My Chest Freezer Kegerator Hidden Behind Bar Wall

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WolfieBrew

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After spending hours trying to locate the condenser coils in my upright freezer, I realized that it had completely stopped functioning. The compressor is pumping air into the freezer chamber but if just isn't cold. Anyway, I hunted around for a chest freezer this weekend and got a steal on a 23 Cubic FT for $50. It's an older model Kenmore but it is really clean and seems to reach a freezing temperature very quickly. I just need to order a new thermostat conversion kit. If anyone can recommend a good one that they have had success with an older freezer, I would appreciate it... It would definitely save me the hassle of trial and error. So here is what I have so far:

chestfreezer01.jpg

chestfreezer02.jpg

chestfreezer03.jpg

chestfreezer04.jpg

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chestfreezer06.jpg

chestfreezer07.jpg


I have an 8' x 10' finished room tat I use as the bar in my basement and next to the bar room is an unfinished closet. I designed the wooden band on the chest freezer to overhang by 4" with a notch for the stud in the wall separating the bar and closet. With this design, the 2x will be touching the back of the drywall behind the wall in the bar and I will be able to run the faucet shanks straight through the wall. Then I can flush mount a drip pan on the wall below the faucets. I am more excited about this design because it is less work than my previous plan and I can handle way more kegs than an upright. If it looks like I am forgetting anything or doing something wrong, please let me know. I prefer constructive criticism.
 
I have it all together and I used 2x10's for the wooden collar because i needed the extra space. I used rubber weather stripping from Home Depot on the rim of the freezer to help keep the collar air tight. I figured that the weight of the wooden collar would be enough to create a tight seal. Do I need to clamp it down and screw it to the freezer? Or can I stick with my initial plan? I am nervous to put screws into the freezer. I also used Aluminum HVAC tape on the top and bottom of the wooden collar to create a smooth surface for the freezer and the lid to seal to the wooden collar. Has anyone used Aluminum tape and is it working well?
 
PICTURES:

kegfridge01.jpg

collar with aluminum tape

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keg fridge in closet behind bar

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faucet with simple tap handle which will need an upgrade

ignore the Coors sign... it was free from a friend! :mug:
 
mighty big freezer for one tap! Plans to add more?

I use the johnson controller, easy to set up and has been working well for me.

Yeah, there's about 10 inches on each side of the stud and I laid it out for six taps (3 on each side). It could probably handle 8 taps but 6 should be more than enough for me. I wasn't planning on using such a large freezer but I came upon the deal and had to act. :rockin: It will handle all my home brew and prob even a 15 gallon sankey for parties. I will have to look into the Johnson Controller. What I really need to know at the moment is the best freezer to fridge conversion thermostat. Anyone have any recommendations?

Thanks,
Chris
 
first, thats an awesome idea. i've never seen one hidden in another room. very cool. as far as the weight of the wood being enough to hold a seal, you could also caulk around the edges. many people do that.
and as far as a temp controller, i use the johnson one as well. its easy to use.
 
I use the johnson analog on my freezer but I'd buy a Ranco digital if I was going to do it again. It requires a small bit of wiring but it is easy to dial in a specific temp and a swing, which I find important on my fermentation fridge. Great idea there with the freezer against the wall and the collar. Aluminum tape has held up for me in my freezer. The collar should be heavy enough to seal itself, I'm sure it weighs more than the lid. I would avoid screws at all costs. The coils on freezers are typically in the walls on the inside and outside just below the surface. I've ruined a perfectly good one before.
The only problem with 15g sankes is lifting them into the freezer. If you're having a party, though, I'm sure thirsty friends will help.
 
I'm always confused why people build their collars as if they're going to put a kiddie pool and patio furniture on it. Despite that, nice job.

Oh, "but 6 should be more than enough for me" are famous last words. How many kegs can fit in there? That's how many taps you actually want.

Glue down your collar with a bead of 100% silicone caulk.

You'll want to keep your eye out for a nice piece of stainless sheet to put on the wall and attach a drip tray at the bottom if you don't want to keep a towel on the floor.
 
How are these pics black and white? Nice build but we require color pics.:D

Are you going to wall mount a drip tray?
 
Oh, "but 6 should be more than enough for me" are famous last words. How many kegs can fit in there? That's how many taps you actually want.

Glue down your collar with a bead of 100% silicone caulk.

You'll want to keep your eye out for a nice piece of stainless sheet to put on the wall and attach a drip tray at the bottom if you don't want to keep a towel on the floor.

Your right for sure! Every other project or hobby i get into, I end up going crazy over the top. I probably will have 10 taps before long. I definitely plan on a SS back plate and drip pan and I am going to remove the cheap weather stripping and use silicone sealant.

I have a few more questions:

1.) when adding the hinges, I just let the lid lay on the collar under its own weight. Should I have applied some pressure to make the gasket on the lid seal harder?

2.) Will the weight of six or eight kegs be too much pressure on the bottom of the freezer? Is it necessary to cut a piece of 3/4 plywood or similar to disperse the load evenly? Or am I thinking too much?
 
