Explain to me how a chest freezer is an ideal ferm chamber

[Southern_Junior]

Alright, so i understand the idea behind using a chest freezer with a temp control for a keezer. That's no biggie to me. What I cannot wrap my head around is the idea of using one for ferm chamber. Lagers, no issue, but if you want to ferment an ale, do you need a heat source to get the freezer up to the ale temps?

 

[Pappers_]

I ferment ales, usually, around 60-62. The ambient temp in my basement (the world headquarters of Singing Boys Brewing) hovers around 68, so no, I don't need to worry about a heat source. The great advantage, for me, of using a chest freezer/digital controller is that once it is setup it is easy to use and hold the temp steady without any further work on my part.

 

[GrogNerd]

use it when it's too hot in your house to ferment an ale, maybe if your AC is struggling to keep it down to 80°

also, Huaco here set up his chest freezer to keep up to 3 different temperatures using reptile heat wrap

 

[brewinchef_fairfax]

Because I'm an LD kid it took me a minute to wrap my noodle around it too - but the temp control unit only turns on long enough to bring it up to - or keep it at - your preset fermenting temp. The "freezer" part never really comes into play.

 

[hot_carl]

Correct, the temp controller only allows the motor to cycle on for long enough to keep it at the set temp...some also use a temp control that will provide power to a heater as well. For a heat source you can use a light bulb (the incandesant kind that are apparently going away) or a fermenter wrap(basically a heting blanket for your carboy). This makes it possible to ferment in the 'freezer' regardless of ambient temp or type of beer.

 

[WileECoyote]

Alright, so i understand the idea behind using a chest freezer with a temp control for a keezer. That's no biggie to me. What I cannot wrap my head around is the idea of using one for ferm chamber. Lagers, no issue, but if you want to ferment an ale, do you need a heat source to get the freezer up to the ale temps?

When you live in Arizona its never to cold, well almost never, we've had 80 deg during the day already, I would love to have a chest freezer to ferment in.

Cheers

 

[Southern_Junior]

So if my problems getting the temperature up to ale temps(drafty a** house in Philly) a chest freezer won't do me any good. This really isn't an issue but for three months out of the year... So I will live.

 

[DUNDASJ]

I have a dual stage temperature control unit for fermentation chamber. I bought pre built from more beer http://morebeer.com/products/ranco-digital-twostage-temperature-controller-wired.html I never need to use the heat source but I bought it in case I move and the freezer gets moved to a garge where the heating element will come into play.

 

[worksnorth]

Alright, so i understand the idea behind using a chest freezer with a temp control for a keezer. That's no biggie to me. What I cannot wrap my head around is the idea of using one for ferm chamber. Lagers, no issue, but if you want to ferment an ale, do you need a heat source to get the freezer up to the ale temps?

My garage runs about 55 degrees in the winter which is were my fermentation freezer/chamber is located. I use a small heating blanket used for sore muscles/backs on the low or medium setting to supply enough heat to keep the chamber up to ale ferment temps. Works wonderfully

 

[WileECoyote]

So if my problems getting the temperature up to ale temps(drafty a** house in Philly) a chest freezer won't do me any good. This really isn't an issue but for three months out of the year... So I will live.

Hello, you can use a cheap rope handle tub/swam cooler, and an aquarium heater (both from Walmart) to regulate your fermentation temps when its to cold, thats how I keep my ales at temp during the 30 deg nights here in winter.

You can also add a very small heater to your fermentation chamber to regulate both cold and heat with the right controller.

Hope this helps

Cheers

 

[broadbill]

So if my problems getting the temperature up to ale temps(drafty a** house in Philly) a chest freezer won't do me any good. This really isn't an issue but for three months out of the year... So I will live.

Yeah but if you are set up with a ferm chamber with plug in temp controller, a small investment for a heat source is all you need to be able to control temps those 3 months.

 

[helibrewer]

I use temp wraps (FermWrap/FlexWatt) in my fermentation chamber to bring selected vessels up to ale temperatures.

 

[Homercidal]

The chest freezer is basically an insulated box with a built-in cooling system. You can add a heating system to it and control them both with a dual stage controller, like the STC-1000 from Ebay. There are many types of heating systems, such as a very small space heater, light bulbs, brew belt, etc.

