BeerBorg

Howdy Borg - been busy, finally have garage to man cave/brew area under construction. I am providing some of the slave labor but handyman doing most of it. Finishing walls, killz and then paint. Put in decking in attic for storage and a door/ladder to get up there. Also getting rid of lots of stuff that was out there. There will be a bar built after this part is done, and potentially some other things like a sink later but for now just want to have a place to do my brews without taking up the kitchen etc.

Question for the Borg - I want to get to kegging, eventually, as in, the next few months - assuming I can find some damn work in the area. Also I want to start being able to better control fermentation temps - never had to worry about it much in Colorado as I had a basement that stayed steady. So - I am going to be getting a temp controller and some kind of vessel to use it in. SWMBO is on board and wants to get me some "better equipment" to help me along.

Should I get a freezer, a fridge with freezer on top, etc. I am kind of looking for something that I can use for fermentation control now with an eye towards using to hold a few conry kegs in the future for dispensing. I am trying not to junk up the garage or take up too much room with a fridge here, a freezer there etc. I could start with a fridge or freezer, then when I eventually get to kegging, could bring back Dan the Handyman and we could slap together a "fermentation chamber".

What would you all do? I scour craigslist and can find either fridge or freezers for 100 here and there, but am trying to be practical and get one thing that can be useful for several uses in the near term. Not sure if a freezer beats a fridge or for what reason. Also know that some friges with top freezer could be useful for storing hops etc,

What sayeth the Borg?
Cheers
jeff

The great question of all ages. Okay, that might be a stretch.

I am of the opinion that cheaper is better. I purchased a fridge at my neighbors garage sale for $35, and later he sold me an upright freezer for $25. I also found another refrigerator for $40 on craigslist. All three vessels required many hours of cleaning prior to use, so be prepared should you buy used. Most people just want them gone, so don't be afraid to negotiate. If you decide to purchase an upright freezer, frost free is your best option. The circulating fan will ensure consistent temperatures, top to bottom. If you go with a fridge (with freezer on top), the freezer is really only good for equipment storage - due to temperature swings in the freezer itself (you generally are only controlling the temp in the fridge, not the freezer).

IMO, the best fermentation vessel is a fridge with no freezer (no wasted space). Unfortunately, they are very difficult to find (used). The best kegging vessel would be a chest freezer, me thinks. More for space-saving reasons than anything else (four kegs and a CO2 tank make for a tight fit in my fridge).

Hope that helps. Good luck in your search.

Edit: One benefit of using a fridge for kegging is that it does not require an external temperature control.

I know your post is about a fridge or freezer but I saw that you might want to add a sink later so I thought I'd mention that while the handy man is still finishing up have you had him put the plumbing in yet?

We knew when building our house that we wanted a utility sink eventually so we had the plumbing added in the pantry.

I found this sink at a used restaurant supply store:
It is great for washing bottles, a case at a time, LBKs, kettles and other large items.

A large sink where you are brewing would come in handy.

Packerduf nailed it. I would add that on Craigslist you can also find CLEAN appliances. I bought a top end 26 cu ft GE Profile frig/freezer for $75. This even has custom cabinet panels on it. It was in a full basement with no outside access, and the people were moving. They rarely had it plugged in, so it has only a few years of use on it. It was cleaner than our frig. I have room 6 bottles of each beer up to around 18 types, plus two LBKs for cold crashing, plus the entire door, vegetable/fruit bins, and freezer. Can't ferment of course, but I didn't need that.

The key as Packerduf mentioned is the fact that you're regulating refrigerator temp, making a freezer have wide swings if you use it for fermentation. That's why a refrigerator or freezer alone is a better choice for that purpose, and either will work. An upright, or a chest freezer can ferment or store kegs with a controller on it.

My in-laws are in the process of going to assisted living, and they have an upright freezer in their garage, which says "TAKE ME" all over it. I plan on it making its way to our basement where it might become a fermentation chamber or something else.

If you can swing it, get one each. I use a small chest freezer with a Johnson controller as a fermenting box, a large upright freezer for storing Hops and venison and a fridge/freezer for chillin/storage. I want, but don't have plumbing for hot/cold water in my garage where I also brew. Maybe a ventilation hood over the burner for the boils. I would not recommend a turkey fryer for inside brewing, even if it is in the garage, it almost bit me in the arse big time once. C/L and garage sales can be good sources like previously mentioned. I have a total of 2 freezers, 2 fridge/freezers in my house, come to think of it, might be why my elec. bill is soooo darn high every month.