Inkbird for upright freezer?

[storytyme]

Hello everyone. If you are a homebrewer then when anyone asks if you want their old fridge or freezer you probably scream yes before they finish their sentence. I have obtained an upright freezer that I want to use as storage for bottled homebrew that I bottle from my kegs. The freezer has the fixed shelves in it with coil running through each shelf. If I use an Inkbird controller to basically turn this into a fridge will that work? I'm a bit nervous for something bad to happen and everything gets frozen. For those of you who have done that what are some downfalls? Where should I locate the probe? What temp to set it at? Other ideas or thoughts? Thanks everyone in advance. Cheers!

 

[Coookies58]

For certain the theory works. The real downfall is a failure of the inkbird means potentially frozen (or slushy) beer. I would think like most ferm chambers to place the probe somewhere in there with a sponge, thermal tape, or in a glass of water would keep it close to the range. Temp is your preference, but I’d say somewhere between 34-39 is average for a beer fridge/kegerator.

 

[IslandLizard]

I would not put the bottles directly onto the evaporator coil shelves, to prevent potential "thermal shock." Put some foam or cardboard in between.
If there's no recirculation fan in it, I would install one or 2, and run them while the freezer is turned on through the Inkbird.

 

[IslandLizard]

For certain the theory works. The real downfall is a failure of the inkbird means potentially frozen (or slushy) beer. I would think like most ferm chambers to place the probe somewhere in there with a sponge, thermal tape, or in a glass of water would keep it close to the range. Temp is your preference, but I’d say somewhere between 34-39 is average for a beer fridge/kegerator.

I use an upright keezer, but not one with coil shelves. The evaporator coil is behind the back panel and includes a fan that recirculates cold air while the compressor is on.

Yes, there is a potential freeze-up problem if the Inkbird malfunctions and gets stuck in the on-position or with a bad placement of the probe.

 

[IslandLizard]

or in a glass of water

Tape it along a bottle in a central location that helps keep the overall temps.
Don't put an open glass of water in the freezer; it will evaporate and cause more condensation. You may also experience drips from defrosting...

 

[storytyme]

I would not put the bottles directly onto the evaporator coil shelves, to prevent potential "thermal shock." Put some foam or cardboard in between.
If there's no recirculation fan in it, I would install one or 2, and run them while the freezer is turned on through the Inkbird.

Do you have a basic layout on how you would connect the fans to the controller?Using fans from old computers work?

 

[IslandLizard]

Do you have a basic layout on how you would connect the fans to the controller?Using fans from old computers work?

Yes, (old) computer fans will work well. They're typically 12V (and thus safe to use in damp locations). You'd need an adapter (wall wart) or use an old computer power supply.

Plug a powerstrip into the cooling output of the Inkbird. Then plug the wall wart(s) or PS and the freezer into the power strip. Voilá! They all turn on at the same time.

If you want the fans to run longer, after the freezer turns off, it gets trickier... Unless you just run a fan continuously. Some do in their (chest) keezers to prevent temp stratification since the bottom is much colder than anywhere near the lid area.

 

[Nate R]

I am HUGE fan of upright freezers for anything beer!!

I would not sweat an inkbid failure. I've had the same one going for 4+ years no issues.
If it does fail... it will probably just not turn the freezer on.

I suggest leaaving the fans running 24/7. Look for quiet fans if you have this indoors. Get a 9 to 12 volt DC fan, you do not need a lot of CFM movement here. Just a small gentle circulation is fine. Then take an old cell phone charger, cut off the ends, and wire to your fan(s). Wire two or more in parrellel.
These may not be the full 12vdc needed, but it's fine. You do not want speed here- just a small steady air movement is fine.
Stay away from 120v ac in my opinion for safety sake.

As for the probe... i just leave it open. Try some tests for you, but my probe is set to 29, with a 10 swing. The beer does not freeze, but gets very cold. I like the big swing so my compressor is not cycling as much. This is where the fans staying in helps- it circulates the air while the freezer is off.

Note- the more you put in the freezer, the more colder it will get!! So if you pack it, bump the temp up a few degrees on the inkbird.

 

[oldjetdriver]

I am using an Inkbird with an upright freezer. Freezer is plugged into cooling and a grow mat is plugged into heating. Keeps the the freezer temperature at 68 + - 2 for fermentation and bottle conditioning. There is a high and low temperature alarm on the Inkbird ITC-308

 

[storytyme]

I am HUGE fan of upright freezers for anything beer!!

I would not sweat an inkbid failure. I've had the same one going for 4+ years no issues.
If it does fail... it will probably just not turn the freezer on.

I suggest leaaving the fans running 24/7. Look for quiet fans if you have this indoors. Get a 9 to 12 volt DC fan, you do not need a lot of CFM movement here. Just a small gentle circulation is fine. Then take an old cell phone charger, cut off the ends, and wire to your fan(s). Wire two or more in parrellel.
These may not be the full 12vdc needed, but it's fine. You do not want speed here- just a small steady air movement is fine.
Stay away from 120v ac in my opinion for safety sake.

As for the probe... i just leave it open. Try some tests for you, but my probe is set to 29, with a 10 swing. The beer does not freeze, but gets very cold. I like the big swing so my compressor is not cycling as much. This is where the fans staying in helps- it circulates the air while the freezer is off.

Note- the more you put in the freezer, the more colder it will get!! So if you pack it, bump the temp up a few degrees on the inkbird.

Great advice! Thank you so much. Where in the freezer do you mount the fans? Computer fans?

 

[storytyme]

Yes, (old) computer fans will work well. They're typically 12V (and thus safe to use in damp locations). You'd need an adapter (wall wart) or use an old computer power supply.

Plug a powerstrip into the cooling output of the Inkbird. Then plug the wall wart(s) or PS and the freezer into the power strip. Voilá! They all turn on at the same time.

If you want the fans to run longer, after the freezer turns off, it gets trickier... Unless you just run a fan continuously. Some do in their (chest) keezers to prevent temp stratification since the bottom is much colder than anywhere near the lid area.

Great info! Thanks again!!

 

[Nate R]

Great advice! Thank you so much. Where in the freezer do you mount the fans? Computer fans?

Yes computer fans... i think i got mine at Fry's electronics but amazon is fine too. Again you do not need a lot of speed or power... just a gentle movement of air will work.
I built a shelving unit for my keezer, so i built the fans into the shelves. Otherwise, i would just place the fan(s) out of the way in the back so they don't get knocked around.