Converting the Frigidaire 7.2 cu ft Chest Freezer

[Quaffer]

I see, well my mom like to use lemon juice to clean stuff, because its acidity, so I thought maybe you were doing the same... LOL

Yes, come to think of it, it probably cleans the keg as well as my esophagus. It is dead simple to make. I just fill the keg from my filtered water tap, then add each a scrubbed and sliced lemon and lime. The first few glasses come out quite bitter, but it mellows quickly to a subtle lemon flavor. I used to buy 2L bottles of seltzer water for mixing, but now I make my own. Another benefit of kegging.

 

[Indyking]

Yes, come to think of it, it probably cleans the keg as well as my esophagus. It is dead simple to make. I just fill the keg from my filtered water tap, then add each a scrubbed and sliced lemon and lime. The first few glasses come out quite bitter, but it mellows quickly to a subtle lemon flavor. I used to buy 2L bottles of seltzer water for mixing, but now I make my own. Another benefit of kegging.

Well, I grew up with my Mom telling me that the residue from the cleaning chemicals out there is harmful to our body, so she always used baking soda, or unsweetened lemon/lime juice, and vinegar to clean up utensils and it always worked well.

I always ignored kegging because it takes me a while to drink 2-3 batches of beer, but then I realized that kegged beer will basically last as long it does in the bottle, so I thought why not?

Just one more thing... you said 52 inches tall for a keg? I thought the regular 5 gal corny kegs are about 28 inches tall and 8-9 inches wide with the attachments, am I right?

http://www.micromatic.com/beer-questions/sizes-keg-draft-beer-available-aid-11.html

 

[Quaffer]

... you said 52 inches tall for a keg? I thought the regular 5 gal corny kegs are about 28 inches tall and 8-9 inches wide with the attachments, am I right?

Dooh! I transposed the numbers. It should be 25". My attachements don't add any height.

 

[Screw991le]

Very nice, this might be my winter project.

 

[prodigal]

Wow, great looking keezer! Thanks, Quaffer for posting this thread and to everyone that has provided feedback.

I'm going to start my keezer build this weekend with this model freezer. I want to attach the collar to the lid rather than the freezer. For those that have done this, how did you attach the collar to the lid? Did you end up removing the plastic panel that is on the inside of the lid?

 

[Eisendrath]

Quaffer, you have another desciple.
Got my black Kenmore 8.8 today.
Rest of parts on the way.
Thanks for all the great advice and instruction.
Is there anything you would have done differently if starting over???

Eisendrath!

 

[Quaffer]

Quaffer, you have another desciple.
Got my black Kenmore 8.8 today.
Rest of parts on the way.
Thanks for all the great advice and instruction.
Is there anything you would have done differently if starting over???

Eisendrath!

8.8, sweet!

I should'a gotten 10 feet of beverage tubing per tap right away. Much wasted beer line.

I think I would go for a 10# CO2 cylinder and higher quality regulators. At the time I did not know how successful this would be so I tried to not spend all I had on this project. I am not sure how well the 10# bottle would fit, but I am pretty sure that the 20# is out of the question.

I would still attach the collar to the freezer body, but this is a personal choice where I seem to be in a minority. Anyway, I have figured out how to avoid lifting full kegs over the collar. I put an empty, clean, and sanitized keg in the kegerator. Then I wheel it over to the table where I have the fermenter ready to siphon. It helps to have a couple of phone books under the carboy to give it a little lift. Easy peasy!

Thank you for the compliment, and cheers to you sir!

 

[johnodon]

8.8, sweet!

I should'a gotten 10 feet of beverage tubing per tap right away. Much wasted beer line.

I think I would go for a 10# CO2 cylinder and higher quality regulators. At the time I did not know how successful this would be so I tried to not spend all I had on this project. I am not sure how well the 10# bottle would fit, but I am pretty sure that the 20# is out of the question.

I would still attach the collar to the freezer body, but this is a personal choice where I seem to be in a minority. Anyway, I have figured out how to avoid lifting full kegs over the collar. I put an empty, clean, and sanitized keg in the kegerator. Then I wheel it over to the table where I have the fermenter ready to siphon. It helps to have a couple of phone books under the carboy to give it a little lift. Easy peasy!

Thank you for the compliment, and cheers to you sir!

I made the mistake of only 5ft of beer line per tap the first time around. I have since replaced them with 10ft runs.

Also, I use a 20lb co2 tank that I keep outside the keezer but would have fit just fine on the floor. On the hump I missed by about 1 friggin inch (2 x 8 collar). If I would have done 2 x 10 collar, I think it would have fit on the hump. The footprint is still actually smaller than a ball lock keg. My freezer is dated 2001 and I really don't have any specs on it but I think it is about the same size as the 7.2.

John

 

[Eisendrath]

8.8, sweet!

I should'a gotten 10 feet of beverage tubing per tap right away. Much wasted beer line.

I think I would go for a 10# CO2 cylinder and higher quality regulators. At the time I did not know how successful this would be so I tried to not spend all I had on this project. I am not sure how well the 10# bottle would fit, but I am pretty sure that the 20# is out of the question.

