Chest Freezer Specs and Layouts

thadius856 said:

It includes 1" for disconnects and hoses.

Both of my GE 7.0's have 1x10 collars (9.25") and fit just fine with kegs on the hump.

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But is it possible to go smaller?

zachattack said:

I'd have to imagine that lifting a full 1/2 bbl keg into a keezer, especially if there's a collar, would be highly unpleasant.

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That's the beauty of a party. Always, have plenty of help to load it up.

I'm not planning to put a collar on my keezer. I'm planning to build a whole bar around it as others have done on this board. But, oh well. It was worth asking.

Black_Z28 said:

Yeah, I was looking more for a BMC beer for parties and what not.

OOOOOOHHHH well.

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This method is a lot easier and cheaper for party kegs:

http://www.wikihow.com/Chill-a-Keg-of-Beer

zachattack said:

I'd have to imagine that lifting a full 1/2 bbl keg into a keezer, especially if there's a collar, would be highly unpleasant.

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With a 1x12 collar, even 5 gallon kegs require a bit of back strain to get into my 15 cf Maytag. It's much easier in my 7 cf GE's with 1x10 collars, but I still think I'd hurt myself wrestling a full 1/2 bbl into either of them (even with the collars lifted out of the way).

TBaGZ said:

But is it possible to go smaller?

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Very possible to go shorter on the 7 cu ft.

But even sitting on 3" casters and doubled 2x4 frame, it's barely at the right height to be ergonomically comfortable to serve from as an almost 6'0" tall man. Without the casters or frame, I'd have to bend at the knee to hold the glass low enough.

thadius856 said:

Very possible to go shorter on the 7 cu ft.

But even sitting on 3" casters and doubled 2x4 frame, it's barely at the right height to be ergonomically comfortable to serve from as an almost 6'0" tall man. Without the casters or frame, I'd have to bend at the knee to hold the glass low enough.

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Yeah, I gotcha. I am just concentrating on fitting the kegs in. I would rather build a taller platform than to have wasted space in the cooling compartment. So what would the minimum collar height be?

TBaGZ said:

Yeah, I gotcha. I am just concentrating on fitting the kegs in. I would rather build a taller platform than to have wasted space in the cooling compartment. So what would the minimum collar height be?

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This information is on each the drawings and explained in detail in the second post in this thread.

I've already included minimum 1" of clearance for connections and hoses in the figures. This is explained in the second post. So, you can probably shave off 1" from that figure. Understand that you're taking a slightly risk doing this since I don't have a garage full of different freezers, so I'm relying on community measurements for many of these models. YMMV. If you buy a freezer and waste $15 in wood trying to cut it too close, it's not my fault.

Now, back to the specifics of the model you asked out.

In the GE 7.0 cf S-model post, it says minimum collar height is 9". That means that with one ball lock on the hump and a 9" collar, you have at least 1" of clearance between the hose/disconnect and the underside of the lid. Sure enough, I had about 1-1/4" or so with the gas hose connected. A little more with only the liquid hose connected.





So... the final answer is 1x8 minimum, if your cable management is impeccable.

Anyone have any experience with the Franklin Chef Chest Freezers? They have dual temperature settings for refrigerating and freezing. I was thinking I might be able to by-pass a temp controller by going with one of these. They come in 3.5 cu ft, 5.3 cu ft, 7.0 cu ft, and 10.6 cu ft and in white or black. Prices seem reasonable.

JensenBrew said:

I was thinking I might be able to by-pass a temp controller by going with one of these.

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Unless it is some other issue then cost, the controllers are $20 and the control they provide makes them my first choice.

alright... so i have been tossing this back and forth in my head... i have a 14.8 fridgedaire freezer im making into a keezer..... Im trying to figure out how many taps i want before i start drilling the holes... i also only have 6 pin lock kegs at my disposal right now... im thinking about keeping the taps at a minimum of 3-4 so that i can keep total costs down... sounds good?

Start with however many you can afford. It's not like you can't add more later.

