3.5cu ft freezer for fermentation chamber?

[Epos7]

I have to be space conscious with my brewing setup. I'm setting up a single vessel system and have begun to think about how I'm going to control fermentation temperatures.

I have a 15 gallon kettle, and will mostly be brewing 5 gallon batches, although I think I could easily go up to 7.5 if needed. Does a 3.5cu ft chest freezer sound sufficient? I'll be fermenting in glass carboys, and I think a 3.5cu ft freezer could hold as much as a 6.5 gallon carboy and a 3 gallon carboy.

I did find the thread on here documenting the interior dimensions of different chest freezer options, however there are no measurements for 3.5cu ft freezers.

KMart has a Kemore 3.5cu ft chest freezer for $150, which seems pretty reasonable. With a footprint of less than 4 square feet, that seems pretty ideal. I'll set it up with one of the STC-1000 temp controllers. I don't think I really need the extra space in a 5 or 7cu ft freezer.

What say HBT?

 

[Arminius757]

I personally have a 5 cu ft freezer and have started to convert it into a keezer/fermentation chamber combo. I put on a 2x6 collar, where I will be drilling in two taps, and built a little shelf for 1 6 gallon bucket to sit on.
Now I can fit two kegs while still fermenting beer.
I mention this because the freezer I am using is already really small... Space is a big issue for me because I am still a student and do not really have my own place, so stuff moves around a bit. Having a slightly bigger freezer allows me to combine two processes into one. Not to mention that kegging beer saves room when it comes to bottle storage. I will even have some room left over in my freezer to store other things like hops, yeast, maybe even some grains.
For an extra $18, you can get a 5 cu. ft. freezer at Lowes.
http://www.lowes.com/pd/Idylis-5-cu-ft-Chest-Freezer-White/50298239
Thats the freezer I use personally.
Just a suggestion from another space conscious brewer.

 

[Redlantern]

+1 on larger unit if possible.

If space is that tight, put a 2x6 collar on it for the added height. the 3.5ft freezer may not have a large enough bottom and you will have to build a platform for the fermenter. Additionally, the 2x6 will be a good place to mount temp control

Platform will also be good as the fermenter will not sit directly on the cold floor.

Probably will want a computer fan inside as well to keep the air mixed.

 

[Epos7]

Thanks for the reply. I don't have a Lowes nearby, but I have three options from KMart:

3.5cf $150
5.1cf $170
7.2cf $190

I want to get the smallest one possible that will fit at least one 5-6.5 gallon glass carboy, ideally without needing a collar. I'll be bottling for a while, and may address kegging later on with a separate unit. I might stop by the store after work to take some measurements and see what will fit.

 

[Arminius757]

I would still go with the 5.1cf. I know for a fact it could fit one full sized fermentation bucket and I can even fit two 1 gallon jugs on the hump. You could deff try and put something in there to fit the other 3 gallon carboy with a little creativity.

 

[thenugsmoustache]

I would measure your fermenter then go down and measure the chest freezers, then see what works best for your situation. I just got a Magic Chef 5.2 cu.ft. freezer at home depot for $148 out the door and it fits my 6.5 gallon carboy with the airlock on it. In my research the freezers smaller than this didn't have enough space for my fermenter because of the hump.

View attachment 1468350442097.jpg

 

[broadbill]

I don't think I've seen a 3.5cu ft freezer; I thought 5cu ft was the smallest (and is what I have). To do 10 gallon batches, I build a collar out of foam insulation that the goes on it. I took the hinges off the top door so I could flop that on top of the collar to seal off. I use a fan to better circulate air up and around. Works great.

 

[broadbill]

I personally have a 5 cu ft freezer and have started to convert it into a keezer/fermentation chamber combo. I put on a 2x6 collar, where I will be drilling in two taps, and built a little shelf for 1 6 gallon bucket to sit on.
Now I can fit two kegs while still fermenting beer.
I mention this because the freezer I am using is already really small... Space is a big issue for me because I am still a student and do not really have my own place, so stuff moves around a bit. Having a slightly bigger freezer allows me to combine two processes into one. Not to mention that kegging beer saves room when it comes to bottle storage. I will even have some room left over in my freezer to store other things like hops, yeast, maybe even some grains.
For an extra $18, you can get a 5 cu. ft. freezer at Lowes.
http://www.lowes.com/pd/Idylis-5-cu-ft-Chest-Freezer-White/50298239
Thats the freezer I use personally.
Just a suggestion from another space conscious brewer.

