Do I need to attach my collar to the keezer?

Hey All,

Just finished my new keezer build and have it dialed in - pouring perfect pints. Was getting foam on the first pours but added two computer fans and they worked like a gem. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this site over the years...hours of scouring this site helped me immensely. Only problems I had was 1. collar dimensions weren't perfect 2. the stain didn't come out well (my impatience at fault) 3. I forgot to mount the manifold, but not really worried about it now as its holding steady and 4. the chalkboard paint is a little bumpy.

My question is regarding attaching my collar to the keezer itself. I have liquid nails, and was going to use it, but it seems like the freezer itself hasn't been running very much and has been holding the temp. well. As you can see in the picture, I have insulated the collar. My collar seems relatively flat, but I don't think its perfect, meaning their may be a couple extremely small gaps, but I'm not sure. If the freezer isn't running a lot, and temperature is holding well, do I need to attach the collar? Yes it could get bumped, etc, but are there any other cons to not attaching it if temp control isn't an issue? If ya'll think I should 100% attach it, will liquid nails suffice? Thanks guys!





-Andrew

 

I didn't attach mine except I did add a second set of hinges so I can open just the lid or open the lid/collar. What I did have to do, though, was add a layer of neoprene gasket between the freezer and the collar.

 

This. Hinging the collar makes it easier to replace the kegs - not as high to lift them, and puts the faucets / shanks out of the way. I used the freezer hinges for the collar and got some basic strap hinges for the lid.

Like the sankey kegs - that's what I use also.

 

The choice is yours. I used Liquid nails, and it worked just fine. The gasket idea from SevenOaks is the way to go if you want to seal any small gaps without gluing down. Hinging both top and collar is a good idea also, as Brewenstein said.

 

I'm liking the idea of putting hinges on the collar and freezer. Getting those sanke's in there hurts and I'm terrified I'm going to slam it into a shank. I too have the original hinges connecting the lid to the collar. I am not technically inclined...could you show me a link to the hinges you used?

- Did you put those hinges underneath the original hinges and use the pre-drilled holes in the freezer to attach?
- I only have about close to 2 inches of room on the collar underneath the lid hinges, seems like that could be an issue.
- Because of the lack of room, I guess my only option is to put the hinges somewhere else, which means drilling into the back of the freezer. Definitely something I don't want to do (and might not be able to depending on where the coils are, etc).
- I'm definitely going to get some of that neoprene gasket tape and put that between the collar and the freezer...I hope it doesn't hurt the aesthetics at all.




Thanks again for the help.

-Andrew

 

Thanks for the ideas guys. I would really like to put some hinges from the collar to the freezer as you mentioned, but not sure how to go about that. I have very minimal space beneath the hinges (collar to lid), and not sure if its possible to find new hinges that will be compatible with the predrilled holes in the freezer.

Should I not place new hinges underneath current ones, and put them more to the middle/side? If so, then I would have no drill new holes into the freezer, which I don't think is possible for my model (not sure though).

Here is a picture showing how much room I have:




Any ideas? Thanks again guys.

-Andrew

 

What size freezer did you use? This is almost exactly what I'm looking at setting up, looks great.

 

100% silicone caulk is a great product to use there because it can be removed without damaging anything but is otherwise very good at holding it together and sealing air gaps.

 

Sweet, I have just been wondering about this. Thank you Bobby M your always there for me (Your bottle filling video really helped a few weeks back).

 

I did the same. Works great.

 

I removed the hinges entirely. Will take a picture for you tonight after work if you want. What I did was stick some roll weatherstripping to the bottom of the collar. When I placed it on the keezer it sealed it nicely. I just set the lid on top of the collar as well and the built in gasket seems to seal it fine for me. When I need to add or remove kegs I either pull the lid off and set it against the wall or move the collar off the keezer entirely.

On a side note, I am jealous of your flow control faucets. Having such short serving lines sure cleans up the inside of the keezer rather than having 10-12 feet of line coiled around the tops of the kegs.

 

That's actually not a bad idea. I think I'll consider not having the lid bolted to the collar...thanks for the idea.

As far as the flow controls go...I think for my particular system they were definitely overkill. I have yet to use the flow control at all, and have been getting perfect pours. If for some reason I'm not getting a perfect pour, the flow control doesn't seem to help THAT much. Also they take a bit longer to take apart and put back together (for cleaning purposes). But judging from reviews online, they have helped many many people pour perfect pints.

One thing I actually really do like about the flow control is that you can turn the faucet OFF completely. When I am messing around inside the keezer or have friends over and not using it, having the faucets closed has saved me from multiple spills. Only problem I'm having is forgetting to turn the faucet on, then I pull the handle, realize my problem, open up the faucet, and get half a glass of foam...I'll start remembering soon I think, judging by how many beers I have been drinking per day.

 

I am curious too. I have a 5.3 Cu Ft that I have on fermentation duty that looks similar inside. I want to get another one for keezer duty since they are only about $200 new at the Depot.

 

7.0 cft GE. Found an almost new one on CL for 100 bucks. And yeah 200 for new is a pretty good deal. Supposed to be great freezers.

 

I got some steel sheeting from the hardware store, and drilled holes for the hinge screw and put it in place of the hinges that I had taken off. It will be easy to unscrew if needed, and holds the collar in place well. It was called a "tie plate" : https://www.google.com/search?q=tie+plate

 

the freezer is a 7 cu ft GE. I have the same one.

 

Here it is. Got a little lazy in the painting but I put a little adhesive weatherstripping on the underside of the collar and it seems to stick itself to the bottom section just fine. I actually had to pry it up to get the picture.
View attachment 1440017379718.jpg
Of course I over did the insulation foam and made it fit into the freezer top. The weatherstrip seals it well enough without the insulations help.
View attachment 1440017449193.jpg
And all together with no hinge. I got lazy when painting.
View attachment 1440017517034.jpg
All together front view. Simplicity.

 

this!