NorthMoon Builds A Keezer!

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NorthMoonBrewing

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Hey guys, So I'm still kinda new to the site and home brewing. Been brewing for a little over a year and just this July decided that I was over the 4 hour bottling day and bought a craigslist buy of 2 ball lock kegs, a Kegco 2 tap conversation kit, a fridge, and a chest freezer. After lots of thought, I sold the fridge to a friend, and began to plan out my Keezer build. Unfortunately as I plugged in the chest freezer to just use it to chill a weekend get togethers worth of beer and test the temperature regulator that came with it, the freezer wouldn't get cold. So I am back to square one. I have decided to save myself hassle and buy a new chest freezer, this one (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/frigida...hite/8799015.p?id=1219371330973&skuId=8799015) reason being is cause its a good size, and I have 100 dollar best buy gift card. I decide to go with a Coffin style build on this while putting it on a raiser which will allow me to create drawers under the freezer for pint glass storage. Any suggestions as I start this fun build. I have decided to roll with a 6 tap style, (4 homebrew, 2 d sankey's) just cause when you live in Northeast Indiana, you drink bells as much as you can. Let me hear your suggestions and thoughts and I'll keep everyone updated. Thank You
 
Also, I'm running on a 5# tank now, would you all suggest I get a bigger tank or do you think 5# with a 4 or 6 way manifold will be fine?
 
first I would find out who near by can refill your co2 tank and do they exchange or fill on site and how much, then if possible I would buy a 10 lb tank at least or have 2 - 5's, one as a back up, some local home brew shops will only exchange aluminum 5 pounders

as far as the build is the beer already carbed and store bought or you make it ? the reason is you might want multiple regulators if making your beer and carbing while drinking
 
So 4 will be homebrew of mine personally, and 2 will be store bought. So some will have be carbed by myself. But I was thinking if I had a 5# set to just carbing, and another 5# for serving I may be able to slide by.
 
i suggest you trace out the keg bottom on cardboard and cut it out...make enough for all your kegs that you plan to fit in the freezer. Take those cutouts and a keg with the hoses to Lowes. Use them to lay out check your spacings and heights. WATCH THAT HUMP!

I think you will have plenty of room...but, I did not! Of course my freezer is much smaller. It wasn't the end of the world, but it did give me a red face.
 
I have a 4 tap keezer and run a 20# tank. IMO, I wouldn't settle for less than 10# for a 6 tap keezer. Another thing to think about, refills won't be as high in the long run for a bigger tank vs a smaller.


If you haven't done it yet......read the "show us your kegerator" thread. It's long, but LOTS of good info in there, especially if you're building your own. Another is Thadius' thread on freezer specs. (link). Sure you might already have the freezer from BB, but at least you can get a great idea on what all it can hold. This could give you a better idea on the style of keezer you want. For me, I went with a split lid design with a T tower to one side instead of a tower/coffin centered on a single lid.

Help this helps and good luck!
 
I saw the specs thread and it can totally fit more than I am trying to fit in there. The specs sheet said up to 10 kegs so that gives me room for 4 to just be in there chilling. I am slowing going through the show us your kegerator thread and loving it. I also saw yours yesfan, and i enjoyed the concept you went with. I really thought about doing it that way as well but I have decided to maybe build shelfs that will be over the sides when its in use, then I will pull the freezer away from the wall to add or change kegs.
 
Also guys, so the set up I currently have is a 2 tap system, kegco brand. Came with 2 taps with shanks, lines, regulator, and a co2 tank. The more and more I look in these forums, I see a lot of perlick tap suggestions over economy. Would the kegco be considered economy and should I just drop the money now on the perlick. I need at least 5 more cause I have a project for one of my current ones. I've been looking at these here ( Kegco Basic Kegerator Draft Beer Conversion Kit - BCK-NT https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0036V5GEA/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20) and (Kegco KC ATK Add A Tap Draft Beer Kegerator Conversion Kit, Chrome https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005IGW4QE/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20) Can anyone help with this idea?
 
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About any stainless steel shank will do. Just make sure to get the right ones. The shanks for a T tower won't work for the column style towers and visa versa. Besides that, they're pretty much the same.


