Upright Keezer with rigid-mounted picnic taps

I though I would share some pics of my upright keezer with rigid mounted picnic taps. I had searched for others who had done something similar with the taps but I couldn't find any so I figured I should post mine in case anyone else is looking.

I started the project by removing all the wire mesh shelves and then adding my own top shelf which is much sturdier than original. For temp control I bought and installed the Love controller which is a great piece of equipment btw. Next I added a cable track thing just because I had one laying around and it also does a great job of keeping the wires from knocking over stuff on the shelf. I wanted the 10# CO2 tank outside so I opted to drilled a hole in the bottom of the freezer for 3/8 OD PE tubing (I really like push-to-connect fittings if you haven't noticed already). The 4-port CO2 manifold is one that I made from a block of aluminum (2 ports are plugged for now). My beer lines are 1/4 OD (.177 ID) PE tubing. I cut the barbs off two picnic taps and then drilled and tapped them for 1/8 NPT. The fittings hold the taps firmly in place on the mounting bracket which is a small aluminum channel. I also added a small ss screw to keep them from rotating. The finished (for now) product works really well - much better than when the taps were just hanging inside. I plan on adding 2 more soon since the keezer holds 4 cornies. Someday I will probably replace them all with faucets and shanks but for now this setup meets my needs. What do you think?

That's a pretty decent build. Why didn't you go with traditional shanks and faucets?

I would think the continual opening and closing might play havoc with the temperature.

Or do your pour into pitchers so I don't "go to the trough" repeatedly?

Very cool build!

That's a heck of an idea! My biggest pain with the picnic taps was that even when I had them coiled up nicely they would tend to fall down or flop all over the place so I quickly upgraded to a couple of faucets through the door. This would be a lot nicer than free taps, and for just the cost of metal tap holder. Puts off having to buy the faucets and shanks for a little while, at least until you get tired of opening the door .

only the last picture is showing for me...

I was looking for something like this! This is pretty close to what I have in mind for my future build, but my stand-up will be built into a small bar, lines coming out the side into a double tap tower a foot or two away. Great job!

So, is the motivation for the rigid picnic taps specifically to save money to be able to buy stainless taps, etc? I thought of starting with picnic taps to make sure I want to keg before I drill any holes...

jaynik said:

So, is the motivation for the rigid picnic taps specifically to save money to be able to buy stainless taps, etc? I thought of starting with picnic taps to make sure I want to keg before I drill any holes...

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you are going to save yourself about 50 per (depending on where you shop) if you use the picnic tap over a faucet. Let me tell you though, after you keg just once you will never want to bottle again.

jaynik said:

So, is the motivation for the rigid picnic taps specifically to save money to be able to buy stainless taps, etc? I thought of starting with picnic taps to make sure I want to keg before I drill any holes...

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Bingo!

I would love to have faucets but yeah I need to save a little money first. This set up works great for the time being however.

BUt if you have the money and are only hesitant because you think you won't like kegging, well, I haven't seen anyone here regret the move yet.

First: NICE effing build.

and... if you store your keezer in the garage, and you live in Florida, there are bugs that crawl around in the night. Sorry, I can't deal with the thought of that, so, all my taps are inside - and it's going to stay that way.

-TH- said:

Bingo!

I would love to have faucets but yeah I need to save a little money first. This set up works great for the time being however.

BUt if you have the money and are only hesitant because you think you won't like kegging, well, I haven't seen anyone here regret the move yet.

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GatorDad said:

First: NICE effing build.

and... if you store your keezer in the garage, and you live in Florida, there are bugs that crawl around in the night. Sorry, I can't deal with the thought of that, so, all my taps are inside - and it's going to stay that way.

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Do you have pictures? of the inside taps that is - not the bugs

GatorDad said:

First: NICE effing build.

and... if you store your keezer in the garage, and you live in Florida, there are bugs that crawl around in the night. Sorry, I can't deal with the thought of that, so, all my taps are inside - and it's going to stay that way.

