The 'Keezer' Project

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Jester369

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EDIT: I just noticed that my sig link, saying 'Original' Keezer, might lead folks to believe that I think I came up with the whole idea of using a chest freezer for a keg dispenser! I DON'T!!!! I did, however, decided that 'kegerator' was not an accurate name when using a freezer, so I named it 'Keezer.' At the time, there were no references to the term anywhere on HBT, or google, for that matter. So, I think I actually did come up with the name, but CERTAINLY not the idea!!

Ok, so I am finally getting started with the 'Keezer' project! Some time ago, I saw BrewPastors gorgeous chest freezer conversion posted.

CIMG10072.jpg


Ever since, I have been thinking about how to go about doing my own. What I finally came up with was something along the lines of this:

7674-KeezerWide3.jpg


Looks familiar, no? Well, I told you I liked his :D

This is not exactly what the finished product is going to look like - I went with a larger freezer than originally planned so that I could get the desired number of kegs in it. The proportions are slightly different, but you get the idea!

The Keezer will be on casters to allow for some portability, although it will be heavy enough that it can't can't be considered 'mobile.'

In the base, there will be a cooling fan that draws air down over the sides of the freezer to draw away heat generated by the compressor. I was not aware when I first started looking into this that todays freezers use the exterior skin to shed heat, and that placing wood directly against it would seriously shorten the life-span of the compressor. Luckily, some sage advice was given on HBT, and a cooling fan was designed in! It will be wired in with the compressor to the Ranco, so whenever the compressor kicks in, so does the cooling fan.

I plan on posting periodic updates and photos as the project progresses.
 
To kick things off, here are a couple of photos:

Faucets-
7674-Taps1b.jpg


Freezer capacity-
7674-kegsInFreezer1b.jpg


If it was 1/2" wider or deeper, I could fit 8. As it is, 7 fit comfortably, and since I only want 5 taps it's not an issue.
 
Here's the plumbing, minus the CO2 manifold - I'm completely rethinking it now that I have the seven secondary regs. In the photo is tha faucets (as seen before) and shanks nuts and tails, some cheapo handles, the secondary regs, and gas line and beer line.

7674-KeezerPlumbing.jpg


the rope light is going to be recessed between the wood that the faucets are in, and the tiling behind the backsplash
 
This looks great. Very cool. On mine I hinged the top in front of the coffin for access and set the coffin back in order to maximize reach in space. I have not done anything about chilling the lines outside the freezer beyond insulation, but also have not found it to be an issue.
 
Are we going to get 'cool' pics with the 'Keezer' on Thursdays soon? :D
 
Jester369 said:
So I finally got in the guages for the manifold...

7674-NewKeezerManifold.jpg


Time for me to get serious about this build!

ummm, you need to use that as a prop in that 'other' thread somehow ;)
 
OK, I don't know if I am ever going get this bastid built, but at least I'm getting all the gear together! Here is the 36" drip tray that just arrived. :ban:

7674-DripTray.jpg
 
Jester369 said:
Is there really such a thing as "too many" of those other pictures? ;)


oh no, not at all. I was just saying that those other 'hobbies' may, and I say MAY be cutting into the keezer project. However, I recommend you continue on the other hobby as much as possible :mug:
 
Jester - what model is your freezer? In hindsight, would you have chosen a different one?

After getting frustrated with the routine of defrosting my kegerator (and getting water all over the floor), my SWMBO just suggested that I build one of these! I'm excited...but I don't want to rush into the project too quickly.
 
Hi Yuri,

I got a Kenmore 13 cf from Sears. It's pretty good, but not the most efficient use of space. It easily holds 7 5 gal cornies, and one or two 3 gallon kegs if you have them (or make your own :D). If it was only an inch deeper it would hold a LOT of beer. There are others out there that are a bit more efficient - Bobby_M has a whirlpool that looks like it was designed specifically to hold 5 kegs with no dead space. I couldn't find one locally so I went with this beast. The up side is that now I am going to have 7 faucets instead of 5! :D
 
Yuri_Rage said:
Jester - what model is your freezer? In hindsight, would you have chosen a different one?