I'd be interested to see pics of your setup; and how you manage serving and fermentation temps concurrently.

 

[Redlantern]

I just assembled a 6.9CF

Getting ready to cold crash in it.

Tap had to be on the side as space constraints would have put it in the walk-way. (Adhesive shown around the tap shank in picture two has since been removed and looks nice now)

 

[kh54s10]

I would wonder if you can even get one fermenter in a 3.5 cf freezer because of the compressor hump. I have a 7 cf GE freezer I can ferment 2 at a time in it.

 

[broadbill]

I would wonder if you can even get one fermenter in a 3.5 cf freezer because of the compressor hump. I have a 7 cf GE freezer I can ferment 2 at a time in it.

good question. In my 5 cu ft, one can go beside the hump and I have to build up a platform out of scrap wood pieces for the second to sit on. As such, my foam insulation collar is about 24-28" deep.

 

[oujens]

Thanks for the reply. I don't have a Lowes nearby, but I have three options from KMart:

3.5cf $150
5.1cf $170
7.2cf $190

I want to get the smallest one possible that will fit at least one 5-6.5 gallon glass carboy, ideally without needing a collar. I'll be bottling for a while, and may address kegging later on with a separate unit. I might stop by the store after work to take some measurements and see what will fit.

Have you checked out craigslist in your area? I routinely see 5 cf chest freezers for $50-60 and 7 cf around 100-125. Not sure I've seen 3.5cf. Most are like new because people didn't use them as much as they thought they would.

 

[Epos7]

Good points all. I didn't think about the compressor hump, I'll have to look into that. Heading to the store after work to take some measurements.

I have been keeping an eye on Craigslist, but most of what has been popping up has either been way overpriced (barely less than buying a new one) or really old and beat up looking.

 

[YeastMode]

There are a number of threads on here where people have used a small wine fridge. I think that would be a better option. Below is a link of what I am talking about, although its talking about brew buckets, but same theory:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=574737

As for the chest freezer, and without seeing measurements of the one you are considering, I think that the ~5 cu.ft. models would be just about the smallest practical solution. You would be able to fit what you need without a collar. Another solution may be to add a base with wheels so that you can move it around as needed due to space constraints. it doesn't have to be fancy 2x4s, it can even be a couple dollies and two 1x4s screwed to them.

 

[Epos7]

I just got a Magic Chef 5.2 cu.ft. freezer at home depot for $148 out the door

I took a look at the Home Depot website and I can get that same unit for $138. That might be the way to go, as you've demonstrated that it works, and it's even cheaper than the 3.5cf Kenmore from KMart.

Did you find much info on the Magic Chef brand? Are they reasonable reliable?

 

[kh54s10]

Did you find much info on the Magic Chef brand? Are they reasonable reliable?

I was looking at the Magic Chef 6.8 cf when on sale for Black Friday 2 years ago. On the HD web site it got about 3 stars.

Looking closer it was something like this:

5 stars 32
4 stars 9
3 stars 2
2 stars 8
1 star 42.

So, pretty much it either worked or broke down quickly.

 

[Epos7]

So, pretty much it either worked or broke down quickly.

Seems to be the case with a lot of these cheaper freezers unfortunately

On a positive note, this particular Magic Chef 5.2cf unit has 4.5 stars on Home Depot's website with 38 5-star reviews, and only 3 1-star reviews. It has a one year warranty on the unit itself, and a five year warranty on the compressor. Who knows how easy it would be to file a claim, though.

The Kenmore brand seems to be similarly rated, in terms of some units just going bad. I get the feeling that when choosing between these lower-tier brands (Magic Chef, Kenmore, Igloo) I should just buy the cheapest unit I can find and hope for the best. Many of the more reliable brands such as GE don't make freezers this small anyway.

 

[kh54s10]

Seems to be the case with a lot of these cheaper freezers unfortunately

On a positive note, this particular Magic Chef 5.2cf unit has 4.5 stars on Home Depot's website with 38 5-star reviews, and only 3 1-star reviews. It has a one year warranty on the unit itself, and a five year warranty on the compressor. Who knows how easy it would be to file a claim, though.

The Kenmore brand seems to be similarly rated, in terms of some units just going bad. I get the feeling that when choosing between these lower-tier brands (Magic Chef, Kenmore, Igloo) I should just buy the cheapest unit I can find and hope for the best. Many of the more reliable brands such as GE don't make freezers this small anyway.

