From fridge to chest freezer?

[Mark Weusten]

I have a stc 1000 hooked up to an old fridge which is struggling to cold crash my beer anymore and only gets it to 6c. Question is can I swap this out with a chest freezer and chuck my heat pad in there and do the same job?

[Pierre Malan]

I would expect so.

Think about how you get the beer in and out of the chest freezer ... 30kg can be a lot, and dropping that would suck.  I looked at chest freezers and a bunch of people do use them on the internet -- but I have no personal experience to help out with sorry!

[Mark Weusten]

Thanks Pierre. In my existing unit fridge is on top so I have to lift my fermenters to that height anyways. I have also read freezers are a lot more efficient on power.....

[Pierre Malan]

Freezers will be more efficient as there are no seals - and no air leaks out when you open them up.

Suggest you do dry lifting a fermenter over a barrier at htat height, set it down gently and then repeat in reverse to get the beer out at the end.  I have heard of taps being knocked off that leads to swearing and cloudy beer...