My ongoing Keezer project.

So I have finally begun my keezer project. After having 2 batches sitting ready to be kegged for 2 months I actually went out and bought a 4 facuet keezer kit. Well, I have the best wife ever, she actually paid for the kegging hardware and 4 kegs. The rest was on me. Here is my progress after just a weekends worth of work.

This is the freezer with the kegs in it just for sizing purposes. It is and Avanti 7.1 cu. ft. I believe it is discontinued. I picked it up on Craigslist for $150.


I started off the build by creating a base for the freezer out of 2x6s. I will add casters later, but didn't want to try to work on building out the frame with the base rolling all over the place.



Here is a picture of the base with the frame attached.


I slipped the freezer right into the frame and secured it in the back with a couple of brackets.


I added 2" casters to the dolly. I used swivel casters in the front and rigid in the rear. I must say it rolls very smoothly and turns easily.


I attached the lid with 4 3/8" T-nuts. I used a srap piece of plywood on the inside so the bolts wouldn't pull through. The piece i have attached for the lid is just a base that will be the framework that I actually attach the finish laminant and trim work too.



And this is where we stand now.


I'll keep posting pics as I work on it. Next it is on to build the actual tap box and start putting on the outside of the base.

What's your clearance above the QDs with the extra piece of wood on the underside of the lid?

After another week of working on the keezer, I am slowly moving towards completion of the project. It feels like i am barely makeing progress, especially when i made a to do list that was the length of a legal pad. But when I step back and think about what actually still has to be done, it is actually nearing completion rapidly. The hardest thing is waiting for the stain to dry. I found a Minwax product that offers a stain and Poly coat all in one application. I chose black for the panneling. It looks nice and still allows the wood grain to come through, although it is hard to see from these pictures.



I attached the panneling to the base with liquid nails and some 1 1/4" finishing nails.


Here is the tap box, without trim obviously. I found a 19" drip tray so I made the box a full 19" wide, I wanted to be able to easily fit a tall pilsner glass under the taps so I make the box 16" tal, and put the taps at 12" and 3 1/2" apart on center.


Here is a close up of the lid's paneling drying after its second coat. You can see the wood grain pretty well ini this pic.


I got excited and just wanted to see what the box would look like with all the panelling on. The lid's is just sitting on top at this point. The stain was still a little takky. I'll go ahead and full attach the lid tonight.


The last thing I got done this past weekend was getting all of my trim pieces cut and laid out ready to be stained. Hopefully I can get to staining them tonight and hopeufully get them attached tommorow evening.

Not much to update, but I was able to get the top piece of the panneling attached to the lid. The tap box isn't attatched yet, but here it is sitting in place.


I also got all the trim stained in a nice rich bomay mahogany. I used a stain with a gloss poly coat included to give the trim a nice shine. I'm thinking that it will look very nice against the satin black finish of the paneling.


If all goes well tonight, I may post pictures of a trimmed out keezer tommorow.

I was able to make some progress last night. I wanted to do more, but forgot to charge my drill, so i didn't actually get the tap box attached. But I did get all the other trim on the box and on the body. There are a few of the mitered corners that didn't end up exactly square and a few other places where the wood could have matched up a little better, but I'm not a professional cabinet maker and all in all, it still looks good and will serve home brew. Most likely only one more pic coming, that of a completed keezer.

wow impressive stuff. keep us posted on any updates and especially the completed project.

Well, the past weekend was very successful. I finished up everything. I am just waiting on the drip tray to show up, but that hasn't stopped me from pouring my first beers.

Here is a back view of the coffin box. I hinged it from the bottom and secured it with a simple bolt latch. I don't have it pictured, but the inside is completely filled with foam sheathing with only about a 3 inch tunnel running up to the shanks and then back down the other side. I'll try and get som pics of that and post them later.


Once I got the foam all cut to spec i put on the taps, and moved "Black Betty" into place.


I still had a little bit of caulk drying so i didn't run my beer lines right away, but had them all put together by the end of the evening. Right now i'm waiting on a drip tray to come in, that is why there is no moulding along the bottom of the tap box. I'm planning on actually having the moulding encase the drip tray.


I let it all sit overnight and poured a nice big mug of each of my two brews i have in right now. They produced a lot of foam, but I purged a little co2 out of the kegs and every pour since then has been spot on. A nice steady flow and I'm not having any problem with foam, even with only 5' beer lines.

Sweet!
I love it how you used inexpensive materials and really dressed it up with minimal joining skills too. Shows that anyone can do this with a decent miter saw. Well done.

Nice work. I like the simplicity, no reason why anyone shouldn't be able to use your design.

Thanks for the compliments. It took a lot of planning and even then there was some improvising on the spot to get it done. I know if I had gone into it without a plan, it would have been disasterous. My suggestion to anyone looking to build something similar is to make sure you have a clear idea of what your finished product will be. For me i had clear inspiration from a few other builds that I found on here.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/hbt-members-inspired-me-my-keezer-project-150256/

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/building-coffin-trying-not-lose-my-cool-179528/

I have my drip tray in and still need to build a "frame" for it and then the plan is to put a clear epoxy resin on the top to make it nice and durable.