Locking of Keezer taps

I've been looking at all of the Keezer conversions here and see some really cool ones. Makes me want to go take over my freezer in the garage that is'n't getting much use for some reason.

But I have on burning question I haven't seen anything on. Has anyone come up with a way to lock the taps from being used? I have kids and really wouldn't want them to partake in the craft at a too young age.

Put a lock on the lid and disconnect the QD's from the kegs.

I have 2 kids and don't feel the need to lock the beer up, maybe chocolate bars, but not beer.

Something like these?
Amazon.com: Metal Beer Kegerator Faucet Lock: Kitchen & Dining

or this one?
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000EH2RK0/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Those would be nice, but they are so darn expensive!!!

jtsims21 said:

or this one?
Amazon.com: Wrap Around Beer Faucet Lock: Kitchen & Dining

Click to expand...

I have these and have been worth every penny in my opinion. Trouble free for 3 years and keeps the kids and some big kids from helping them selves during cook outs and large family gatherings. My kegorater is out in the garge and when we have cook outs they are in the back yard so it is hard to keep track of the brew.

Some nice looking options when the time comes...

Fwiw, the first lock linked specifically says it won't fit Perlick forward sealing faucets. I'm betting the second one won't, either...

Cheers!

day_trippr said:

Fwiw, the first lock linked specifically says it won't fit Perlick forward sealing faucets. I'm betting the second one won't, either...

Cheers!

Click to expand...

AHAH ! Fine print.... ! Thanks.. $$$$$

ANY DIY'ers figure out an inexpensive work-around yet?????

Get a cheap webcam, aim it at the keezer, and tell them it takes picture and emails it to you any time there is movement in the field of view. They actually work this way, but even if it was a dummy camera, this would likely scare them from doing anything.

I've 3 kids in college and a four-tap keezer. For whatever reason, my kids have almost no interest in beer, so it was never a problem.

When my kids were teenagers, I had a ball valve on the beer lines and a padlock on the door.

I've asked and pondered the same question of a cheap fix. Locking the door and removing the QD was the only solution.


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nosnhojm20 said:

I've asked and pondered the same question of a cheap fix. Locking the door and removing the QD was the only solution.


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Click to expand...

I have asked this as well and just done this for now until I can come up with a bar that co across the taps (five of them) and has a lock on one end. Should be easy to make and the visual of a lock is almost deterrent enough.

Those locks are insanely overpriced

Two planks of wood, one on the front of the taps, the other one under, with matchin holes, and a ratcheting padlock (like the one on top: http://www.inner-tite.com/images/products/accessories/padlock3L.jpg)

MC

If aesthetics don't matter, what about a wall paper tray under the taps, with a string and bike lock up and over the taps.

I hadn't thought if blocking underneath the taps. Duh.


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Misplaced_Canuck said:

Two planks of wood, one on the front of the taps, the other one under, with matchin holes, and a ratcheting padlock (like the one on top: http://www.inner-tite.com/images/products/accessories/padlock3L.jpg)

MC

Click to expand...

Long Shackle Padlock is what you would want to google to find that. Thanks for the simple idea, much easier than what I was thinking

I've been lucky in that my kids haven't gotten into my beer without asking me first, as far as I know. If you take the QD's off of the liquid out just make sure the poppet is making a good seal. I've hooked up kegs to CO2 to get them carbonated and ended up with beer leaking out of the poppet and filling the bottom of my keezer. Now I always hook up a hose and tap to the keg before hooking it up to CO2.

30Bones said:

Long Shackle Padlock is what you would want to google to find that. Thanks for the simple idea, much easier than what I was thinking

Click to expand...

I'm not sure if it'll work, with the angles and such, but it's pretty cheap to try it out.

MC

Me either, but with some measuring and scrap wood I can try it and if it seems to do the trick I could make a couple out of a nicer wood if I felt the need to at some point. I get bored in the winter months

30Bones said:

I have asked this as well and just done this for now until I can come up with a bar that co across the taps (five of them) and has a lock on one end. Should be easy to make and the visual of a lock is almost deterrent enough.

Those locks are insanely overpriced

Click to expand...

Great Idea, BUT→ I thought of that....so lets say you did just that...with the bar stopping the movement of the taps and all locked up so I can't move the Bar...
What if I simply unscrewed the wooden taps (tops) ?
Whats on tap? It's in my pint glass after I removed the taps, I would suspect..!!:cross:

Agreed ? or do you have a fail-safe I'm missing?

I put a small, inexpensive, plastic valve near the keg end if the beer lines. There's a lock on the kegerator door.


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1BigBear said:

Great Idea, BUT→ I thought of that....so lets say you did just that...with the bar stopping the movement of the taps and all locked up so I can't move the Bar...
What if I simply unscrewed the wooden taps (tops) ?
Whats on tap? It's in my pint glass after I removed the taps, I would suspect..!!:cross:

Agreed ? or do you have a fail-safe I'm missing?

