I built this cooler back in April. I was traveling over 200 miles to have a relaxing fishing getaway with some buddies from college at the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri. I was bringing 2 corny kegs of sweet home brew for us to enjoy, but I wasn't sure how to keep them cold for serving once I got there. I didn't want to use a trash can and blankets like we used to with kegs of BL in college. So I decided I'd build my own stinkin cooler. This isn't really going to be a how to thread, as I think you'll see from the pictures, it's pretty simple to figure out how it was done. I just thought with how well it worked I would show it off a little. I left my home on a Wednesday after work, and put the kegs in this cooler before I left and filled it with ice. Before I left to come home Sunday morning, we took out the 2 empty corny kegs, and there was still ice left in the cooler. I double lined it with huge trash bags to keep it from leaking water.
Before I get started: I know a jockey box makes this a lot easier. But... this only cost me $30 to build. Can't do a jockey box for anywhere close to that!
Top down view to show support nailers in the four corners and how the bottom floor plywood and 1" foam board was cut to fit.
Bottom of box, showing support nailers and the floor of the cooler. By using these nailers on the bottom, we didn't have to screw or nail the floor in the cooler because it just sat on these nailers.
Inside with 1" foam board in place.
Underside of the finished lid with 1" foam board, aluminum tape, and a window gasket from the hardware store to ensure a good seal. The lid is tall enough to slide down over the box.
Next, I decided I wanted to be able to dispense my home brew from this box without ever having to take off the lid. So I devised a way to be able to have CO2 connected to the 2 kegs, and use picnic taps to dispense. The answer, was slots cut in the front and back, down just far enough for the hoses to be under the lid.
Test fitting the CO2 and beer lines in the slots after applying aluminum tape across the top to help make a better seal.
Front of box with lid on, showing beer lines using slots.
Back of box with lid on, showing CO2 lines and plate/strap for CO2 bottle.
Latches for the lid for a good, tight seal and handles for easy transportation.
One last picture showing the white bath board I glued on top so we could use dry erase markers to show what's on tap.
Before I get started: I know a jockey box makes this a lot easier. But... this only cost me $30 to build. Can't do a jockey box for anywhere close to that!
Top down view to show support nailers in the four corners and how the bottom floor plywood and 1" foam board was cut to fit.
Bottom of box, showing support nailers and the floor of the cooler. By using these nailers on the bottom, we didn't have to screw or nail the floor in the cooler because it just sat on these nailers.
Inside with 1" foam board in place.
Underside of the finished lid with 1" foam board, aluminum tape, and a window gasket from the hardware store to ensure a good seal. The lid is tall enough to slide down over the box.
Next, I decided I wanted to be able to dispense my home brew from this box without ever having to take off the lid. So I devised a way to be able to have CO2 connected to the 2 kegs, and use picnic taps to dispense. The answer, was slots cut in the front and back, down just far enough for the hoses to be under the lid.
Test fitting the CO2 and beer lines in the slots after applying aluminum tape across the top to help make a better seal.
Front of box with lid on, showing beer lines using slots.
Back of box with lid on, showing CO2 lines and plate/strap for CO2 bottle.
Latches for the lid for a good, tight seal and handles for easy transportation.
One last picture showing the white bath board I glued on top so we could use dry erase markers to show what's on tap.
