Chest Freezer Kegerator Conversion Project

[sirsloop]

I'm pretty sure Bobby used a router to round off the edges...

 

[BierMuncher]

Okay. That makes more sense. I thought that it sounded a little strange. I think I heard "so I applied a quarter round ..." thinking it was "applied". When in reality it was applying a 1/4 round router bit to the joint and edges.

DUH...

 

[Bobby_M]

Yeah, 1/4" roundover on the corners and 1/8" on the edges just to keep them from being sharp to the touch. You could pull off the same thing with sand paper wrapped around a block of wood. I just like my toys.

 

[attitude]

Heres what i got so far. Still need to add the temp control and 2 more taps, then were stylin

 

[Tony]

Hey Bobby, excellent job on both the kegerator and the videos. I like how you talked about a step, then showed the finished step, without showing things like cutting the inner plastic lid, stapling the seal etc...

 

[Beerrific]

Heres what i got so far. Still need to add the temp control and 2 more taps, then were stylin

Your dog looks evil in that picture.

Nice set-up though.

 

[DeathBrewer]

yeah, that heeler looks like he's summoning some demons or something. killer kegerator.

 

[BierMuncher]

Heres what i got so far. Still need to add the temp control and 2 more taps, then were stylin

Nice looking taps.

Where'd ya get that stamped steel frame?

 

[Bobby_M]

I've got the kegger complete and I'm just waiting for some time to edit down the video. I'll tell ya, plumbing for 5 kegs is a PIA and time consuming. I currently only have 4 kegs filled with beer. The 5th is half filled with sanitizer. I figured I'd leave it in there, pressurized so I can swap the beerlines over for a quick rinse now and then.

 

[sirsloop]

I love carbonated one-step!!

 

[Bobby_M]

Yummm.

Video done:

 

[de_ronde]

Bobby-
Cheers and Thanks for all of the information. I had actually seen some of your videos on youtube before joining this forum.

You Rock!

 

[Bobby_M]

Thanks. It seems there a lot of Whirlpool 8.9cuft kegerators being made now.

 

[EinGutesBiersSWMBO]

Thanks for the videos! They were a big help in determining how best to build our kegerator.

End project:

 

[Cowbizzoy]

Now, i just haaaave to ask....why go to the trouble of making a collar, when you could slap in a tower? (or two) (i'm having dreams of converting a lil danby freezer...)

 

[Bobby_M]

Three reasons I can think of.

It's easier to open the lid all the way without the tower banging on the wall.
You can't put 5 faucets on a tower.
You have to do more work to keep the lines/shanks cold with a tower or you'll lose co2 on the way to the glass.

 

[Cowbizzoy]

man that was fast.....thx!

great setup you've got goin'!

 

[devilishprune]

I did it so that I could fit 3 kegs instead of 1, because of the height issue.

 

[Cowbizzoy]

I did it so that I could fit 3 kegs instead of 1, because of the height issue.

that right there is good info.......how many inches do i need - presuming i get corny's?

 

[devilishprune]

It really depends on the height of your freezer and where the compressor hump is located. The hump on mine takes up about 50% of the overall floor area of the freezer, so the collar was a must. I can't remember right now, but I believe that my kegs, with disconnects (pin lock) are about 27ish inches. I have an 8 inch collar that I attached to the lid which gives it plenty of room. Ball lock kegs have different dimensions, though.

 

[mattyp]

Hey guys - i have a question for all of you... I have built a couple of these, one with a collar and one with a tower (my buddy welded me up a stand to mount to the back of the freezer so I can still open the lid). However with both I have run into the same issue... about a year into it - they both died! I am using this thermostat (http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41zjbqngLjL.jpg) and I can't see this being the issue... Any thoughts? Anyone having the same issues? I appreciate all of the help!!

 

[billtzk]

How often does your compressor cycle on and off?

(wow, 1st post after joining 2 years ago - remarkable restraint you have!)

 

[mattyp]

Yeah - I know... I noticed that too - I thought I had at least posted something! I guess it's mostly research...

Not sure about the compressor itself, but with this thermostat (and I am sure you all use something similar), you plug ther freezer into the thermostat and once it reaches the setpoint (38 degrees) it cuts power to the freezer... I wonder if the on/off like that is hard on it? But Northernbrewer sells this same thing (at lease I think they do) - so I figure it can't be too bad...

Thanks for the help...

 

[jasper9]

I'm using a service called blipsnips to bookmark parts of the videos that Bobby_M made.. Pretty handy!

Doesn't look like the forum let's me embed from this site because it's not directly from youtube. Check it out here:

Part 1A: http://blipsnips.com/blipsnips/v7arud
Part 1B: http://blipsnips.com/blipsnips/jdwn4l

Time to go try my first (ever) sip of Pliny. I'll do part 2 next.

 

[Bobby_M]

Hey, now that's clever!

 

[jasper9]

It's a startup a guy i know is part of. Use it!! I think they just came out with an iphone app that is suppose to be nice. Damnit where's that Pliny, i got sidetracked figuring out where my keezer is going to live....

 

[Dr1nkBeer]

Thanks for the videos! They were a big help in determining how best to build our kegerator.

End project:

First post here! yup a newbie to the forum.. but believe me I make beer! I promise.

I’m almost there with purchasing everything i need to convert my 7.2 CF freezer into my kegerator... i want to use a front mounted thermostat/temp controller. I found that light objects make some but there really aren’t any diagrams on how to use them... Usually there would be four wire set screws... you would cut your plug splice it into your temp controller and then splice the plug side and plug that into the wall... i know there are analogue temp controllers but there an eye sore and need to mounted in an inconvenient spot behind your freezer.

Is that a light objects controller on your fridge? do you have the diagram on how you set it up?