Sizing your Chest Freezer for Corny Kegs

[thadius856]

Been reading all 640 posts in this thread for the last several hours. Super informative stuff! You guys have me hooked. The wife's already worried.

Perhaps somebody can help me out. I want both space for some kegs as well as fermentation space; two freezers. Space constraints allow me to fit two ~7 CF units pretty well and allow for future flexibility.

I'd like to be able to get 4 ball locks on-the-floor. I'll be making collars. CO2 will have to fit inside; I don't mind 5# tanks.

My options seem to be, per my Excel spreadsheet:

Magic Chef 7.0 CF HMCF7W for $219 at Home Depot. [fit?]
Room for four ball locks on the floor plus two 5# CO2 on the hump
(or four on the floor, one on the hump, and one 5# CO2 on the hump with collar)</s>
Online only item at Home Depot. Out of stock online. Not available elsewhere that I can find. Removed from consideration.

GE 7.0 CF FCM7SUWW for $229 at Home Depot or Lowe's or Fry's, $258 at Sears.
Room for four ball locks on the floor plus two 5# CO2 on the hump [tight fit]
(or four on the floor, one on the hump, and one 5# CO2 on the hump with collar)

Holiday 7.0... Very tight squeeze with 4 on the floor. Not comfortable with that tight of a fit. Removed from consideration.

Haier 7.1 CF HCM071AW for $259 at Sears
Room for four ball locks on the floor plus two 5# CO2 on the hump [loose fit]
(or four on the floor, one on the hump, and one 5# CO2 on the hump with collar)
Third party through Sears. Over $50 S/H charges. No in-store purchase option. Cannot find other retailers. Removed from consideration.

Looks like that leaves the GE 7.0 as the last man standing, unless we can dig up info on the Danby DCF700W1.

Can any of these cram in four on the floor, one on the hump for lager or carbonizing, and two 5# CO2 tanks (one for taps, one for the lager)?
Edit: Another user claims you can fit 5 kegs and a 10# CO2. Close enough for me.

Can any of these fit two 6-gal glass carboys?
Edit: Found the answer elsewhere. Two 6-gal Better Bottles fit, so I assume two glass ones probably would.

 

[thadius856]

<<REMOVED FOR ORGANIZATION REASONS>>

Moved to: [thread=377518]Chest Freezer Spec Sheets and Layout Drawings[/thread]

 

[limulus]

I have the Magic Chef and I know it will fit 3 on the floor and two on the hump. I got mine on sale for $158 but that ended last month. However, I was in a store in my area that still had a few left and they were still at $158 about 3 weeks ago. Here I have two 5-gal on the floor and two 2.5 gal on the hump.

 

[thadius856]

I have the Magic Chef and I know it will fit 3 on the floor and two on the hump. I got mine on sale for $158 but that ended last month. However, I was in a store in my area that still had a few left and they were still at $158 about 3 weeks ago. Here I have two 5-gal on the floor and two 2.5 gal on the hump.

Schnazzy! Is that the Magic Chef 7.0 CF, HMCF7W?

That one was on my list as being able to fit 4 on the floor in this thread:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/7cu-ft-freezer-sale-starting-tomorrow-366240/

Are yours pin locks or converted ball locks, by chance?

 

[limulus]

Yeah, it is the 7.0. I don't know if it will hold 4 on the floor. I know it will hold three on the floor and then my two 2.5s on the hump. They are all ball locks.

 

[D_Nyholm]

Where do you get 2.5 gallon kegs? They look nifty

 

[limulus]

Where do you get 2.5 gallon kegs? They look nifty

Right here:
https://www.homebrewing.org/

 

[D_Nyholm]

Right here:
https://www.homebrewing.org/

Wow, I can get 3 used ball lock kegs for that price. I guess you can't get them used yet, huh? I would love to have 2 of them but that price really makes me think twice. Maybe I'll get on for a christmas gift to myself

 

[limulus]

Yeah they aren't cheap. But, I did not want to build a collar for my coffin keezer and they are more portable than a 5gal.

 

[D_Nyholm]

Yeah they aren't cheap. But, I did not want to build a collar for my coffin keezer and they are more portable than a 5gal.

Sorry to drag this off topic, but do you brew 2.5 gallon batches or just split up batches to fill these little guys up? Or bottle half/keg half?

