GE 5.0 cu. ft. Chest Freezer

[kevinb]

Has anyone used the GE 5.0 cu. ft. Chest Freezer from Home Depot as a fermentation chamber? Looks like a good deal for only $189.

 

[helg56]

I have not used it personally, but I was looking all over the internet this weekend to see if it would fit a 6.5 carboy w/ the airlock, and it is very very close. You need about 26.25" of space to fit it in there without hitting the top, and from I found the ge 5.0 model has an inside height of 26". So its just short unfortunately. But you should be able to fit any smaller sizes of carboys or buckets in there, if i remember right the base is 16" x16". I actually went with the Holiday 5.0 chest freezer from Lowes, its cheaper, and they offer free delivery, which is good for me because I only have a small car and hate asking for help moving stuff.

 

[Gameface]

I have been using one for some time now. It's great! I make 10g batches and I use http://www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?cPath=178_33_464&products_id=12287 as a fermentor and it fits like a glove.

 

[Scuba_Stan]

I got my 10cu FT chest freezer for $40 on craigslist. It was 6years old and runs like a champ. Keeps all my fermentation at a nice 66F. One day i'll get to trying out a Lager.

 

[ShooterJT8]

Try Craigslist before buying brand new. I just got me a nice cheat freezer for $50 that I'm turning into my kegerator

 

[theveganbrewer]

If you don't get one on CL, don't get a 5cf. Get at least a 7 so you can do two 6 gallon carboys. The Holiday 7.0 at Lowes is just as nice and a lot cheaper than the GE model. Go to the post office and get a change of address package and take the 10% coupon with you. Buy the freezer at the store, use the coupon and they will let you pick up the freezer or deliver for free. They also sell the GE 7.0 for 229, with 10% off is around 200 bucks delivered. Home Depot does put the GE 7.0 on sale once a month for 189.99

 

[Waynep005]

I use a 7 cf GE Freezer from Home depot as a fermentation chamber. It works great and easily holds 2 6.5 carboys or two fermentation buckets at the same time. ersonally I was wiling to spend the extra money to get a new freezer instead of one from carsigs list that may be oin bad condition, and Home Depot delivers if you do not have a truck, SUV or other vehicle that can fit a freezer.

 

[mudminnow]

I just got one from costco. It is seven cf and was 179 I think brand new. I like being able two wave two fermentation vessels in at the same time

 

[Gameface]

Maybe I'm crazy, but I have 2 5cuft chest freezers for fermentation so that I can ferment at different temps and cold crash no matter what else I have going. If you had one 7cuft for two batches then you'd either have to wait until they're both ready to cold crash or find a different place for one of them while you cold crash. Also, I like that my fermentor takes up almost all the space and that I can place the temp probe right on the fermentor. If you had two batches (I assume 5gal, I do 10gal and don't think I could fit 2 in a 7cuft) in a freezer and one was fermenting more vigorously then you might end up driving the temp too low or allowing it to go too high in one batch or the other.

 

[Justintoxicated]

Maybe I'm crazy, but I have 2 5cuft chest freezers for fermentation so that I can ferment at different temps and cold crash no matter what else I have going. If you had one 7cuft for two batches then you'd either have to wait until they're both ready to cold crash or find a different place for one of them while you cold crash. Also, I like that my fermentor takes up almost all the space and that I can place the temp probe right on the fermentor. If you had two batches (I assume 5gal, I do 10gal and don't think I could fit 2 in a 7cuft) in a freezer and one was fermenting more vigorously then you might end up driving the temp too low or allowing it to go too high in one batch or the other.

Sure but that's more than 2x as expensive too.
A larger freezer for less money seems like a better deal to me. You could get 2 7.1 cuft costco freezers for less money and still do two different temps, unless space is an issue I suppose. If you use kegs for your secondaries you can fit 4 in the Costco Haier 7.1 freezer.

 

[theveganbrewer]

I just brew two batches that ferm at the same temp and then cold crash at the same time.

 

[kevinb]

Lowes has the Holiday models on sale this week. I think I am going to get one. I just need to decide 5 or 7 cubic feet.

 

[Banzai]

5 is good, 7 is better.

ETA: Home Depot routinely has the 7 on sale for $179.

 

[Pie_Man]

Sam's club has these even cheaper if you haven't bought it yet. I think the 5cu. ft. is $159 and the 7 is $189, something like that. If you don't have a membership, maybe you know someone who does.