Drunken Draftsman
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- Joined
- Apr 10, 2018
- Messages
- 15
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- 26
Like many of you quarantine has allowed me a lot of time for brewing related activities that I've been putting off for far too long. After knocking out a few summer brews I decided it was time to upgrade from picnic taps and got to work on my keezer lid. Fair warning, my garage is a mess, so just pretend all the other stuff isn't there in the photos below.
I started with a plywood box the size I wanted the outside of the keezer lid to be.
Added some 2x4 in key locations where I knew I wanted to be able to attach things (hinges, plywood, etc.). I made sure to orient the 2x4s so that they would align with my 1.5" insulation. Then I caulked all of the visible joints. My hope is that the caulk will help to make this pretty air tight.
I cut my 1.5" insulation to size for all 4 sides of the lid, as well as the top. I glued the insulation in place, but looking back I probably didn't need to as you'll see in the next steps. Regardless, it made me feel better knowing the insulation isn't going anywhere. If you glue your insulation in place make sure to use insulation safe adhesive, otherwise it could deteriorate the insulation.
After I had the insulation in place I added plywood to the inside of the lid everywhere except where the taps will ultimately go. This made the lid rather heavy, however I wanted the ability to attach items anywhere to the lid, and the plywood allowed me to do this. After the plywood was in place I went ahead and caulked all of the visible edges again for air tightness.
I then drilled the holes for the taps. My design allows for 7 taps, but right now I only have 4 set up. My keezer is quite large and will hold 8 kegs if I move the CO2 to the hump. I drilled holes with a 7/8" holesaw after extensive research on here for the 1" vs. 7/8" debate. I can say, I'm glad I went with 7/8".
I gave everything a good sanding including the insulation. If you're careful the insulation will be just fine, it's pinned between two sheets of plywood. Then Iput 3 or 4 coats of a good quality mold and mildew resistant primer on the entire lid, inside and out. Followed by 4 coats of paint on the exterior of the lid only. While I don't hope to have any moisture problems, let's be honest they are inevitable. I'm hoping the mold/mildew resistant primer will help to deter anything on the lid, and I can manage wiping down the inside of the keezer every few months.
I installed the shanks and taps, and added eye hooks with velcro ties to the lid to control my beer lines. I came across a couple of things as I moved through these steps.
1. The threads on the shanks will tear apart your fingers if you try to spin the threaded end. Spin the non-threaded end as long as you can, then find something soft that you can put against the shank to knock it in. I used the plastic end of a variety screw driver (one where you can change the bits), and a rubber mallet. The 7/8" holes are tight, but that's what you want.
2. Don't worry about your taps being perfectly oriented. The entire assembly will spin at the end, so you can make slight adjustments once you get it in place.
My goal was to keep all of my beer line out of the way when the keezer lid was open, so I ran my 10' lines in an S shape around the lid. I mounted a fan to the lid that will run constantly (unless my humidity drops below 10%, but let's be honest, that won't happen). I also added a hook for my dehumidifier (Eva-dry), as well as a hook for my humidity sensor for my Inkbird. While highly unnecessary I like to know what the humidity level is in the keezer. I added weather stripping around the perimeter at the outside edge of the insulation and a vinyl decal to the outside then was ready to get this in place. I unscrewed the existing lid and used the same hinges and screws on my new lid without any issues. Once the lid was in place I mounted my CO2 manifold, and made sure everything was looked good.
I'm really happy with how everything turned out and can't wait for it to get to temp. I had the lid open to do so much of this work yesterday that it was a little warm, and I kegged a hefeweizen and had to swap out my CO2 tank this morning, so that's also bringing up the temp a little. Normally this stays around 38 degrees with no issues.
I started with a plywood box the size I wanted the outside of the keezer lid to be.
Added some 2x4 in key locations where I knew I wanted to be able to attach things (hinges, plywood, etc.). I made sure to orient the 2x4s so that they would align with my 1.5" insulation. Then I caulked all of the visible joints. My hope is that the caulk will help to make this pretty air tight.
I cut my 1.5" insulation to size for all 4 sides of the lid, as well as the top. I glued the insulation in place, but looking back I probably didn't need to as you'll see in the next steps. Regardless, it made me feel better knowing the insulation isn't going anywhere. If you glue your insulation in place make sure to use insulation safe adhesive, otherwise it could deteriorate the insulation.
After I had the insulation in place I added plywood to the inside of the lid everywhere except where the taps will ultimately go. This made the lid rather heavy, however I wanted the ability to attach items anywhere to the lid, and the plywood allowed me to do this. After the plywood was in place I went ahead and caulked all of the visible edges again for air tightness.
I then drilled the holes for the taps. My design allows for 7 taps, but right now I only have 4 set up. My keezer is quite large and will hold 8 kegs if I move the CO2 to the hump. I drilled holes with a 7/8" holesaw after extensive research on here for the 1" vs. 7/8" debate. I can say, I'm glad I went with 7/8".
I gave everything a good sanding including the insulation. If you're careful the insulation will be just fine, it's pinned between two sheets of plywood. Then Iput 3 or 4 coats of a good quality mold and mildew resistant primer on the entire lid, inside and out. Followed by 4 coats of paint on the exterior of the lid only. While I don't hope to have any moisture problems, let's be honest they are inevitable. I'm hoping the mold/mildew resistant primer will help to deter anything on the lid, and I can manage wiping down the inside of the keezer every few months.
I installed the shanks and taps, and added eye hooks with velcro ties to the lid to control my beer lines. I came across a couple of things as I moved through these steps.
1. The threads on the shanks will tear apart your fingers if you try to spin the threaded end. Spin the non-threaded end as long as you can, then find something soft that you can put against the shank to knock it in. I used the plastic end of a variety screw driver (one where you can change the bits), and a rubber mallet. The 7/8" holes are tight, but that's what you want.
2. Don't worry about your taps being perfectly oriented. The entire assembly will spin at the end, so you can make slight adjustments once you get it in place.
My goal was to keep all of my beer line out of the way when the keezer lid was open, so I ran my 10' lines in an S shape around the lid. I mounted a fan to the lid that will run constantly (unless my humidity drops below 10%, but let's be honest, that won't happen). I also added a hook for my dehumidifier (Eva-dry), as well as a hook for my humidity sensor for my Inkbird. While highly unnecessary I like to know what the humidity level is in the keezer. I added weather stripping around the perimeter at the outside edge of the insulation and a vinyl decal to the outside then was ready to get this in place. I unscrewed the existing lid and used the same hinges and screws on my new lid without any issues. Once the lid was in place I mounted my CO2 manifold, and made sure everything was looked good.
I'm really happy with how everything turned out and can't wait for it to get to temp. I had the lid open to do so much of this work yesterday that it was a little warm, and I kegged a hefeweizen and had to swap out my CO2 tank this morning, so that's also bringing up the temp a little. Normally this stays around 38 degrees with no issues.
