Fermentation chamber moisture buildup

I just finished my fermentation chamber and im loving it. I've found out that moisture builds up on the freezer coils and drips into the fridge portion of the chamber. I'm thinking it may be that I've been checking on it a lot and its been very rainy lately. Is this a common problem? Is it condensing even while the chamber is closed up tight? Thanks in advance!

I actually came here to post about this very issue.

I have not purchases a fridge or freezer yet, but I've heard from others about this condensation issue in freezers.

I was leaning toward the freezer, because I've heard that they are designed "more efficiently" than fridges. But will the condensation actually be a problem itself, or is it merely a symptom of a deeper problem??

Ive been wondering the same thing as my fermentation chamber is the same fridge as my kegerator and ive noticed some moisture buildup and icing there.

i'm thinking of buying a few of these...

http://www.theruststore.com/40-Gram-Rechargeable-Silica-Gel-Canister-P46C6.aspx

...and just cycling one in every few days. They are small and relatively inexpensive.

A two dollar container of calcium chloride has solved my condensation problem for over a year now. Sta-Dry, Damp Rid or Damp-Check all work.

The rechargeable ones also work, but I find it easier to dump out the liquid every couple of months than to remember to change out the rechargeable ones.

So is anybody able to explain the condensation build up in freezer-type fermentation chambers??

Why does this happen to the freezer-types moreso than the fridge-types??

And if one can keep the condensation under control, is there still another argument for choosing a fridge-type over the freezer-type??

grndslm said:

So is anybody able to explain the condensation build up in freezer-type fermentation chambers??

Why does this happen to the freezer-types moreso than the fridge-types??

And if one can keep the condensation under control, is there still another argument for choosing a fridge-type over the freezer-type??

Click to expand...

While we get a lot of CO2 out of a fermentation, there will inevitably be water vapor expelled from fermentations as well. It is coming out of the beer itself and there will be water entrained on it's way out of the air lock. A freezer evaporator should run cooler than a fridge evaporator as far I can assume, hence the tendency to condense more moisture.

I have one of these in my keezer and it works wonderfully :http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000H0XFD2/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

The lower dew point caused by the freezer chiller causes condensate to form on the coldest point (the chiller itself). There is a lot of evaporative moisture carried off in the fermentation CO2 which is why you see the elevated relative humidity inside the chamber.

That dehumidifier looks nice and it happens to be on sale. Do you find one of them keeps droplets from forming on the freezer coils? Wondering if I should get a couple of them. That's a lot of moisture to absorb...

Might want to check out this thread. I found the passive Eva-Dry to be pretty much useless - until I tweaked it a bit...

Cheers!

I have 2 freezers. One is a keezer, and the other is a fermentation chamber.

When I have a few carboys in the ferm chamber there is a lot of moisture generated by the fermentation process. It's spewed out from the carboys and is trapped in the chamber with nowhere to go. I've noticed that there can be as much as an inch drop in the level of a carboy during primary fermentation. All that noisture is being pushed into the fermenation chamber. I don't think there is much you can do about it.

Keezers have some moisture issues, but usually sealing any air gaps and adding a dehumidifier to the unit will take care of the problem.

I agree with Day Trippr, I had a bad problem with my Kegerator and the back wall icing up. I got an Eva-Dry and it helped a lot.

day_trippr said:

Might want to check out this thread. I found the passive Eva-Dry to be pretty much useless - until I tweaked it a bit...

Cheers!

Click to expand...

Now that is a great post! I have one on its way now. Thanks very much!

I had a problem with my collared keezer freezing up. I tried the EVA-DRY without and noticeable improvement. I added a new ring of weather stripping and the problem was completely solved. Make sure your seals are good.