Eventual Keezer Build. Need advice!

[treacheroustexan]

So, my girlfriend and I live in a small apartment for the moment. I almost quit brewing last year until she told me to buy a mini fridge to start kegging. I didn't put much though into it and bought the first fridge I saw, so now I only have room for one keg and still find myself bottling some batches. We have the fridge in the living room next to the couch. She gave me the green light to build a small keezer if I really want it. I was going to wait until we got a house but who knows when that will be. I don't want it to take up much more room than my current setup, and I want at least 2-3 taps. The more the better. Co2 tank will also have to fit inside.

Here is a picture of my current setup. As you can see, there are cases of bottles next to the fridge. In a keezer, that could be eliminated and free up that space. Don't pay attention the bottling tree as well, I have that setting out as I am giving it away this weekend to a friend. I feel bad because our apartment is nice, and then in the living room you have this mess (see picture). I figured I could build a nice keezer to go with the furniture and what not and it would look a lot better. I'l most likely keep the fridge in storage somewhere and use it for a fermentation chamber when we do get a house a few years down the road. Any advice on how to build this thing?

 

[BrooklynTom]

I use a 5 cubic foot Idelis (sp.) chest freezer form Lowes. It fits 3 ball locks and the 5# co2 tank inside with no problem. Right now I have 2 taps with room for one more. It is sitll a work in progress. I want to put on a better outer collar.

 

[mongoose33]

As you start, you'll need to pick a freezer. Figure out what kind of kegs you'll use, and determine their dimensions. The see how many you can fit in the keezer w/ a collar of a certain size.

I'm in the process of building one myself. I have a small about 7-8 cu foot freezer as my base. I sort of inherited it so the price was perfect, but it's what I have to work with.

In it there's a hump underneath which the compressor equipment sits. When I am figuring out the dimensions of the collar, I'll make sure that the collar is high enough that I can at least put a CO2 tank on that hump, and if there's enough room, possibly corny kegs as well. So I may need a 2x8 collar instead of 2x6 to fit things in--or maybe a 2x10 collar.

Since you haven't bought the freezer yet you have flexibility. The size of the freezer may also inform which type of kegs you buy--I have Morebeer's torpedo kegs, and they're slightly larger in diameter than others, which may affect how many I can get into the keezer at one time.

The other thing I'm considering is how I want to hinge the lid. Most designs I see have the freezer lid itself hinged, while the collar stays in place. However, I've seen a few designs where the collar is hinged, i.e., the collar tilts up, not just the lid. The advantage is a lower lip to the keezer, over which one must hoist full kegs of beer. Here's an example of what I mean:

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/DO5GqeA4sCc/hqdefault.jpg

The problem with that, potentially, is that the keezer will have to be further away from the wall than if just the lid is hinged. Further, it may be heavy itself, too heavy for the hinge springs. I'll just have to try different ideas and see what works.

 

[treacheroustexan]

I use a 5 cubic foot Idelis (sp.) chest freezer form Lowes. It fits 3 ball locks and the 5# co2 tank inside with no problem. Right now I have 2 taps with room for one more. It is sitll a work in progress. I want to put on a better outer collar.

Thanks! Do you have a picture of the inside by any chance?

As you start, you'll need to pick a freezer. Figure out what kind of kegs you'll use, and determine their dimensions. The see how many you can fit in the keezer w/ a collar of a certain size.

I'm in the process of building one myself. I have a small about 7-8 cu foot freezer as my base. I sort of inherited it so the price was perfect, but it's what I have to work with.

In it there's a hump underneath which the compressor equipment sits. When I am figuring out the dimensions of the collar, I'll make sure that the collar is high enough that I can at least put a CO2 tank on that hump, and if there's enough room, possibly corny kegs as well. So I may need a 2x8 collar instead of 2x6 to fit things in--or maybe a 2x10 collar.

Since you haven't bought the freezer yet you have flexibility. The size of the freezer may also inform which type of kegs you buy--I have Morebeer's torpedo kegs, and they're slightly larger in diameter than others, which may affect how many I can get into the keezer at one time.

The other thing I'm considering is how I want to hinge the lid. Most designs I see have the freezer lid itself hinged, while the collar stays in place. However, I've seen a few designs where the collar is hinged, i.e., the collar tilts up, not just the lid. The advantage is a lower lip to the keezer, over which one must hoist full kegs of beer. Here's an example of what I mean:

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/DO5GqeA4sCc/hqdefault.jpg

The problem with that, potentially, is that the keezer will have to be further away from the wall than if just the lid is hinged. Further, it may be heavy itself, too heavy for the hinge springs. I'll just have to try different ideas and see what works.

Thank you! Good luck with your build.

 

[BeardedBrews]

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=377518

Instead of getting bogged down on what you "need" to fit X, Y, Z, I would focus on finding the space where this is going to live and getting the biggest freezer that will fit. Keep in mind that a small upright chest freezer might only take up slightly more floor space than your mini fridge, but adding a shelf for a second layer of kegs doubles your capacity.

More than that, keep an eye on CL for a good deal:
http://cleveland.craigslist.org/app/5475895327.html
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?p=4731043#post4731043


Good shopping!

 

[RhodySeth]

I made a decent keezer thanks to all the great threads/advice on this forum. I blogged about it below. Maybe you'll find them useful.

Keezer Build Part 1
Keezer Build Park 2

 

[BrooklynTom]

I don't have any shots of the inside, but will take when I get home and post them tomorrow. Or, Look up kezzers I am sure their are some with the lids up.

 

[BrooklynTom]

A quick shot of the inside of my 5 cu ft kezzer. Once I move some things around in it I will have room for one more keg and the 5#co tank.