Chest freezer or fridge for fermenting, opinions please

[BeerPal]

As I have posted here many time, fermenting and dispensing from the same freezer is easily done, but does require some extra gear. Before I started using my conical in a dedicated upright freezer, I fermented in carboys in the same chest freezer that served as my kegorator. The freezer itself was run on an anaolg temp controller set at disepnsing temps. Then each carboy would wear a thin-film heater, a neoprene carboy jacket, stopper, thermowell and digital temp controller. This way I could ferment at any temp I liked and still keep my kegs at my preferred low-40s dispensing temp.

[scotchpine]

Gonna try Beerpal's approach in my new 7.2 cu ft freezer. 3 corny's in the well and a carboy on comp shelf. Should clear airlock with a 7.5" collar. Got a heat belt like his and a thermowell. Will try an insulated ski vest first before I spring for neoprene. 2 digital controllers. I'm gonna try to partition it off inside with a sheet of styrofoam. Not sure about needing a fan yet on inside.

[snowcapt]

As I have posted here many time, fermenting and dispensing from the same freezer is easily done, but does require some extra gear. Before I started using my conical in a dedicated upright freezer, I fermented in carboys in the same chest freezer that served as my kegorator. The freezer itself was run on an anaolg temp controller set at disepnsing temps. Then each carboy would wear a thin-film heater, a neoprene carboy jacket, stopper, thermowell and digital temp controller. This way I could ferment at any temp I liked and still keep my kegs at my preferred low-40s dispensing temp.

BeerPal. Is that a bottle of Tabasco that I spy with my little eye?

[BeerPal]

BeerPal. Is that a bottle of Tabasco that I spy with my little eye?

No, it's a thermometer in a plastic tube with a red cap. that's all.

[BeerPal]

Gonna try Beerpal's approach in my new 7.2 cu ft freezer. 3 corny's in the well and a carboy on comp shelf. Should clear airlock with a 7.5" collar. Got a heat belt like his and a thermowell. Will try an insulated ski vest first before I spring for neoprene. 2 digital controllers. I'm gonna try to partition it off inside with a sheet of styrofoam. Not sure about needing a fan yet on inside.

You're making it more complex than it has to be. You do not need to partition the interior of freezer nor do you need a fan. It will work fine exactly as I described.

[snowcapt]

As I have posted here many time, fermenting and dispensing from the same freezer is easily done, but does require some extra gear. Before I started using my conical in a dedicated upright freezer, I fermented in carboys in the same chest freezer that served as my kegorator. The freezer itself was run on an anaolg temp controller set at disepnsing temps. Then each carboy would wear a thin-film heater, a neoprene carboy jacket, stopper, thermowell and digital temp controller. This way I could ferment at any temp I liked and still keep my kegs at my preferred low-40s dispensing temp.

BeerPal. Is that a bottle of Tabasco that I spy with my little eye?

Booyah

[EagleDude]

BeerPal has a very elegant solution for someone that just has a chest freezer to work with! Nice work!

Although you end up needing two temp controlers, I opted to ferment in the fridge due to ease of moving carboys and it's now easy use with a 14.5 gallon conical. The chest freezer is for my kegs with a collar tall enough to fit kegs on the shelf. In total, I have room for 7 kegs in the chest freezer, which I wouldn't have room for in the fridg.

For me, that setup worked best since I needed finished beer storage/dispensing space more than I needed fermentation space. Depending on your beer demands, a different setup with more fermentation space could be preferred.

[mtyquinn]

Beerpal, that's is just plain awesome.