Outdoor Keezer?

[soccerRef]

So long story short moved recently from WNY to the Houston TX area .... looking for thoughts on a semi-crazy? idea ...

would it be an OK idea to have a keezer outside? My idea is to build a simple keezer, nothing crazy extra and special ( wood collar that would be stained and sealed) etc

Everything would be internal ( co2 tank, temp controller module etc)...

is this really a crazy idea? the location of the keezer would be shaded ( it sits semi under a roof pass through from house to garage.. so not direct sunlight ... it would catch some rain when it rains...

there may be very obvious reasons not to do this - I've lived here all of a month so looking for thoughts on those with more local knowledge!

thanks

 

[casualbrewer]

Mine is outside but doesn't see any rain. Works just fine.

 

[triethylborane]

I have one outside in Hawaii. It sees stable temps throughout the year - 70s to low 90s with infrequent and short periods (~1wk) of high humidity (due to VOG). Been chugging along for 6 years now, no issues.

I am not sure what the operating specifications are for the refrigeration cycle on my keezer, but sustained periods of high temps/humidity or low temps are going to impact performance and longevity . . . doesnt really matter much to me, chest freezers can be had pretty cheap and the enjoyment factor is high.

 

[soccerRef]

thanks for the response - yeah im not too worried about its longevity being shortand a bit... I mean I don't want to replace it once a year... but if instead of 10-15 years I get 6-7 years no worries... like you said they are pretty cheap in the grand scheme of things..

 

[raysmithtx]

I live in the DFW area and have my Keezer outside (in the shade). Temps range from 105 on a hot summer day to the low 20's in the winter. The only problems I have had is that in the Summer when the temp is high I get a lot of foam on the first pour because the tap temps are so high. I pour a few ounces and dump them. Then the tap is somewhat cooler and the next pour is fine. Also, you will probably have a lot of condensation inside since the humidity is so high. I used to worry about that but then realized it wasn't hurting anything. I generally defrost mine about once per year and let the water drain out. Then spritz with a bleach solution to slow any mold growth.