Old freezer with coils

[Louz]

I thought I saw a post about this somewhere last year, but I can't find it.

I have an old school upright freezer with the coils inside. Is it possible to move them around to make the freezer usable for a fermentation chamber?

Its a really cool vintage freezer thats just been sitting in my friends barn, works really well.

 

[IslandLizard]

I seriously doubt it.
You'd need to bend the coil shelves back toward the sides or back wall to create useful space. If one springs a leak the freezer is toast. IIRC the tubes and shelves are aluminum, so there's much less flexibility than if the coils were made from copper. Also, they tend to run several tubes together, up in the corners, one to each shelf. Again, less flexibility.

But if the freezer works well you can use it for storing hops and other things and maybe free up a freezer chest to be used for fermentation chamber or keezer, instead?

Now in theory, if you can find sturdy lidded bins (#1 or #2 plastic is preferred) that fit between the shelves you can use those as fermenters. You'd run blowoff hoses from an elbow in each lid to a jug of Starsan.

You can find many fridges and freezers on Craigslist, usually for little money. Make first sure they work though.

 

[GoeHaarden]

It's completely do-able. I'm actually using one of those frosting freezers for my keezer now. I got it for free after my old one died and I figure I wasn't out anything if I broke it.

What I did was remove all of the wire crossbars from the middle of the shelf I wanted to bend. Then I slow pushed the shelf down and to the back of the freezer. Nice and slow. I'll upload a picture when I find one of it empty...

 

[GoeHaarden]

Also, I would advise that the freezer needs to unplugged for a long time, and warm. I have mine in the garage and I did it during the summer months. Probably the warmer the better.

 

[beermanpete]

I successfully bent the shelves down on a freezer many years ago. Bend the shelves in the direction that opens/straightens the existing bends. Going the other way will kink the tubing.

 

[Louz]

ok thanks, maybe i'll give it a try