Here is Michigan we get temps in 90s or higher most summers and temps down to -0 or lower every winter. In between we get temp variations on both ends of the fermentation temps range withing several days, so a dual stage controller makes sense. You can plug the freezer into the cooling outlet and the heater into the heating outlet and the controller turns each one on as needed.

Also, a fridge works just fine too. Even for lagers.

 

[Southern_Junior]

So what is the most common type of heater used? With the way my temp situation is, it looks like I can get away with a single Johnson a419 and just switch it between the heater in the winter and the fridge in the summer as necessary. Simply using the insulated properties of the fridge to my advantage.

 

[cluckk]

I live in South Texas and would love to worry about my fermentations getting too cold. I'm usually trying to keep low enough to prevent then from becoming barley soup.

 

[LandoLincoln]

So if my problems getting the temperature up to ale temps(drafty a** house in Philly) a chest freezer won't do me any good. This really isn't an issue but for three months out of the year... So I will live.

Temperature swings are also a concern. Your drafty house probably experiences some big temp changes. Chest freezers are just big coolers with the capability of cooling things without the need for ice. So yeah, even in your case a freezer could be helpful in keeping the temps stable and at the right temperature.

 

[ThatGeekGuy]

So what is the most common type of heater used? With the way my temp situation is, it looks like I can get away with a single Johnson a419 and just switch it between the heater in the winter and the fridge in the summer as necessary. Simply using the insulated properties of the fridge to my advantage.

Lots of folks rig up heating pads, reptile lamps or other low watt lamps in a coffee can. I'm using a small pad from Williams Brewing, mounted on a small sheet of aluminum that I hang inside the chest freezer when needed.

http://www.williamsbrewing.com/BREWERS-EDGE-SPACE-HEATER-P518.aspx

 

[DaNewf]

I brew in my basement. In the winter it's cold at night but the wife and kid's jack up the heat during the day (kids play down there alot). So even in the winter I need to be able to both heat and cool my fermenter to keep it at the temperature I want, 18C.

I have a 5 cubic foot cheat freezer, a brew belt and a STC-1000 temperature controller. The brew belt goes on the fermenter. The probe from the STC-1000 gets padded up against the fermenter. The belt and the freezer plug into the STC-1000.

The result, my ale fermenters at 18C +/-0.5C all year round regardless of the ambient temperature in my basement. I have not done this yet but I plan to start doing it: at the end of the fermentation period set the STC-1000 to a temperature appropriate for cold crashing. I've never cold crashed a beer but my last batch leads me to believe that it might be a good idea sometimes.

 

[Monster Mash]

"Explain to me how a chest freezer is an ideal ferm chamber"

They really aren't "ideal" especially if you ferment in carboys. If you ferment in buckets you can lift them out by the handle but carboys are a pain to get in and out.

Temp control is simple with the correct controller.

 

[jrstacey]

I have an old 18cu ft chest freezer in my garage hooked to a STC-1000. For heat I use a small ceramic space heater set on low. As the weather here varies from -45 C in the winter to +45 C in the summer and can easily change +/-25 degrees in a day (spring/fall) I need both heating and cooling.

 

[b-boy]

I think using a chest freezer is perfect.

Here's mine. I have a reptile heater to supply the heat. It's controlled by a switched outlet inside the unit. I use a dual controller (STC1000). It's in my garage, so it needs to heat and cool depending on the season. It has been great. I added some faucets and turned it into a backup keezer that I can roll out onto my deck.

 

[grainbill]

Since I also have a two stage controller I dangle one or two heating pads into the freezer.
Williams has them on sale http://www.williamsbrewing.com/BREWERS-EDGE-SPACE-HEATER-P518.aspx .I have the probe in a jar of water and a fan comes on when the pad or pads turn on. Since the freezer is in an unheated room, it works out well in the winter.

 

[CGVT]

So what is the most common type of heater used? With the way my temp situation is, it looks like I can get away with a single Johnson a419 and just switch it between the heater in the winter and the fridge in the summer as necessary. Simply using the insulated properties of the fridge to my advantage.

I would highly recommend the Ebay dual controller. There is a thread by Misplaced Canuck that shows you how to wire it. It's cheap and simple-even if you've never wired anything before (I did it...) Then you can set your temperature and plug your freezer or fridge into the cooling socket and plug a small lamp or heating pad into the other socket (I use a lamp). It will keep your temperature right where you set it, regardless of outside temperature swings. It makes things pretty simple and you don't have to worry about changing the A419 when the weather changes.