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I live in South Mississippi and understand the bug issue as well... what I did was buy the faucet caps. They are less than $1 each. When ever I'm done pouring a beer I replace the cap, and whenever I'm done pouring a beer for the night I remove all the caps, rinse and spray the inside of the caps with star-san that I keep in a spray bottle and also spray star-san up into the end of the faucet to keep it nice and clean. Then put the caps back on. Keeps everything clean, sanitary and keeps the bugs out.



Hope this helps... BTW it's so easy even the wife does it!

Where did you get your push to connect fittings for you beer line, I'm having trouble finding ones that aren't plastic.

szazman73 said:

Where did you get your push to connect fittings for you beer line, I'm having trouble finding ones that aren't plastic.

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I got them here: www.poweraire.com (lowest price around)

I've also bought them at www.mcmaster.com too for my work - we use a ton of these types of fittings. We normally get them from a pneumatic parts supplier like motion industries, etc. which you could check too.

This keezer is great! I was going to pick up a chest freezer this weekend, but I have an upright - you have given me something to do over the weekend other than just drink/make my beers!

pnettleton said:

This keezer is great! I was going to pick up a chest freezer this weekend, but I have an upright - you have given me something to do over the weekend other than just drink/make my beers!

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thanks. post pics of yours when its done if you get a chance.

Here are some more up-to-date pics of mine:

can you give a little more info on the parts you used to connect the cobra taps? i really like this solution but don't seem to understand how you did it. Thanks!!

I understand your situation with the bugs, think we have the same bugs here in Texas. I would be just like you, whats in the freezer stays in the freezer. Never need to worry about the bugs! May have to use this idea myself. Thanks for the info.

cardinalsfan said:

can you give a little more info on the parts you used to connect the cobra taps? i really like this solution but don't seem to understand how you did it. Thanks!!

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First I took the entire cobra tap apart completely. Then I cut the barbed portion of the body off with a hack saw. Then where the barb used to be I drilled and tapped a 1/8 NPT threaded hole using a drill bit and 1/8 NPT tap I borrowed from my work. Then once it was cleaned up and put back together I screwed in a 1/8 NPT x 1/4" Tube push-to-connect fitting through a clearance hole in my mounting bracket then into the cobra tap till it was nice and tight. I did add a tiny screw also to keep the tap from rotating but I don't know if that is 100% necessary.

Hope that helps! Let me know if you have any more questions!!!

I picked up the same exact freezer through Craigslist a few months ago. I really like your shelf idea, the wire ones leave something to be desired. How did you attach the steel angles to the wall of the freezer? Every time I try the corn starch /rubbing alcohol paste, everything dries uniformly because the garage is too hot. Also how/where did you run the power wire from, or is that all tied into the existing electrical circuit? Cheers for some great innovation.

ehopps1 said:

I picked up the same exact freezer through Craigslist a few months ago. I really like your shelf idea, the wire ones leave something to be desired. How did you attach the steel angles to the wall of the freezer? Every time I try the corn starch /rubbing alcohol paste, everything dries uniformly because the garage is too hot. Also how/where did you run the power wire from, or is that all tied into the existing electrical circuit? Cheers for some great innovation.

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You are right the shelf was a huge improvement. The steel angles have a spacer screwed in each one that slides into the existing shelf holes of the freezer. I slid all 4 brackets with spacers in first then set the shelf on the brackets and screwed them to the bottom of the shelf.

The power wires running to the temp controller tie into the existing power wires. Can't remember exactly how I did it but I probably have a sketch of my schematic around somewhere if you would like me to dig it up.

Funny that you mention the cornstarch test because just last weekend I was looking into that as well after ordering a single Perlick faucet that I plan to install through the side wall. I came to the conclusion from looking at the parts manual online for my model freezer that the condenser coils are completely in the back of the freezer and the evaporator coils are completely inside in the lower back area. Therefore I'm fairly confident that there are not any coils in the sides and I don't plan on doing the test. It might also explain why your test turned out the way it did. That doesn't mean however that I won't still be a little nervous when the drilling begins.

