Hey All,
I'd had a 1953 Crosley Shelvador conversion since 2005 (back in my college apartment), but now that I'm brewing more, I needed more space for kegs. So it was time for the "Cougarator" to go (to another good home though)...
I found a Sub-Zero 501R on Craigslist in Seattle for $150, and couldn't say no. I picked it up the same day I saw it, it would fit my space "almost" perfectly.
To get it to fit, I had to cut one shelf out of my plywood cabinetry, but that was an easy hour with a Sawzall and just had to zip down the cabinet doors and re-drill the hinge hardware.
The Sub-Zero 501R is a front vent refrigerator, meant for being buried in cabinetry. You can slip in custom door cards (future for me), and have it match cabinetry, or whatever you'd like. If you can find them for cheap, they make a rock solid keggerator.
The future will include 6-8 taps, a stainless "belt" across the front where the taps will come out of, and a drip tray below it. the top I plan on chalkboard paint to label the tap handles. The bottom, I'm not sure what I'll do with, maybe a different texture of stainless, to give it some personality. Should be done with that in the next couple of months, ski season is upon us though.
This is the picture from the Craigslist Ad, glad I have a lift gate on my work truck, as it weighs at least 300lbs; and we had to roll it up a steep driveway with a hand truck I use at work for moving 1200lb cylinders around.
The 'ol Cougarator, sad to see it go, but it went to a good home and fellow homebrewer (thanks Andrew).
The inside, after I gutted some of the shelving on the bottom. I ended up removing the drawer as well, in case I want kegs on the top as well.
Nameplate, in case others are intereseted. 1997 Sub-Zero 501R
Pretty snug fit after removing the bottom shelf, just a couple inches of clearance side to side.
Parker Nylon prestolok tubing run through a stainless strain releif for CO2.
An existing hole with a grommet (I'd imagine if one wanted to put in an icemaker), was used to exit the CO2 tubing.
Filled it up quickly with the goods from the Cougarator. Cold crashed a few carboys... Some of the beers in there have been sitting around for a long while, and are for folks who don't like the other beer we have.
How it sits with the cabinet doors done.
It can fit 6 kegs, or 4 kegs and a carboy. The top can also fit the same if I remove the upper shelves, but it's nice to have storage for now.
CO2 secondary regulators. The 50# CO2 tank is across the garage in the corner by the garage door, ran the tubing through the attic for a clean look. I use the right regulator for transferring from fermentor to fermentor, fermentor to keg, or keg to keg. It also comes in handy purging carboys, kegs and growlers before filling. The left regulator is what feeds the keggerator.
4 port manifold for now... I may add one more regulator to force carb with (with two outlets).
The 50# CO2 tank by the garage door for ease of access.
Cheers!
Matt Kosonen
I'd had a 1953 Crosley Shelvador conversion since 2005 (back in my college apartment), but now that I'm brewing more, I needed more space for kegs. So it was time for the "Cougarator" to go (to another good home though)...
I found a Sub-Zero 501R on Craigslist in Seattle for $150, and couldn't say no. I picked it up the same day I saw it, it would fit my space "almost" perfectly.
To get it to fit, I had to cut one shelf out of my plywood cabinetry, but that was an easy hour with a Sawzall and just had to zip down the cabinet doors and re-drill the hinge hardware.
The Sub-Zero 501R is a front vent refrigerator, meant for being buried in cabinetry. You can slip in custom door cards (future for me), and have it match cabinetry, or whatever you'd like. If you can find them for cheap, they make a rock solid keggerator.
The future will include 6-8 taps, a stainless "belt" across the front where the taps will come out of, and a drip tray below it. the top I plan on chalkboard paint to label the tap handles. The bottom, I'm not sure what I'll do with, maybe a different texture of stainless, to give it some personality. Should be done with that in the next couple of months, ski season is upon us though.
This is the picture from the Craigslist Ad, glad I have a lift gate on my work truck, as it weighs at least 300lbs; and we had to roll it up a steep driveway with a hand truck I use at work for moving 1200lb cylinders around.
The 'ol Cougarator, sad to see it go, but it went to a good home and fellow homebrewer (thanks Andrew).
The inside, after I gutted some of the shelving on the bottom. I ended up removing the drawer as well, in case I want kegs on the top as well.
Nameplate, in case others are intereseted. 1997 Sub-Zero 501R
Pretty snug fit after removing the bottom shelf, just a couple inches of clearance side to side.
Parker Nylon prestolok tubing run through a stainless strain releif for CO2.
An existing hole with a grommet (I'd imagine if one wanted to put in an icemaker), was used to exit the CO2 tubing.
Filled it up quickly with the goods from the Cougarator. Cold crashed a few carboys... Some of the beers in there have been sitting around for a long while, and are for folks who don't like the other beer we have.
How it sits with the cabinet doors done.
It can fit 6 kegs, or 4 kegs and a carboy. The top can also fit the same if I remove the upper shelves, but it's nice to have storage for now.
CO2 secondary regulators. The 50# CO2 tank is across the garage in the corner by the garage door, ran the tubing through the attic for a clean look. I use the right regulator for transferring from fermentor to fermentor, fermentor to keg, or keg to keg. It also comes in handy purging carboys, kegs and growlers before filling. The left regulator is what feeds the keggerator.
4 port manifold for now... I may add one more regulator to force carb with (with two outlets).
The 50# CO2 tank by the garage door for ease of access.
Cheers!
Matt Kosonen
