Trashcan Kegerator

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Yooper

Ale's What Cures You!
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Taking inspiration from Biermunchers rolling kegerator, lschiavo and I put together this:

DSCF2640.JPG


I'll take pictures of the inside set up soon, and we still have a few "tweaks", like adding insulation. We have a 5# co2 cylinder and regulator, and three kegs inside. It worked great for Saturday's party.

I scrounged up a few shanks and faucets from you guys here on the forum, and lschiavo had the tap handles and regulators.
 
maybe it would be more accurate to refer to this as a kegbox, as in converted icebox.... since there is no refrigeration system as a kegerator or keezer would have..
 
Taking inspiration from Biermunchers rolling kegerator, lschiavo and I put together this:


I'll take pictures of the inside set up soon, and we still have a few "tweaks", like adding insulation. We have a 5# co2 cylinder and regulator, and three kegs inside. It worked great for Saturday's party.

I scrounged up a few shanks and faucets from you guys here on the forum, and lschiavo had the tap handles and regulators.


I figured you would post something on this. Here is a pic of the inside:

2010-05-27_23_22_26.jpg
 
Those tap handles are all sweet!

The middle one is right, but I would have put a bud handle on the left, and a coors on the right.

"BMC".

;)

(Nice rig)

Heh. Since I usually have "something light and something darker" in my portable rig, I am looking for an old time Bud bowtie handle and a Dos Equis Amber handle.
 
It's really cool- lschiavo did an awesome job with the build. I really love the way he did the co2 tank holder. It worked great, and I can't wait to use it again next weekend!

Lschiavo and I have joint custody of the trashcan and will share parenting time of it.
 
Freakin sweet!
I'm adding it to the DIY BREW list :mug:

It's really cool- lschiavo did an awesome job with the build. I really love the way he did the co2 tank holder. It worked great, and I can't wait to use it again next weekend!

Lschiavo and I have joint custody of the trashcan and will share parenting time of it.

Joint custody...and you get her two weekends in a row? I sure hope we don't have to drag this into court:D
 
Damn, that is what I plan on building this weekend. I was looking at my local hardware store at the various cans they had. That looks like a rubbermaid 34 gallon can, is that correct?
EDIT: I take that back, it looks like the 45 gallon can.

I was planning on using my old 2 tap tower for it and mounting it to the lid.
 
Damn, that is what I plan on building this weekend. I was looking at my local hardware store at the various cans they had. That looks like a rubbermaid 34 gallon can, is that correct?
EDIT: I take that back, it looks like the 45 gallon can.

I was planning on using my old 2 tap tower for it and mounting it to the lid.

I am not sure of the size. It is the largest the store had. Still a little tight for 3 kegs. Plenty of room for 2!
 
It is 5 in thinwall pvc with a bell flange on each end. I am stopping by yoopers for visitation tonite. I will take some b reakdown pics.

HAHA- "visitation"!

You can get your parenting time starting on June 13. I'll pack a few things and send her over then. You are welcome to have some visitation this evening of course, but it will be supervised visitation until the day that I turn over custody.
 
HAHA- "visitation"!

You can get your parenting time starting on June 13. I'll pack a few things and send her over then. You are welcome to have some visitation this evening of course, but it will be supervised visitation until the day that I turn over custody.

So we agree "it" is a "she"?
 
Looking really nice.
Really looking forward to the breakdown pictures. Right now I use a cooler with a two line chiller, a plastic bucket to hold two kegs and I can fit it all in the back seat of a sedan.
Someday I may have the room and a truck to put something like this together and get some good use out of it.
 
Here are a few more pics:

2010-06-02_17_12_08.jpg

2010-06-02_17_12_46.jpg

2010-06-02_17_13_38.jpg


First off, this was put together rather quickly so nothing pretty. For the two kegs in the front, I just roughly cut a piece of 2-in rigid foam for them to sit on. Mainly just to raise them up a bit as the can narrows at the bottom and they were a little tight.

I needed to bridge the gap between the two "fenders" on the inside where the wheels are so the back keg would sit on something solid. I just cut a 2x6 to fit.

The last step was to secure the regulator as high as possible. I found that the #5 tank we are using fit perfectly inside 5-in thinwall pvc. The conduit here is electrical but I believe the white plumbing variety may work as well. I happened to have bell ends for this conduit. I used these to strengthen the ends a bit as the thinwall is not too sturdy by itself. Couplings or male adaptors would probably work just as well. After cutting to length, I drilled a few holes at an angle through the bottom bell and screwed it to the 2x6.

The tank slides in and is supported by the tube between the regulator body and tank. If you dont like this system you could probably just add a block of wood inside the conduit to hold the tank off of the regulator entirely. If you plan to use a smaller cylinder, I am sure you could find a piece of pipe of the appropriate diamater.

Also, as you can see in the last picture, I did not have a manifold. I used two 1/4-in tees and soldered them together with a piece of 1/4-in copper tubing. There is a check valve/pressure relief right off the regulator.