 

[limulus]

Just split a batch. I also have 5gal kegs and 12 Tap A Draft kegs which are 6L each.

 

[thadius856]

Okay guys. I went out and took some measurements of interiors. Measured every freezer stocked at Home Depot and Lowe's. Was on my way to do HHgreg, Best Buy, Sears, Fry's, etc when the boss called me into work. So, sorry, this is all you get for now. My next days off are Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and then a family reunion. I'll try to pump out more of these when I get some spare time back.

From the previous page, the GE 7.0CF FCM5SUWW.

<<REMOVED FOR ORGANIZATION REASONS>>

Moved to: [thread=377518]Chest Freezer Spec Sheets and Layout Drawings[/thread]

 

[thadius856]

<<REMOVED FOR ORGANIZATION REASONS>>

Moved to: [thread=377518]Chest Freezer Spec Sheets and Layout Drawings[/thread]

 

[thadius856]

<<REMOVED FOR ORGANIZATION REASONS>>

Moved to: [thread=377518]Chest Freezer Spec Sheets and Layout Drawings[/thread]

 

[thadius856]

<<REMOVED FOR ORGANIZATION REASONS>>

Moved to: [thread=377518]Chest Freezer Spec Sheets and Layout Drawings[/thread]

 

[BeardedIdiot]

Right now Lowe's has the Frigidaire 8.8 cu. ft. chest freezer on sale for $299 (regular $349) with free home delivery, and the Frigidaire 12.9 cu. ft. chest freezer on sale for $329 (regular $479) with free home delivery.

The 12.9 cu. ft. is an Energy Star certified freezer, so your local energy company may give you an energy credit for buying it (my local company will give me $50).

Having taken cardboard cutouts with me to the store, it looks like the 12.9 cu. ft. should be able to fit up to 8x 5gal ball locks on the floor, and another 2-3 on the hump with a collar.

I was going to get the 8.8 and fit 6 kegs, but with the energy credit, the 12.9 actually ends up about $20 cheaper, and I can fit twice as many kegs!

So anybody looking should check it out. They're going really fast for Christmas!

8.8 cu. ft.: http://www.lowes.com/pd_90724-2251-...rentURL=?Ns=p_product_avg_rating|1&facetInfo=

12.9 cu. ft.:http://www.lowes.com/pd_287017-2251...rentURL=?Ns=p_product_avg_rating|1&facetInfo=

 

[thadius856]

Just a note with the Frigidaire models (I'll be posting layouts for these shortly). These are a little funky compared to what I've seen from GE/Holiday/Maytag so far.

All Frigidaire of their models have the hump on the left. Be sure to plan for that if you're mounting spouts off-center in-line with a digital control.

The 8.8CF LFFC09M5HW is a fine model. I'd be buying this one if I had room for more than two 7.0 CF models. It's just not in the cards.

The 13.0CF LFCH13M2MW has a protrusion on the underside of the lid, dead centered, where they installed a switched light. It's nice to be able to see into the freezer, but it also protrudes into the main compartment by 1-2". Be sure to leave a little extra space for your collar on this model.

The 14.9CF LFFN15MSHW is pretty much the same beast as the 13.0, just slightly bigger. The in-store model that I measured had a good deal of yellowing to the weather seals and the hinge springs were no longer able to hold the lid up. It has the same lid protrusion as the 13.0CF LFCH13M2MW. Because it's so large, they engineered it to accept twice as many hanging bins for organization... by permanently installing hanging rails on each of the long sides. They're glued on, not screwed in. If you don't remove them, you'll lose 1" on each long wall (reducing interior front-to-back depth from 22-1/8" to 20-1/8"). If you do remove them, you'll void your warranty. The hinges felt weak on this model because of the size of the lid (all Holiday and Frigidaire models seem to use the same size and type of lid hinge) and the lid felt flimsy. In general, I'd stay away from this one.

For PG&E customers in CA, you're out of luck on rebates. Only refrigerators qualify for any rebate, not freezers, which is $75 off any CEE Tier 2 model. Those models are usually $200-250 more expensive than your typical refrigerator.

 

[BeardedIdiot]

For PG&E customers in CA, you're out of luck on rebates. Only refrigerators qualify for any rebate, not freezers, which is $75 off any CEE Tier 2 model. Those models are usually $200-250 more expensive than your typical refrigerator.

