Upright Freezer Fermentation Chamber

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by hoptualBrew, Jan 29, 2019.

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  1. hoptualBrew

    hoptualBrew Initiate (0) May 29, 2011 Florida

    Update to process, may come of use to someone in the future.

    SS Brewtech makes heavy duty casters for their tanks. Will buy a set of these to put on my 20 gallon brite tank.

    Will leave the 23 gallon fermenter stationary.

    After fermentation/cold crash, will transfer beer out of fermenter (stationary in freezer) to brite tank that is on casters (and on dolly) outside of freezer. Once transfer is done, will lift fermenter out of fridge and roll brite tank in for carb and conditioning and keg within 24 hrs.

    Found the casters online last night which means I don’t have to worry about putting the fermenter on wheels. This process will save me from having to buy a second upright freezer (hopefully).

    Just hope that I have no issues with upright freezer mechanics doing fermentation temps.
     
    #21 hoptualBrew, Jan 30, 2019
  2. hoptualBrew

    hoptualBrew Initiate (0) May 29, 2011 Florida

    Update:

    Went in on the Fridgeaire upright. Have been running fermentation chamber to Inkbird with probe in the thermowell on my 23 gallon conical. I have had temp differential set to 1F and have noticed that even during active fermentation, the compressor will only kick on once every few hours. It will take a few hours run time to get the beer down, and will usually end up a degree or two below set temp. Then takes a few hours before it runs again.

    Am currently 10 days into a DIPA and went to cold crash. Now compressor is not kicking on. I’ve had this thing about 6 months only! It’s been a few hours I’ve been waiting thinking maybe the short cycle timer needed to wait, still nothing... refrigeration is a pain in the ass!!!

    Did I have another unit take a shit on me? This would be the 3rd unit in less than a year... first two were used units. This one is new from BrandsMart.
     
    #22 hoptualBrew, Oct 20, 2019
  3. billandsuz

    billandsuz Pooh-Bah (2,097) Sep 1, 2004 New York
    Pooh-Bah

    Hopefully you are still under warranty and can get the unit to look like it was used as a fridge and not hotwired with an outboard t-stat. My Frigidaire died a while ago, found out the 5 year warranty was for everything but the cooling, that had a 1 year warranty. So after 13 or 14 months it was a brick. But good to know the hinges are safe for 5 years? Anyway...

    Check to be sure the temp probe is not screwy. Maybe try using the on-board t-stat. This would eliminate the outboard unit as a possible cause of defect. Good luck.
     
    #23 billandsuz, Oct 20, 2019
    hoptualBrew likes this.
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