EDIT: never mind what I said about the coils - I felt the side of the freezer and it was warm.

Really, can a cockroach get to the tap? They fly, but they're not acrobats. How are one of those suckers going to land on the parts that beer touches? All over the outside of the fridge sure, but I can't see them scaling the stainless steel faucet to drink the sweet sweet nectar itself...

Awesome project by the way. I'm contemplating a fermentation/lagerater keezer and would love to go upright, but they are quite a bit more expensive unfortunately.

Never mind what I said about the coils - I felt the side of the freezer and it was warm. I think I'll be doing the corn starch test after all.

Thanks for the reply yesterday about the shelf...the wheels are turning and I am figuring out how to put 2 shelves in there. I will post pics whenever i get to this prohect. The sides of my freezer are pretty darn warm also, best of luck with finding them.

I know this is a older thread however what did you use to connect your 1/4 OD tubing to the 1/4 OD barbed fitting on the Liquid out fitting? I am trying to do something similar for a portable setup but am having issues with this connection.

Daves69 said:

I know this is a older thread however what did you use to connect your 1/4 OD tubing to the 1/4 OD barbed fitting on the Liquid out fitting? I am trying to do something similar for a portable setup but am having issues with this connection.

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Originally I used a heat gun, it was a real pain and it took a long time and a number of unsuccessful attempts before I got a couple of them on.

But for the last one I made I used an MFL-type disconnect like here:


with a John Guest fitting (P/N: MI4508F4S) shown here:


It works perfectly. I also like the fact that you can just pop the hose right back out for cleaning etc.

I think I bought the fitting here:
http://www.rosystems.com/mm5/mercha...0420479&Category_Code=johnguestfemaleadapters

Great idea using the push connectors!

Here are some more up-to-date pics:

-TH- said:

Originally I used a heat gun, it was a real pain and it took a long time and a number of unsuccessful attempts before I got a couple of them on.

But for the last one I made I used an MFL-type disconnect like here:

with a John Guest fitting (P/N: MI4508F4S) shown here:

It works perfectly. I also like the fact that you can just pop the hose right back out for cleaning etc.

I think I bought the fitting here:
http://www.rosystems.com/mm5/mercha...0420479&Category_Code=johnguestfemaleadapters

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Gotcha, I have not connected all my fittings yet but what I have that might remedy this is a second push fitting that goes from 1/4" OD to 3/8" OD the 1/4" ID product hose I have says it is 3/8" OD so we will see. Thanks again though for the fast response on a old thread!

I love the keezer build and hope you still have it. All the neigh sayers I have seen have always talked about a the constant warming of your kegs and lines when ever the keezer is opened.

I am with you in the fact that on top of a few kegs, I like to have a variety of cans and bottles in the fridge. An upright keeper seems like the best solution for me.

Have you had any problems with foaming due to kegs and lines getting warm because of the constant opening?

seabush said:

I love the keezer build and hope you still have it. All the neigh sayers I have seen have always talked about a the constant warming of your kegs and lines when ever the keezer is opened.

I am with you in the fact that on top of a few kegs, I like to have a variety of cans and bottles in the fridge. An upright keeper seems like the best solution for me.

Have you had any problems with foaming due to kegs and lines getting warm because of the constant opening?

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I DO still have it, however I did add one tap out the side that I use the majority of the time (see pic). The internal taps are still there and they are functional. I had zero issue with the beer temp dropping whenever the door was opened. I would guess the beer in your glass would drop way more than any lines or kegs from the door being opened. The keezer would just kick on sooner if the temp did drop a little.

One thing I did discover however, is that some of my quick disconnect fittings had brass in them and they did impart a metallic flavor particularly in my IPA's. So just be aware of that.

Cheers!

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Awesome thank!

Love this build, especially the bottle storage on top. Have been thinking about something similar. I've been finding a lot of the upright freezers on Craigslist have non-removable shelves though. What is the make and cu. ft. of this guy?