Nice info on the freezers. I did like that the 8.8 did NOT have a light on the underside of the lid. I don't know if I'll try to change that by removing the underside of the lid, or just make sure the collar is tall enough it doesn't matter.

As far as rebate's go, LG&E here in Kentucky offers a $100 rebate for qualifying refrigerators over 7.7 cubic feet, and $50 for any size qualifying freezer.

What really ticks me off is that I put a brand new 13 SEER dual-fuel furnace and heat pump in when I bought my house, but LG&E only offers rebates for 14 SEER and above...

 

[thadius856]

Nice info on the freezers. I did like that the 8.8 did NOT have a light on the underside of the lid. I don't know if I'll try to change that by removing the underside of the lid, or just make sure the collar is tall enough it doesn't matter.

As far as rebate's go, LG&E here in Kentucky offers a $100 rebate for qualifying refrigerators over 7.7 cubic feet, and $50 for any size qualifying freezer.

What really ticks me off is that I put a brand new 13 SEER dual-fuel furnace and heat pump in when I bought my house, but LG&E only offers rebates for 14 SEER and above...

Funny. I had the power company's insulation efficiency cronies come by door-to-door in July, while we were still rebuilding after a house fire.

Smoke damage in the attic meant that the insurance company was paying to de-insulate and then re-insulate, and somehow the insurance company's contractor measured my R-15 cellulose as R-30 fiberglass, which I then paid $300 to upgrade to R-38. The wife mentioned this to the lady going door-to-door, who then told us that it's too bad we weren't paying for it ourselves, as we'd be eligible for their rebate, but not with the insurance company paying for it.

They said they'd come back in 2 weeks to offer weatherstripping, HVAC tuneups, etc... but they never returned. That was 6 months ago now.

 

[thadius856]

Alright guys, two more coming momentarily. If I do too many of these, will have to figure out a way to organize them better. New thread? Index? We'll see.

These are the two biggest freezers I could find locally that weren't special orders for those that have ample space in their home or garage (not I). I highly recommend the Maytag over the Frigidaire in this size class for reasons of fit & finish, reduced compressor hump size, and the lack of a light hump on the underside of the lid. Note, I did not account for the light hump in the collar sizing.

 

[thadius856]

<<REMOVED FOR ORGANIZATION REASONS>>

Moved to: [thread=377518]Chest Freezer Spec Sheets and Layout Drawings[/thread]

 

[thadius856]

<<REMOVED FOR ORGANIZATION REASONS>>

Moved to: [thread=377518]Chest Freezer Spec Sheets and Layout Drawings[/thread]

 

[BadgerBrigade]

I know the holiday chest freezer is already posted but I figured pictures with kegs would say more.

Holiday 5.0cf Chest Freezer from Lowes $188.00 as of the time of this writing

3 Kegs fit no problems with the 5Lbs CO2 tank, if tall enough collar was built it could fit 4 with the CO2 tank outside the freezer. Still have room to put bottles on the hump and around the kegs.

How is the quality of the Holiday freezer

 

[passedpawn]

Schnazzy! Is that the Magic Chef 7.0 CF, HMCF7W?

That one was on my list as being able to fit 4 on the floor in this thread:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/7cu-ft-freezer-sale-starting-tomorrow-366240/

Are yours pin locks or converted ball locks, by chance?

The Magic Chef 7.0 (from the recent HD sale) will hold 4 on the floor and 2 on the hump if an 8" collar is installed. Ball locks.

 

[BadgerBrigade]

The Magic Chef 7.0 (from the recent HD sale) will hold 4 on the floor and 2 on the hump if an 8" collar is installed. Ball locks.

Is a 5 cu large enough for 3 cornies?

 

[passedpawn]

Is a 5 cu large enough for 3 cornies?

I'd guess yes, with a collar, but you're probably not looking for guesses.

 

[BadgerBrigade]

I HAVE BEEN GOIN NUTS! Can't find "the one". I need the smallest that can hold 3 cornies....

Will the GE 5 cu ft FCM5SUWW fit three 5 gal cornies and my co2 (inside)?


I have boiled it down to the Gen. Electric freezers because apparently the reviews on them are way higher than the reviews on any other freezer...

These are the two that are in the running for me,
But I really do not want to go 7 cu ft. if I don't have to..... So if three cornies will fit in this particular model General Electric with a collar I am going to go with the five...

