Ouch! Scary question...

[Monk]

I just bought a chest freezer and attached my johnson controls temp regulator to it. My intention is to use it for fermenting ales (~68F). Is this possible? It seemed okay until I got it home and it seemed to cool the interior too fast. I set the control at 69F and when I used a tempgun to get the interior temperature, it was 58F! I'm wondering if the cooler is too powerful. That would suck. Does anyone else use a freezer for fermenting ales? If so, do you have to set the regulator high? I'm worried and confused . Please let me know your thoughts. I searched for this subject, but only found instances of guys using freezers for kegerators..

monk

 

[Monk]

Oh, and thank you guys. I have always asked so many questions and gotten so many helpful answers. I really appreciate it.



And I'm a little drunk.

 

[wild]

I have two chest freezers. One for a fermenter/lager and the other as a kegerator and both use the Johnson controller. As long as the ambient temp is above your desired temp, they should work just fine. If not, you may need to replace.

Good luck,
Wild

 

[Cheesefood]

Did you say you have a johnson on your chest?

<beavis>Heheh uh...heh heh</beavis>

 

[david_42]

Try it with a fermenter full of water in it. If the freezer is just cooling air, the temperature swings will be much greater than if there is 5 gallons of fluid to damp out the cycle.

 

[andre the giant]

I've got a chest freezer with a temp control attached. It seems to keep the interior at a pretty consistant 50 degrees. I would definitely recommend placing a real thermometer in the freezer and adjusting the control according to what it says. Totally disregard what the controller's temp setting is. Mine is set to something like 40 degrees, and the freezer is 50. repositioning the temperature probe might solve that problem, but I want it out of the way enough that it will not interfere with the two carboys I've got in there.

Fun!!

 

[Yuri_Rage]

Try it with a fermenter full of water in it. If the freezer is just cooling air, the temperature swings will be much greater than if there is 5 gallons of fluid to damp out the cycle.

I second this...as well as measuring the temperature of the water with a probe or bulb thermometer after letting it cool overnight. Your temperature gun is an accurate way to measure surface temperature which may fluctuate quite a bit, but you really want to know the stabilized temperature of the liquid you're storing inside.

 

[gruntingfrog]

The temp gun is most likely measuring the temperature of the inside surface of the freezer (which can vary drastically depending on where you point the gun), not the air temperature. You can either fill a carboy, let it cool overnight and get the temp as everyone else said, or just suspend a normal meat thermometer in the center of the freezer (string and tape will work since this will be temporary) close the lid and check the thermometer 5 - 10 minutes later.

 

[Monk]

Thanks a lot, guys. I left a small batch in over night and it seems to have stabalized at 68.5F. I set it at 75 last night, checked it a few hours later, then again this morning, and it's still 68F. That's good. I'll try the thermometer and carboy of water tests today.

Thanks again.

Monk

 

[G. Cretin]

Try it with a fermenter full of water in it. If the freezer is just cooling air, the temperature swings will be much greater than if there is 5 gallons of fluid to damp out the cycle.

Don't forget that the yeast produce heat while metabolizing yer wort in to beer.What I mean to say is that the temp of water vs. the temp of an active fermentation in the same enviroment will differ, by how much I don't know.

 

[EdWort]

I was getting some weird temp swings too, till I put my digital thermometer probe in cup of water. I put several layers of saran wrap over the cup and a rubber band aound it and the poked the probe through.

The last several hours it's been sitting fat and happy at 64 degrees, right where I programmed my Johnson.

 

[Exo]

The last several hours it's been sitting fat and happy at 64 degrees, right where I programmed my Johnson.

LMFAO! :rockin: