The 'Keezer' Project

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I scored a free 30 year old 19 CF chest freezer today and want to convert it to a monster fermentation chamber. Can you go into detail about how you changed the thermostat to run at temps above freezing? I wamt to avoid spending 50 bucks on an external thermostat if at all possible. I guess i am wondering if the internal thermostat can be rigged somehow?
 
I also went the dig control route, I wouldnt try to change the thermostat because accuracy would be hard to get. Also it tepends on what you are fermenting. If you are going for ales, then the amount of change needed from stock in my opinion would be too great to modefy. If something goes wrong in the modefication, you need to buy a dig controller anyway. IMHO you are better off shelling out the money for the controller. That way if you decide you want to make the fermentation chamber a keezer or even turn it back into a freezer, you can.
 
I went for a Ranco on my fermenter freezer.

Also if you build a keezer make sure you post pics, Jester did and they are great pictures, even has some with extra decoration that is very distracting from the beautiful keezer.
 
Very beutiful end result Jester. Not to mention reading through this thread and being curious about all the "other thread" posts and what got me to pony up for membership. I had no idea what this forum could truly be!! Starting on my keezer now and am going more your route as apposed to the handles on the collar cause it needs to be incorporated into a bar build downstairs. When you mentioned the Tnuts for mounting the top to the lid, any way you could post pics? I'm new to building and don't know all the various hard ware options available. I googled Tnuts and, well, lets just syas there a lot of options.
 
I hope you had google safe-search on...

I imagine building a keezer into a bar is a bit difficult since it opens from the top (Unless like Jester you make the keezer top a bar itself)

I especially like the lighting on Jester's keezer, really sets it off I think.
 
IrregularPulse said:
Very beutiful end result Jester. Not to mention reading through this thread and being curious about all the "other thread" posts and what got me to pony up for membership. I had no idea what this forum could truly be!! Starting on my keezer now and am going more your route as apposed to the handles on the collar cause it needs to be incorporated into a bar build downstairs. When you mentioned the Tnuts for mounting the top to the lid, any way you could post pics? I'm new to building and don't know all the various hard ware options available. I googled Tnuts and, well, lets just syas there a lot of options.
Click to expand...

When you search, definitely use "t-nuts", here's what they look like:

tnuts1.jpg


You can get them at any hardware store.
 
Thats what I saw that I figured was used but saw a bunch of other options as well. Thanks. I got approval from SWMBO to just do the standard Keezer with taps out the collar. Going to do this because I'm itching to have beer on tap. I'll eventually turn it into something better but I just wanna draw my beer from a keg NOW.
 
Agreed! Holy crap those antique crates really made for a nice effect! I love the epoxy finish, and his behind-bar storage is awesome! I'm really quite jealous.
 
That is a sweet setup. Exactly what I'm wanting to do. And the perfect solution to adding the chest freezer in that I've been looking for. My only concern is, does everyone think it is OK to have the freezer completely surrounded like that? Looks completely closed off, no air circulation.
 
Thanks! Jester, this is beautiful, may need to stop by and see how it works on one of the trips this winter... :-D
 
Awesome keezer, I will join the jester fan club and attempt this at some point. What type of boards did you use for the coffin, the boards surronding the marble, and the bottom cabinet? Pine, Oak, ply?
 
cobolstinks said:
Awesome keezer, I will join the jester fan club and attempt this at some point. What type of boards did you use for the coffin, the boards surronding the marble, and the bottom cabinet? Pine, Oak, ply?
Click to expand...

Heh heh heh - I had to learn COBOL back in the day. Thank god I never had to use it in 'real life' :D

The boards are all poplar, and the big panels are 1/4 inch birch plywood.
 
Jester369 said:
So I finally got in the guages for the manifold...

7674-NewKeezerManifold.jpg


Time for me to get serious about this build!
Click to expand...