Here are the specs for the Danby 10.2 cu ft chest freezer. I chose this model because it was one of the only ones larger than 7.2 cu ft that had a high gloss SMOOTH surface as well as a solid core lid which doesn't dimple when setting a beer on it. It also is a little less wide which makes it perfect for extending a counter top.

Now, I've confirmed it will hold 6 PIN LOCK kegs on the floor, and another thread shows it will fit 8 ball leg kegs on the floor (probably another two of each on the hump, and the CAD drawings should show this).

Brand Name, Capacity and Model Number
- Danby, 10.2 cu ft, DCFM289WDD

Colors Available
- White

Availability
- Online, but can pick up in store for $0

Everyday Pricing
- $329 @ Walmart, $379 @ Home Depot
Note: My state (KY) has a $50 rebate for purchasing an energy star freezer

Exterior Dimensions
- 49-1/4" W x 25-1/8" D x 32-3/4" H (width does not include handle)

Interior Dimensions
- 42-3/4" W x 17-5/16" D x 25" H

Compressor Hump Size
- 7-13/16" W x 17-5/16" D x 8-13/16" H

Bottom Dimensions
- 34-15/16" W x 17-5/16" D

Special Features
- Energy Star
- Solid Core Lid
- Can adjust temp without controller using the coarse set screw

Here are some prelim pics - just started keezer build this morning...

One pic, as you can see, shows that six kegs will fit (using cardboard cutouts and moving around the actual keg.

The other shows the coarse set screw on the thermostat - you'll want to screw CLOCKWISE to increase the temp. I made the mistake of turning counter clockwise and had to disassemble the entire thing to put the screw back into the spring - not something I would recommend...

The kegs I use are slightly different than the traditional corny kegs. They are the compact ones from williams brewing and are about 4 inches shorter, but a little wider (I believe 1 inch). I'm looking at getting a chest freezer (as small as possible) to fit the following without putting a collar----

1. two-5 gal corny kegs on the main floor+ one or two 2.5 gal kegs on the hump. I don't necessarily need two, on the hump but it would be nice. Also be able to squeeze a 5# co2 tank.

I use the compact corny kegs that are slightly shorter than the regular corny ones, and have a couple of 2.5 gal kegs.
This is what I have

two compact- 5gal corny kegs. 22 " with ball lock fittings on. 8" wide
http://www.williamsbrewing.com/5-GALLON-COMPACT-BALL-LOCK-KEG-P3251C109.aspx


I have two different kinds of 2.5 gal kegs- one is 13" tall, 9 "wide. The other is 15"
http://www.williamsbrewing.com/-2-GALLON-BALL-LOCK-KEG--P3151C109.aspx
http://www.williamsbrewing.com/2-GALLON-ITALIAN-BALL-LOCK-RUBBER-TOP-P3009C109.aspx

Essentially I would like to be able to fit two-5 gal kegs, and at least one 2.5 gal keg in there somehow. It would also be nice to be able to fit a 6 gal better bottle carboy in the bottom. This could be with or without any kegs. I just want to have enough space for one carboy for cold crashing purposes.

Looking at things, I'm thinking that a 5.0 cubic foot might work, since the 2.5 gal kegs are much shorter in height, but I am not absolutely sure.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

super duper great information. bookmarked.

So on the left is my fermenting freezer with a digital Johnson Controls thermostat. On the right is my new keezer. The propane tank is up there to hold the collar down while the glue is drying. This was a sweet setup since the freezer was free. My office moved and the freezer was, no joke, only keeping one bottle of loctite cold. So they were going to leave it behind. Tossed it in my car and violla, keezer. I figure with this collar on it, I can put three kegs and the CO2 tank.

I just got an Igloo 7.2 C ft chest freezer. It actually doesn't fit 4 5 gallon ball lock kegs - but I squeezed in a 2.5 gallon + 1 3 gallon with 3 5 gallon kegs + 5 lb CO2 tank. I can send pictures if you like.

I ordered a bigger Maytag CF for fermentation also ( it's my Birthday!)

Thanks for helping me decide - good thread.

