Using a chest freezer vs. DIY cooler

[freddyk]

Hi

I am new to this but so far fermentation temps seem like one of the tricky elements. I have read many threads where brewers go through commendable lengths to create habitats for their fermenting carboys. I have read about adding ice to foam based units daily. I have seen heat exchangers that seem pretty slick. My DIY side thinks these ideas are great but are they not reinventing the wheel? In the end is a ranco controlled chest freezer a great way to go? I see them on Craigslist super cheep and it seems like it would save a lot of DIY time. Are there any disadvantages to using a Ranco controlled chest freezer for fermentation?

I will have one or two in a walk in closet. I assume I will have to vent the closet itself.

Before I move forward with my plan of having a couple different chest freezers, one for ale and one for lager, I just had to make this post. Just in case there is something critical I am missing.

Thanks

[Bugeater]

Using an external temp controller on a fridge or freezer is definitely the way to go. Changing bottles of ice or dealing with pumping glycol or powering up peltier chips may not seem much bother at first, but in the long haul you will get tired of screwing around with them. With the temp controller it is pretty much set and forget about it.

The big disadvantage of a chest freezer is getting the fermenter in and out of it. That is a lot of weight at an odd angle to lift in and out. On top of that, carboys and better bottles don't have convenient handles. Too easy to drop them and/or wreck your back. A refrigerator is better for fermentation and lagering. Save the freezer for a kegerator.

A normal sized fridge will hold two carboys with no problem and will go down to lagering temperatures. It is much easier to get a fermenter into a front loading fridge than a top loading freezer. Two refrgerators will fit in the same footprint as a big chest freezer and would allow you to do both ales and lagers at the same time. This will leave the space to use a chest freezer for a kegerator.

Wayne

[Blowmax10]

Bugeater is dead on

I do use a chest freezer as one of my fermenting chambers and it is a pain to move things around

But for my space requirements, a second fridge was not an option

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cWa2Owl ... annel_page

[freddyk]

Thanks Bugeater and Blowmax10. I thought that those DIY solutions might be more trouble in the end. I have wasted WAY to much time just maintaining all my various 'better mouse traps'.

That is a great point about lowering fermenters into a chest freezer. I am not getting any younger and I want this to be sustainable. I am already concerned about having to carry the fermenters from where I brew to the frementation area. I had not thought about having to lower them into the chest freezer. I will have to look into the fridge option. That way if I ever try a conical or converted sanke keg I could possibly use the fridge for that.

This DIY was interesting to me:
http://www.wortomatic.com/articles/The- ... n-Chillers

It seems that this idea could resolve the problem of having to lower the fermenters into the chest. But again it is probably more trouble than it is worth. Also I can't find any updates online to see if this idea is actually working in the end.

[freddyk]

Blowmax10: I watched your YouTube video. Pardon my ignorance but what is 'Cold Crashing' a carboy?