Mold in Fermenter/fridge ?

[Bobb25]

I have a 7 cu. ft. freezer/fermentation chamber. It is set at 65 degrees with a Double IPA aging in it. The beer is safe with water in the air lock, but I am seeing mold forming in the fridge, and on the outside of the fermentor. I guess that this is common in closed up fridges. Any suggestions on preventing / controlling it?

 

[estricklin]

Build yourself a fan out of an old cell phone charger and a computer fan, this will keep the air moving, which I gather mold doesn't like too much.

You can also use some damp rid.

 

[marvinsjunk]

I get the same thing in mine. I try to clean it out after each batch with a mild bleach solution. I haven't gotten around to it, but I plan to add an electronic dehumidifier or chemical desiccant like DampRid. The humidity gets very high in there and probably makes the mold problem worse.

I agree that the beer should be safe inside the fermenter, but I'm always paranoid about opening the lid inside the freezer for gravity readings or whatnot. I'm sure there's all kinds of mold spores floating around in there.

 

[Hermit]

Store some old newspaper there if you still get the paper edition. It is excellent for humidity/odor control in this situation. Plus, if you line the floor, easy spill clean up.

 

[WayFrae]

You could buy a bunch of silica gel and put it in a sock or something. When the silica gel absorbs all the moisture it can then you can dump it onto a pan and put it in the oven on low to dry it out for reuse. No moisture, no mold.