Stand up Freezer

[BarnabyHooge]

The previous owners of our new place left a stand up freezer in the basement and I was of course looking to use it for either a fermentation cooler or keezer. Upon closer inspection I have found that the shelves are made up of the cooling lines, and no shelf is big enough for a carboy.

Has anyone had any experience with these? I'm wondering if I could carefully bend one shelf back, or somehow short out the middle shelf by cutting and mending it back together.

At this point I'm afraid my only option will be to try to sell it for a small price on Craigslist use it toward another. Dang.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

I think the ratio of success to failure on bending the shelves down is 50:50 so, it's possible. Even if you can't use it as a fermentation cabinet I am sure it'll come in handy for other reasons. Freezing your hops for one, or just a cellaring cabinet if used with a controller and thin sheet of insulation as shelf liners.

 

[ChshreCat]

I wonder if you could fit other types of fermenters in there. Like a vittles vault.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

I wonder if you could fit other types of fermenters in there. Like a vittles vault.

Prolly not but, squares would fit.

 

[Bsquared]

We have those type of freezers in the Laboratory I work in and they are really sensitive, I'd give you a 1:100 chance in bending them.We have had them leak just from people being rough pulling their metal freezer racks in and out.

If you know and HVAC guys, maybe you can have them remove the refrigerant, cut out a shelf, and recharge the system for a case of homebrew.

I do like the cellaring Idea. I'm sure you can fit quite a few bottles in there.

 

[rcrabb22]

If you have the room you build an insulated box to attach to the freezer, lots of examples in HBT for projects on fermentation chambers to model from. It would be an upright/taller chamber then some of the others using compact refrigerators but it could be done.

 

[jkarp]

I wonder if you could fit other types of fermenters in there. Like a vittles vault.

That's exactly what I've got. A deep-freeze upright freezer that holds 4 4.7 gal vittles vaults perfectly.

 

[Edcculus]

I ruined my fridge by trying to bend back the freezer tray. I'd save it for another application and buy a chest freezer. I got a good one for $50 on CL.

 

[BargainFittings]

I would post it as a straight trade on Craigslist for a chest freezer

 

[Catt22]

I have successfully bent the lowest shelf up to make room for a fermenter on the bottom. It was not difficult to do and did not seem particularly tricky.

The cost to cut lines, splice and recharge will likely be more than the freezer is worth unless you can find someone to do it for free or nearly so.

I discovered that a corny keg will fit on the shelves lying on its side and positioned diagonally. I had previously removed the inside door panel which provided a little additional clearance. This upright freezer is multiple us for me. It's a fermentation chamber, finished beer cold storage and a corny keg lagering chamber. Just not all at the same time. It was free, so I took it.

 

[BarnabyHooge]

If I can't off this thing on CL for a decent price maybe I'll give it a go. We really don't have any other use for it. Using it as a cellar isn't a bad idea, just not sure I'd want to pay for a controller and the electricity to run it.