Freezer to Fermentation Chamber Help

[nate_e]

Hey All!
I just picked up a Frigidaire "Commercial" (model ffc0723dw5) chest freezer from craigslist and am about to order a 2-stage Ranco controller. The freezer was a steal but the inside dimensions are little wonky. It has a 7 ft^3 capacity as far as I can tell, but as is, it will only fit one 6 gal carboy. Another one could sit on the compressor hump, but there isn't enough clearance to close the lid with an airlock on (see pics).
Should I build a wood collar like people put on keezers or is there a more straight forward solution? Do those collars result in decreased cooling near the top?

Any advice is appreciated!

 

[Yunus]

I use my chest freezer as fermentation and serving vessel. I put a collar on it and it works fine to chill even on the hump. One piece of advice, put hinges on the front wood panel of the collar so you dont have to lift your carboys and kegs the extra six inches above the wood.

 

[DanH]

I use my chest freezer as fermentation and serving vessel. I put a collar on it and it works fine to chill even on the hump. One piece of advice, put hinges on the front wood panel of the collar so you dont have to lift your carboys and kegs the extra six inches above the wood.

Or do something like this; the entire collar lifts up. A lot of people do that.


Also, I insulated the collar- not sure if the wood alone would be efficient.

 

[marinosr]

7.8 gallon plastic buckets are actually 3-4" shorter (and wider) than 6.5 gallon carboys and plastic buckets. If you just switch to one of those buckets for the fermenter resting on the hump, you'll save yourself a ton of work. I had to make the same switch for my ferm chamber, and it's not as fun to not be able to see inside, but in my estimation the extra time and money was not worth the benefit.

 

[nate_e]

Or do something like this; the entire collar lifts up. A lot of people do that.


Also, I insulated the collar- not sure if the wood alone would be efficient.

I like the look of this, a couple of questions:
Are those 2x8's?
How did you attach the door to the collar?
Can you recomend a kind of insulation?

Thanks!

 

[DanH]

I like the look of this, a couple of questions:
Are those 2x8's?
How did you attach the door to the collar?
Can you recomend a kind of insulation?

Thanks!

They're 2x12 (just cuz they were free). The door was glued to the collar with industrial strength construction adhesive (caulk gun style). I use the insulation that Home Depot sells. It's 1" thick and comes in, I think, a 2ft x 4ft panel. Then I tape the seams.