ventilation for fermentation fridge/freezer?

[pdxpuck]

I am looking to acquire a fridge or two to use as fermentation chambers, but I am curious if I need to worry about CO2 generation and ventilation. The fridge units are typically well-sealed and, assuming I am not opening the door often, there could be quite a bit of CO2 build up during fermentation. If I go this route should I add some sort of one-way vent or is it unnecessary?

[Baumgartner]

i don't think there is a need for ventilation. As long as you are aware of the Co2, dont stick you head in and inhale, co2 will burn your nostrils. This is especially important with chest freezers or coolers because co2 is heavier than most gases and will get thick and potentially deadly if you leaned inside and inhaled and passed out.

uprights are cool because the co2 will pour out on to your feet when you open the door.

[Bugeater]

Baumgartner is correct. No need to ventilate. You won't be building up any pressure to worry about, it will all go out that little drain hole that most folks are not aware of in the bottom of the fridge. Even if there was no drain, there won't be a significant pressure increase anyway. As was pointed out, it will all drop out when you open the door anyway. Just make sure the dog isn't sitting right there when you open it.

Wayne

[siwelwerd]

As long as you are aware of the Co2, dont stick you head in and inhale, co2 will burn your nostrils. This is especially important with chest freezers or coolers because co2 is heavier than most gases and will get thick and potentially deadly if you leaned inside and inhaled and passed out.

Hah, I figured this out the hard way yesterday. Dropped something to the bottom of the freezer, picked it up and came up coughing. Spent 20 minutes trying to find a CO2 leak until I figured it had likely just collected from when I off-gas kegs.

[Elbone]

leaned inside and inhaled and passed out

Great! Another way to die while homebrewing (slicing through an artery and bleeding out from a broken carboy being the other).

Not how I want to go- discovered by my wife, ass-up in a chest freezer.

[Weenie Boy]

Me thinks, with my little brain, that CO2 is actually a great thing in the fermentation space. It kills dead all of the aerobic bugs in there. You see, it seems as though they suffocate from lack of O2 just like we do.

I have been fermenting in an "unvented" fridge for a couple of years now with no problems.

Happy brewing.

Weenie Boy