With the HD website you can find the same thing in different ways. I looked a year later and the ratings were better. But it still seemed a hit or miss proposition. With many saying they got it home and it would not cool, or cool enough, or broke down in a few weeks/months.

 

[Epos7]

With the HD website you can find the same thing in different ways. I looked a year later and the ratings were better. But it still seemed a hit or miss proposition. With many saying they got it home and it would not cool, or cool enough, or broke down in a few weeks/months.

I wonder if they 'reset' the reviews every so often with a new model number. It's possible the bad reviews are coming from owners who have had the unit for long enough for it to fail, whereas the positive reviews come from owners of new units.

In either case, I would hope that Home Depot would replace or refund the unit if it failed within the warranty. That assumes you haven't made any permanent modifications of course I don't plan to modify this one, so I'm hoping I can get a little added security purchasing from a B&M vs rolling the dice with a used model.

 

[kh54s10]

I wonder if they 'reset' the reviews every so often with a new model number. It's possible the bad reviews are coming from owners who have had the unit for long enough for it to fail, whereas the positive reviews come from owners of new units.

In either case, I would hope that Home Depot would replace or refund the unit if it failed within the warranty. That assumes you haven't made any permanent modifications of course I don't plan to modify this one, so I'm hoping I can get a little added security purchasing from a B&M vs rolling the dice with a used model.

I don't think they "reset" the reviews to get rid of bad reviews. When I looked the positive were mostly for the price. The bad reviews were not "long enough to fail". The average was just a month or so and many were take it home and didn't cool.

I am sure the warranty is honored, by the mfg. Home Depot will honor the extended warranty if you bought it.

I think this is a pay and take item. Any transport even under warranty is up to the buyer.

 

[Arminius757]

I'm still finishing it up as we speak. The basic idea is using two temperature control units: one is an stc 1000, the other a BrewPi. The STC keeps the fridge at serving temp while the BrewPi works only a heating pad wrapped around a bucket fermentor and a fan. Basically, ambient temperature is used to cool the fermentor as needed. The fermentor is also given a jacket of light insulation and placed on an insulated foam block. Still working on getting some parts together but I will post a new thread when it's done.

 

[flanken]

My wife bought a 3.5 cu ft freezer for meals and stuff... My mind instantly went to "how do I take this over for brewing" but it wouldn't fit my brew bucket with airlock on it because of the compressor. I'd go bigger if I were you.

 

[Epos7]

I went to Home Depot today and measured the interiors of the Magic Chef freezers.

Height
3.5 is 26.125
5.2 is 26.125
6.9 is 26.125

Depth
3.5 is 15.9375
5.2 is 15.875
6.9 is 15.75

Width
3.5 is 16.625
5.2 is 23.5625
6.9 is 31

Hump Width
3.5 is 9.375
5.2 is 9.375
6.9 is 9.375

Hump Height
3.5 is 8.625
5.2 is 8.625
6.9 is 8.625

Conclusions: the 3.5 definitely won't work. The 5.2 would work for a 6.5 gallon carboy plus maybe a 3 gallon carboy. 6.9 would hold a 6.5 and 5 gallon.

I think the Home Depot sale ends tomorrow, so need to decide soon. I've been furiously getting rid of things in the basement to make room.

 

[thenugsmoustache]

The Magic Chef freezers go on sale every month, so don't stress too hard if you don't get it now. You'll just have to wait a few weeks.

 

[kh54s10]

The Magic Chef 6.9 is a special buy item. When HD has them, the price is always the same.

 

[Epos7]

The Magic Chef 6.9 is a special buy item. When HD has them, the price is always the same.

Gotcha. Looks like all three are 'Special Buy' items. They have a 4th of July sale ending today, thought the freezers were part of that.

 

[broadbill]

I'm still finishing it up as we speak. The basic idea is using two temperature control units: one is an stc 1000, the other a BrewPi. The STC keeps the fridge at serving temp while the BrewPi works only a heating pad wrapped around a bucket fermentor and a fan. Basically, ambient temperature is used to cool the fermentor as needed. The fermentor is also given a jacket of light insulation and placed on an insulated foam block. Still working on getting some parts together but I will post a new thread when it's done.

