4 Tap Coffin Keezer

[brewcephus]

Just finished this baby this weekend, 4 Tap coffin with the capacity for 8 kegs. When I started this build my plan was to be able to have enough room in the keezer to have kegs on standby as well as having at least 4 different beers on tap.

Unfortunately, I didn't take many pictures of the actual build.

I have added the 2 outside taps and seated the drip plug since this picture was taken. Will post another one with a fresh pint soon. Also have to put the backsplash and lights on the coffin.

 

[SteveHeff]

Very nice. Have any pics of the finished product?

 

[brewcephus]

Not on me. I'll take some more when I get home.

This is in my man cave/Office and it is literally right behind my pc which could be very dangerous for me since I like to do some late night gaming on the weekends. I can turn around and pull the tap without getting out of my chair

The shelves in the background will soon be where I will put all my beer glasses since SWMBO wants them out of the kitchen. She has threatened me several times saying that if I bring another one home I have to throw 5 away.

 

[u81doughboy]

What size freezer did you purchase?

 

[brewcephus]

traded a stand up freezer to my mom for this older frigidaire. I don't know the specific volume of it.

I can check when I get home, I just know that it will fit 8 cornys in the bottom and the CO2 on the hump.

So I'm guessing in the 13 - 14 cu. ft range

 

[ChrisB]

Looks good! Two questions, how did you attach your trim pieces around the top to the actual top itself? Did you put anything over the top (i.e. cement board) before tiling?

 

[brewcephus]

Yeah, theres a piece of plywood under the tile. Glued and Screwed to the lid of the freezer itself (it's an old freezer so I didn't care). In the future, should I have to do this again(or heaven forbid replace this freezer anytime soon) I will make my own lid out of plywood and insulation like I've seen others on here do.

 

[brew703]

Nice build.
showed my wife and she said not now. I tried explaining to her how she would benefit but she was not taking the bait. Oh well, guess I'll keep asking as she will eventually give in as she always does.

 

[brewcephus]

So, I plugged this in last night and am very upset this morning. I placed a 2 liter coke bottle full of water in the freezer and drilled a hole in the cap for my temp probe. When I woke up this morning my temperature reading was 5* higher than it was last night. I would expect that it would have went down at least a couple of degrees, not up. The compressor is running, but it is not cooling at all or at least not to this point.

I'm really hoping that I'm not going to have to replace the freezer after having just built this thing and not even gotten to serve a single pour out of it.

 

[Southline]

Did you cover the whole freezer with wood? The heat you pull out of the freezer must be radiated out the sides of the freezer (condenser).
Adam

 

[ChrisB]

What are you using for a temperature controller? I would double check all of your temperature parameters. If the freezer was cooling before you started building, it would seem the temperature controller is a probable source of the issue.

 

[Southline]

What are you using for a temperature controller? I would double check all of your temperature parameters. If the freezer was cooling before you started building, it would seem the temperature controller is a probable source of the issue.

If the compressor is running the controller must be calling for cooling. You could also feel around on the inside and see if there is any cooling at all. Feel around the outside and see if there is some warm spots. Covered condenser, compressor not pumping, or no refrigerant. Just my 2 cents. Adam

 

[brewcephus]

Did you cover the whole freezer with wood? The heat you pull out of the freezer must be radiated out the sides of the freezer (condenser).
Adam

I did cover it in wood, but there is a 1-1.5" gap all the way around the freezer. so there is sufficient airflow I would think.

What are you using for a temperature controller? I would double check all of your temperature parameters. If the freezer was cooling before you started building, it would seem the temperature controller is a probable source of the issue.

I am using an STC1000 for the temp controller. It works fine for my ferm chamber, which is just an old refrigerator, so I would think it would work fine in this situation as well.

 

[Southline]

Is the compressor too hot to touch? Assuming the compressor has been running for a while- feel the larger pipe coming into the compressor, let me know if it's cold. Refrigeration is what I do for a living. 1.5" air space should be good. Adam

 

[brewcephus]

Still unsuccessful in getting this thing to cool any at all. Talked with my stepdad, who helped me build this beauty, and we are going to cut a hole where the Freezer vent is located to allow for the hot hair to blow out the side of the box. Will report back once my taps are flowing.

 

[brewcephus]

Well, 2 months later and I finally have a working keezer. Turns out that if you leave the freezer unplugged for over 2 years it tends to run low on Freon. Got it recharged Friday and it has been chilling kegs all weekend.

 

[brewcephus]

Updating with picture of tap handles

 

[JPHussey]

Well, 2 months later and I finally have a working keezer. Turns out that if you leave the freezer unplugged for over 2 years it tends to run low on Freon. Got it recharged Friday and it has been chilling kegs all weekend.

Hoping you're still around these forums. My kegerator (mini fridge build) was in storage for 2 years and I have a similar problem, not getting cold anymore! It worked for about a week or two out of storage and then slowly (it seemed, anyway) to stop cooling. First I could only hold 40F (target 39), then it drifted up to 42, 45, etc.

I replaced the starter relay, but that didn't work, so now I'm thinking it's refrigerant. I assume your freezer had the standard crappy compressor that has the copper supply line capped off, right? Did you have a tech come out who was able to tap into that?

Hoping to not have to rebuild...

 

[brewcephus]

I assume your freezer had the standard crappy compressor that has the copper supply line capped off, right? Did you have a tech come out who was able to tap into that?

Hoping to not have to rebuild...

Yeah, I have a friend who does AC repair work and he cam out and recharged the system for me. Not only that, he drained the coolant and put R-134A coolant in in it and changed out the plug so that I could recharge it myself should this problem reappear in the future.

Hope this helped. Good luck!