Very Custom Kegerator Idea....??

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YankeesHomeBrew

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So I am building a huge mancave in the basement with a bar that will fit 10-12 people. Needless to say, it will be a big bar...
Behind the bar I want to put a Kegerator converted from a chest freezer on the back wall with 4 taps. The idea is to build a counter top on the lid and hide the freezer behind a set of counter high doors. It would then blend right into the counter top on the back wall.

The big kicker is the custom taps I want to build. I want to mount 4 5L oak barrles on top and have faucets coming out of the heads (one faucet per barrel). The barrels are 10" long, 8 1/4" diameter, and 7" diameter head. I think this would be relatively easy (famous last words...), just mount the barrels, drill through the bottoms and feed the lines through to a shank on the head of the barrel. I have been searching and searching and haven't found anyone that has done this yet...

Any ideas? Pointers? Thoughts? Problems? Has anyone tried this yet? :mug:
 
That sounds awesome! I would consider insulating the inside of the barrels. Warm lines = FOAM. Good luck.
 
I like the idea of the separate barrels on top with a tap coming out of each one especially if it looks like its part of the bar.

I did something similar but different in my no fans keezer build.

Things to keep in mind while building it:
Make sure you can check for leaks and replace the lines.
90 degree tails on the shanks will prevent kinks in the lines.
Insulation is a must.
Depending on how you incorporate the barrels you may have to drill and bolt each stave to the trim rings so they don't fall apart.

Looking forward to the finished product and always remember to post pics.
 
I love the 90 degree angle idea, I didn't think about that. That's perfect
What did you use to insulate your lines?

And im not following why the barrel would fall apart?
 
It sounds like you have a great bar in your future! One thing to consider in the ability to open the lid of the freezer when its up against your back wall to change kegs, etc with those large barrels on there
 
Never mind, I was just remembering how much of a pain incorporating the barrel was on mine. It's something I had to do because I cut the trim rings and added a hinge so the barrel would open like a clam.

I used 1/2" copper pipe around the lines which extended down into the freezer to keep them cool. I then covered the copper with pipe insulation and filled the bottom half of the coffin with expanding foam. The top half was filled with styrofoam packing peanuts.
 
It sounds like you have a great bar in your future! One thing to consider in the ability to open the lid of the freezer when its up against your back wall to change kegs, etc with those large barrels on there

The freezer will be on a "cart" if you will. I'm attaching 2X10's together and putting casters on them for the freezer to sit on. That way the freezer can roll out from the wall. I'm also thinking about using shocks (like for liftgates on a Tahoe) to keep the lid open with the extra added weights


PurpleHaze- I'd really like to see come pictures of what all you did using barrels! It excites me that someone else has incorporated barrels as well. I like the hinge idea so that the barrels can open for easy access, but that seems to be a lot more work. Do you have any pictures you can post???
 
There was a kitchen show on HGTV in which they cut the top 4-6 inches of the barrel off, hung it on the wall and had a tap coming out the front (top of the barrel).
 
I've seen something like this used before. It would be wall mounted and not counter top mounted like you may be going for, but with an open back you'd easily be able to troubleshoot any leaks and add insulation.
 
YankeesHomeBrew, I don't want to step on your thread by posting pics of my keezer here. You can find the link to my build thread at the bottom of my posts in "purple" type. The one with the barrel is the "no fans" one.
Others have used shocks for the lid with varying success. I thought of using them (but never did) and even went to the junk yard a few times. There are so many weight capacities and sizes that the easiest way for ME to get it to work would be to just get them and adjust my build early on. How would you use the shocks? To open the lid from the closed position or to assist and hold it open while you work inside, the later seems the best solution. Either way you could use a fish scale to hold the lid open at the angle you want to approximate the weight.

If you want them to open the lid when closed you would have to figure out a way to latch or lock the lid down.

Using them to hold the lid in the open position would certainly take less pressure.
 
You could get an electric linear actuator to not only open, but hold open... would be pretty slick to flip a switch and have your keezer open. You would then have to add the space-door sound effect and a jet of steam or dry ice to complete the effect.
 
You could get an electric linear actuator to not only open, but hold open... would be pretty slick to flip a switch and have your keezer open. You would then have to add the space-door sound effect and a jet of steam or dry ice to complete the effect.


LOL that is one hell of an idea... but I'll probably just keep it simple with the shocks. They will be to just as extra support with the hinges to hold it open, not to actually open it.

I just thought about a problem last night though... With the barrel on it's stand (I'm looking at www.oakbarrelsltd.com) I don't think I will be able to fit a pint glass, or a 24oz glass for that matter, under the tap! What to do??

I thought about putting the tap at the top of the barrel instead of the bottom, but that may look goofy with a 12" tap handle sticking up past the barrel... Also thought about having the barrels at the edge of the "counter top" and build a small shelf with a drip tray below it, but I don't know if I like the idea of a drip tray sticking out from the edge
 
If you're going for a rustic kind of look where the barrels just 'happen' to be sitting there and, woudln't you know it, they pour beer!... Maybe make some old-timey looking shipping crate boxes along these lines and set your barrels on top. Make the boxes different heights if you wanted and mix it up some to creat a cool visual effect. Hell, do it right and the boxes could actually contain drawers that you could store glasses or other important bar items in...

Or, cut a trough in the lid of your keezer to act as a drip tray but also allow you to get the glass lower...
 
I like the box idea but only use one and stack the barrels on top of one another like a pyramid.
 
I guess I forgot to mention my height situation... I have very low ceilings in my basement, and above where the kegerator is going, I am putting a TV... I cannot raise the barrels up any higher.

So I came up with a new plan!!
I am going to build 2 wooden pillars similar the the picture at the bottom. 2 taps on each. The pillars will look like they are supporting a shelf that the cable box and dvd player will be sitting on, but they will be only for looks. That way I can slide the kegerator out and open the lid. The backside of the pillars will be a removable panel so that I have access to all the lines and shanks.

I think they will look even better than the barrels, as they will flow with the rest of the man cave. I have 2 support beams down there that I plan on boxing in and making similar pillars around anyway.

wood-pillar.jpg
 
BadNewsBrewery said:
You could get an electric linear actuator to not only open, but hold open... would be pretty slick to flip a switch and have your keezer open. You would then have to add the space-door sound effect and a jet of steam or dry ice to complete the effect.

"On the next episode of pimp my keezer..."

Dan dunnn... Dah naaaaaaaaaaa
Pshhhhhhhttttttt
 
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