Steve da sleeve

stevedasleeve said:

I just got an Igloo 7.2 C ft chest freezer. It actually doesn't fit 4 5 gallon ball lock kegs - but I squeezed in a 2.5 gallon + 1 3 gallon with 3 5 gallon kegs + 5 lb CO2 tank. I can send pictures if you like.

I ordered a bigger Maytag CF for fermentation also ( it's my Birthday!)

Thanks for helping me decide - good thread.

Steve da sleeve

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Odd. In the other thread, somebody confirmed that they fit 4 in theirs. I'd take four empty kegs down to Best Buy to test it out (for the sake of SCIENCE!) if I lived closer to the city.

Still have one set of specs in the pipeline to be drawn up.

Recently rebuilt my computer. When I cloned the old 64gb SSD to a new 256gb SSD, the Volume ID changed of course. Many of my smarter programs noticed and un-registered themselves. Not a problem for most, but I can't seem to find my AutoCAD 2012 license key anywhere. So, for right now, I can't draw anything. :\

Will keep looking around. Just moved all of my equipment out of the old den, tore down paneling, installed new electrical devices and plates, patching the holes and preparing to repaint, then add crown. Hopefully it shows up in one of the tubs that was crammed into the closet temporarily.

thadius856 said:

Looks tight. There's a good chance that you can get 9 in there still.

I find that my cornys aren't actually round, but slightly oval. The short way across the lid seems to be smaller than the other way. That is, if you have the lid facing you with the bail at the bottom and you're above it, they're skinnier from left-to-right than top-to-bottom.

Have you checked for bulge at the foot/heel of the keg? Most kegs bulge here slightly from the rubber vulcanizing mold, and you can get a surprising amount of space back my shaving 1/16" off with a rasp.

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Weird, I never saw this reply.

Anyway, I ended up building a collar our of 1x8s and am able to get 11 in. Pretty badass!


(Frigidaire 14.9)

erikrocks said:

Weird, I never saw this reply.

Anyway, I ended up building a collar our of 1x8s and am able to get 11 in. Pretty badass!

(Frigidaire 14.9)

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Awesome! Dead on the money as far as the chart goes.

Zettwoch said:

Here are the specs for the Danby 10.2 cu ft chest freezer.

[...]

- Can adjust temp without controller using the coarse set screw

Click to expand...

I'm considering this model based on this thread.

Is that coarse set screw able to turn the temp all the way up to the upper 30s/40 range? So in fact you wouldn't need a temperature controller at all??

ResumeMan - In short, YES...This is what I did for about the first month that I had this freezer. Below is a thread that talks all about setting the coarse screw and I believe I posted info about this freezer in that thread.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/gu...mostat-32f-eliminate-external-control-249612/

But, I have since added the STC-1000 purchased for $17.99 from Amazon and here is the reason: My beer was staying around the upper 30's, no problem. But, being paranoid as to not want to freeze my beer, I had a 32 oz cup of water in the freezer to see how it would do. Basically, the air in the freezer varied from 25-50, and right when the freezer kicked off (air temp around 25), the top 1/8 inch of that cup of water was frozen. Then, by the time it kicked back on, the ice was thawed and the temp of that water was around 38.

I probably had nothing to worry about, but I liked the idea of having an external temp indicator so I wouldn't have to keep opening the keezer, and for $17.99, I couldn't resist. I mounted the temp controller to the right of the compressor vent on the right of the freezer and tapped into the power cord at that spot. I then ran the temp sensor wire into the rear of my collar and taped to a 40 oz beer bottle filled with water (sensor under bubble wrap which is taped around bottle).

BTW Zettwoch, have you done a build thread or posted photos of your keezer anywhere? As I mentioned I'm considering that unit, and would like more info to supplement the thread I linked earlier. In particular if you built a collar I am wondering how you addressed the rounded corners.

Finally started building mine

I've confirmed that you can fit 6 pinlocks and a 10# bottle in the Frigidaire 8.8cf LFFC09M5HW. It's snug between the bottle and keg with the red collar, but they fit.:fro:

ResumeMan said:

BTW Zettwoch, have you done a build thread or posted photos of your keezer anywhere? As I mentioned I'm considering that unit, and would like more info to supplement the thread I linked earlier. In particular if you built a collar I am wondering how you addressed the rounded corners.

