Chest freezer fementer?

[EventfulAnimal]

Has anyone ever heard of using a chest freezer as a fermenter? A lot of brewers will use them as a fermenting chamber (ie put carboys inside for temperature control). I mean using the freezer itself as a vessel to hold your wash. I'm looking at a free one online, about 120 litres or so.

Pros:
-Airtight.
-Well insulated.
-Large volume.
-A drain in the bottom.
-Chill your wash to help clear it
-Free


Cons:
-Fridge smell?
-Unsafe type of plastic?
- Hard to clean?

[hpby98]

I’m now sold on a 55 gallon drum / barrel with plastic liner

With a temperature controlled heater in it - I use a PiD and stainless bucket heater- it’s about fool proof

Haven’t tried cleaning the liner yet, but they’re not expensive if it’s one per batch

And zero cleanup afterwards. That’s what I think would kill you on a freezer. Plus they’re not engineered to be filled with liquid. I wouldn’t be surprised if the walls failed when full.

http://www.thecarycompany.com/container ... ies/liners" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Made from FDA approved LDPE to boot

[zapata]

I use an upright freezer for a fermentation chamber, but for the reasons mentioned above I don't think I'd ferment right in a chest freezer. I built a "collar" around the door, and it holds a full drum. Holds a 32 gallon brute without the collar.
I have a couple smaller fridges I've used for smaller ferments as well.

If it's free, and you really wanna give it go, might be fine. Might make a helluva a mess if that plastic lining cracks and spills sweet sticky icky everywhere. I think I'd at least fill it with water out in the yard first as a proof of concept.

[EventfulAnimal]

I think you're both right. I just found a cheap 200 litre (55 gallon) drum online, and I'll go with that. What sold me was idea of no cleanup... just bin the liner when it's all over. A bit wasteful, but so is using bucketloads of hot water to clean your fermenter.

[Blarney Stoned]

I briefly toyed with that idea but killed it for the same reasons mentioned above. Now use mine as a chamber only with a controller (Inkbird) as well as a ceramic heater with a variable control when the Inkbird is pulling duty elsewhere.

Good luck.

[jonnys_spirit]

I'm interested in purposing an SS 55g barrel as a mash tun / fermenter / thumper so I can use a single vessel for all of those functions and strip on grain - xfer the wash into the boiler and leave the grain behind in the thumper. Probably need a slightly larger boiler - say 30g - but could then also strip straight into my 13g boiler and then minimize any xfers. Stripping still and spirit still. Really would make it easy to do a batch.

I'm interested in reading any notes on this approach as it could really save some time.

Cheers!
-j

[Hilltop]

Actually if nosey people are around, this may be a good idea. I see lots of small chest freezers around nowdays. These could be tipped over easy and some have key locks.