keezer fan.

[nolabrew85]

I am acquiring a used 5 cu ft chest freezer for free, but I will need to place an 8 inch collar on it to fit 2 kegs because of the stupid hump. How necessary is it to have a fan for air circulation? I see some people doing it but others, including the northernbrewer video on YouTube, do no fan. It seems like maybe you could just set the temp controller a little lower to make up for the deadspace (or noncooling space, whatever you would call it) of the collar, instead of adding the fan; I realize cold air goes down but the top still has to be pretty cold. I guess the concern is the uneven distribution of the cold air. But that begs the question of how much warmer is the top 4-6 inches of beer really going to be? Is it really going to matter?

Second question. This freezer is one that dissipates heat through the outside walls. I want to paint it black with appliance epoxy spray paint. Will this layer of paint affect the performance or or working life of the freezer?
Thanks!

 

[DrunkleJon]

Without a fan there will be some temperature stratification, but fans are not necessary. I am considering one for my ferm chamber more than I am for my keezer, as a couple degrees while in active fermentation is much more signifigant to me than serving temp. Not to mention I do not have foaming issues and the keezer is treating me well. If you arent making an order for parts, do without and decide if you need one after its built and in use.

I do not see how the color of the freezer will affect its heat radiating abilities. Its not in direct sunlight or anything where it would absorb much heat is it?

 

[nolabrew85]

Thanks. That is what I wanted to hear about the fan.

As for the paint, I was thinking more along the lines of whether the extra layer of substance on the outside would affect its ability to displace heat. I would have never geeked on this point, until I saw a post where advised against placing wood paneling directly on the outside of a freezer that operates in this manner, as the posters said it would affect the heat dispersion. my thought is that the paint is probably not an insulator, or at least not as much of one, like the wood, but I wanted to make sure.

 

[Jay1]

I don't think paint would make much of a difference. When mine goes from room temperature to freezing, it does get warm but after that its just maintaining temp and doesn't get warm at all.

 

[DrunkleJon]

Additionally, about the fan. If you have a tower, a fan can help reduce foaming issues on the first pour as the tower can warm and cause CO2 to come out of suspension.