Basic Keezer Build

I built my first keezer a few weeks ago and am just now getting around to posting pictures. I didn't do a very good job of documenting the progress but if anyone has any questions I will do my best to fill in any blanks.



I don't have the picture of what it looked like before, but I was able to score a 14.8 cu ft. freezer off of Craigslist for $100. It barely fit in my SUV and unloading it solo was a chore to say the least! Here is what it looked like after I pressure washed it, dried it and primed it for the layer of chalkboard paint I planned to use.



I didn't get a photo of the underside prior to ripping it out. However, the plastic was a little cracked and warped and the insulation looked extremely old so I decided to replace it. Here is what it looked like after I ripped all of it out and pressure washed the hood.



Here is what it looked like after 2 coats of chalkboard paint. I didn't bother to paint the back in chalkboard paint as I don't really plan on having the back openly exposed at any point in time. I had to move this from outside to inside overnight and then back outside the next morning to coat the second time. I was able to find a small dolly at Harbor Freight and Tools for about $15 that I could just load it on to and maneuver around the house and driveway.



I have never messed with deep freezers at all, so these hinges had me worried, after doing some searching on HBT as well as google, I found some pictures that showed how to get around the tension hinges.

Here is where I really slacked on taking pictures. It was around 12am on a Friday when I decided to build the collar and with my limited woodworking skills it was rather frustrating to say the least. However, an hour or two later I had a fully functional collar that worked. I used a 7.5 inch spade bit to drill out the holes for the taps prior to connecting the collar. There is also a good amount of weather stripping below the collar.



Below is underneath the hood. I still need to insulate around the collar, but surprisingly it has held temp and not required a ton of energy from the freezer. You can see on the lid where I replaced the insulation. There is about 3/4 in to 1 inch of foam insulation there. I only have 2 taps hooked up at the moment as I am waiting on my IPA and Blueberry Wheat to get to a keggable state. (note - this picture was taken today, this project was actually finished about 2 weeks ago)




There is a ton of room in this thing. Here it shows 4 cornys easily fitting and the 10# Co2 tank in the bottom corner. I have pint glasses and bottles chilling on the hump that is not included in the picture. (note - this was also taken today)



I decided after the initial collar pictures that I wanted to stain the wood, so the following day I picked up some stain and put 2 coats on the collar.



And below is the finished product. Easy labeling below the taps and I am using the top as a calendar of sorts to keep track of fermentation, kegging and tapping schedules. I tapped the blonde yesterday and it is dispensing right at 38 degrees and tastes awesome. I haven't built too many things, so I was quite happy with myself when I finished this project!