Click to expand...

Fair argument there. Again I am looking for more of a deterrent as we have had no issues with the kids trying....yet

JoeLowPro said:

I put a small, inexpensive, plastic valve near the keg end if the beer lines. There's a lock on the kegerator door.


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Click to expand...

I would simply disco the out on the kegs, but with my collar I no longer have a lock on the lid and don't want to drill holes in the lid of a new chest freezer to install a hasp and traditional padlock. That is by far the simplest solution and probably what I will end up doing

Not sure how this would work on a Keezer but this is what I have been using. Right now it is just to keep my little kids (3 and 6) from playing with them. When they get a little older I need move the guard down below the handle because right now one could just unscrew them and then pour.

^ That's was what I was thinking. Not saying my kids are dumb, but I don't think they know "lefty loosy, righty tighty" haha

acarlotto said:

Not sure how this would work on a Keezer but this is what I have been using. Right now it is just to keep my little kids (3 and 6) from playing with them. When they get a little older I need move the guard down below the handle because right now one could just unscrew them and then pour.

Click to expand...

acarlotto? Looks nice - and easy...Can you explain exactly what that is...? looks like you just slide a metal bar through the 2 wooden sides?
similar to what I was going to do (as was 30Bones). Would work till the "Spinning Tap Tops Off Theory" comes into play....
Hmmm Then what ? .. what could inhibit spinning the taps off..??
CRAZY GLUE?? lol

oh yeah → the $45 per tap perlick locks !!

1BigBear said:

acarlotto? Looks nice - and easy...Can you explain exactly what that is...? looks like you just slide a metal bar through the 2 wooden sides?
similar to what I was going to do (as was 30Bones). Would work till the "Spinning Tap Tops Off Theory" comes into play....
Hmmm Then what ? .. what could inhibit spinning the taps off..??
CRAZY GLUE?? lol

oh yeah → the $45 per tap perlick locks !!

Click to expand...

Yeah it is just two wood pcs glued and screwed to a thin pc of wood. The bar is a pcs of aluminum with the tab welded on and a hole for a lock. I will move the bar down to where the tap handle screws in. Even if handles are unscrewed you can not pull the bottom part forward. I will do that when the kids are a little older.

My kids are still too young to worry about it, but I did install a lockset with hidden fasteners between the door and fridge (mainly to seal the door completely to avoid frost buildup). Just disconnect the liquid out, affix a lock, and done. No way to get it to dispense beer without getting obvious with a crowbar. Cost me about $8 as I have many locks laying around.

passedpawn said:

Get a cheap webcam, aim it at the keezer, and tell them it takes picture and emails it to you any time there is movement in the field of view. They actually work this way, but even if it was a dummy camera, this would likely scare them from doing anything.

I've 3 kids in college and a four-tap keezer. For whatever reason, my kids have almost no interest in beer, so it was never a problem.

Click to expand...

That is almost exactly what I do. The camera I bought on amazon was around $75 and I can look at its output over the internet for free anytime but for a $100/year subscription I can record video and set motion controls.
The camera:

The output via an Ipad app:

solbes said:

My kids are still too young to worry about it, but I did install a lockset with hidden fasteners between the door and fridge (mainly to seal the door completely to avoid frost buildup). Just disconnect the liquid out, affix a lock, and done. No way to get it to dispense beer without getting obvious with a crowbar. Cost me about $8 as I have many locks laying around.

Click to expand...

Solbes :
Can you explain or show a picture of your lockset...? I need to lock my top down too for water / moisture build up. then maybe if this works no need to figure out how to lock these tap handles !
thxs

This is what I do. You could probably swap the dowel rod with an aluminum rod drilled for a small cable lock.

That dude in the middle looks vulnerable to a determined pourer...

Cheers!

It gives a little bit, but in the end the pour comes out as foam. Not perfect, but a good deterrent.

Good ideas.

How about a nice piece of wood with holes in it that would slip down over the handles and then a shackle lock around one of the shanks up through the wood to hold it in place.

Now this would only work with the standard handle or with the handles removed.

1BigBear said:

Solbes :
Can you explain or show a picture of your lockset...? I need to lock my top down too for water / moisture build up. then maybe if this works no need to figure out how to lock these tap handles !
thxs

Click to expand...

Sure, I used this one. Might have been a different size:

http://www.fleetfarm.com/detail/hillman-fixed-staple-safety-hasp-galvanized/0000000096151

But this one is very nice too and already has a lock/key. I have used it up at the lake for a utility building.

http://www.fleetfarm.com/detail/hillman-keyed-safety-hasp/0000000094785

A simple crowbar and you are inside the fridge in less than 20 seconds. But you would not be able to hide it either as it would bend up the outer fridge surfaces. Same would be true for most of the perlick tap lock options I would imagine.