Need Keezer help!

[Redbow]

Help! Struggling for a week to get the temperature correct in my Keezer. It varies from 60F to 20F. My equipment is a Gibson 8 cf chest freezer I purchased new in 1991. Has always worked well as a freezer. I bought a Penn temperature controller from my local Home Brew Supplier. I plugged the freezer into the temperature controller plug, then plugged the temperature controller plug into the 110V wall socket. I set the freezer at the lowest setting as the instructions said. The temperature controller sensor dangled in the lower half of the freezer near the back wall between 2 of the 4 full cornelius kegs. I set the controller at 40F. I put a separate thermometer in the freezer to check the interior temp. After 2 days the temperature was 20 F and the cornelius kegs were frozen solid.

I took them out, left them in the sun to thaw out, left the lid up on the freezer to thaw it out to ambient temperature, checked to make sure all the ice had thawed in the kegs and freezer before I returned them to the freezer, set the freezer at the warmest setting, set the temperature controller at 50F. Checked 2 days later and the internal temperature of the freezer was down to 20 F again and the kegs were starting to freeze.

Running out of ideas. Any suggestions? The temperature controller has a couple numbers on it, not sure which is the model number: A19AAT-1 and J1396, "Williams Brewing". I checked the capillary tube to the sensor and it is not crimped and does not appear to have ever been crimped. I have the controller dangling off the hinge at the back of the freezer. When I turn the temperature controller up to a higher temp (than 50F) the freezer turns off so I am pretty sure the controller is controlling the freezer power. I just can't get a stable temp around 40F. I dont care if the temp varies even as much as a 10 degree swing but I can't get beer out of frozen kegs.

Am I overlooking something? I have not seen any posts that have this severe a problem with temperature.

 

[CGVT]

My guess would be that you have a defective controller. If you set a temp and it is not shutting the freezer off, it is not working correctly.

It won't matter (as the suggestions are about to come in) if you put the probe in water etc etc. The sensor set at 40 should not allow your freezer to get to 20.

 

[Redbow]

CGVT,
Perhaps you are right. In response to your post, I sent the same message to my HBS to ask them. I have made so many idiotic mistakes in brewing that I wanted to see if any of you folks noticed something I am overlooking before I have them point out one more obvious mistake I have made.

 

[CGVT]

I have a digital Johnson controller that tends to lock up. It has frozen my kegs once and I every now and then I realize that my keezer seems to run for a long time. I tap on the controller and it shuts off. I bought an analogue controller to replace it, but I haven't gotten around to it yet.

If your compressor is running too long and the temperature is going too low, I would think that the controller is your problem.

Good luck.

(BTW, my e-bay aquarium controller that I use on my fermentation fridge works like a champ. If I had know how easy it was to wire, I would have bought that for my keezer and saved about $40)

 

[Bean]

I would first test the sensor with a lamp or something like that. If you use extremes like setting it to 30F and running the probe under warm water the light should turn on, i would do this with several different settings to see it is works under all variances.

If that is working as expected I would then look at placing the probe in water in your keezer, made a huge difference for me since gases and liquids cool at different rates. Next, I would look at adding a fan or two for air circulation, this will also help with pressure issues and foam in your beer.

Cheers!

 

[loucurr]

Go with the Ranco temp controller...works like a charm!

 

[Redbow]

Thanks all for your help. I took the controller back and got a different one of the same model and this new one is working correctly. I couldn't believe that the first one I got was defective, it looks so pristine but it must have been.