Definitive Keezer Build/Lessons Learned?

[Craig311]

Ready to convert my little 5.2 cf GE with a collar so that I can fit 2 homebrew kegs and one commercial keg. Unfortunately, I'll probably have to stick with the picnic tabs for a while... but I at least want to build the collar so that I can get the C02 outside and make room for the third keg.

I've read so many threads my head is spinning. That said, some of the ideas and builds go back several years and, at this point, I'd have to imagine there is some consensus on "best practices" when building one.

Understanding that a lot of any build is dependent on personal preferences in terms of how it looks, etc... I'm looking more for recommendations on things like...

- attach the collar to the lid?
- attach the collar to the body?
- weather stripping/calking product/process recommendations?

... just the nuts and bolts of the absolute basics of building a collar itself. Nothing regarding aesthetics, kegging hardware, balancing the system, etc.

I suppose I feel like there is so much info out there, and so much of it really old, I am going to miss the collective lessons learned from all of these builds.

Thanks in advance!
- Craig

 

[Anon]

i see people attach the collar to lid/body as well and am wondering the same question!

 

[awarner322]

Like you say...a lot of it is personal preference. Attaching collar to the lid/body--I think that the best way to do it is attaching it to neither. Doubling hinging it doesn't make you marry either of the options. This might cost you a little more in hardware but is probably the best option. That being said, I glued my collar to the body of the freezer (with liquid nails). Looking back...it was probably not the best choice. I used 2x8 for my collar and when I drop something...or need to clean up the bottom...that makes for a hell of a reach to the bottom. I was weary of attaching it to the lid because I didn't know how that would effect the hinges...but plenty of people have done it with no problem.

I did not use any weatherstripping...mostly because I glued my collar to the base. I did caulk around the base on the inside where the wood sits on the lip of the freezer however.

A few things to think about...at least from my experience. I used a love controller mounted into my wood collar. To do this I had to run a cord in (and out) of the freezer along the edge of the wood collar and freezer lip base. I think having this with the collar attached to the lid would put a lot more strain on that...and eventually probably cause issues with the wiring and what not...just using logic there I guess. The only other thing I would suggest thinking about is the placement of the shanks. I thought it looked way better to center the taps instead of putting them close together all on one side. I now understand why some may do that....I just added another tap to my system and it would be muuuch better if they were all out of the way in the corner then spread across my collar.

But ya...I am sure there are other people with a lot more experience and different opinions then I....but that's what I have...goodluck!

Oh and...if you are going to be wiring a love controller or something like that into your collar...make sure you get a solid extension cord to cut into instead of your master...bc if you mess it up with the main...you are in a lot worse shape!

 

[zachattack]

I'm going to be building a keezer soon, I've been reading up on a lot of these threads.

I do think it's all personal preference, but I haven't decided which side I'm going to mount the collar to. I'm leaning towards gluing it to the body and keeping the lid hinged, I don't plan on having a really tall collar so lifting kegs over it or reaching the bottom shouldn't be a big deal. It looks like it'll be a little easier to build it that way too. Also as awarner322 indicated it'll let me neaten up the lines and wires from my temp controller (I love using zip ties w/ mounting strips to make neat runs) since they won't be moving each time.

I think if you're solidly attaching the collar to the body, the weatherstripping is less of an issue. Just glue it on there (silicone caulk), caulk up the seams to ensure no leaking, then add your insulation. If you attach it to the lid just put the old lid weatherstripping/seal on the other side of the collar and you're good to go.

There are lots of reasons for choosing different build methods, I say just make sure you have good reasons for whatever you choose and go with it!

 

[turkeyjerky214]

I never thought to double-hinge, but personally, I'd have no reason to open just the lid.

I liquid-nailed the lid to the collar using a 1x10 (I think). The hump in mine is fairly tall, and with that big of a collar, I can fit 7 kegs plus my CO2. Originally I had the hinge on the lid, but I like it so much more this way. Having all the lines and shanks out of the way when I am putting kegs in is about a million times easier than trying to maneuver around them.

Make sure you've got a good seal on everything so there's no air leak. If you've got a leak, condensation will build which will lead to mold. It will also put a lot more stress on the compressor.

 

[gregkeller]

I used liquid nails to attach the 1x10 collar to the lid of my 5 cuft freezer. This way i can actually reach into the keg to clean it up, dry up condensation, and i have to lift my kegs 10 less inches to get them into the freezer. It also kegs the shanks out of the way when i'm loading or moving kegs around. In a freezer where everything is pretty tight, it's nice to not have to worry about hitting a keg on a shank and messing it up. One key to this for me was making sure the freezer was on a rolling dolly so i can pull it out of the wall easily to be able to lift the lid.

 

[Brewnoob1]

I also did liquid nails to the lid. Primarily to lift the shanks and hoses out of the way. I was able to reuse the original seal on the lid to the body and put that seal on the bottom of the collar with liquid nails. It seals up for me just fine. Weather stripping isn't a bad idea though to ensure no leakages

 

[Craig311]

Thanks so much for the replies! I guess it does come down to personal preference.