Ferm chamber odor

[Mutt98]

So, I picked up a medium sized chest freezer on the cheap at an auction and plan to use it as a ferm chamber and/or cold storage. BUT, it has a bit of a funky odor. I think it’s probably been used to store fish at some point. It’s not overwhelming, but it’s noticeable and not a smell I’d say is enjoyable. I typically use fermonsters and big mouth bubblers for my fermentation. Will an odor from the freezer make its way into the beer? I’m currently in the midst of a heat wave, so it’s going to be hard to control my fermentation temp otherwise. But I think I’d rather roll the dice with a low to mid 70s fermentation if there’s a chance this odor makes it into the beer.

 

[mashdar]

I'd throw an open box of baking soda in the corner and call it a day.

edit: Do make sure it's thoroughly clean, though. Nowhere for dried guts to hide?

edit2: To elaborate, PET is fairly impermeable. If you were fermenting in HDPE, it would be more worrisome. Baking soda would just be an insurance policy, and would probably deaden the smell over time.

 

[day_trippr]

If this is an older model with a removable inner lid liner, you might consider removing it and replacing the insulation inside the lid. I've gone through three chest freezers in 20 years of brewing and the first two had batts of fiberglass stuffed inside the lid, almost certainly an odor sponge (my current keezer came with a foamed-in-place lid with a bonded liner which wasn't coming apart for love or money - so I built a custom lid)...

Cheers!

 

[Deadalus]

I'd mist it down and sprinkle the baking soda in the inside and let it sit for overnight at least. Then scrub it down with a scrubbrush and perhaps a little bleach. A neutral smelling pet odor remover could be a second attempt. I wouldn't use anything like Odoban or strong smelling as it may just end up with that smell instead.

 

[Mutt98]

Good ideas. Also worth noting, it looked very clean on the inside, but I gave it a very thorough bleach bath inside and out anyways. I was hoping that the fermenters would basically be a shield anyways, but hated to take any chances. I’ll definitely throw some baking soda in and check out the lid. It has metal walls and a plastic internal lid for what it’s worth.

 

[Mutt98]

If this is an older model with a removable inner lid liner, you might consider removing it and replacing the insulation inside the lid. I've gone through three chest freezers in 20 years of brewing and the first two had batts of fiberglass stuffed inside the lid, almost certainly an odor sponge (my current keezer came with a foamed-in-place lid with a bonded liner which wasn't coming apart for love or money - so I built a custom lid)...

Cheers!

Custom lid huh? Color me intrigued.

 

[day_trippr]

My build tome is here: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/my-k3-14-8cf-keezer-build.689790/
It's a biggie - at least two beers long - but here's the end result from the inside and outside...

Cheers!