I decided to scrap the aluminum tape and go the stain and seal route. I definitely wasted a good quarter roll of the tape but oh well. Stain/Poly is what I wanted to do in the first place but I spent so much time building the collar last weekend and I just wanted to be finished with the whole project. If I wouldn't have tried to cut corners, it would already be dry and assembled.

collarstained.jpg


I also picked up a Ranco Digital Temperature Controller today at Grainger. I prob paid too much but it's better than waiting for one to ship. Where is the best location for the temperature probe? middle/lower/higher?

This freezer is an older Kenmore model and the lid has a wiring harness with (4) wires. I know it is definitely for the light, but the lid also has this button that can be pulled out that says "Flash Defrost - Pull to Defrost." I don't have a use for the light and my question is, does this wiring harness complete a series that is required for normal operation? I don't expect anyone to know the exact answer but I'm looking for opinions. I don't really want to extend the wiring harness if it's not necessary at all. Pics are below:

cord01.jpg

male connector top

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male connector bottom

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female connector

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defrost button on lid
 
The defrost just raises the temperature long enough to thaw the ice. You shouldn't get any ice with your new thermostat. I wouldn't be worried about weight distribution.
 
The defrost just raises the temperature long enough to thaw the ice. You shouldn't get any ice with your new thermostat. I wouldn't be worried about weight distribution.

So do you think I can run the unit without reconnecting the lid harness? Also, when using the new thermostat, where should I set the original
temperature dial on the freezer?
 
Almost done!

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stained and sealed the collar - the CO2 tank really looks dwarfed!


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used 100% silicone bead to glue collar to freezer body and also ran all of the joints


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leveled the keezer on the platform to help ensure lid seal

Tomorrow I am going to wire up the Ranco Digital Temperature Controller and, aside from installing the lines and waiting for my brew to finish, it will be ready to pour. I noticed one of the hinges is a little crooked but it opens and closes just fine.
 
You are eventually going to want a 20# CO2 tank if you are carbing and serving 6 beers. Other than that great build!
 
Is any of the beer line going to be outside of the keezer? I doubt it would be much if so, but that's something to think about. I have a keezer in my basement going to my wall mounted taps in my kitchen above and had no idea what I was getting into. I ended up buying a Micromatic glycol chiller though I expect you could get away with less.
 
Is any of the beer line going to be outside of the keezer? I doubt it would be much if so, but that's something to think about. I have a keezer in my basement going to my wall mounted taps in my kitchen above and had no idea what I was getting into. I ended up buying a Micromatic glycol chiller though I expect you could get away with less.

None of the beer lines will be outside of the freezer. The shanks will go directly through the side of the collar and the faucets will be directly on the wall that the keezer collar backs up against.
 
HeyNoPie,

Thanks for the heads up though. Originally I was considering using my refrigerator in my bar instead of a freezer. I have any upright Fridge/Freezer and I was contemplating taking the shelves out of the fridge and using it. I didn't want to put the faucets on the door because I figured opening and closing the door would just cause a tangled mess. So I thought about drilling through the top or side and running the faucets above my counter beside the fridge. The guy at the local homebrew supply store said 1' of line was approximately 1 beer and there was no way I could do it without at least 2' of line. I didn't like the thought of warm beer basting the lines and having to burn a beer or two every time I went for a new drink. So this is ultimately how I came up with the freezer behind the wall and notching the collar to go around the stud. I could have put a header in the wall and pushed the keezer flush but that would have been way too much work because that section of the wall is load bearing. I can't wait for it to be operational. My biggest fear is that after all this work, something will happen to the freezer. At that point, I would almost have to try to have it serviced. I know it's holding the refrigerant because it gets to and holds a freezing temperature very quickly.
 
thermtest.jpg

most ghetto jumper cable to test the Ranco Digital Temp Controller - The lid connections needed to be completed for the freezer to turn on and I am all out of romex.

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I am still curious to know, if possible, how I can bypass connecting the wiring harness to the lid. Can anyone instruct me by looking at the diagram. I can do some elementary electrical connections but, beyond simple, I am lost. I know the (4) wires in the jumper say NC, N OPEN, and COM and the White Wire isn't labeled. I just don't need the light or the auto defrost to activate a heater. For anyone who is using a Ranco controller, what temp differential would you use? I also noticed that you can wire four temp probes in series to get an average temperature in the chest. Might be a useful feature down the road. No comments on the original freezer thermostat setting? I assume keeping it at the lowest temp setting would make the most sense bc it's never going to reach that temp and the Ranco will control everything warmer.
 
Figured the answer to my electrical question. Wired the "Normally Open" and "COM" together and capped the "White" and "Normally Closed". Works like a champ with no need to interact at all with the defrost heater and mercury switch in the lid.
 
I just realized I can fit almost 3 kegs on the shelf so I will have plenty of room for all my kegs and some for a few carboys.
 
Do your shanks attach to the drywall only, or does the front pull on the drywall, and the back to the inside of the collar, essentially holding the collar in place? I'm installing mine this weekend, and am concerned with "clamping" the collar to the drywall.

Just wondered what you did.

Thanks,

Craig
 
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