[Kit B]

After years of going without temperature control & never making lagers, I have finally made a step in the right direction.
I had purchased a Johnson digital controller, last week (planning ahead).
Then, 2 days ago, I got a free (YES...FREE) 10 cu ft chest freezer, on craigslist.
Last night, I added a 2x6 cedar collar.
(Incidently, my house & garage smell freakin' marvelous, right now.)





It's very plain, but I'm extremely happy & excited.
Maybe some day I'll get around to making it pretty.

This afternoon, I'm brewing an American Lager.
Can't wait!!!

[Mark G]

Maybe some day I'll get around to making it pretty.

If it dispenses beer, it's pretty. 

[Kit B]

It's just silly that it took me over 15 years to get this ball rolling.

I'm reluctant to add taps, because I can just imagine my 15 month-old son taking an IPA shower.
...Better to have them in a safer place, out of reach.

[beersk]

Damn, I am jealous.  I'm planning to purchase a chest freezer and Johnson controller this fall as well to start with fermentation temperature control.  But free for the freezer!  That's insane.  I wish I could be so lucky...

[JKL]

It's just silly that it took me over 15 years to get this ball rolling.

+1!  15 years of off 'n' on brewing and I also finally got a chest freezer a few months ago.  WOW! what a difference.  I'm drinking on a keg of brown ale that I fermented at 60 deg with US-05.  It is so clean tasting that it's hard to believe that an 8% beer can be this drinkable.  Congrats on your new equipment!
-J.K.L.

[gmac]

Are you going to add a liner of styrofoam insulation on the cedar?  I'm not sure if you need to but I've seen that before.  Looks like you have room so it might not hurt.  I just bought a brand new freezer so I can make my older one into a beer freezer.  Not quite the deal you got.  Gets delivered today.

[Kit B]

Are you going to add a liner of styrofoam insulation on the cedar?  I'm not sure if you need to but I've seen that before.  Looks like you have room so it might not hurt.  I just bought a brand new freezer so I can make my older one into a beer freezer.  Not quite the deal you got.  Gets delivered today.

It holds the temperature pretty well, so I may not bother...Time will tell.

Damn, I am jealous.  I'm planning to purchase a chest freezer and Johnson controller this fall as well to start with fermentation temperature control.  But free for the freezer!  That's insane.  I wish I could be so lucky...

It actually took me a few weeks of very intense searching, to find this one.
I called & emailed so many, I started to seriously confuse myself as to which ones were which.
I was just about to give up & buy one from Menard's, when I saw the ad for this one.
Persistence pays off.

[euge]

Awesome! This will revolutionize your brewing. It'll take getting used to but I love just putting the fermenter(s) in and walking away. No fiddling with ice-packs or watching the thermometer. No real temp swings that the controller can't take care of. I have mine set at 65F for now. Fluctuates between 62-65 and the batches that have been coming out have been exceptional.

Wish I had done this years ago.

[tschmidlin]

Awesome.  It looks plenty pretty to me.

[Tristan]

Congrats!  That looks great man!  Good luck with your American Lager.  You'll be very very pleased with the results!

[beersk]

Damn, I am jealous.  I'm planning to purchase a chest freezer and Johnson controller this fall as well to start with fermentation temperature control.  But free for the freezer!  That's insane.  I wish I could be so lucky...

It actually took me a few weeks of very intense searching, to find this one.
I called & emailed so many, I started to seriously confuse myself as to which ones were which.
I was just about to give up & buy one from Menard's, when I saw the ad for this one.
Persistence pays off.

Funnily enough, my stepdad told me that a friend of his has two 5 cf chest freezers he's trying to get rid of, both in good shape and free.  I was planning to downsize my batches to 3 gallon batches and ferment in 5 gallon kegs anyway, so this sounds like I scored a deal also.

[Kit B]

My first lager is happily bubbling.
 

[beersk]

Cool.  What was your method for chilling to pitching temp?

[Kit B]

My water comes out of the tap, quite cold...Like roughly 45-50.
So, I just chilled with my immersion chiller, transferred to the carboy, placed it into the freezer & pitched.

[beersk]

Ah, that's cool.  Perhaps I should only brew lagers in the winter and spring months when the water coming out of the tap is sure to be colder.  Otherwise, I can't do that in the summer as I'm pretty sure the water doesn't get that cold.