I need to add a drain. I was thinking of using a picnic tap (as I have a few that I no longer need) on the back between the wheels. There is a nice recess here where it would be well protected.
 
The foam that lschiavo mentioned for the kegs to sit on wasn't in the picture. When I cleaned it on Monday, I just let everything sit out to dry. I just didn't remember to put it back in for the pictures :drunk:, sorry!
 
Just picked up a roll of that foil bubble wrap stuff to line the inside with. I think I will try that to line the inside with some spray adhesive. I had the woman at the store look it up and she said this stuff is rated up to R14! That is awesome for about 1/4 inch material. I will post up the results when done.
 
Just picked up a roll of that foil bubble wrap stuff to line the inside with. I think I will try that to line the inside with some spray adhesive. I had the woman at the store look it up and she said this stuff is rated up to R14! That is awesome for about 1/4 inch material. I will post up the results when done.

Do you want it this weekend, to work on? Or do you want to wait until your regularly scheduled day (June 13th)?
 
Do you want it this weekend, to work on? Or do you want to wait until your regularly scheduled day (June 13th)?

Remember it is "her" now:D

I'll take her back whenever you are done. I do feel kind of bad for her just sitting in your basement...in the dark...all alone. When she is here she hangs out in the brewshop with me:)
 
Remember it is "her" now:D

I'll take her back whenever you are done. I do feel kind of bad for her just sitting in your basement...in the dark...all alone. When she is here she hangs out in the brewshop with me:)

I'm sure she misses you. I don't have room in my brewery for her, even though she's very attractive. Pieces of her (the foam base and insulation) are in my garage.
 
Did you use the spray adhesive and the foil bubble wrap stuff and line the inside with it? Funny I thought of it after a search in the insulation aisle at Home Depot but wasn't sure if it would adhere securely. I am also wondering if insulation is really necessary??? Which is how I found this thread. How long did the ice/water/cold last for you guys uninsulated? If I can get say 12hrs outta one load of ice I would skip the insulating part.
 
We never did insulate it. One day, it was over 90 degrees and the beer stayed cold until the kegs kicked. Usually, it's much cooler than that here. I don't remember how much ice we used, but one of the things I always do is freeze a bunch of water-filled milk jugs and juice bottes and "fill in" the gaps with them before filling with ice. I'd guess maybe three bags of ice on top of those ice blocks lasted a couple of days.
 
Cool thx I think I am gonna skip the insulation too I think just put a contractor bag in first then everything inside it I should be fine for a day and night. Just don't leave it in the direct sun ;)
 
How about a drain plug? I am doing one with two cornies. It is fiberglassed in over sheet insulation taped with blue painters tape, the top I used cardboard to fiberglass to. I am at a dilemma about drilling and hooking up a drain. I couldn't find one when buying materials and figured I could always do it when an old cooler bit the dust. I want to leave it outside and full of ice all the time.
 
We did add a drain eventually. I used an old bottling bucket spigot. It drains quite slowly but works. I was going to rig up a garden hose valve which I am sure would work better.
 
I used a brass "thing" like the threaded part that goes on a garden hose. Came with a cap. Then I was able to find a threaded PVC part that screwed onto it. Brass on outside, pvc on inside with a rubber washer on each the screwed together to sandwich the washers between them and the walls of the trashcan.
 
How about a drain plug? I am doing one with two cornies. It is fiberglassed in over sheet insulation taped with blue painters tape, the top I used cardboard to fiberglass to. I am at a dilemma about drilling and hooking up a drain. I couldn't find one when buying materials and figured I could always do it when an old cooler bit the dust. I want to leave it outside and full of ice all the time.

Do you have any pictures of the fiberglass job? I was thinking of doing something similar when I started on it.
 
Do you have any pictures of the fiberglass job? I was thinking of doing something similar when I started on it.

This thread reminds me- I want to use our kegerator in November sometime! It's for the "kids'" housewarming party, and of course you're invited (no date yet, but has to be before deer season of course). I have to brew for it, though! Chris said today that he wants an APA (my house pale) for sure, and it would be nice to have a stout and/or a cream ale. I think I'm going to brew Saturday on my old system to get started.

That drain valve is a little slow, but it's fine.
 
I am NO Fiberglass expert! This was my first project. Pic 1 shows what happens when you are drunk and say, "Alright all the fiberglass is in, lets resin it thick with what is left over." The build up is massive, but the cloth is under it all. Second pic I used an auger, now I need to grind it smooth. Looks like I have not hit the fiberglass sheets and maybe not have to buy more resin (it is expensive to fiberglass). I must have the smaller can, I can fit two cornies, little ice. I am planning to keep it simple, two Perlicks that attach to two quick connects (cut slots in lid). One CO2 "Charger."

If someone would show me how to make the pics smaller (PM me) I would appreciate it.

Garberator1.jpg


Garberator5.jpg


Garberator3.jpg


Garberator7.jpg
 
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