Frankenkeezer Mobile Brewpub

I wanted to post some photos of what i'm calling the Frankenkeezer fermentation chamber (fermkeezer) I built. It's going to be a 6-tap keezer and two fermentation chambers in one, on wheels! Thus I also am calling it 'The Mobile Brewpub'.

A bit of background: I have wanted to brew for the last 8 years, but temporary living situations, and a 4 year stint in Germany (right on the belgian border) kept me from assembling all the crap needed to brew until last August. I started all-grain and kegging right away, and thus wanted to build a nice system I can grow into. I also am a handy woodworker and have some wiring/engineering knowledge from work.



I started with a maytag 14.8 CF freezer. I wanted to use the spirit of a glycol chiller, without the chiller. I just put a water pump inside a cornie filled with water in the keezer which pumps around cold water as needed, switched on an off via STC 1000's. I am heating via fermwraps for now.



First is the base for the dual ferm chambers, which will sit on the freezer



Base sheeted and ready for trap-doors to access cornies in the keezer



most of the structure for the ferm chambers built/insulated/caulked. I used R19 2" insulation. Each chamber can fit 3 carboys and are also tall enough for cornies.


cooling set up for the lager chamber, pumped cold water to a tranny radiator and a computer fan.


I rescued these old cabinet doors from the trash, stripped them down and put chalkboard paint on them so I can also use them for marking whats on-tap.



Here are the trap doors and how I did them.


I ran everything through a control box with 3 STC's, and from there ran 12 gauge extension cord wire to outlets on the outside/underside of the ferm chamber to use for powering the freezer and heating/cooling for the two chambers.


Frankenkeezer brains! I wish I wasn't under a deadline with this project then I would have gotten some bus-bars and made it look a little nicer, but it works!




Here is the outside of the control center, running away with my first split batch form the keggle I just built! Kolsch in the lager chamber at 60 (has been stable for ~2 weeks now), and a Saison at like 75 in the ale chamber.


Nine: There she is ready for a test run, it's ugly right now but it works!



I'll be updating this shortly, last week I got it set up to put the taps in on the front and put some beadboard on the sides which makes it look a lot sharper. It has been performing greatly so far, the times i've been working in my shop i've only heard the compressor kick on about twice and hour for about 5 minutes.

I have to get the taps on within the next 4 weeks before our annual BBQ, where I will be serving homebrew at it for the first time. I'll have an Oktobefest, a Kolsch, and a saison on-tap. I'll continue to update this thread as I go along. I'm also trying to tackle some major landscaping tasks before then so it's been tough to find time the last week.

hmm I haven't posted here with pictures before, anyone know why they might not be showing up?

In case I can't figure it out here is a link to the public album on google with these photos

https://plus.google.com/photos/114301174824960852026/albums/6047830085319306081

Looks like Google+ image stores don't allow hot-linking...

Cheers!

Check the file extensions on your pics to be sure they match the ones listed in the "attach files" portion of the message.

I think I got it now, thanks!

Yep ... pics are up!

I have trouble with pics as well, and MY simplest solution is using Photobucket.
I put my pics in there, then when you are viewing the pic you wish to post, on the rt. side of the screen, you will see 4 options of what to do with the pic.
I click the bottom one, which is labeled "img", and the box beside will flash "copied", I go to where I wish to insert the pic, and I rt. click and choose "paste".

You will see a bunch of script when you "paste", but when you "post", the pics will show up.

On your post above, you SHOULD be able to "edit", and then insert your pics in the appropriate gaps.

Good luck, I'm waitin' to see em!

Oh, and I had a LARGE time in Belgium back in May........I was in beer heaven!

Looks like an awesome build!
BTW ... I had a two year stint in Spang which ended in 1981

"Spang"..........85-89.

!

Is Spangdahlem where you were? I was in Baumholder 09-12.

Build looks awesome BTW.

ruger988 said:

Is Spangdahlem where you were? I was in Baumholder 09-12.

Build looks awesome BTW.

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Yep .... also picked up some nice pots at the "pot & pan" factory just outside Spangdahlem which I still use for brewing today!

Nice!! Spangdahlem was always my last pit stop for cheap gas on the way to Belgium on beer runs.

