Making a freezer act like a refrigerator

[mclancy]

I'm new to this forum, and have little experience working with freezers and refrigerators. I brew a lot of beer, and I have a question whose answer could help a lot of people like me that have chest freezers that they would like to use for very-cold-but-not-freezing beer storage. If you guys have a good answer (if one exists I'm sure you'll have it), I will post it on the beer brewing forums that I often frequent.

Is there a way to modify the thermostat control on a chest freezer so that it will maintain a temp of about 35 degrees F? Sure, I could use an external temp control and probe, but that seems like a waste given that there already exists a perfectly good temp control device already in the freezer. My Kenmore has a 1-7 dial, but even the warmest setting still freezes liquids (beer). Anybody know how to modify this temp control to work at warmer temps?

Thanks a lot. Sorry I can't contribute to the knowledge of this forum, but I'm sure the beer gods will appreciate any assistance you can give me.

[ucp]

The thermostats are perfectly good untill you calibrate them. There may be a calibration screw/adjustment on t-stat somewhere. You might see it if you remove knob from t-stat and look down center of shaft, or it could be somewhere else in or on stat body.

If you could calibrate t-stat to run higher temperatures, I dont think it would be as accurate as youd want with that being a cold wall type freezer?

You possibly could overload the compressor running at higher tempertures than it was designed for.

It might be worth a try, if ya have a spare freezer to play with.

[mclancy]

Thanks, ucp. I'll look for the calibration screw tonight.

It's a Kenmore 12.8 cu ft chest freezer, about 15 years old. I got it for $45, so if it gets destroyed in the process no big deal.

[icemeister]

Originally posted by mclancy
I got it for $45, so if it gets destroyed in the process no big deal.

Yes, however if it takes out thirty gallons of fine home brew, that's quite another matter. :eek: ;)

[ucp]

Originally posted by icemeister

Originally posted by mclancy
I got it for $45, so if it gets destroyed in the process no big deal.

Yes, however if it takes out thirty gallons of fine home brew, that's quite another matter. :eek: ;)

Thats the most important consideration of all! Why didnt I think of that.

[mclancy]

Wait a sec... fooling with the calibration isn't going to make the freezer explode or anything, will it? I'll message back tomorrow and let you know if I could find the calibration screw, and if it worked.

[ucp]

No, it shouldnt explode!LOL Probably freezer just will not work if the t-stat gets messed up. Turn off power before playing with it though.

[clydemule]

I think the best way is to use the external thermostat and plug the freezer into that. yes you can mess with the thermostat, but like you say it has settings 1-7, not any temps. Any type of consumer appliance is designed for a certain very specific range, even after screwing with it I dunno if you can get it warm enough.

Good Luck!

Clyde, homebrewer and brewery chiller manufacturer.

[Diceman]

It's a crapshoot, buy those small, home bar type refrigerators, you can run them real damn cold.

[craig1]

just increase the alcohol content of the beer so it doesn't freeze :)

[mclancy]

I took it apart last night and couldn't find anything that looked like a calibration screw. I think I'll just go the external temperature controller route... there are some cheap ones on eBay. Thanks a lot for everybody's input (particularly the "increase the alcohol content" suggestion).

[rayr]

Originally posted by mclancy
I took it apart last night and couldn't find anything that looked like a calibration screw. I think I'll just go the external temperature controller route... there are some cheap ones on eBay. Thanks a lot for everybody's input (particularly the "increase the alcohol content" suggestion).

Magic word "Cheap"