Chest Freezer Setup

[thatguy314]

I've got space / permission to put a chest freezer in the apartment. However, right now I only have the cash for a single freezer. Would it be workable to have a single freezer to both lager and ferment? Ideally I'd put a ferm-wrap on the fermentors and have the freezer set to lager temp. Would they fight each other too much if done in the same space?

Thanks!

[cheezycow]

Very possible. I would consider an insulated box for the ferm. Search results gave great ideas for this. Also might consider a two-stage controller meshed with that wrap...

[thatguy314]

SWMBO will not allow an insulated box. Chest freezer was only approved (to her horror) because I stipulated it as a condition of moving in together.

[11amas]

I built a cabinet above the freezer that is partially covered (removable lid). I have dispensing and storage kegs below around 42F, the top is fed by a little PC fan and stays right around 60F so I can condition and do some ales there when the yeast likes the lower temps. You could easily do something similar with a bigger fan to circulate the air and keep the bottom in lagering range, the top in ale range (just like Mylo's Mother of all Fermentation Coolers).
My argument was that I was taking advantage of wasted vertical space, the footprint in the house was taken already by the freezer! Going up was a free doubling of my freezer capacity.

[Rictanica]

SWMBO will not allow an insulated box. Chest freezer was only approved (to her horror) because I stipulated it as a condition of moving in together.

Don't let the guys on this forum catch you wearing the pants in the family.

I wish I would have worn the pants 15 years ago.

[Docjowles]

I have a chest freezer that does triple duty as kegerator/ale fermentation/lagering depending on the season. If you're rigorous about planning shit out it's fine. It's only an issue in the really hot summer months, when I want my ales to be in the 60's and even my basement is up above 75. In that case I have to put them in the freezer set at about 64 and just deal with warm keg beer for a week or two. Outside of like July-August, I get away with fermenting ales in the basement and bouncing the freezer between 30 and 50 for lagers and general keg serving.

[scotchpine]

My 7.2 cu ft chest freezer just came over the weekend. Haven't ordered my kegs yet but I plan to have 3 kegs and build a collar high enough (2x8,s with 3 faucets) to allow my glass carboy to sit on the compressor shelf and still clear the lid with an airlock. The 5lb co2 bottle should sit next to it unless I need that space for a blo-off vessel. Thinking of insulating carboy with jacket or styro partition and ordered a thermowell. 3B told me the 2stage controller will only allow one device to be turned on at a time, even though you can have a cooling and heating device plugged in together. So I ordered a Johnson to control the freezer and a Ranco to control the heat belt. I'm hoping for kegs at 40 and carboy at 62-68 control. Gonna throw myself into this project as soon as we get back from the beach next week.

[bugger]

I say just go for the biggest upright freezer that you can fit into the place! You can't go wrong then and you should be able to get everything done in one space