How often does your Keezer turn on?

[Troutchaser]

I just recently got done with my Keezer and everything seems to work great but I have noticed that it cycles a lot. I haven't timed it but it seems like it turns on every 15-20 minutes seems like that would be very hard on it. It is extremely hot here in NorCal about 105 degrees today and it's in my garage so that's not helping me. So how often does your Keezer kick on in the heat of the summer?

 

[TechyDork]

What are you using to control it?

What do you have the temperature differential set at?

If it is 105 out then the freezer will probably have to work pretty hard to maintain your set point within a degree or two.

Also how big is the freezer and how full do you have it? If there is a lot of empty space then it will take more to keep it cool.

 

[Troutchaser]

I'm using a Johnson temp controller with the differential set at 4 and the temp at 40. I only have one degrees in it now and it's a 7 cu freezer. I'm guessing it's cycling a lot because it f***ing hot out! Damn global warming!

 

[TechyDork]

I'm using a Johnson temp controller with the differential set at 4 and the temp at 40. I only have one degrees in it now and it's a 7 cu freezer. I'm guessing it's cycling a lot because it f***ing hot out! Damn global warming!

yeah, i would bet that all that empty space + crazy high temps = lots of cycling of the compressor.

 

[tolbert]

maybe put the keezer outside? garage is probably hotter than 105F

i know mine gets hotter in the garage then it is outside.

 

[tooldudetool]

Once you fill that bad boy with beer it will cycle much less, thermal mass helps a lot with short cycling..

 

[brewprint]

Global warming! HA! That's total bs. Just because California and the West is about the only place on the globe that's hot doesn't mean it's global. Oh yeah I forgot about all of the maps that show warmer areas...and no temps in certain areas

I live in the Midwest and mine is cycling a LOT more since this miserable heat from the south is creeping up here. That along with all of the humidity.

The cooler it is the less it cycles. I keep mine at 35 with a 1 degree differential. I like cold beer

 

[day_trippr]

Today was hot - mid 80s°F - and I didn't turn on the AC.
My keezer was running a bit below 25% duty cycle: on for one hour every four and a quarter, with a 2°F differential setting...



But it's also filled with 6 kegs averaging around half-full, with the keg temp sensor attached to a nearly full keg, so there's some decent thermal inertia going on...

Cheers!

[edit] And I just noticed the tower cooler must've been bumped when I swapped a keg this week - that's a good 5°F higher than normal.
Gotta go fix that before I start drawing nightcaps

 

[DrunkleJon]

My keezer is in my basement. My basement likes to stay cool. It turns on maybe once every hour and a half or so for a short period of time.

Things to think about with your keezer.

It is over 100 outside. It WILL lose cold.
Probe placement. If you have the probe hanging free you will find that your keezer cycles alot. Air is terrible at maintaining temperatures. Tape the probe to a keg. You have a better measurement of the beer itself that way.
Thermal mass inside the keezer. The more stuff is in there, the longer it will stay cold. Of course it will also take longer for everything in there to get to the desired temperature. This will also keep temperature over/undershoots down to a minimum. Yes the beer will actually go through the entire temperature swing, but you should be able to tighten up the differential.
Air movement. Is there a fan inside? This can work wonders to even out temperature in the keezer.
Insulation. Is this a coffin keezer, or did you build a collar? How well did you insulate it?

Also, have you clad the keezer in anything? Waste heat is transferred out of chest freezers through the compressor area and through the outside walls (much like the inside walls radiate the cold into the compartment). Did you face the keezer in wood/something? That could be keeping some of the heat in which can be unhelpful.

Just thoughts.

 

[eric19312]

Today was hot - mid 80s°F - and I didn't turn on the AC.
My keezer was running a bit below 25% duty cycle: on for one hour every four and a quarter, with a 2°F differential setting...

View attachment 284228

But it's also filled with 6 kegs averaging around half-full, with the keg temp sensor attached to a nearly full keg, so there's some decent thermal inertia going on...

Cheers!

[edit] And I just noticed the tower cooler must've been bumped when I swapped a keg this week - that's a good 5°F higher than normal.
Gotta go fix that before I start drawing nightcaps

haha this is sick answer to OPs question

 

[Bearsmith]

Fill some buckets up with water and put them in there if you don't have more beer to add thermal mass.

 

[m00ps]

I have a friend that works for dippin dots and he got me my chest freezer. Its some crazy commercial grade flash freezer from a weird company in denmark. So it is super insulated and gets very cold. Like its operating range goes to -40C. So it only cuts on every 2 hrs or so and only needs to run for 2 or 3 min to maintain fermentation temps

 

[GotPushrods]

My 15 cu.ft. runs about 20-25% duty cycle.

On for 15 minutes down to 36*, off for 45-55 minutes up to 39*. Sits in 77* house.

Probe is wrapped/insulated to a 16oz water bottle. Kegs see a fraction of a degree swing.