Taps: I have Perlick. Mine are the older 425, but the 630s are a good tap. My cousin has them on his kegerator and has not had any issues. Intertaps would be another option. I have one, but haven't gotten around to using it yet. Probably use it on the next beer that gets kegged. I'd like to see how it measures up to my 425
 
So the perlick is worth the money then? Should both be stainless or just the shank since the beer is coming through it? I've decided to build a collar to get my freezer up and moving, and slowly build it the way I want. I'm not sure who's this is so I'm sorry I can't give credit but I really like this style here

image.jpeg
 
That's up to you. What I like about mine is the spouts are threaded into the tap body, so I can also use a threaded growler filler. The 525 and 630 use a growler filler that has two Orings that hold it in place. What I hated about that is having to either turn down the pressure when bottling or rig something to keep the filler from popping out of the faucet (which I did) when using my counter pressure filler. The 425s are discontinued, but the Intertaps have a threaded spout like my 425s.

But, compared to the rear sealing faucets, yes the Perlicks (or Intertaps) are definitely worth it. The rear seal faucets are bad about sticking if you haven't pulled a pint through them in a few days. I hated mine.
 
Ok thanks for the info, I'm trying to master this build so I don't have to do to much later on. Have you built a keezzer?
 
Ok thanks for the info, I'm trying to master this build so I don't have to do to much later on. Have you built a keezzer?

Here's mine.

20150131_142036_zps8k5hka3a.jpg


Old pic, but the right side flips up for access to bottles and the left side flips to the left to aid in moving/removing kegs. My first keezer had a solid lid with the T tower centered. I got tired of having to pull the keezer out from the wall so the taps wouldn't hit the back wall when rotating kegs. This design eliminated that.
 
Yeah the idea behind that is awesome. I really like it. Looks good though, I'm just really excited and want to get this going ASAP.
 
Yesfan, did you use the lid that came with the freezer under that or no?

Also guys decided on a tap and shank combo, what do you all think?
http://www.beveragefactory.com/draftbeer/faucets/faucets/perlick630_stainless_combo_shtml

Also decided to go with a 5 way manifold due to having one of my six taps a homemade root beer at all times and they run at a much higher psi than beer.

Looking for a nice temp gauge and beer line that's smart to use as well.
 
Here's mine.

20150131_142036_zps8k5hka3a.jpg


Old pic, but the right side flips up for access to bottles and the left side flips to the left to aid in moving/removing kegs. My first keezer had a solid lid with the T tower centered. I got tired of having to pull the keezer out from the wall so the taps wouldn't hit the back wall when rotating kegs. This design eliminated that.

Smart! I like it. I will incorporate that into my keezer build. My OCD will have to be ok with the off-centered draft tower I guess :p
 
Yesfan, did you use the lid that came with the freezer under that or no?

Also guys decided on a tap and shank combo, what do you all think?
http://www.beveragefactory.com/draftbeer/faucets/faucets/perlick630_stainless_combo_shtml

Also decided to go with a 5 way manifold due to having one of my six taps a homemade root beer at all times and they run at a much higher psi than beer.

Looking for a nice temp gauge and beer line that's smart to use as well.



No, I still have the factory lid out in the garage. For the beer line, I've been happy with the silver barrier anti-microbial stuff. I got mine from Adventures in Homebrewing. Temp gauge, I use this. (link) Mine is the standard one as I didn't see the pro accuracy model at the time of purchase. I have one for my fermentation chest freezer too.
 
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How did you insulate the new lid then? I was wondering in the silver barrier was worth it. Its just hard when there is so much stuff out there.
 
Freezer arrives next Tuesday, bought by first round of supplies. Thursday I'm ordering all the gas equipment so I can hook it up once the freezer is here. Here is my pdf file of how I want the inside hooked up. I went with a 15cf freezer so 10 kegs should fit in there. The second manifold with the carbing kegs will be a later purchase. What do you guys think of the set up? Also co2 tank will be 20# tank.

image.png
 
Also going to use the blue 5/16 hoses from beverage factory.com, and prob bout 5 feet for each keg connecting lines, and 3 feet between the other connections
 
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