Grim's Tavern Reborn

After a nearly 3 year hiatus I'm back to the homebrewing scene. I've been lurking on these forums for Months and this is one of my first posts. As I just picked up a chest freezer (19.7 CuFt) and having resurrected my old kegarator with only two taps, I changed my game plan for more taps. The chest freezer I got off craigs list for $50 it's around 10 years old, but upon inspection was keeping sub zero frozen temps.

Before I go further I want to express my gratitude to Jester369 for his amazing Keezer build https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/keezer-project-31221/. It gave me more then enough inspration.

My condolences to Joe C in his monsterator project https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/project-monsterator-111298/

But to help lift Joe's spirits I'm going for a hybrid of their two builds with a total of 12 taps

Here's my start:
Old Kegerator


Start of my project:
It's a nasty beast


Test fit of kegs:


Top removed sanded and began priming:


Outside primed and retested fitted to ensure 12X kegs:


I removed the top lip of the freezer to help grind down the rust. To my dismay the top plastic cap was dry rot and shattered during removal. This ended up to be a good thing as I realized there were two holes in the bottom of the freezer that allowed moisture to enter the foam insulation. Three weeks later with the freezer upside down in the dry Colorado climate I think I got ~95% of the water drained from the insolation.

I ground down the inside and outside and primed with Rustolum rust conversion primer to help with the rust problem.

I next purchased some 1X3" boards to replace the top plastic cap that was ruined during removal. Some careful trimming of the existing insulation, a few passes on the table saw for a rabid edge to fit over the inner lip of the freezer, and 4 coats of laqure primer on the 1X3's netted the following:


I added some additional foam (Spray) sealer to assist in glueing down the 1X3's and allowed to cure. After curing I added some silicon sealing around all the joints and allowed to cure.


After two days I realized I didn't put enough weight on the 1X3's to keep them flush with the top of the freezer. No problem abit of plaining and sanding later produced a perfectly smooth/flush (Slightly angled inwards) surface for the lid collar.


I also finished up the inner edge with a 1/2" round router pass:


Next up as funds become avail I'll refinish the lid by adding 1.5" foam insulation to replace the crap fiberglass pad that was frozen solid upon removal. I'll cap off the lid with 1/8" paneling and 2x4 collar. I'll plane and sand the collar as flat as possible to match the freezer top.

As for the sides of the freezer I'm not going to do like Jester nor Joe C with his plaid paint. I have something else instore, but you'll have to wait for it.

As for the top, I'm planning on an Irish Coffin setup similar to Jester's but with 12 taps instead. Here's the concept drawings, sorry I'm not proficient with google sketchUp I use Visio:


More to come as funds become avail as the SWMBO just spent $3800 on the front yard zero scap project:

Cool project, keep taking pics.
It's xeriscape, btw. Nice work! 12 taps will be fun and you can brew away with room to spare.

Been awhile since I updated been a bit busy.

Adding insulation to the lid:


Collar and top sealed and primed:


added insulation to the collar:


First coat of appliance epoxy, My original plan was to have the chest and lid sprayed in/outside with bedliner but at $250 for the job I deciced against it and just use the epoxy, so my special paint job is now just a normal boring paint job.



Up next building the top, reevaluated options and finally setteled on an Irish coffin design (Was toying with the idea of a tap tower but logistics didn't out weight the cost)

Very nice project. It is good to see projects like this posted in step by step, start to finish.

I'm considering a CO2 manifold for my keezer and I found some Victor L250D Line regulators from a demo at work. Does anyone see a problem with using
http://www.airgas.com/browse/product.aspx?Msg=RecID&recIds=348162&WT.svl=348162 for the secondary's?

Looks to me like they would work fine. Especially if you don't have to pay the $186 list price.

I brought home a handfull of regulators to try them out. It seems like they will work and as they were free I can't argue.

Here's the manifold all setup and pressure testing for leaks at 100PSI, I also finished the third coat of epoxy on the keezer, next up remounting the gasket and figuring out the mounting of the manifold. I'll need to pick up the gauges and check valves to complete the manifold.

