My chest freezer beer cellar

Discussion in 'Cellaring / Aging Beer' started by cwehr13, Mar 20, 2014.

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  1. cwehr13

    cwehr13 Initiate (0) Aug 4, 2011 Illinois

    Hop-Droppen-Roll and Cfeezy like this.
  2. archiebunkerjr

    archiebunkerjr Pundit (866) Oct 25, 2010 Michigan
    Trader

    Job well done, sir. But I see you are from Illinois. Do you not have access to a basement?
     
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  3. Ringhale

    Ringhale Initiate (0) Dec 29, 2012 Michigan

    Might I ask how much the whole setup cost and how do you have the humidifier and external temp control wired up. Thanks
     
  4. cwehr13

    cwehr13 Initiate (0) Aug 4, 2011 Illinois

    @archiebunkerjr I do have a basement, just not a lot of space this hugs the wall nicely and keeps everything organized.
    @Ringhale I purchased the floor model at Home depot for $113 The external Temp Control was $69 Shipped and the Wireless dehumidifier was $19 shipped.
     
  5. nightfly

    nightfly Initiate (0) Feb 11, 2010 District of Columbia

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    I did something similar. Upright freezer purchased for $40 on craigslist. Rented U-haul to pick up 10 miles from house: $51. Purchased Johnson Controls external temperature control on amazon.com for $60 shipped.
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    I apologize for not having The Lost Abbey Cable Car in my "cellar".
     
  6. cwehr13

    cwehr13 Initiate (0) Aug 4, 2011 Illinois

  7. nightfly

    nightfly Initiate (0) Feb 11, 2010 District of Columbia

    Attempt #2.

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  8. Ringhale

    Ringhale Initiate (0) Dec 29, 2012 Michigan

    How hard is it to wire up the external control?
     
  9. cwehr13

    cwehr13 Initiate (0) Aug 4, 2011 Illinois

    @nightfly looks awesome dude! abd @Ringhale you plug your unit into the controller and you plug the controller into the outlet then set them temperature. I taped the sensor to a bottle in the freezer. It took about 5 minuets to set up.
     
  10. dcbullet

    dcbullet Initiate (0) Dec 18, 2013 California

    Is there an advantage of using a freezer vs. refrigerator? The one I can think of is that if the fridge has a freezer that is wasted, but I wasn't sure if there were other advantages.
     
  11. nightfly

    nightfly Initiate (0) Feb 11, 2010 District of Columbia

    Yes, a freezer is all usable space. Bring a couple bottles when you're checking out the unit so you can see what fits on each shelf.

    From what I've read and seen with my temp/humidity monitor, the humidity level is also higher in a freezer set to 50° rather than a fridge which is intended to keep food dry. This is good for prevening corks from being dried out.

    Don't hesitate. This can all be done easily for less than $200. Check craigslist for upright freezers or chest freezers. Setting up the external temperature control is a breeze.
     
  12. cwehr13

    cwehr13 Initiate (0) Aug 4, 2011 Illinois

    @dcbullet I got everything brand new and was after taxes around $211. No regrets.
     
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  13. Wsherry1

    Wsherry1 Initiate (0) Jun 17, 2013 Illinois

     
  14. hooliganlife

    hooliganlife Pooh-Bah (1,697) Apr 12, 2007 Missouri
    Pooh-Bah Society

    real easy. i drilled a hole in my freezer and slip the temp monitor in, then sealed with silicone. keeps it in place as if it slips out the freezer will go into freezer mode.
     
  15. Scott_Anderson_

    Scott_Anderson_ Initiate (0) Jul 6, 2014 Tennessee

    Nice setup! Are those pink waxes Eclipse Pappy?
     
  16. WI-Beer-Man

    WI-Beer-Man Maven (1,383) May 29, 2014 Wisconsin

    Im looking to do something similar...questions on the temp controller: No holes drilled? Wire just "pinched" in the lid?
     
  17. VegasHopHead

    VegasHopHead Initiate (0) Jun 21, 2012 Nevada

    i use the pinch method. I read that drilling through the wall could be bad. You could hit a coil if you dont know where to drill. pinch method works well. the one thing that concerns me is humidity. Ive never controlled it. its sits around 65%. Is that bad for the beer? never heard it being an issue.
     
  18. hooliganlife

    hooliganlife Pooh-Bah (1,697) Apr 12, 2007 Missouri
    Pooh-Bah Society

    i drilled through the top of the side, coils were a worry for sure. it worked as i have not had any issues
     
  19. WI-Beer-Man

    WI-Beer-Man Maven (1,383) May 29, 2014 Wisconsin

    Thanks @cwehr13 for this thread! Just completed mine
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    #19 WI-Beer-Man, Jul 17, 2014
    Last edited: Jul 17, 2014
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  20. WI-Beer-Man

    WI-Beer-Man Maven (1,383) May 29, 2014 Wisconsin

    The chest freezer was $150 at a local Menards (Fridgedaire 7.0 cu ft).

    Temp controller:
    http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/johnson-controls-a419-digital-temp-controller.html
    $79.99 (can probably find cheaper)

    Super easy to set up. As with other posts/threads
    1) freezer plug goes into A419 temp controller, temp controller plug goes into wall
    2) set the temp <set mine at 53> and differential <set mine at 3>
    3) tape the probe to a bottle in the freezer
    4) fill the freezer up with beer to level out the temp

    Cheers!
     
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