Keezers and that "built in" look...

Howdy kids!

So it's tax time again, and one of the benefits (if you could call it that) of an enormous mortgage is that we actually get some cash back from Uncie Sam. And being the practical folks we are, we're planning on spending that money on the house. (Well, some of it...)

We have a junk room downstairs that's filled with boxes since we moved in, which we've wanted to convert to a man cave (Well, I want it to be a man cave, she wants more of a gender neutral cave) and I want to get moving on it. We fight over the TV constantly, so cleaning the room up, getting a second TV in there, and - here's the good bit - building a bar has been approved. Since I've been getting real sick of bottling, perfect time for... a kegerator!!

The budget for doing this is going to be tight. $600 is what I have to play with, given we want to put a TV in there, will need some furniture, etc. It still means I can snag a kit from kegconnection.com, as well as leaving a bit left to snag a freezer or mini fridge.

The issue I run into is going to be aesthetics. I'm leaning towards the keezer, purely because of space. I want to be able to have three kegs (four would be nice), and that's not going to happen with a mini fridge. The space available is tight, tho - a 4' x 4' corner that the keezer (as well as a shelf unit for hard liquor, glasses, etc.) will have to fit into.

It LOOKS like the freezer will be a 7.0cf one - either the GE model from Home Depot, or the Holiday one from Lowes - so then it comes down to making it look good.

I understand the reasoning behind adding a collar - both to increase the storage space, and to give a safe area for mounting the taps - but if I were to go with a tower, I assume the collar would no longer be necessary?

Has anyone built a keezer with a completely custom lid? Meaning, ditching the entire lid altogether, and making one (with collar) completely from scratch, using wood and their own insulation?

I built a whole new lid for mine. I made it using 2x10s and cut sections out to reduce weight, filling with spray foam. I covered the inside with vinyl drawer liner, and reused the lid liner and insulation from the original lid. In retrospect I should have just framed it wiith 2x2s, but im happy with how it came out.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/show-us-your-kegerator-29053/index153.html#post1844323

Nice, Mason - looks good. Did you have any issues with the hinges being able to hold the weight? (Although I'm guessing those aren't the originals?)

I might as well have ditched the original lid for mine. The hinges are holding up well lifting the weight of the original lid + two layers of 3/4" Plywood, + 1/8" hardboard + Pine trim + tower + driptray.

Are your concerns with drilling a hole in the original lid purely because of possible warranty issues down the road?

Im using the original hinges. They're spring loaded and have no problem holding the extra weight.

Guntr, yours is basically what I'm going for, with the added bonus of maybe some sort of cladding between the bottom and top collars. Bookmarked the link, and I'll be using in my build! (Now if only the IRS would get me my @#$# cheque!)

ubermick said:

Guntr, yours is basically what I'm going for, with the added bonus of maybe some sort of cladding between the bottom and top collars. Bookmarked the link, and I'll be using in my build! (Now if only the IRS would get me my @#$# cheque!)

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Thanks. Post pics once you start. I love the Keezer porn!

Thank you Ubermick. I could've written the exact same question. We also have some unused space that we're looking to turn into a bar area. Like you mentioned, I'd like three taps min, but with the ability to hold 4 cornies (maybe four taps). I've debating the last couple weeks between a collar and a tower.

Most of the pics of the collar keezers on the site have shown them on a stand-alone basis. I'm thinking a tower would work better for me because I plan to build a bar around it.

I think my budget may be a smidgen more than yours, but close. I'm also looking at the 7.0 freezers. Please keep us updated. Looking for all the advice I can get.

pkfrerich said:

Most of the pics of the collar keezers on the site have shown them on a stand-alone basis. I'm thinking a tower would work better for me because I plan to build a bar around it.

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I personally wanted the best of both worlds. I wanted stand-alone and portable so I can bring it outside for parties, but also want to build it into the bar I plan to build eventually. That's part of the reason I built mine up to a height of 42". I plan to have a section of my bar swing open so the keezer can roll in and match the bar height.

Guntr - i love your build. Are you able to get a 10 # co2 tank without a collar? I'm trying top figure out if 5# will work with 2 on tap, and another carbing. i think i saw your picture with the 5$ on the hump.

I agree, btw, on the semi-portability you mention...wheels to move it around, but also to slide under a bar top. That's exactly why I'm looking at a tower. As mentioned, I haven't seen a pic of a collar keezer under/included in a bar set-up.

pkfrerich said:

Guntr - i love your build. Are you able to get a 10 # co2 tank without a collar? I'm trying top figure out if 5# will work with 2 on tap, and another carbing. i think i saw your picture with the 5$ on the hump.

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Thanks! Actually I have a 20# tank in there, but it's not on the hump. You're right though, no collar and I have about 4 inches to spare heighth wise. By my measurements I still have room for five cornies + the 20# CO2 cylinder. Down the road if I really NEED to have six cornies in there I'll consider moving the tank outside, or maybe buying a smaller CO2 cylinder.