Transform This Upright Freezer (Fermentation chamber)

[BeerKillLogic]

Hey guys,

I was hoping someone could help me out, and tell me if I wasted my money or if this can be done.

My neighbors were having a yard sale yesterday and had this upright freezer, at least I believe its a freezer. I'm not sure what brand it is. It was $65. I have no idea if I got taken or if that is a good deal.

Anyway upon cleaning it up today, I realized the cooling units are through the shelves, and was thinking this was gonna be super hard to fit a 6.5 gallon bucket or carboy in!

Anyone have any experience with this?

 

[day_trippr]

It's obviously a freezer, and folks have had success carefully bending the "shelves" down without kinking the cooling lines, then upgrading the shelve supports to handle multiple bucket fermenters.

That said, I'm not a fan of upright freezers, and would be inclined to unload that one and trawl Craig's List for a chest freezer...

Cheers!

 

[BeerKillLogic]

I think Im gonna do whatever I can to salvage using this. I guess I'll try to bend the shelves to make them vertical.

Then on to tackling temperature control... I know nothing about it! Will it be difficult with someone of no electrical knowledge to hook up a temp controller??

 

[beaksnbeer]

Brew buddy picked one up like this couple of months ago had to cut the support wires to get the shelfs to bend flat to the back and side.

 

[BeerKillLogic]

Any ideas how exactly he cut the support bars? They're just sort of part of the inside lining.

 

[dbrewski]

I think Im gonna do whatever I can to salvage using this. I guess I'll try to bend the shelves to make them vertical.

Then on to tackling temperature control... I know nothing about it! Will it be difficult with someone of no electrical knowledge to hook up a temp controller??

try using this. I have three of them. Super easy to hook up and cheap. Works great, although it displays in Centigrade. I just taped up a conversion chart for reference.

 

[BeerKillLogic]

I am wondering if I should have even got this thing. I don't know much about nuttin handy. And I have NO idea how to free up them shelves....

 

[dbrewski]

I can't help you with those shelves. A lot of the consumer upright freezers have them. Maybe if you search here some more you can find an example of someone else doing it.

This probably isn't the ideal solution but I just got a couple of these puppies that would fit in there just fine. The only drawback is that they are about 5.5 gallons, not 6.5. I have a wine closet with prebuilt shelves and I was trying to find something that was more horizontal than tall.

 

[BeerKillLogic]

What does everyone think about this set up? This is from someone else on this site that they posted in another thread.

Does anyone foreseee any issues setting something up like this? Obviously I'd still need a temp controller, but I wonder if this would kill the freezer from stress.

 

[skibumdc]

Not sure you can run an upright freezer/fridge on it's side.
I Thought the compressors were positioned in such a way that the oil keeps it lubricated. If placed in a fashion that deviated from upright the oil would drain away to another spot in teh coolant lines?

 

[BeerKillLogic]

I don't understand?

The freezer will remain in the upright position. That won't change. I will just simply take the door off and install the insulated foam around the frame.

 

[day_trippr]

I don't understand?

The freezer will remain in the upright position. That won't change. I will just simply take the door off and install the insulated foam around the frame.

I think he misinterpreted the picture and thought that was an upright freezer laying on its back when it's really just an upright mini-fridge at the far end.

Your idea will work...

Cheers!

 

[dbrewski]

What does everyone think about this set up? This is from someone else on this site that they posted in another thread.

Does anyone foreseee any issues setting something up like this? Obviously I'd still need a temp controller, but I wonder if this would kill the freezer from stress.

You mean building a box of pink foam around it? It would work fine, a little awkward to do with a vertical freezer (meaning, you'd have to build a door rather than a lid, right?). But no, it won't burn the freezer out.

 

[skibumdc]

I don't understand?

The freezer will remain in the upright position. That won't change. I will just simply take the door off and install the insulated foam around the frame.

Ahh, nevermind.