After getting frustrated with the routine of defrosting my kegerator (and getting water all over the floor), my SWMBO just suggested that I build one of these! I'm excited...but I don't want to rush into the project too quickly.


I built an adapter to plug into the drain of the freezer to go to a garden hose. I take another hose and rinse out the freezer every couple months and the water runs down the driveway.

I don't think you will ever get away from the defrosting problem but I did put in one of those reuseable dehumidifiers and it works wonders for keeping the inside dry.
 
I recently came across a giant chest freezer for 50 bucks, and have similar plans for it. I'm glad I found this thread as I had no idea covering the outside freezer walls with wood could hinder the compressor. Although I had 1/4'' or 1/2'' birch plywood in mind, could you elaborate a bit on how connecting a fan to the compressor fits into this project? I don't know jack about electrical work so if you could make it KISS it would make my day.

On another note.....I also have concerns regarding the weight of the door. Even without the tile my original plan called for, the weight of the wood on top, plus the giant 8 tap tower is going to be a struggle to open and put a lot of strain on the hinges. So I had the idea of changing the hinges so the lid would lift up and out. Kind of like the coffee table at this link below.

http://www.coffeetablesgalore.com/coffee-tables/rectangle/liftupcoffeetable.cfm#navbar=a

This would allow the kreezer to open when backed against a wall, and still have the tap tower at the back edge of the freezer, instead of the front. Is this a viable solution? Does anyone know what kind of spring tension would be required for hinges similar to the one's used on the coffee table above to lift an approximately 30 lb. lid? Is there a viable way to mount such hinges since they would have to be mounted on the inside wall of the freezer?

OMG so many questions! My brain is starting to hurt. At least I have a solution for that. :mug:
 
Badkarmaa, I think I can at least help you a bit with the compressor: think of the compressor as a motor (there is a motor inside of it). Like your car engine, it heats up during operation. Now imagine that you're driving your car, but the radiator is boxed in by foam, wood, whatever you like: the result is that the engine can't expel the extra heat it's generating and so overheats. The same basic concept applies to your compressor; it's generating lots of heat when it runs, and so if you don't let air flow over it it will overheat. Heat is one of the biggest enemies of moving parts, and your compressor is the only moving part in your refrigeration system, so you want to keep it cool. Putting a fan over it increases the airflow, and thus keeps the compressor cooler, which should directly translate to it surviving for longer.

Also, be sure not to cover up the condenser coils in the back of the freezer; doing so will also give you compressor problems (it'll need to work a lot harder to get the same job done).

Hope that helps!
 
RadicalEd - Actually, the cooling fan draws air along the outside of the freezer - it's not creating airflow over the compressor. Since I am not covering the back of the freezer, the cooling vents for the compressor area are unobstructed. However, modern chest freezers use the exterior skin of the freezer to radiate heat away from the unit, which is why they all require a certain clearance from obstructions - mine states 3" from the sides in the manual. If there is inadequate ventilation, the compressor will burn out from overuse - not because the compressor itself is getting too hot. Because I am enclosing the front and sides, I want to be sure that the exterior still gets enough ventilation. So the fan I am using is strictly to draw air down the faces of the front and sides of the freezer.

Badkarma - there actually isn't a lot in the way of wiring to be done - I am using a Ranco temp controller, that has two regular electrical outlets. The freezer plugs into one, and the cooling fan into the other. When the temp in the freezer gets too high, the controller powers the outlets and voila - the compressor and fan come on together.

That's an interesting idea on the hinges, but the biggest reason I can see for not doing it is that it would require putting holes in the sides of the freezer, which can rupture cooling lines if you are unlucky enough to hit one. For my project, I am not at all concerned about the weight of the top being too much for the hinges - they are pretty sturdy - but I will certainly have to make a prop to hold it open (like a car hood prop) since the new top is way heavier than the factory springs were ever designed to support.

Maybe the coffee table hinge idea could work if you built a small collar around the top for the freezer to attach the hinges to.