I figured this was the approach...it would be interesting to put one of those KillaWatt meters on and compare they power usage between using just as a keezer and keezer with the fermenter+heat wrap on it. I've been curious what sort of power you burn heating a cooled space.

 

[Epos7]

I ended up buying the 6.9cf unit from Home Depot for $158, picking it up this afternoon.

The only way I could fit two carboys in the 5.5cf unit would have been to build a collar. The 6.9cf unit will fit two without modification, so $20 to avoid the hassle of building a collar sounded pretty appealing. It's a little larger than I'd like, but I think I can make it work.

 

[Arminius757]

I figured this was the approach...it would be interesting to put one of those KillaWatt meters on and compare they power usage between using just as a keezer and keezer with the fermenter+heat wrap on it. I've been curious what sort of power you burn heating a cooled space.

Yeah I'm sure you will be using more energy for sure... the way I look at it though is that those little reptile blankets run all the time in reptile tanks to keep warm temperatures. With some insulation and stuff I imagine that it wouldn't add too much. The key is insulation. Once you add all the the temp probes and controllers I'm sure it adds up, but I'm willing to bet it would be under the cost of two separate fridges.

 

[broadbill]

Yeah I'm sure you will be using more energy for sure... the way I look at it though is that those little reptile blankets run all the time in reptile tanks to keep warm temperatures. With some insulation and stuff I imagine that it wouldn't add too much. The key is insulation. Once you add all the the temp probes and controllers I'm sure it adds up, but I'm willing to bet it would be under the cost of two separate fridges.

So is the idea to insulate off part of the freezer for the fermenter (Fv)?

I can see this working post-fermentation when the Fv temp drops and the R-Pi can warm it back up, but during fermentation I would envision there would be a significant lag as there is Fv is generating heat that cannot be equalized by the cold air because of the insulation.

One way to get around this would be to not insulate the Fv during active fermentation or use another control to activate a shunt in the insulation to allow cold air to circulate in the insulate around the Fv

 

[Arminius757]

So is the idea to insulate off part of the freezer for the fermenter (Fv)?

I can see this working post-fermentation when the Fv temp drops and the R-Pi can warm it back up, but during fermentation I would envision there would be a significant lag as there is Fv is generating heat that cannot be equalized by the cold air because of the insulation.

One way to get around this would be to not insulate the Fv during active fermentation or use another control to activate a shunt in the insulation to allow cold air to circulate in the insulate around the Fv

I dont plan to totally isolate the fermenter. It will be wrapped in some light insulation with the heating pad against the surface of the bucket. It will sit ontop of a small block of insulation so that the bottom can be a bit isolated from the cold floor, and I will probably add some to the top as well. This way the majority of the heat transfer will be through the side walls of the bucket, directly into the beer itself. So the heating pad will be large enough to wrap completely around the fermenter. It provides a nice, genital heat and I have been using it for some time now as my heat source with good results. I do plan to put a small fan in there as well which will act as the "cold" side of the Pi.

 

[PADave]

I use on the the Magic Chef 5.2 freezers. Works so far. I have a feeling all the cheep ones are made by the same company, kind of like lawn mowers. Using an Inkbird controller, no heat source, and it works great. One thing you'll want if you don't already have is something to absorb moisture. Got one of these, been using it for months and haven't had to plug in yet.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000H0XFD2/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[Epos7]

Thanks for the suggestion Dave. I turned the freezer on last night to verify that it works (it does) and noticed some condensation build up so I think that's something I'll have to address, despite living in a fairly dry climate.

I'm able to fit a 5 gallon and a 6 gallon carboy in the freezer, both with covers from carboy.net. It's tight, but they fit almost perfectly. I don't think I'd be able to fit two 6/6.5 gallon carboys in there, but that's just fine.

 

[Epos7]

I use on the the Magic Chef 5.2 freezers. Works so far. I have a feeling all the cheep ones are made by the same company, kind of like lawn mowers. Using an Inkbird controller, no heat source, and it works great. One thing you'll want if you don't already have is something to absorb moisture. Got one of these, been using it for months and haven't had to plug in yet.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000H0XFD2/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

I ended up buying the mini version of that, hopefully it is sufficient.

 

[Cashjon]

Seems to be the case with a lot of these cheaper freezers unfortunately

On a positive note, this particular Magic Chef 5.2cf unit has 4.5 stars on Home Depot's website with 38 5-star reviews, and only 3 1-star reviews. It has a one year warranty on the unit itself, and a five year warranty on the compressor. Who knows how easy it would be to file a claim, though.

