Looking at a free chest freezer

[krazydave]

aerosol smell is better than rotting flesh smell, any day!
I had an ice chest once that some meat spoiled in for about a week. No matter what I tried though, I couldn't get rid of that smell. I tried bleach, vinegar, charcoal (to absorb it), leaving it in the sun for a long time, painting and sealing the inside. I eventually just tossed it.
I hope your results are better than mine!

I definitely agree with the notion to remove\replace the insulation in the lid and strip the paint though. I think the smell permeates plastics and porous material more so than metal.

 

[joenads]

just an update as the smell the chest freezer came with is almost un noticable. I got an old corny keg from one of the local micros that was full of beer (some stout that was made over a year ago but the party they took it to didnt have the ball lock attachments) and I put it in the freezer to get it out of the way. I hooked up a picnic tap to see if the beer was still good, which it was, but when i removed the picnic tap, the post seemed to leak a small amount. this resulted in having a bit of sticky stout at the bottome of the freezer, but it smells much better. I have started the construction of my coffin keezer, but am horrible to document the progress. i will post a final picture eventually...as of this weekend, though, the chest freezer once again stinks. its not a bad thing this time as I am fermenting my first lager in there "(rhino farts!). It was one hell of a brew day though that can be seen here: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/broken-carboy-club-314087/

 

[CGVT]

Congrats on the great score and success in cleaning it up! Make sure to post a picture of the finished keezer.

 

[joelrapp]

I had to scrub my kegerator down with baking soda and H2O

 

[joenads]

well, seems as though the freezer crapped out on me. was holding steady for the lager at about 48 F. over the last 2 days it slowly rose to about 58 F. I don't know what to do about lagering my lager now... I have an idea to take the garage fridge (cheap craigslist buy, but the refridgerator, which is fed from the freezer, doesnt get very cool) and harvest the freezer coils and put that into the chest freezer since I know that freezes. I think my first lager is going to be ruined though...

 

[joenads]

I successfully gutted my garage fridge for the freezer components. It was not an easy process, by I got thru it. The worst part was the "yoder loop" and I didn't know about it until i started following the condensor lines through the front of the fridge and aroudn the freezer. I did end up picking up an angle grinder, so I got a new tool out of it. My chest freezer is now sitting at a cool 35 degrees allowing my oktoberfest to lager!

 

[joenads]

Well, I finally got my keezer going. I've got 2 lines running right now. I still have to hook up the other 2, find a drip tray, and button up the back.

 

[CGVT]

Nice!

 

[LandoLincoln]

All that from a freezer that had a dead raccoon stored in it. Awesome. Good job.