Looks awesome. Nice yard, by the way.

Great job so far. AND, you can brew more insted of mowing the front yard - Dwain

Dwain said:

Great job so far. AND, you can brew more insted of mowing the front yard - Dwain

Click to expand...

Yep that was an added bonus, All grass is coming out the back as well when the deck goes up. 1/3 of the yard will be the SWMBO's vege garden and my hop garden, 1/3 will be a flag stone patio, and the last 1/3 will be a 900 SqFt two level deck. I hate grass.

Nice regulator bank, I'm jealous. Grass is overrated.

More Keezer progress today:

Coffin built and insulated


Coffin skinned


Mounted to the lid


Mounted the gasket, and managed to balance the lid enough that it stays open without a prop


3" holes drilled into the coffin and mounted the rails for the CO2 manifold

The DIY stir plate is complete:


I can't always be working on the Keezer I still need to fill the damn thing so brewing is required

Wow it's been nearly a year since I last updated this post. Due to other SWMBO projects, work, life etc this project took a back seat.

So with out further adue here's my latest progress.

Got the temp sensor installed and working

Finally broke down and spent the cash for the taps




Sad to say my SWMBO bought me the tap handles for xmas last year

And for the big expense got in the 20 kegs to add to my 9 keg collection pictured i'm in the process of rebuilding em with new gaskets soon to be cleaned and sanatized for new brew

that sure is purdy, in a good way

Great idea with the pool ball tap handles!

great update, what a monster coffin that is!

The rest of the keezer parts are now on order and should arrive by the end of next week. I know what I'm going to do on the sides as I have left over Hardwood Flooring from the house remodel, I only now need to decide what to do for the bar top, any ideas? I was thinking tile, but feeling the current weight of the lid /w coffin I'm starting to shy against it.

Any thoughts?

Further progress I helped my SWMBO bottle her 33 Bottles of German Reisling tonight, that now frees up one of my 6.5G fermenters to fill all those kegs

Grimtas said:

The rest of the keezer parts are now on order and should arrive by the end of next week. I know what I'm going to do on the sides as I have left over Hardwood Flooring from the house remodel, I only now need to decide what to do for the bar top, any ideas? I was thinking tile, but feeling the current weight of the lid /w coffin I'm starting to shy against it.

Any thoughts?

Further progress I helped my SWMBO bottle her 33 Bottles of German Reisling tonight, that now frees up one of my 6.5G fermenters to fill all those kegs

Click to expand...

Epoxy and bottlecaps!

That would be alot of bottlecaps and around 3-4 gals of expensive epoxy. Not that cost is really an issue here, more of it's been done too many times before. I'm looking for something a bit different and unique. The jury for me is still out thus far on what I'm going to use as a top.

The pool ball idea is great!

Did you drill and tap them? Or use inserts?

SweetSounds said:

The pool ball idea is great!

Did you drill and tap them? Or use inserts?

Click to expand...

They were drilled with the intent to use the inserts from your local big box store, but the outter diameter of those inserts are tough to match for a solid fit, So this round the inserts are epoxy'd in.

If and when I ever redue them I'll just drill and tap the balls instead of using the inserts (Which are designed for wood I think).

I wonder how green felt would stand up under bartop epoxy?

ROFLMAO,
I was just discussing that idea this morning with SWMBO, to also include corner and center pockets (Pint sized cup holders) and just make the darn thing look like a pool table. I'll have to go pick up some scrap felt from one of the vendors here in town and test it out with some epoxy.

Grimtas said:

ROFLMAO,
I was just discussing that idea this morning with SWMBO, to also include corner and center pockets (Pint sized cup holders) and just make the darn thing look like a pool table. I'll have to go pick up some scrap felt from one of the vendors here in town and test it out with some epoxy.

Click to expand...

Sounds like a plan. Hell, you seem to have some play-money and are good with tools. Make it a fully functioning mini pool table with ball return. 4 pockets is doable, yeah?

The pool balls aren't my cup of tea, yet at the same time I can't help thinking they are an awesome edition on this build. There needs to be green felt installed on the lid now .