Chest Freezer

[Bex]

I'm using a chest freezer for flue curing, and am looking to see if any other forum members are using a chest freezer - for any kind of curing. I am curious as to how you are venting it. I have not cut into the freezer panels in any way, and am attempting to vent it with just varying heights of shims placed in the door, and the position of those shims. It's not terribly consistent - particularly as the rear of the freezer lid is hinged, so that doesn't get the benefit of venting along the front of the lid. Open to suggestions, if anyone has experience with doing this. Thanks!

 

[Knucklehead]

I'm using a chest freezer for flue curing, and am looking to see if any other forum members are using a chest freezer - for any kind of curing. I am curious as to how you are venting it. I have not cut into the freezer panels in any way, and am attempting to vent it with just varying heights of shims placed in the door, and the position of those shims. It's not terribly consistent - particularly as the rear of the freezer lid is hinged, so that doesn't get the benefit of venting along the front of the lid. Open to suggestions, if anyone has experience with doing this. Thanks!

Some sort of small fan should keep the humidity of the vented air consistent with air at the back of the freezer. A computer fan works nice.

 

[Bex]

Thanks for the reply. I have found that keeping the humidity up in the freezer is not the problem. But venting the door a bit can be. With a small shim, the humidity may go up. But with a slightly larger one, it will go down, and often below the level that I want. I think that part of the difficulty is that with any size shim, you are actually opening the entirety of the door, certainly along the entire front, and halfway down the sides. I was wondering if others who are using a chest freezer, had found this problem, and what they were doing to compensate for it. I'm wondering if there isn't an alternative to the shims, and dealing with the opening of the lid, without having to actually cut through the freezer panel.

 

[deluxestogie]

Post a close-up photo of the upper seal of the chest, and the matching seal of the lid.

Bob

 

[DGBAMA]

Without a hole, no other way. I would say a 2" chimney hole, insert a short piece of PVC pipe and seal with silicone or epoxy. Put a ball valve on the pipe so that it can be opened and closed in any amount.

 

[Knucklehead]

Open the lid a little taller and adjust the size of the vent holes with some towels stuffed around the rest of the edge. A small hole on each side, rather than one opening just in the front, will allow some cross ventilation. Play with it until humidity holds fairly constant, although small fluctuations would be normal.

 

[grgfinney]

Without a hole, no other way. I would say a 2" chimney hole, insert a short piece of PVC pipe and seal with silicone or epoxy. Put a ball valve on the pipe so that it can be opened and closed in any amount.

like this

 

[Bex]

Post a close-up photo of the upper seal of the chest, and the matching seal of the lid.

Bob

I didn't realize how crummy the photo was until I transferred it, but here is a photo of the seal:
View attachment 13275

The top has some kind of insert that extends down, so that when you close the freezer lid, this insert 'seals' with the sides of the freezer. You can kind of see it here, hanging down behind the seal:
View attachment 13276

The freezer holds the humidity well. It's just a matter of attempting to vent it when it's time to drop the humidity, and looking for alternatives. (As an aside, I would like to thank whoever set up the 'autosave' feature on this forum - I'm having difficulty posting this - it keeps disappearing, but thanks to autosave, I keep getting it 'restored').

I cut into the seal on the top, where all the electrical cords go through, so that the top can sit flush when it needs to. I suppose I should also show off my 'irrigation' invention, part of a large syringe that is attached to the wall, with a tube going from it to the crockpot. This way, if I need to add water, I don't have to lift the top and try to dump it into the crockpot from above (difficult with leaves everywhere):



Pretty darned high tech.

I suppose there is no other viable, controllable way to deal with venting, other than cutting through the top? Although the towel idea above might be easily doable. Open to innovative suggestions...always.

 

[Cigar]

may ask what heat-source you are using in there?

Cigar

 

[Bex]

I'm using a crockpot.....it seems to provide the temps well.....I have it wired in to a digital thermostat, that shuts it on and off.

 

[Knucklehead]

You can auto feed your water by the siphon method shown in this thread: http://fairtradetobacco.com/threads/1694-kiln?p=23893&viewfull=1#post23893

 

[Bex]

I read that thread some time ago, and was interested in the the watering process, but, to be honest, didn't understand it. I read this:
Then there is the water supply – water jug on an adjustable shelf, with a siphon hose to the crockpot. The black mark on the jug is at the high water level of the crockpot. I can monitor the water level, and fill the crockpot without opening the kiln door.

I didn't understand (and still don't actually) how the water in the jug on the outside of the container helps you monitor how much water is left in the crockpot inside. I understand about siphoning, etc., and having the jug marked to show how much water fills the crockpot, etc., but don't get the rest of the concept.