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ResumeMan...as to how to deal with those rounded corners...

I used 1x10's for the collar. I used a pen from underneath to draw the radius. I then used my miter saw to cut a 45 on each corner. Then, I used 1x1's to reinforce the corners and set on top of the freezer. After assembling, I used a palm sander for about 5 minutes on each corner to round out.

It really worked out better than I thought it would!

Thanks for the summary!

Working on my Magic Chef HMCF7W. It's 7.0 cubic feet.

I made some measurements today, and probably tomorrow I'll dry fit some kegs (I hope 6 will fit because my collar is designed for 6 - CO2 outside).

Here's the basics:
Exterior -
36 7/8" wide
21 5/8" deep
32 3/8" high (including lid)
30 3/8" high (excluding lid)

Interior -
31" wide
15 5/8" deep
26" high

Hump (right side hump) -
9 1/2" wide
8 13/16" high

Messed with the coarse temperature adjustment set screw, and could only get it to ~30°F at the hottest. Using an STC-1000 instead.

I'll update more as I test things and hopefully complete my keezer build.

The Magic Chef HMCF7W can fit six ball locks! (phew!)

The last one slightly overhangs off the hump, so I'll probably cut a piece of wood to act as a little platform for it.

If you keep it full of kegs, it'll never have anywhere to go so you won't need a shelf.

Quite honestly, I've been neglecting this thread. I'm sorry, y'all.

Here's the deal. I've been super busy with a new position at work that has required me to re-learn everything I thought I knew on-the-spot. I come home from work pretty well sapped, spend an hour or two playing video games, then fall asleep from mental exhaustion.

On Thursday, I worked a full day with an obnoxious stomach ache, came home, sleep for a few hours, and woke up from pain. The dull stomach pain had migrated to a very specific location in the lower right abdomen. Yep, that's right, appendicitis. Fast forward a few hours, I was admitted to the ER, and the following morning, I was being slice n' diced on an operating room table by a laparoscopy robot. As a result, I spent my 4-day holiday weekend recovering in the hospital and at home.

This is good news for this thread. Because of extensive bruising and narcotic pain relievers, the doc isn't letter me return to work until the 25th. The means I have 10 days to fart around the house, to include updating this thread.

Expect to see a few new models in the coming days. To stay limber, the doc has recommended I walk plenty, which sounds like he's telling me I need to go find new models to measure in person.

Wow, I'm sorry to hear you had all the trouble. Appendicitis can be dangerous if you don't heed the warning signs - I have a cousin that damn near died from it. Glad it went well and you're on the mend.

I am still in awe at how awesome this thread is. I'm still in the market for a keezer, and I know I won't buy anything until I vet it here. Keep fighting the good fight. More models for the win.

thadius856 said:

On Thursday, I worked a full day with an obnoxious stomach ache, came home, sleep for a few hours, and woke up from pain. The dull stomach pain had migrated to a very specific location in the lower right abdomen. Yep, that's right, appendicitis. Fast forward a few hours, I was admitted to the ER, and the following morning, I was being slice n' diced on an operating room table by a laparoscopy robot. As a result, I spent my 4-day holiday weekend recovering in the hospital and at home.

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Sounds almost identical to me in October of 2011 - worked with stomach pain, woke up the next morning with specific pain, and by 11am sliced 'n diced laparoscopically and checked out in a few days later.

I healed up pretty well - walking helped a TON to rebuild my lost stamina.

I found that I can eat spicy foods, but digesting them (even now, 2 years later) is really hard, so if you're a spicy food fan, experiment carefully.

Take care of yourself! And congrats on the new position at work!

You'll see a few posts back that I posted all the information about the Danby 10.2 freezer. I've had it in use now for about 2 months and its great!