I would still attach the collar to the freezer body, but this is a personal choice where I seem to be in a minority. Anyway, I have figured out how to avoid lifting full kegs over the collar. I put an empty, clean, and sanitized keg in the kegerator. Then I wheel it over to the table where I have the fermenter ready to siphon. It helps to have a couple of phone books under the carboy to give it a little lift. Easy peasy!

Thank you for the compliment, and cheers to you sir!

Got the 2x10 collar stained yesterday and first coat of polyurethane on today. The minwax red mahogany stain really didn't come out too red. But it looks ok anyway. Tonight I keg a smoked porter and an alaskan amber clone. Less than a week from now it'll be together and those two will join an oktoberfest, oatmeal stout, and a porter from my old kegerator in the new keezer!

Thanks for all the great advice!


Eisendrath

 

[HOP-HEAD]

Some nice looking Frigidaire's here... I enjoy seeing how the same freezer can be taken in so many similar, and yet different, directions.

For another angle for everyone keeping tabs on this thread, here's the link to my own 7.2 Frigidaire build:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/another-keezer-build-w-pics-142726/

And a before:

And After:

 

[Eisendrath]

Quaffer, (& others)
I see you have the Bar Producs 19" drip tray sitting on corner brackets.
Is it just sitting there with gravity holding it in place?
If so, have you ever knoched it off??
Eisendrath

 

[Quaffer]

I see you have the Bar Producs 19" drip tray sitting on corner brackets.
Is it just sitting there with gravity holding it in place?

It is attached to the brackets with the same tape that is holding the brackets to the freezer.

 

[Eisendrath]

It is attached to the brackets with the same tape that is holding the brackets to the freezer.

How do you remove it for cleaning (running it thru the dishwasher)?

 

[Quaffer]

How do you remove it for cleaning (running it thru the dishwasher)?

I don't remove it. After each keg is empty I clean that faucet. I use some of the line cleaning fluid that went through the faucet to fill the tray and let it soak for a while. Meanwhile I can clean the grating in the sink. Then I use a sponge to get the cleaner out and rinse with water.

 

[Eisendrath]

I don't remove it. After each keg is empty I clean that faucet. I use some of the line cleaning fluid that went through the faucet to fill the tray and let it soak for a while. Meanwhile I can clean the grating in the sink. Then I use a sponge to get the cleaner out and rinse with water.

Bought 5" brackets and bent them up to retain. Fits in dishwasher nicely!!!

 

[bulldogxray]

Great build, your keezer cam out sweet!

 

[timOD]

Thanks to Quaffer and everyone else in this thread for the info and ideas. I'll add more taps in the future, but I'm a happy man for now

 

[Quaffer]

Thanks to Quaffer and everyone else in this thread for the info and ideas. I'll add more taps in the future, but I'm a happy man for now

Nicely done!

 

[mrgreen4242]

Some awesome builds here... anyone know if the 7.2 Frigidaire fit 3 pin-locks and a 10# tank on the bottom (no collar)? They're on sale at Best Buy and I have some gift cards so I'd like to use this freezer for 2 taps on a tower/coffin + one carbing and add a counter top to the lid as a kitchen island. I'm hoping to keep the hump free for a small (4 gallon) carboy lagering or some extra bottles.

Thanks!

 

[timOD]

I've got pin locks. Oddly, kegconnection sent me 2 short and stubby kegs, and my LHBS had tall thinner ones. If you've got the shorter ones, I don't think you'd be able to fit what you want on the bottom.
Skinny and tall, I cant say for sure.

 

[Hannable1975]

Just picked up one of these freezers for $80 on craigslist .... let the fun begin ...

 

[MW66]

Nice article in Brew Your Own.

 

[DirtyDachshunds]

I'm replicating this exact keezer starting tomorrow using the same freezer and temp controller. Hopefully it comes out as good as the one in BYO. I'll post pics later

 

[bumstigedy]

Very nice!!!

Looks just like the one featured in the issue of BYO Magazine that just arrived

 

[Quaffer]

Very nice!!!

Looks just like the one featured in the issue of BYO Magazine that just arrived

Thank you, and yes it is the kegerator featured in the March-April issue of BYO. I wrote that article around Thanksgiving 2010. We can include more details here in this forum than would fit into the magazine article.

My first publication, I am stoked!

Bjorn Jansson/Quaffer

 

[bob1852]

I have had four Cornelius kegs in it, that's three on the floor and one on the hump. I think it would be possible to squeeze in a fifth, but one would have to build a little shelf extending the hump a bit. And, yes, I use all four taps when I am lucky enough to have four full Cornies.

Would it fit four ball lock cornies and a 5lb CO2 tank inside?

 

[triangulum33]

Would it fit four ball lock cornies and a 5lb CO2 tank inside?

Very tightly, with the CO2 on the hump, I believe.

Mine with 3 cornies and 20# tank:

 

[bob1852]

Thanks tri...

 

[DirtyDachshunds]

Is that the Frigidaire 7.2cf freezer? I got my frigidaire yesterday, and I can fit 4 cornys (snugly) on the bottom, and 2 additional on the hump.

 

[MW66]

What's the lengths of those beer shanks? I've been searching for 3 inch stainless shanks or one piece nipple shanks and I cannot find anyone that has them in 3/16" bore. My beverage line is 3/16", so I thought that I need 3/16" bore. I see a lot that are 1/4" bore.