YAKB (Yet another keezer build)

Well, I finally got my keezer finished this past weekend! I've had it running for about 3 weeks to make sure it would hold temps, even with it sitting outside in the Arizona sun. It's kept the inside at a nice 37 degrees.

I'm using an InkBird temp controller. I originally was going with the Johnson controls unit but the InkBird does such a nice job and is so small and compact that I changed out my Johnson for the ITC-1000 and mounted it inside (I'm not confident enough in my woodworking skills to mount it on the front).

I've skinned it with cedar panels and maple corner pieces with 4 taps (3 for beer and 1 for carbonated water) and a very nice 4 faucet drip tray from Keg Connection (via Amazon). The top is covered in stainless steel tiles that I think really set it off.

The only issue I seem to be having (which I'm hoping will disappear when I bring it inside) is quite a bit of moisture. I'll find out next weekend if this is due to the excessive heat outside which is what I expect.

I wasn't sure if I should add pics of my build since it has been done so much already but if anyone is interested I will.

RichPetersen said:

I wasn't sure if I should add pics of my build since it has been done so much already but if anyone is interested I will.

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Of course you should!

RichPetersen said:

The only issue I seem to be having (which I'm hoping will disappear when I bring it inside) is quite a bit of moisture. I'll find out next weekend if this is due to the excessive heat outside which is what I expect.

Click to expand...

Definitely add pics, I found most of my ideas and inspiration for my build from posts on this forum. Every build posted adds to that library of info for the next guy to come along!

As for the moisture, be sure your keezer is sealed up tight. I had this issue at first but once I gave another runaround with caulk at every possible air leak, AND I stopped opening the keezer daily to check for moisture (only letting more humidity in), seems that helped my condensation issues a lot. Also if you keep it slightly colder (I set mine at 34) it seems to keep the condensation down.

OK, here's the project. I'm not sure yet how to edit this post with pictures so bear with me.

I still have to figure out a handle to make it easier to open but for now it's done. The drip tray was pricey but well worth it IMHO. The faucets hold it in place so I didn't have to worry about drilling into the side of the freezer and hitting coolant lines. It does have a drain pipe on the bottom but I removed that and sealed it with silicone. I didn't want a bucket on the floor in front of the keezer to catch the drippings.

The faucets will all be Perlick when I get it in the house. I just put a "standard" faucet in location 3 for the photo (I'm still using my 4th Perlick on my old kegerator). The wood is all sealed with polyurethane but not stained. I like the "natural" color of the wood. The base is made from 1x4 pine with casters to make it easier to move about.

Now to bring it in the house. It won't fit through the back door (which is where the deck is) so I have to load it into my truck, drive around the house and bring it in the front door. I can't just push it around, we're in the middle of the desert.

Glad you posted pics...Actually one of the nicer looks I have seen. Well done.

Excellent job! The cedar with the stainless tile top looks classy.

Thanks for the kind words guys. The stainless tiles were my wife's idea. She mentioned seeing them somewhere and I just did a search on the Home Depot website. I just picked up a towel rack I'll be installing on the left front to hold a bar towel and a bottle opener with cap catcher to go on the right. Just when you think you're done you think of another "just gotta have it" addition...

Nice!

That looks great! One of the nicer collar-style keezers IMO. I like the stainless tiles also.

It is lovely. Were it not for the backsplash and drip tray, the copper tiles may have looked even better than the stainless. As you've built it, though, it looks outstanding.

Thanks, I really like it. I've included the latest pic of it's current location and (hopefully) final touches. I got the bar towel rack and bottle opener attached and got it moved into the house. That was quite a job. I had to remove a section of railing from our deck, place a ramp and slide it onto my truck, drive it around to the front of the house and bring it in through the front door, then slide it into the kitchen/dining room area. Thankfully I installed a wheeled base! I also put some erasable labels under the Perlick taps that my wife had. A big thank you to my wife for all the help she has been on this project.

Looks great. My you have many cold pours from it,

Rich,

Now that you have been up and running for a couple of months how is this performing?

Actually very well. I little bit of condensation forming inside, even with the Eva-Dry device inside. But this is the monsoon season in AZ so our humidity is way up (for us). And the first few weeks I was always opening it to check things and re-route lines. Now that I leave it closed mostly it's gotten much better. All in all it's great. I've always got fresh beer on tap and carbonated water as well. Thanks for asking.

Nice feedback. I plan to skin my keezer and yours is great inspiration as well as proof of concept for me. Thanks!