5 cu ft
Product Dimensions: 24 x 29.3 x 32.4 inches ; 111 pounds
Item model number: FCM5SUWW
Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0011YFTGE/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

7 cu
Model InfoFCM7DUWW
Dimensions (HxWxD)
33 1/4 H x 37 W x 22 D
91 pounds (LIGHTER then the 5 cu)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004E4KTYA/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[BadgerBrigade]

Sam&#146;s Club- GE 7.0 CF Freezer Model: FCM7DUWW
Home Depot- GE 7.0 CF Freezer Model # FCM7SUWW

Not the same freezers.

Which is better and is the better availible?

 

[thadius856]

I HAVE BEEN GOIN NUTS! Can't find "the one". I need the smallest that can hold 3 cornies....

Will the GE 5 cu ft FCM5SUWW fit three 5 gal cornies and my co2 (inside)?


I have boiled it down to the Gen. Electric freezers because apparently the reviews on them are way higher than the reviews on any other freezer...

These are the two that are in the running for me,
But I really do not want to go 7 cu ft. if I don't have to..... So if three cornies will fit in this particular model General Electric with a collar I am going to go with the five...

5 cu ft
Product Dimensions: 24 x 29.3 x 32.4 inches ; 111 pounds
Item model number: FCM5SUWW
Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0011YFTGE/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

7 cu
Model InfoFCM7DUWW
Dimensions (HxWxD)
33 1/4 H x 37 W x 22 D
91 pounds (LIGHTER then the 5 cu)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004E4KTYA/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Slow down, turbo.

I posted spec sheets and calculated layouts for both of these models already, a page back. It answers all of these questions, and many more.

 

[thadius856]

Which is better and is the better availible?

You don't want the Sam's Club version because the hump is larger, screwing up configurations substantially.

 

[BadgerBrigade]

Well as a follow to my post...

I went to Lowes and Home Depot to look at their chest freezers. Lowes had the 5 cu ft Holiday chest freezer while Home Depot had the GE 5 cu ft chest freezer. These models are identical, the internal dimensions are exactly the same (including the hump). The only difference is that the GE one was 20 bucks more expensive.

Anyways, I believe you should be able to fit 2 pin lock kegs without a collar, if you cram them in, it looks like it would be a pretty tight fit. If you build a collar, it looks like you will be able to fit 3 pin lock kegs (with the two on the floor being crammed in), so 3 ball locks will fit nicely with a collar.

It seems that the best setup if you have pin locks and want to fit 3 in this thing is to build a collar as well as a stand. So you would basically extend the hump across the entirety of the freezer. If you were to do this, you should be able to fit 3 pin locks fairly easily without having to cram them in. However, if you have ball locks you might be able to fit 4 with this method.

Everyone talks about collars but not a single person will say how many inches tall they need to be to accommodate?
8 inch, 9 inch, 10 inch?

EDITED: Due to me acting like a tool...

 

[BadgerBrigade]

I can fit 3 ball locks and C02 tank in my 5.0 Holiday, but I also have a collar that allows for more height.

What is the height please....

 

[passedpawn]

Everyone talks about collars but not a single person will say how many inches tall they need to be to accommodate!!!
8"??? 9"???? 10"???? WHAT?

Please stop it with all the punctuation. You are yelling at people who want to help you.

 

[BadgerBrigade]

You don't want the Sam's Club version because the hump is larger, screwing up configurations substantially.

SAMs club as in - GE Model: FCM7DUWW

I found that I don't have enough room for 7 cu ft. so I need to go five cubic
And all I want is to fit three corny kegs in there and the CO2..... And I'm really having a hard time following all the changes in models and brands.... I just want a damn small Keezer that will have three beers on draft... I'll build a collar... I don't care.... Even if I have to build a foot tall collar.... DAMN....
(I am SOOO utterly frustrated right now!)


I saw your sketches but That means I'm spending $600 based on your CAD skills...
I hope your good... Lol

 

[BadgerBrigade]

Please stop it with all the punctuation. You are yelling at people who want to help you.

Sorry, I forget that capitals and punctuation's are like that in the Internet... I don't mean to Yell ay anybody, So I hope you guys forgive me I don't mean anything by it I'm just frustrated....

