HBT members inspired me: My Keezer Project

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I picked up the porcelain tile for the top today. Wow, that stuff is not cheap! But it sure looks good.... installing it tomorrow.

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Now, to wire the Love controller..

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Josh
 
That tile looks amazing -- you definitely made the right choice over the bottle caps. Nothing against the bottle caps, but that tile just fits the look of your keezer so well.
 
Great job! And nice choice on the tile, it looks great with the stain you chose.
 
The tile looks really awesome. Are you going to cut pieces to fill the whole top or just use those three big square tiles?
 
Don't mean to be a dick, but chest freezers are made by having the evaporator coil and condenser coil layered with a peace of foam between them. The condenser coil is on the outside and the surface of the exterior allows the heat to transfer to the ambient air. I'm worried that the wood insulating the exterior will cause excess head pressure and at best cause the freezer not to cool and at worst cause a premature compressor failure. That said, since it is being used as a cooler instead of a freezer you may be OD. Let me know how it goes.
 
Don't mean to be a dick, but chest freezers are made by having the evaporator coil and condenser coil layered with a peace of foam between them. The condenser coil is on the outside and the surface of the exterior allows the heat to transfer to the ambient air. I'm worried that the wood insulating the exterior will cause excess head pressure and at best cause the freezer not to cool and at worst cause a premature compressor failure. That said, since it is being used as a cooler instead of a freezer you may be OD. Let me know how it goes.

Didn't read about the air gap. How is it performing? I love the idea and am seriously thinking of doing my own.
 
The tile looks really awesome. Are you going to cut pieces to fill the whole top or just use those three big square tiles?

A friend of mine is a tile setter. He's coming by tomorrow to cut and fit each tile. It will all be tight around the coffin, and around the drip tray (which arrives tomorrow too). The tile is also going on top of the coffin. There are seven 18 inch tiles total.

--
Josh
 
Didn't read about the air gap. How is it performing? I love the idea and am seriously thinking of doing my own.

Yes the air gap seems to be sufficient on it's own, but I'm putting fans to push the air out of that space whenever the compressor kicks on. It should be more efficient than the factory intended. ;)

--
Josh
 
Man, I can't wait to see it all lit up, tiled in, and pouring smooth! Don't forget to post a first pint pic...

-Tripod
 
Question on your drip tray, how are you going to clean it out? I gather that it will be flush with the tile but if its fixed how will you empty it?
 
Question on your drip tray, how are you going to clean it out? I gather that it will be flush with the tile but if its fixed how will you empty it?

It's a drain-less drip tray so it will be removable. I'll have it in place when the tile is cut to fit. Then I'll remove it, set the tile, clear silicone the tile-to-wood edge, and set the drip tray back in place. Should be a nice tight fit, yet easily removed for cleaning.

--
Josh
 
@Jester369 : How is your killer keezer doing? Any hindsight tips, or troubles you've had?

--
Josh

It's doing well - a leaky keg cost me a bottle of CO2, but other than that it's all good. The only regret I have with it is that I didn't use a nicer wood. I used poplar, but I should have ponied up the cash for cherry - it looks good, but could have looked great.
 
The brown truck brought my shanks and drip tray yesterday so I ran the beer lines.

Shank holes in the backsplash and duct:

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Here's the insulated duct inside the coffin. For those wondering, that's R3. We'll see how it goes, I may double it up as I had extra.

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The view inside the coffin looking up at the shanks entering the duct.

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Beer lines ran, along with the gas lines complete.

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And they're in!

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Next up, my buddy is doing the tile tonight while I wire in the Love controller and install a compressor vent.

--
Josh
 
I notice that you have the door propped open with a stick, has anyone put shocks on the lids to keep them open, like the hatch of a car. I know my RX-7 had some pretty small shocks for the hatch.

I used them, it works. I think I used a single 60lb one from McMaster-Carr with a similar setup as shown. Have since redid mine, so don't have it anymore.
 
The brown truck brought my shanks and drip tray yesterday so I ran the beer lines.
The view inside the coffin looking up at the shanks entering the duct.

IMG00185.jpg


--
Josh

So on this are the shanks just slid into holes in the pvc or are they secured somehow?
 
So on this are the shanks just slid into holes in the pvc or are they secured somehow?

Not secured, though they fit pretty snug. The duct is easily removable. To do so I just back-off the shank nuts nearly all the way and push the shanks forward (extending them out of the coffin) which allows them to "leave" the duct. Then the duct can be lifted out of the female bases and laid down. All the while the beer lines are sliding out the holes (still attached to the shanks) allowing me to change a line, etc.

--
Josh
 
The keezer has found its final resting place in my bar next to the pool table.

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The love controller is in, and the wiring complete.

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The tile is in:

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I ended up putting a register vent on the compressor door. That thing gives more venting that the original louver cover that was there:

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I added two kegs of Alt which is still conditioning. Picking up the half-barrel of Sierra Celebration later today. I can't want to pour the first pint off the keezer!

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Now I need to get brewing and fill this thing up!

