it…

… and then you get a keg leak and it drains 5 gallons on the floor.

I’d toss this idea in the beer scrap heap!
 
Can you please post a picture?
It's just a matter of placement. The 25 dollar Craigslist freezer in the corner ferments with an STC 1000 controller I put in an old first aid kit box. The roller in the unistrut makes it pretty simple. You were going to rig a pulley system anyway...
20211204_115742.jpg


I need to get rid of a bunch of delabeled bottles. Anyone still bottle around Louisville?
 
I've seen quite a few ill-advised ideas around here over the last 15 years and this one is right up there with the worst of them. I know we're supposed to be supportive of creativity and all, but this feels a lot like telling your kid they really could be the next Kelly Clarkson with a straight face.
 
I've seen quite a few ill-advised ideas around here over the last 15 years and this one is right up there with the worst of them. I know we're supposed to be supportive of creativity and all, but this feels a lot like telling your kid they really could be the next Kelly Clarkson with a straight face.
Thanks, that totally gave me the chuckles. I was thinking "hey guys, hold my beer and watch this!"

I've drilled 5 holes through the side of my fridge for taps and air line, and that was one of the more nerve-wracking things I've done. My process was to slowly slice through the inner plastic layer of lining, pull all the insulation in the diameter of the hole out with a dull screwdriver, then drill through the outer metal layer of the fridge.

Done that way, this could work
 
Thebraves2000

I was tongue in cheek earlier, but I think you said the conical is too tall and too heavy. Therefore you are building a box with a door below the freezer and cutting the bottom out.

If you simply add a collar (cheap, easy, and quick) on top for height you are simply needing to lift the conical with beer as you would in the picture I added above.

Not sure what your conical weighs but the rig I have above is rated at several hundred pounds. If you have the height to raise the freezer you should have the height to raise the conical and let gravity drain it from the bottom.

I raise my 7 gallon carboy onto the counter, as described before, siphon to keg and put the keg in the keezer with the same system.
 
I'm thinking about cutting the bottom out of a deep freezer but I'm not sure if it has coils in the bottom. I figured out the deep freezer empty doesn't weight that mush compared to 5.5 gal of beer and would be an easy lift compared to my fermenter. Add some pulley and up the chest freezer would go. Besides using a laser temperature to check for hot spot (ie the coil) I can't think of any other way. I know the coils are in the side walls (super cold) and the outside wall gets (hot).
Its a insignia deep freezer. Your thoughts?
did u ever cut into it to find out? in need of making a couple of holes for piping and don't know where not to drill:/ have a magic chef 3.5 cu chest pretty much same as yours @Thebraves2000
 
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