I was just there in May, landed in Brussels, hung out a day or two, caught the train to Germany, picked up a rental, drove down the Mosel, stayed in Koblenz, went to Cochem Castle, to Bitburg, Dudeldorf to the birthplace of the Bitburger Brewery, ( an old farmhouse), Speicher, Preist, and finally got to tour the base @ Spangdahlem.

Place has REALLY changed!

Stealthcruiser said:

I was just there in May, landed in Brussels, hung out a day or two, caught the train to Germany, picked up a rental, drove down the Mosel, stayed in Koblenz, went to Cochem Castle, to Bitburg, Dudeldorf to the birthplace of the Bitburger Brewery, ( an old farmhouse), Speicher, Preist, and finally got to tour the base @ Spangdahlem.

Place has REALLY changed!

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That little area of the mosel near luxembourg is really awesome! I spent a bit of time there and really liked it.

A funny story from that trip: we took the train from Koeln to Trier, and the track was out for a ways due to work, so they put all the people from the train (it was a small one) on a bus for a few miles and we got back on the train at the Bitburg train station. It was a hole in the wall but it was late in the dat and I was in desperate need of a beer. I thought: great I can get a pils in bitburg at the station for sure, no luck! A true travisty.

Frankfurt/Wiesbaden '91-'94

I got the taps on and all six lines are flowing as of last night, she's looking really sharp! It's just in time for our oktoberfest party this weekend.

I'll get up some new pics of how she looks now tomorrow.

So if I get your setup correctly, you have two fermentation chambers mounted on top of a chest freezer, with two trap doors in the bottom of the ferm. chambers to access the chest freezer.

So, to put the full corny kegs into the freezer (or whatever else you want to lager), you have to remove any/everything from a top section, and then lift it up, and fit it down through the trap door in order to get it into the bottom?

Or are you not even using the bottom, and just using the top two sections?

nhwrecker said:

So if I get your setup correctly, you have two fermentation chambers mounted on top of a chest freezer, with two trap doors in the bottom of the ferm. chambers to access the chest freezer.

So, to put the full corny kegs into the freezer (or whatever else you want to lager), you have to remove any/everything from a top section, and then lift it up, and fit it down through the trap door in order to get it into the bottom?

Or are you not even using the bottom, and just using the top two sections?

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You have my setup correct: I need to lift out the trap doors from the ferm chambers to put a cornie down in the keezer. I made it so there are actually 2 trap doors in each chamber, and for 1 BB fermenting I didn't have to move it at all to get at the bottom, as the false bottom towards the front was not under the BB so i simply lifted it out to access the keezer and left the fermenting beer undisturbed.

So far that hasn't been a pain but it might start to annoy me over time, we'll see.

Here is a pic with the face on the front for the taps, as well as the whole thing painted. I have the taps on now just need to take a picture, it looks good all done.

Here is a pic with the corner trim on and the taps installed. I also made a little accent piece for around the taps with my router and two-toned it with the paint.

I'm all set for my Oktoberfest party this weekend!

Very nicely done!:rockin:

Okay, one...yummmmmy, six taps. Two, what a BEAST! In fact, this qualifies as Keezer...beast mode on!

It is really nice. I am not sure about lifting everything off to get a keg in. I have to stand on a stool and until I get shorter shanks I have to remove a keg to get another one in most times but that is just me. I may be lazier than I ever imagined.

thanks guys, I am really excited about how it came together and growing into as I brew over the next few years!

So far getting kegs in/out isn't a problem at all. Although I do use this ~ 8 inch platform to stand on in front of the keezer to make it a bit easier. (it was in my shop when i bought the house 1.5 years ago and didn't know what to do with it until now!). The shanks are actually outside the keezer it's just the bev lines going through the collar so it's not that bad doing transfers. With that said we'll see if I get annoyed with it over time.

I had my oktoberfest party this past weekend and it was a blast! The keezer was a big hit and did great, my wife did the lettering on the doors in chalk and did a bang-up job. Also there is a picture of the whole crew from the party.

How cold can you get the lager chamber?

That is SO awesome! Love the lederhosen!

FuriousE said:

How cold can you get the lager chamber?

