dasein668
Well-Known Member
I had a couple of questions about my keezer when I posted a picture in another thread, so here are a few details and pictures...
First, and foremost, let me say that this project is totally inspired/shamelessly ripped off of Jester's amazing keezer build.
Secondly, this is a work in progress. I've only built the tap box so far, wanting to get the thing up and running. I've got a few other projects that I need to deal with before I can build the cabinet to surround this thing. Stay tuned...
Ok, to start, this is built around a Magic Chef 7.2 cf chest freezer, model no MCCF5WBX. This unit will easily hold 4 kegs if I move the co2 tank outside the freezer. 3 kegs with the co2 inside. (You could also put the tank on the hump if you built a 4 inch or larger collar.)
I built the tap box from 3/4 inch cherry plywood and solid cherry that I had kicking around. While I've only got 3 taps installed at this point, my plan is to eventually have 4 standard faucets plus a nitro faucet for my wife who loves, loves, loves nitro-poured stouts. Who am I to complain? While I can only fit 4 kegs in there at a time, I figure with my planned set up I can either run 3 kegs on regular faucets and a nitro pour, or 4 kegs on regular faucets, depending on what I've got ready to go.
The overall dimensions of the tap box are 5-3/4 deep by 20-3/4 wide by 14-1/4 tall. This turned out to be ok, but I really should have gone another 1/2 to 1 inch deep to give me a bit more room in the box. Still, it works ok but I had to dig a little bit out of the insulation at the back to allow the dispense lines to bend around to the shanks.
The mirror is recessed 1 inch from the front of the tap box, allowing a string of rope light to be hidden behind the tap board and in front of the mirror.
The box is insulated with a single layer of 1-inch rigid foam insulation. This is temporary until I get the two additonal taps on there at which point I'll improve the insulation substantially. But the 1-inch foam seems to be working pretty well, actually.
The box is attached to the lid of the freezer with two 1/4-20 machine screws that thread up from inside the freezer and into two threaded inserts in the base of the tap box.
I guess that sums up the salient details. Here are some pics...
Taking a cue from Jester, I drilled out all 5 shank holes from behind using a forstner bit and a drill press. The two outermost holes stop just shy of the front of the tap board so that I can easily drill in the two addtional shanks when I'm ready to add them.
I painted the rabbet on the back of the tapboard where the rope light is housed hoping that the white would reflect out more of the light.
The insulation is ugly, but functional. Improved insulation when I add the two missing taps.
First pour!
First, and foremost, let me say that this project is totally inspired/shamelessly ripped off of Jester's amazing keezer build.
Secondly, this is a work in progress. I've only built the tap box so far, wanting to get the thing up and running. I've got a few other projects that I need to deal with before I can build the cabinet to surround this thing. Stay tuned...
Ok, to start, this is built around a Magic Chef 7.2 cf chest freezer, model no MCCF5WBX. This unit will easily hold 4 kegs if I move the co2 tank outside the freezer. 3 kegs with the co2 inside. (You could also put the tank on the hump if you built a 4 inch or larger collar.)
I built the tap box from 3/4 inch cherry plywood and solid cherry that I had kicking around. While I've only got 3 taps installed at this point, my plan is to eventually have 4 standard faucets plus a nitro faucet for my wife who loves, loves, loves nitro-poured stouts. Who am I to complain? While I can only fit 4 kegs in there at a time, I figure with my planned set up I can either run 3 kegs on regular faucets and a nitro pour, or 4 kegs on regular faucets, depending on what I've got ready to go.
The overall dimensions of the tap box are 5-3/4 deep by 20-3/4 wide by 14-1/4 tall. This turned out to be ok, but I really should have gone another 1/2 to 1 inch deep to give me a bit more room in the box. Still, it works ok but I had to dig a little bit out of the insulation at the back to allow the dispense lines to bend around to the shanks.
The mirror is recessed 1 inch from the front of the tap box, allowing a string of rope light to be hidden behind the tap board and in front of the mirror.
The box is insulated with a single layer of 1-inch rigid foam insulation. This is temporary until I get the two additonal taps on there at which point I'll improve the insulation substantially. But the 1-inch foam seems to be working pretty well, actually.
The box is attached to the lid of the freezer with two 1/4-20 machine screws that thread up from inside the freezer and into two threaded inserts in the base of the tap box.
I guess that sums up the salient details. Here are some pics...
Taking a cue from Jester, I drilled out all 5 shank holes from behind using a forstner bit and a drill press. The two outermost holes stop just shy of the front of the tap board so that I can easily drill in the two addtional shanks when I'm ready to add them.
I painted the rabbet on the back of the tapboard where the rope light is housed hoping that the white would reflect out more of the light.
The insulation is ugly, but functional. Improved insulation when I add the two missing taps.
First pour!