New ideas rock! :rockin:
 
Thanks for your input RadicalEd and Jester. I probably should have elaborated a bit on my inquiry though. I understand the reason for the fan, so I guess I'm a bit confused as to what kind of fan (model # and brand for reference? ) and where to put it if I am to draw air over three sides of the kreezer. That said, knowing I don't have to wire it to the compressor and can simply plug it in puts me at ease.

As for the new door hinges....Of course! Why didn't I think of the collar?:drunk: Dee dee dee.

Can't wait to see some Pic updates of your project Jester! :mug:
 
Ok, so here is what I am doing for the cooling. Just FYI, the 1" spacers are not drawn full height - I was just trying to get the details for the venting. They will go all the way up to the lip of the freezer.

7674-DollyBase.jpg


7674-DollyBaseB.jpg


The fan pulls air from the duct box, and exhausts out the bottom. The spacers are what the exterior plywood will be attached to, and create 7 flows of air down the face of the freezer through the duct openings. Not shown, but inside the duct box, there is are dividers that distribute the fans capacity based on the area being cooled - basically, it pulls more air from the front, where there is a greater area to cool, than from the sides. As this thing comes together, I will be taking lots of photos to go with the 3D drawings.

I can get you the model/manuf info on the fan - it's at home somewhere. I can tell you that I got it from McMaster.
 
Hey Jester. Just another thought......what were you planning to use to make the duct box? I was thinking plywood, but that would increase the weight even more. I've been running through Lowe's and Home Depot's inventory in my head and I don't remember ever seeing sheets of plastic. That said, I might be able to work out a system using PVC. Good thinking on the duct box though. What else is floating around in the genious mind of The Jester? :D
 
So, I recently scored a 15.1 cuft chest freezer off craigslist for $75 and I really want to turn it into a keezer, but I'm a little lost as to where to begin. I don't want to do anything as elaborate as Jester is doing (mostly because I doubt I'm able).

Is there anything super-problematic about drilling holes in the front of the freezer for the taps and running the lines out that way? [I'm unconcerned about re-purposing it as a freezer]

Is there an "idiot's guide" out there? I've searched around here but haven't really been able to find anything.

Thoughts/recommendations are appreciated.
 
Jester369 said:
Ugh - been taking care of other home improvements lately. Trying to get some work done outside before snow flies. :(

I hear that. Other projects around the house are tying up a good percentage of my funds, so my kreezer project is comming along a bit slow as well. I did talk to a few appliance repair shops and some freezer experts though. They all seem to think the only problem glueing some birch plywood to the sides of the freezer would cause is potential warping/scortching of the wood.

They didn't think having the external skin of the freezer covered would cause any extra stress on the compressor or the coils. However, since the external walls do get hot, it could harm the plywood if there aren't spacers. So, maybe a fan and ductwork to draw air over the sides isn't necessary? Just a few spacers should be all we need?
 
ok, so nothing earthshattering, but a little progress. I finally got the freezer up off the ground and on to the dolly, so it's mobile. I'm going to have to take it off again to do the fan/ductwork underneath, but I needed to get it out of the garage and see if it would fit with the new pool table (it does! :D) I also finished off the manifold and installed the support for it, as well as ran some gas lines.

7674-KeezerManifold2.jpg


So many projects, so little time I can call in sick to work!
 
BadKarmaa said:
I hear that. Other projects around the house are tying up a good percentage of my funds, so my kreezer project is comming along a bit slow as well. I did talk to a few appliance repair shops and some freezer experts though. They all seem to think the only problem glueing some birch plywood to the sides of the freezer would cause is potential warping/scortching of the wood.

They didn't think having the external skin of the freezer covered would cause any extra stress on the compressor or the coils. However, since the external walls do get hot, it could harm the plywood if there aren't spacers. So, maybe a fan and ductwork to draw air over the sides isn't necessary? Just a few spacers should be all we need?

I don't think you're necessarily harming the compressor (not immediately anyway) by insulating the heat transfer but you are losing cooling efficiency. If you do anything to contain the heat at all, that heat will eventually make its way in part to the interior of the freezer. The compressor will run more often and waste power. Refrigeration works by removing heat from inside the box and depositing it outside the box (those coils you're covering).
 

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