Keezer Build Budget/Cost Ideas?

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NathPowe

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Howdy Folks,

So I've been daydreaming about building myself a keezer for a while now, but when I run the numbers it's adding up to a bit of sticker shock. Thought I'd post my estimate below and see if anyone can chime in on doing this for a little less money. Also, I realize I could maybe save $50 - $75 by doing a CL freezer (I'm certainly not opposed to it) but I really want to go with that specific model. I've been keeping an eye on CL for a while, but haven't seen anything posted, so I've listed the cost for a new one. Anyway, here's what I've come up with:

Keg Connection 3 Faucet Fridge Kit w/ 525SS Upgrade - $300
GE 5.0 cu Freezer - $160
Ball Lock Kegs x3 - $150
5lb CO2 Tank - $65
JC A419 - $75
Build - $100

Total $850

Any thoughts on cutting costs would be appreciated. Thanks.
 
First of all, you are probably going to spend more than 100 dollars on the build if you want it to look nice. People often underestimate the cost of finishing touches. Even if you just put a collar on a freezer this can be the case as you may decide to paint or do something else to make it look less like a hacked together freezer.

You can save some money by recalibrating the thermostat so it doesn't cool below freezing. This way you do not need an external controller.

If you shop around, may find a tower that would be cheaper than using a collar or coffin.

You could also watch Craigslist for used items, but these tend to go extremely fast.
 
I just finished my Keezer and I was lucky

Craiglist GE 7.0 freezer $125
Collar 2x6x10 $ 3
STC- 1000 controller $ 20
Paint $10
Stain & poly $10
1 x 8 x 8 poplar board $ 23
perlick 525s x3 on ebay $180
Beer line 30ft 3/16 $ 26.70
Gas line 10 ft $13
kegs 3 @ 60 $ 180
Regulator $50
drip tray ebay $30
co2 5 lb $65 plus fill
ball lock fitting $36
foam for inside $20

total $791.70

Now a few things to keep in mind I wired my STC-1000 directly to the freezer with no wire modifications I am trying to get around to posting pictures of my build. Also I used a 2x6 for my collar then just used a piece of finish popular to make it look better. I chose to paint mine black if you were not going to paint it and just paint the 2x6 white that would save some money I spent a lot on paint stain and brushes (it adds up). Also I didnt include shipping becasue I pieced mine together off ebay and places becasue it was how i financed it. Also I wanted more control over my setup ie the kit has 5 foot lines and I wanted 10 foot lines. It adds up with all the stuff I bet I spent another $50 on little stuff like clamps and wire and connectors for the STC-1000. What I did though was get my freezer then take my time in painting it and getting the temp controller wired in, then used it as a beer fridge till I bought all the rest of my stuff. I bought the kegs off ebay I bought the Perlick 525s taps and shanks on ebay all of this was not to save money because as you can see you can buy the kit and get the same price but I wanted to break that out over a few months.
 
Beverage factory has the best prices on perlick faucets - I got 575ss with ss shanks for about $35 and $15 I think. The 525s are cheaper - maybe $7 dollars cheaper? Numbers are off the top of my head but either way much better prices than I've seen anywhere else.
 
Mostly depends on how much of a rush your in. I bought my shanks as a discontinued deal had to take all 12 but $2.18 a piece added brass spacers. all the 425 perlicks were purchased off e-bay,as well as the regulators. 20 cuft freezer under $400.00 at Sears scratch and dent new. All said and done what you see is under $1000.00
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A lot of people will tell you to go for the craigslist freezer...and for a Ferm chamber I completely agree and have one.

For a keezer IMO its smarter to go with new, you can do less to it and still have it look decent and theoretically this is going to be in a more seen area than the ferm chamber. The #1 reason is because if the motor blows 2 years in because you bought an older freezer, your going to be pissed you need to do the work all over again to convert another.

Also, much like brew kettles buy a freezer that you can grow into. I would highly dissuade you from only getting a 5.0 CF freezer. I say get something that holds 4-5 at the least. Even if you are only going to start with 2 or 3 taps. Conditioning space is AWESOME to have, I really wish my keezer had space for something beyond serving. Even room for an extra keg to be carbing.

Going up in size is probably the least cost increase in the project. You can always add more taps/manifold/regulators/kegs along the way to defer some of the cost


Your estimates seem reasonable to me. Ive had mixed experiences with Keg Connection but they seem to be the tallest midget in the keezer market.

GO bigger...trust me you'll thank me in a few years...or maybe a few months if you are like me
 
Thanks for the replies everyone. Good to know on the Perlicks - I'll keep that in mind. I've read a lot that going bigger is better but space is a concern for me. I really like the idea of the smaller footprint that goes with a smaller freezer. I know, I know - the 7 cu aren't much bigger but nevertheless, that's where I'm at. I think I may take the route of getting a few pieces here and there to spread out the cost. I can totally see how money can be saved on something like this if you're not in a hurry. Anyway, thanks again for the input. Would love to here more suggestions on cost and just building these in general.
 
My keezer is a 7 cu ft Frigidaire with a collar ... two taps ... I bought a brand new freezer and used some other expensive materials (plus, I bought 3-tap kit even though I only used 2 in the end, but that's a whole story by itself), so I ended up spending about $1,100 on mine, $684 of which was freezer + kit.

But one way I saved a few bucks was to buy 525PC faucets, so I got the Perlick without the SS cost ... I've been using them for about 18 months now and they work great.

I built one of the ebay temperature controllers and it works wonderfully ... total cost $45 (which includes some extra parts where the smallest package had more parts than I needed).

One other thing ... when it comes time to buy your CO2 bottle, just go to your local welding gas supplier and buy a full bottle ... it'll save a couple of bucks (and a lot of hassle) vs buying a new bottle and then finding someone to fill it ... I will definitely do that next time!
 
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