Keezer Build

I am working on designing my keezer build in google sketch up, and hope to get it under way this weekend. It is pretty much a clone of Willisbr's keezer build. So far here is what I have. There are a couple changes I am going to make in the construction of the base and frame, but they are pretty simple so I don't feel like re doing that in google sketch up. Any tips or opinions are welcome. Also this is my first time ever using google sketchup so my knowledge of it is pretty limited.

I ordered my freezer today. It is a 14.8 cubic foot maytag from Home Depot. It will be delivered next saturday so I will be building the freezer support with caster and wood paneling around it. I am going to use 4'x8' sheets of a stain grade birch to encase the freezer in.

http://www.homedepot.com/Appliances...Id=10053&langId=-1&storeId=10051#.UDAFo91lRSA

I also picked up the materials to build the coffin and built it. Below are the pictures of the coffin so far. The coffin is just over two feet wide and will have 5 taps four inches on center from each other. You can faintly see the black dots on the front of the coffin marking the tap locations.



In the photo below you can see where I am going to use a LED tape light strip to light the front of the coffin where I will be putting glass tile as a back splash. The LED tape light will allow me to complete adjust the color of the LEDs as well as dim them.



Here is a picture from the back of the coffin where the access door will go.

Here is the coffin so far. My LED lighting will be coming tomorrow. I am using a RGB LED tape light sold through home depot. It allows you complete control of the color and has a dimmer.

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...ord=led+light+tape&storeId=10051#.UDTN196NIZ8


Tonight I will be covering the edges to hide the ply, insulating the inside of the coffin, and buying my tile.

This is what the veneer looks like applied before I have trimmed and finished it.


My light kit came in yesterday so i installed it in the keezer and gave it a test run. The light controller has a bunch of preset features that will make the lights change around or you can have it set at certain colors. I am very happy with the results. I also insulated the coffin last night, but I don't have any pictures of that right now.


My freezer is going to be delivered tomorrow so hopefully Saturday afternoon or Sunday I will be done with the entire build. More photos to follow.

.

.

All of the trim is 1"x4" poplar. I used a total of 77 feet!

What are you going to use to hide the edges of the plywood?

TheKeg81 said:

What are you going to use to hide the edges of the plywood?

Click to expand...

Wood veneer edge band.

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...=-1&keyword=veneer&storeId=10051#.UDTV8N6NIZ8

I tested it last night by finishing the edge on the decorative piece the taps are mounted to. It works great and is very easy to apply. I will take a couple before, applying, and after photos tonight.

You guys have some crazy sketchup skills!

Gladto hear it works well that is one of the options I looked at. If it finishes smooth and looks good, then that's probably what I will go with on mine as well. I was really dreading the half-rounds and wood putty/filler.

looking good! the more I see these coffin setup's the more I want to make one. well done.

Thanks for all the comments everyone. If you look back on the first page I have some new progress photos of the coffin with the lights installed.

Update.

There are new updated pictures of the build back on page one. Over the weekend the freezer was delivered and I started building the keezer itself. I still have the trim work left for the body and the top itself. Most of the top will be tiled but I will also have trim around the edge and also skirting the gap between the top and the sides. I think tonight I will finish insulating the coffin, and put the back splash on the coffin. I currently have 10 gallons of a pumpkin spiced ale in the freezer keg conditioning. Right now the freezer is being controlled by a ranco controller from my refrigerator kegerator. I also disassembled my refrigerator kegerator so the taps, lines, and co2 can be used in the keezer. The refrigerator will be turned into a fermentation camber.

Looks great so far! I am stuck on how to do my top now and looking forward to some inspiration from your build Have you made the pumpkin ale before? I might make an attempt of something like it for November.

I made two 5 gallon batches of the pumpkin spiced ale last year, and pretty much everyone seemed to love it. Between myself, some friends, and a neighbor we drank the first 5 gallon batch in about three days. The second batch I limited people on and it only stayed around for about a week and a half.

Last night I picked up all of the trim to finish the side and the top of the keezer. I will be mounting all of it tonight so there will be more pictures to come tomorrow.

looks great!

Last night I started attaching all of the trim, but I ran into issues with my nail gun so I wasn't able to make much progress. I have figured out the issues and fixed it so I should easily finish all of the trim tonight. Back on the first page I have added some pictures of how the trim is turning out so far. I am really pleased with it. I am using 1x4 poplar for the trim.

Trim is finished! Check out the first page for all of the new pictures, but here is a teaser below. Tonight I just need to punch in a couple finishing nails deeper, fill the holes, put on the stain, and then polyurethane. After tonight I will just need to put on the tile and run the beer lines!

I have finally reached the home stretch. All I have left to do is tile the back splash. Over the weekend I stained, polyurethaned, tiled the top, finished insulating the coffin, and installed the intake and exhausts fans to cool the coffin. As of right now the coffin is holding around a 3 degrees higher in temperature then what I have the freezer at. The far right tap location will be a nitrogen faucet down the road so for now it will remain empty. I have it sealed off so I will not loose any cool air through it. The far left tap is a perlick stainless steel creamer, and the three middle faucets are perlick stainless steel.

Last night I installed the stone and glass tile back splash on my coffin so now my keezer is pretty much done. All I have left to do is go back to touch up a couple small details. I guess tonight I need to go out to get a keg of something good to start off her use right. I have 10 gallons of a pumpkin spice ale that is currently keg conditioning, but it won't be ready for about 2 more weeks.

Excellent job, any ideas on how you are going to support the lid when its open? Where did you get the light kit and was it expensive?

The light kit ended up being a little more expensive than I thought. It costs $40 for 8 feet of the LED tape, $30 for the RGB controller, and another $20 for the power supply.

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...ord=led+light+tape&storeId=10051#.UEjMz96NIZ9

To support the top I think i am just going to tether the front of the lid to the front of the frame and let it hold open just past 90 degrees. I have also thought about making a support from 2x4s so all of the weight wont be on the hinges. My top is pretty heavy now that all of the tiles and everything is on it.

Nice job - love the birch, one of my favorite wood grains to work with.

Thanks for the answers just one more, can the led tape be cut to smaller lengths and is it difficult to rewire it?

While the tether is a good safety net in case you open it too wide I would be afraid it would close on me while adjusting things inside.

On the current keezer I am building I am going to try and use two of the rods and brackets that hold open the hood of a car.

thanks
Bob

The tape light is very easy to cut to different lengths. It has a spot every 4 inches or so for you to cut it. In the picture below you can see the spots that are made for you to cut. It is the area where you can see the horizontal copper strips. Wiring it is very simple if you have enough of the clips that come in the package to connect to the tape. Basically it is a plastic clip that holds eash of the 4 wires to those copper connections on the tape light. I think the kit comes with two or three of the clips. I only needed one considering I only have a 2 foot continuous strip of LEDs.



Thanks for all of the compliments everyone.

Finished for now and finally moved into the house. I had to take the front door off my house to get it inside. Later on I will add a 5th tap that will be nitrogen.