--
Josh
 
Very nice work! I will start my build in a couple of months, will use alot of what you done. again, very nice.
 
Very freeking nice. How heavy is the lid? You use a stick or something to hold it up?

Thanks! Yes, the lid is pretty damn heavy with the porcelain tile on it now. I cut down a large-diameter wooden dow to use as a prop and I keep that in the keezer.

--
Josh
 
Shoot, you might even want to get some automotive pistons like they use on car trunks and hoods to keep that lid open.
Or maybe make it spring loaded and have a latch to keep it closed?
 
Shoot, you might even want to get some automotive pistons like they use on car trunks and hoods to keep that lid open.
Or maybe make it spring loaded and have a latch to keep it closed?

It's a great idea! Someone else mentioned that too, I might give it a try.

--
Josh
 
Ok, so the total build cost was $965.03, specifics below:

Code:
Qty	 Total 		Item
1	 $150.00 	14.8 Cu Ft Fridgedaire Chest Freezer (used) 
4	 $107.80 	Perlick 525SS Faucets
15	 $97.50 	Porcelain Tile (sq ft)
1	 $65.00 	Love Controller TS-13010
4	 $53.80 	5 1/8 Faucet Shanks
1	 $53.05 	4 way Air Distributer
1	 $44.95 	14"x6" Stainless Drip Tray
5	 $44.90 	Pkg Grooved Pine 5/16x3.5"
6	 $28.32 	1x3x6' Pine Boards
4	 $21.44 	Gas Ball Lock Disconnects
1	 $19.99 	4" Fan
1	 $19.97 	19/32" Pine Plywood
8	 $19.92 	2x4x96 Pine Stud
4	 $17.80 	Shank Connection Kit with Stainless Tail
3	 $17.31 	1x6x1/2" Tube Insulation
1	 $14.45 	11/32" Pine Plywood
3	 $13.59 	2x6x8 Top Choice Pine
30	 $13.20 	3/16 Beer Hose (per foot)
1	 $11.99 	Polyurethane Varnish
2	 $10.92 	2 1/2" Industrial Swivel Casters
4	 $10.64 	5/16" Barbed Swivel Nuts for Disconnects
1	 $9.70 	14x8 Air Register
2	 $8.96 	3" PVC Spigot Flange
2	 $8.92 	2 1/2" Industrial Casters
2	 $8.92 	3" PVC Sweep Elbow
1	 $8.48 	1/4" Mini Ball Valve
16	 $8.48 	5/16 Gas Hose (per foot)
3	 $5.97 	5MM White 3.3V LED (2 per pkg)
2	 $5.96 	1/4 Female Coupler
1	 $5.87 	30W Extension Cord
1	 $5.49 	Metal Film Resistors (mixed pack)
2	 $4.58 	Male Hose End Fitting
1	 $4.49 	Poly-seam-seal adhesive Caulk
3	 $4.47 	LED Holder (2 per pkg)
1	 $4.37 	#4 Worm Clamps
4	 $4.16 	Pronged T-nuts
4	 $4.00 	Stainless Shank Flanges
1	 $3.99 	Rocker Switch 12V
2	 $3.78 	1/4"x1/4" NPT
1	 $3.57 	Hinges
1	 $3.44 	 Satin White Spray Paint
1	 $2.85 	1x2x6' Pine Boards
1	 $2.61 	5/16" Flat Washers
1	 $2.49 	Roller Door Catch
1	 $1.74 	Zip Cable Ties
4	 $1.20 	5/16 Hex Bolts
 
First pour :mug:

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Great capacity, here's 4 corney's, a 1/2 barrel of Sierra Celebration, and still a bunch of room:

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Slight modifications to the store's sanke connector ;)

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Cheers!

--
Josh
 
How is the frame around the top attached? IT seems that the fram would be pretty heavy and its jsut attached to the plywood.

The coffin is attached to the 3/4 plywood using L-brackets. When you do this, make sure you pre-drill all holes. The coffin itself is really not that heavy.

Here are some pics of the L-brackets from the inside of the coffin:

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--
Josh
 
How come of all the kezer coffins I see no one puts a fan or blower to keep the lines cold all the way to the tap?
 
How come of all the kezer coffins I see no one puts a fan or blower to keep the lines cold all the way to the tap?

I have a 12V 4" fan which is going on the right-side duct opening. My build is rather fresh (just finished what you see here this past Sunday) so I haven't installed it yet, but I will in the next few days. It will kick on with the compressor. I expect it will help serve a dual-purpose by also keeping a uniform temperature within the Freezer itself.

--
Josh
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by kegtoe
How is the frame around the top attached? IT seems that the fram would be pretty heavy and its jsut attached to the plywood.

The coffin is attached to the 3/4 plywood using L-brackets. When you do this, make sure you pre-drill all holes. The coffin itself is really not that heavy.

Here are some pics of the L-brackets from the inside of the coffin:


Landin, i was refering to the fram aroune the entire top? how is that attached? Only to the plywood on the freezer lid?
 

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