The Kenmore brand seems to be similarly rated, in terms of some units just going bad. I get the feeling that when choosing between these lower-tier brands (Magic Chef, Kenmore, Igloo) I should just buy the cheapest unit I can find and hope for the best. Many of the more reliable brands such as GE don't make freezers this small anyway.

I have been looking into this also and have similar thoughts but I always thought that Sears always stood behind there products for many years, maybe it has changed I don't know but Kenmore would be my top pick only because the reputation Sears has always had. JMO

 

[Cashjon]

I use on the the Magic Chef 5.2 freezers. Works so far. I have a feeling all the cheep ones are made by the same company, kind of like lawn mowers. Using an Inkbird controller, no heat source, and it works great. One thing you'll want if you don't already have is something to absorb moisture. Got one of these, been using it for months and haven't had to plug in yet.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000H0XFD2/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

So what do you use your freezer for? Just fermentation or? That little crystal thing looks like another one of those miracle inventions that never work but it works for you so this one must be one of the good products that actually work. What do you use the inkbird for just measuring temp? I'm trying to figure out what people are using to have everything ready prior to getting into all grain. I see some beers need different temps at different times and this is what's confusing to me is how to control this. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[PADave]

So what do you use your freezer for? Just fermentation or? That little crystal thing looks like another one of those miracle inventions that never work but it works for you so this one must be one of the good products that actually work. What do you use the inkbird for just measuring temp? I'm trying to figure out what people are using to have everything ready prior to getting into all grain. I see some beers need different temps at different times and this is what's confusing to me is how to control this. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I use the my freezer for fermentatin control. The inkbird is what controls the temp, turns the freezer on and off. It can also control a heater, but I don't need that. You have to have some sort of controller for a freezer or fridge, or they would get too cold. Once set up, changing the set point temperature on the inkbird takes a few seconds.
The dehumidifier works great. It is just a big silica packet, think those packs in beef jerky. Sucks up the moisture, then when full you plug it in, it heats up and dries out, ready to go again. Been using mine for a couple months now and only had to recharge it once.

 

[Cashjon]

I use the my freezer for fermentatin control. The inkbird is what controls the temp, turns the freezer on and off. It can also control a heater, but I don't need that. You have to have some sort of controller for a freezer or fridge, or they would get too cold. Once set up, changing the set point temperature on the inkbird takes a few seconds.
The dehumidifier works great. It is just a big silica packet, think those packs in beef jerky. Sucks up the moisture, then when full you plug it in, it heats up and dries out, ready to go again. Been using mine for a couple months now and only had to recharge it once.

Ok, well that makes more sense, I know exactly what you mean about this little packets, dam, why didn't I think of that! Lol. Now I get why you are using the inkbird, but a couple questions on the freezer, is that hard on the compressor?I take it that the inkbird is just on-off as needed. What temps do you set your inkbird for and does it go much lower as compressor is running. all in all are you happy with the way your setup is working? I was thinking on building a fermentation box but had no way how to cool it(other than wrapping fermentor with ice bottles inside. But I guess for 50-150 (used vs new) that box is built with the freezer. Is it possible to lay a freezer on its front side so you can just have a lift door and not as high to lift fermenters. Maybe that's crazy but I'm just trying to figure how to eliminate the lifting up and dropping down into freezer, especially my 60ltr fermenter. Thanks for any help.

 

[RedlegEd]

Is it possible to lay a freezer on its front side so you can just have a lift door and not as high to lift fermenters. Maybe that's crazy but I'm just trying to figure how to eliminate the lifting up and dropping down into freezer, especially my 60ltr fermenter. Thanks for any help.

Hi. You don't want to do that. The compressor is designed to run in the upright position. Any other way will ruin it. BTW, are you using plastic or glass carboys? If glass, please do yourself a favor and either get a nylon cradle, such as this, or perhaps put it in a milk crate. For heaven sakes, please don't use one of those silly little neck handles. Glass carboy necks aren't designed for the stress of being carried that way when full.

 

[KeninMN]

If you have a Best Buy nearby, I recently bought their Insignia brand 5.0 cu ft unit and it works perfectly with my 6.5 gal Big Mouth Bubbler.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/insignia-5-0-cu-ft-chest-freezer-white/8390036.p?id=1219691060430&skuId=8390036