Freezer Conversion Problem

[*hop*cone*]

G'day,
I recently converted a chest freezer to a beer keg fridge for a mate who was hounding me. I followed all info obtained from searches from this site then changed the thermostat to a standard domestic fridge thermostat and then all was well.
He now rings me and tells me it is freezing up at a temperature of minus 7 degrees. When I tested it it was kicking on at 2 degrees and off at minus 2 degrees with a product temp of 1 degree, which in my opinion is a great temp in summer.

Have I done anything wrong? What are some of the things I may have left out (if any) Or as I suspect have his mates turned it up from the 1 setting I left it on and F$%# it all up.

Thanks for any info.

HC

 

[Aussie Claret]

I just bought a chest freezer and use one of those fridgemate temp controllers, works a treat.
Might be an easier option.
AC

 

[Wortgames]

He might have tried to adjust the thermostat himself for colder beer and screwed it up. Remember it could take a couple of days to bring down the temp of a few kegs, so he may have thought all was well until 3 days later when everything froze up.

Did you leave the 'fast freeze' switch in the circuit? AFAIK this overrides the thermostat, so that you can initially bring down the freezer temp without constant cycling. If so he may have flicked that.

It's also possible that the temp sensor for the new thermostat is reading some warmer air somewhere?

 

[mobrien]

I remember when I first got my freezer, I was using a timer switch in conjunction with its thermostat - this worked just fine until we had a cool stretch of weather and I froze it! Thats when I got a decent temp controller.

Since I have got the temp controller, I have had two issues - the first was when the probe fell out of the freezer (unknown to me!) and so the freezer froze. The second was when the probe moved inside the freezer, and was sitting in an air pocket that didn't move much - again the freezer froze.

Now I have a fan in the freezer, and the probe in front of the fan - this gets air movement, and makes sure the probe is at the temp of the freezer air!

M

 

[BrissyBrew]

I have a small fan in the freezer and it is a must IMHO, I have put a few probes in a fridge and measured the air temp from top to bottom it can be as great as 10*C difference at times, depending on where you place the probe. How I have a small fan to circulate air, and the probe is inserted in the lid so it does not fall out.

 

[Back Yard Brewer]

He now rings me and tells me it is freezing up at a temperature of minus 7 degrees. When I tested it it was kicking on at 2 degrees and off at minus 2 degrees with a product temp of 1 degree, which in my opinion is a great temp in summer.


HC

I would be inclined to turn off everything and start over again. Or as you have said, maybe his mates are playing funny buggers. I have a converted chest freezer. Bought an old thermostat put the probe in plug it in and have had no probs. The beauty of this is, I can take my thermostat of and Have a normal freezer straight away.

 

[Finite]

I have a small fan in the freezer and it is a must IMHO, I have put a few probes in a fridge and measured the air temp from top to bottom it can be as great as 10*C difference at times, depending on where you place the probe. How I have a small fan to circulate air, and the probe is inserted in the lid so it does not fall out.

Im thinking of doing this brissy brew but using the fan to feed cool air to a seperate fementation box. Do you have any problems with the fan in the freezer? Would putting a PC fan in a freezer ruin it?

 

[mika]

If the fans cheap enough, does it matter ?
You'd need a reasonable industrial type to fan to survive in a fridge with the low temps and moisture. But a proper fan is going to be expensive. If you can get a cheaper fan and replace it every 12months or so, you're probably a long way in front.
However, wouldn't have thought a PC fan would have moved enough air to be useful for a seperate fermentation box. Can you get a data sheet on them ?

 

[Wortgames]

Jaycar has flow rate data on their fans.

From what I understand, the trick to fermentation chambers is to have an 'in' fan and an 'out' fan, then the airflow works pretty well.

But I don't know how you're going to cut large enough holes in a freezer (unless you are using a collar etc) and you need a well-insulated fermentation box - this seems like a lot of messing around for a solution which at it's very best, MIGHT work nearly as well as a dedicated fermentation fridge.

I'd say just get the ferm fridge (/freezer) and be happy... especially as the mashmaster temp controller can be had for less than the price of a decent slab.

Why, in my day, we'd pay nearly $100 bucks for a Johnson mechanical thermostat...

blah blah blah brewers these days don't know how easy they've got it blah blah blah



(edited for clarification)

 

[Ross]

Im thinking of doing this brissy brew but using the fan to feed cool air to a seperate fementation box. Do you have any problems with the fan in the freezer? Would putting a PC fan in a freezer ruin it?

Finite,

I run a small computer fan (from Jaycar) inside my cest freezer continually. It has so far run for 12 months without a hiccup. I have the probe from the thermostat in a small container of water which slows down the switching on/off.

cheers Ross