The bottom line is that it holds six pin lock kegs on the floor AND a 20 pound steel CO2 tank which is awesome, might I add - all on the floor, leaving plenty of room for yeast harvests! Could probably even fit a seventh keg if I really tried on the hump.

Even better is the lack of significant depth - it only sits out from the wall about 25-26 inches and basically is the same depth as my countertop. Most that hold six pin locks are deeper and stick out into the room a lot more, so I found this very nice.

Added the STC-1000 for temp control and mounted it down near the compressor itself inline with the cord instead of mounting in the collar.

Anyways, looking forward to seeing your cad drawings for everyone else on this thread - it is really a heavy duty freezer, smooth finish, solid core lid, and more!

This is just an update post. Feel free to skip.

The intent of the Spec Sheet was to cram as much information as possible onto a single sheet of Letter-size paper that could be printed and carried to the store. There are two primary problems with the current design. First, there's a lot of wasted space where additional information could be more neatly presented. Second, the trip from DOCX -> PDF -> PNG -> embeded image in a forum post hasn't been very kind to the portability of the document.

Behind the curtain, the spec sheet isn't terribly friendly to update either, so often I just didn't update them. It's been a fully manual process. Additionally, a copy has to be maintained for each model. If I wanted to update the template, I would have to manually re-enter all of the information for each model, which has become cumbersome now that I'm past 15 chest freezer models. The pictures aren't locked to a specific size so they tend to float around from copy to copy. For many models I've been too lazy to go find post-conversion pictures for or nobody has done one yet, so that ends up as a big chunk of wasted whitespace.

So far, I've sunk 8-10 hours so far into re-designing the spec sheet design. It will still be generated in Word (unfortunately), but it's still the best too for the job. A separate database was created, which the document will now pull information from and auto-fill. Technological limitations (mostly due to Mail Merge's single data source and access method) have forced me to use Excel for the database with a single flat dataset. The sheer amount of data on the new spec sheet makes for a very wide sheet -- 244 columns, in fact. I'm still working on locating a low-cost or free long-term host for my PDFs so I can make them truly portable.

Stay tuned for a sneak peek.

A sneak peak, as promised.

The flat database file:



Behind the scenes, ready for mail merge:



Mail merge completed:



For historical record, the old template:



Inspiration was drawn from the Blackberry Curve spec sheet:

Still plugging along. Added another 3 models to my flat file, so I'm making progress. Problem is that it's super boring re-doing work that I've already done, so I only make it and hour or two before I take a "break". And that break has ended up being working on a porch screening project, prepping/weighing/organizing grains for recipes, or washing the dozen dirty kegs I had laying around.

Also spent 4-5 hours today re-arranging my AutoCAD drawing file. This should allow me to go DWG -> PDF -> PNG much more gracefully, at 2-3x the resolution from before, and with much less lossyness in the images.

I think the end result will be a much more professional end product. Bear with me a few more days.

thadius856 said:

Still plugging along. Added another 3 models to my flat file, so I'm making progress. Problem is that it's super boring re-doing work that I've already done, so I only make it and hour or two before I take a "break". And that break has ended up being working on a porch screening project, prepping/weighing/organizing grains for recipes, or washing the dozen dirty kegs I had laying around.

Also spent 4-5 hours today re-arranging my AutoCAD drawing file. This should allow me to go DWG -> PDF -> PNG much more gracefully, at 2-3x the resolution from before, and with much less lossyness in the images.

I think the end result will be a much more professional end product. Bear with me a few more days.

Click to expand...

Just know it's mucho appreciado, muchacho. Thanks again for what you do

thadius856 said:

Problem is that it's super boring re-doing work that I've already done, ...

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If it's just a template, there may be some folks on this board that could help out with the effort (...cough, cough...). You could point out the models you want converted, and provide the blank Excel template, then let your minions do the boring stuff. Merging would just be cut and paste back into the Master. And if you're worried about accuracy problems, just get multiple minions to work on the same records independently of each other.

It's just a template and flat file, but to fill out the flat file I often need to go back to the drawings and attempt new configurations. Then its a long conversion process.

I'll get there. I'll get there. No worries.