New Kegerator Build... Frozen Keg Question

[carsonwarstler]

I've got a spare chest freezer, and extra temp controller, that I can fit 6 cornys in but they touch the freezer walls. I've read thru some threads and heard stories about kegs freezing up when they touch the freezer walls. This being because the freezer walls contain the cooling coils and are much colder than the air inside the freezer, when on.

Here's what I'm thinking.... I will drop the temperature on the kegs in another refrigerator before moving them into the freezer, that way I will avoid high temperatures, in efforts to keep the freezer walls from coming on as little as possible. Then place the temp controller probe in a bottle of water taped to the freezer wall, in hopes that it will cool that water to my set point before the kegs reach the set point and it turns off the freezer before freezing the kegs (as I typically have it set around 38-39 degrees).

Does anyone with experience in tightly packed freezer-kegerators, or frozen kegs think this will work?

Any help or advice is greatly appreciated!



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[day_trippr]

My old keezer barely squeezed in six ball lock kegs, and all of them were grabbing some wall. But the evaporator loop on nearly all chest freezers occupies a roughly 5-6" wide swath located high in the chassis, and if you can close the lid without needing a collar the odds are the evaporator is entirely above the metal portion of a typical corny keg.

In short, I never had a keg freeze up.

As for dunking a probe in a vessel of water to provide hysteresis in the control loop, that's likely going to fail eventually from water ingress, unless the probe is specifically warranted for full immersion. An alternative is to strap the probe directly to the side of the keg with a chunk of insulating foam over it. The probe will measure the keg temperature providing plenty of hysteresis, and you won't have to worry about eventually drowning the probe...

Cheers!

 

[JuanMoore]

My kegs are all squished against the walls of my tiny keezer, and I've never had an issue with kegs freezing, even when I kept the temp down at 36° for a while. Unless you're trying to keep the beer temp really close to freezing, or have some strange probe placement situation, I don't think it's something you really need to worry about.

 

[carsonwarstler]

I couldn't get all of the kegs to sit below the lid, so I added a 2x8 collar around the rim of the freezer.... think that puts my kegs right on the evaporator loop? Thanks for tip on not submerging the probe, def saved me in the long run. Instead of the water, I'll insulate the probe against the keg w some styrafoam. With it insulated there and a set point around 39.... think I'll be fine?

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[day_trippr]

Even a quarter inch of air space would probably be enough to avoid a cold spot on the side of a keg, if that could be managed.
Otherwise you can usually figure out where the evaporator actually is by being there when the compressor fires up. It'll be obvious what's cold.
It may be the top of your kegs could get frosty. So drink up that first gallon quickly!

Setpoint is dealer's choice, some folks like to hold their beer really cold (like 34°F) others closer to cellar temps (50°F) and the rest of us are somewhere in the middle. I've settled on a setpoint of 36°F with a +2 degree differential...

Cheers!

 

[carsonwarstler]

Thanks y'all! I appreciate the advice

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