In that case, making a Supersized Son of Fermentation Chamber using a full size freezer could work very well. I would add a small fan inside the chamber to circulate air for a more even temp distribution

 

[BeerKillLogic]

Assuming I go this route, I would still obviously need a temperature controller.

I myself am not handy what so ever. I have no electrical experience, and almost no rewiring experience. The most I have done is re-wire computer fans to a power supply. That is it.

How realistic is it that someone with my lack of knowledge will be able to hook up the temp control?

 

[Nashbrewer]

It isn't very complicated to wire up. Take a look at this: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/ebay-fish-tank-controller-build-using-wal-mart-parts-261506/

 

[BeerKillLogic]

Thanks for that link.

It still looks a little intimidating... I mean whats the worse that could happen? I could die, that's it.

 

[dbrewski]

Some of these builds look intimidating. Here's a short cut. Get a heavy extension cord, cut it about a foot near the female end. Cut off about six inches from the longer side to use as jumper wires. Then wire it like so (I have omitted the heat side, this is for cooling only). You will need those little twist-on wire connectors used to secure wires together, available at Home Depot or any hardware store.

You can ignore the jumper going to 5 for cooling only, I started to draw both but it would have been confusing.

 

[BeerKillLogic]

Heyy now that is a diagram I can almost wrap my head around!

That looks fairly simple, and makes me less scared. Thanks for taking the time to draw that up.

 

[dbrewski]

No problem. Remember this is specific to the STC-1000 temp controller I linked to earlier, for $25 you can't go wrong. I also left off the sensor, but that comes with the unit and plugs into 3 and 4.

[Edit] also it helps to have a utility light or some other low-load thing to plug in and test with prior to plugging in your freezer. Just in case

 

[BeerKillLogic]

Good deal.

So I feel that removing the door, and adding foam pieces (what exactly are they called?) as to extend the chamber would be my best option. I'd probably at least this way have plenty of room for a couple primaries and room to condition bottles/keg.

OR I could sell the freezer and start looking again.

Even with any form of mini fridge I get they all require mod?

The other option is a freezer chest. Geeze louise I have some thinkin to do.

 

[slarkin712]

I'd ditch that freezer. Seems like more work than it's worth. That freezer is better suited to remain a freezer. You can get a different freezer or fridge on craigslist that is much easier to modify. If you like the upright design look into using a side by side fridge. I've modified a side by side fridge so I can control the temp on each side independently and it wasn't that difficult to do. This allows me to lager on the freezer side at one temp and ale ferment on the other side at another temp. And I can keep some bottles in the freezer side for drinking. Fridge was ~$100 on Craigslist and then bought a Love dual stage temp control and probes for around $85. Capacity is 4 3gallon better bottles on the freezer side(too narrow for 5 gallon carboy) and 4 5gallon carboys or 4 6.5gallon buckets on the fridge side.

 

[Doed]

Ultimately your decision since it is your money, but if it was me...I would sell that guy and go with the chest freezer. I use one for my keezer and one for my fermentation chamber.

The ebay temp controllers are pretty easy to wire. You can do it. Here is a 110v one on Amazon for $25 plus free shipping.

 

[BeerKillLogic]

Well either way, whether I use this freezer or invest in a new one I am going to need the temp controller, so I went ahead and purchased the STC -1000

I guess I'm one step closer.

I think I'll try to re-sell this freezer over the next few days and or untill the contoller arrives, and if I am unsuccessful I think I will procceed with extending the chamber and going that route. Thanks for all your guys help thus far. I'm sure i'll have more questions arising

 

[day_trippr]

Ultimately your decision since it is your money, but if it was me...I would sell that guy and go with the chest freezer.[...]

Aaaaand that closes the circle...

Cheers!

 

[BeerKillLogic]

Ya know I'm at home looking at this freezer and it on its own is HUGE... If I extend it, its gonna be taking up half the room.

I'ma sell it or store meat in it, but I was lookin at the GE 7cuft chest freezer. I should be able to fit a couple buckets in there I hope.