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I didn't get a chance to test this like I wanted yet, as I had to jump it into action to get beer ready for my party. The day I tried to test this my coolant line froze because the setup was cobbed together and I had a bunch of line just sitting on the bottom of the freezer. Now that the party is over i'll just cut/insulate the lines to the correct lenght, and add a good bit of salt to the coolant water to prevent freezing, and then set the keezer at like 38-40F. If i can't hit 50F for lagers i'll simply have to insulate the lager chamber some more.

It held 60F for two weeks for my kolsch no problem at all.

FuriousE said:

How cold can you get the lager chamber?

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Just an update I just tried to do a german lager with a strain that I was trying to ferment at 54. The ferm chamber only got to 55 and was running pretty much nonstop with my 5 gallons of cooling water in the keezer below at 38F. I think i have to add some more insulation to the lager chamber and insulate some of the exposed wooden framing members to get to much lower temps.

Cheers,
Steve

I've had no trouble doing lagers at 52 in this thing the last few months. I found if I throw a couple of milk jugs of ice in the lager chamber when I put the 12 gallons in there to start fermenting (generally at about 55F) that helps get the temp down to 52 quicker and it has no trouble maintaining those temps for two weeks after that.

Of course the temp in the workshop is 55 right now, in the summer i'll likely have to stick to kolsch or up the insulation of the lager chamber.

Subscribed because I remember seeing this thread way back when I first got the idea for a 'double decker' setup and couldnt find it since!

Great job, and thanks for posting in my build thread!

Wow!

Thinking outside the box!

kpr121 said:

Subscribed because I remember seeing this thread way back when I first got the idea for a 'double decker' setup and couldnt find it since!

Great job, and thanks for posting in my build thread!

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Thanks, hopefully things go smoothly with your build and if not hopefully I can help with some info.

I was really happy with our recent Oktoberfest party, I did 35 gallons of brews in my baby for the party, over 75 folks including kids were there. It was a ton of work but a blast.

I had to make benches for the beergarten tables (which I was able to rent cheap), I also made the pretzel racks. next year i'll be making soft pretzels to put on those babys!

Great job. Now I'm suffering from keezer envy. Looks like a great time.

How is this working out? Sick of opening the false floors yet? I'm still procrastinating er, planning my build... was thinking of going side by side but now revisiting the idea of ferm chamber on top...I would appreciate the extra room in my brew space.

I love this baby, I really wouldn't change a thing! I'm not sick of opening the false-doors yet. I dont go rummaging in the keezer all the time, I generally get in there about once a month to pull empties and put in full kegs, it's not a big deal.

The only thing I found is since I put the thing on such large casters it's pretty high off the ground, I bought this little collapsible aluminum step-platform ~18" high from harbor freight, I like to stand on that when putting full kegs down in there, its a bit easier on the back. Also the only other (minor) flaw is that the kegs that sit under the middle support cannot be removed just by themselves, I have to pull at least one other keg so I can slide the keg in the middle under the support over to be able to pull it out. If I did it over I would probably use more, smaller casters than just 4 of the 8" ones I have now.

Also I've found over time just using a plastic 2.5 gallon bucket for cooling water on the hump that this system is great at maintaining ferm temps when you are at that temp, but not that great and lowering wort temp if I dont cool to pitching temp with my CFC. Thus if my wort is 5-10 degrees from target start temp when I pitch (typical in high summer when groundwater is 70F!) I just add a few blocks of ice to the chamber (just large yogurt containers filled with water) which really help to add some cooling power and quickly (over ~1-2 hours) help to cool the wort that last 5-10 degrees. I plan to build a better sized and larger cooling water reservoir from metal duct-work which would also help with heat transfer but I haven't done that yet, as the bucket works well enough and I'm constantly doing projects on my house which eats up the rest of my free time.

Glad you are still enjoying it! Thanks for the update!

HausBrauerei_Harvey said:

....and I'm constantly doing projects on my house which eats up the rest of my free time.

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Hm sounds familiar.... I really need to just find the time to get something like this built!

kpr121 said:

Hm sounds familiar.... I really need to just find the time to get something like this built!

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Just bite the bullet and put off the next project to spend the time to build your keezer, you wont regret it, I know I dont!