This has been kind of a dream of mine since I've started home brewing last year... I've been trying hard to save money to get to this point and now I have the money and the desire but I'm stuck with trying to figure out what will work before I buy everything...

Again guys, I don't mean to yell I'm sorry

 

[thadius856]

SAMs club as in - GE Model: FCM7DUWW

I found that I don't have enough room for 7 cu ft. so I need to go five cubic
And all I want is to fit three corny kegs in there and the CO2..... And I'm really having a hard time following all the changes in models and brands.... I just want a damn small Keezer that will have three beers on draft... I'll build a collar... I don't care.... Even if I have to build a foot tall collar.... DAMN....
(I am SOOO utterly frustrated right now!)


I saw your sketches but That means I'm spending $600 based on your CAD skills...
I hope your good... Lol

On this page, look at the top right-hand corner. There's a button labelled 'Search this Thread'. It's very easy to not notice it.

Enter the model number there. It'll show you every post containing it. Several have pictures of the finished deal.

And yeah, I'm pretty decent with AutoCAD. Took several CAD courses and a Regional Occupation Program for drafting/architectural design. Been using it over 10 years now. I use to for everything... laying out furniture layouts before buying, planning rug size in a room, designing tile floor patterns, locating studs with having to dig out the stud finder, etc.

With the drawings, I did have to rig up one thing. If I used the 8.5" diameter figure often-quoted for ball locks, then known good, photographed configurations didn't fit. I couldn't figure it out. However, if I drew them 8-3/8", everything fit exactly as it does in reality. Blame it on a bad measurement, out-of-roundness, dents, whatever you like. But a ball lock is NOT truly 8.5" in diameter like everybody keeps saying. Some sites even quote 8.25". Go figure.

 

[limulus]

Everyone talks about collars but not a single person will say how many inches tall they need to be to accommodate?
8 inch, 9 inch, 10 inch?

EDITED: Due to me acting like a tool...

I think most people are building 8" collars (I have a coffin and no collar). If you do build one, you should also hinge the collar so it will tilt. That makes it easier to get your kegs in and out. You'll have hinges on your lid which is attached to the collar and hinges on the collar which is attached to the freezer. You can also mount all your hardware such as gauges, manifolds, etc to the back side of the collar. That way it will lift/tilt up and out of the way when you are working inside the keezer.

 

[BadgerBrigade]

Okay guys. I went out and took some measurements of interiors. Measured every freezer stocked at Home Depot and Lowe's. Was on my way to do HHgreg, Best Buy, Sears, Fry's, etc when the boss called me into work. So, sorry, this is all you get for now. My next days off are Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and then a family reunion. I'll try to pump out more of these when I get some spare time back.

From the previous page, the GE 7.0CF FCM5SUWW.

Spec sheet:

http://imgur.com/9hRas

Calculated possible layouts:

http://imgur.com/EE2EI

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http://imgur.com/8UlTH

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http://imgur.com/ziKGt

Hi Thadius, Thanks for doing this is really helpful! I just bought my seven cubic today, the exact same model....
I have a quick question for you, On the spec sheet it says that the collars minimum height should be 9 inches... But below that on the picture you have 7 3/4 (or something along those lines)? Is that just the overall height of the kegs inside? Should I go with 7 3/4 or 9"?
I plan to have three working kegs and three working taps and one spare keg inside there (if one runs dry) with one or two CO2 tanks to power it.... Does this mean I should make my collar 9 inches? [I'm going to get the ball lock 5 gal corney kegs for inside, by the way..]

And I also have one question about CO2, If I use the # 5 CO2 tank is that enough for three kegs?

 

[passedpawn]

And I also have one question about CO2, If I use the # 5 CO2 tank is that enough for three kegs?

You'll be able to carbonate and dispense about 3 kegs per # of CO2. So, the 5# will last for about 15 kegs, then you will need to fill or exchange it. In summary, 5# is fine for what you are doing.

 

[BadgerBrigade]

You'll be able to carbonate and dispense about 3 kegs per # of CO2. So, the 5# will last for about 15 kegs, then you will need to fill or exchange it. In summary, 5# is fine for what you are doing.

Do I want to have a separate CO2 tank if I want to force carbonate? I'm thinking of trying that.
Or is that the same thing...


And do some guys have an extra sitting in there just in case they run out?

Thanks PassedPawn