That is a beautiful row of guages. Can you help direct me where to buy these pieces. I am building a 6 kegger, but I can only find a 5 row of regulators commercially. And not that i have a problem running 5 pressures with a splitter running off the fifth so the fifth and sixth kegs are at the same pressure. It's just that it bugs me that I can't have all 6 at different pressures.. jsut for the sake of having it. I'm not all that good at piecing parts together off of industrial websites.

Maybe I'll just take a trip down to my local Air Gas Supply shop and describe what I want, and maybe they'll sell me the pieces.:mug:

PS i'm running a 20lb tank
 
natelatte said:
Can you help direct me where to buy these pieces.
Click to expand...

The regs were from American Scientific, but I think they are out of them finally.

Can't remember where the gauges are from, but any of the online places like micromatic has them.

The shutoff valves were from McMaster

The Ball Check Valves (not in the picture - added later) were from Northern Brewer

The PC fittings (not the same as the picture - changed to work with the ball check valves) were from Innovative Homebrew Solutions

The copper nipples, end plug, and elbow are just regular fittings from the hardware store.

Good luck with your build! :mug:
 
I got my gauges from KegKits.com ... they were about $2 cheaper than most other places, each gauge.

I got 2 of my ball valves from my old 3-way splitter, and the 3rd ball valve from Menards (after I sheared my 3rd original one off at the thread).

Same for my close nipples and other fittings - Menards / Home Depot / etc.

I use inline plastic check valves from US Plastics... far cheaper than the metal ones, but hey, they're plastic.
 
Jester369 said:
Nah - 5 lb will last more than 15 gallons. I just searched, because I know there is a thread with all the calculations, but I can't find it now.
Click to expand...

good to know. Cuz I'm on my 3rd corny right now, and Co2 level just went down into the red :p I wonder how long it will last.... and how much my local gass supply place will charge me to refill...
 
Jester369 said:
Heh heh heh - I had to learn COBOL back in the day. Thank god I never had to use it in 'real life' :D

The boards are all poplar, and the big panels are 1/4 inch birch plywood.
Click to expand...

Cool, thanks! Unfortunately there is still alot of COBOL out here, and it needs to be maintained.
 
Hey Jester
Do you have this project distilled to a set of plans and instructions? I'm itching to get rid of my Haier POS and build something cool. I'd be happy to send you some great California beers or a paypal gift in exchange.

best
KD
 
Hi korndog - sorry, didn't see this post for some reason

I don't have any real plans - I do have a Sketchup file that is pretty accurate, but it's specific to my particular freezer and would be pretty useless from a 'plan' perspective. Anything you do would have to be custom fitted to your freezer. As for instructions, I think most of the build has been covered in this thread, but I would be happy to answer any specific questions you may have.

:mug:
 
Jester369 said:
Hi korndog - sorry, didn't see this post for some reason

I don't have any real plans - I do have a Sketchup file that is pretty accurate, but it's specific to my particular freezer and would be pretty useless from a 'plan' perspective. Anything you do would have to be custom fitted to your freezer. As for instructions, I think most of the build has been covered in this thread, but I would be happy to answer any specific questions you may have.

:mug:
Click to expand...

Ok thanks. I hop to get started on this soon.
 
I know sorta a dead thread bump, but is the lower blower on all the time, or is it only one when the compressor is running?
 
Can you explain a little more how the fan/cooling system works, maybe describe the airflow. I got a little confused on the post where you added the ducting (#102).
 
egurney said:
Can you explain a little more how the fan/cooling system works, maybe describe the airflow. I got a little confused on the post where you added the ducting (#102).
Click to expand...

Sure - it's a little confusing since the render drawings don't match what I actually built.

The fan draws air in from the bottom and forces it up the front and sides of the freezer, and it escapes from the overhang of the top. The dividers in the duct cavity are just there to help evenly distribute the airflow.

Let me know if you need more details. :mug:
 
Do you have pics or drawings of the overhang where the air vents out?
 

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