Knotty Pine and Cedar Log Keezer Build

[Jota21]

can't wait.

 

[Hoppopotomus]

Kegs are carbing and should be ready by the weekend. Grout is dry and I am sealing it tomorrow. I corrected a problem tonight due to a clearance issue with tap handles. The piece of ponderosa pine that I used for the top of the coffin had to overhang further than I wanted to in order to canopy the two vertical log trim pieces. Although my taps were able to close fully with the cheap black handles, I would certainly run into issues with with any tap handle more than 1" in diameter closing fully. I needed to bump the face of the upper part of the coffin out where the tap handles mount to give me the extra clearance. I knifed another piece of cedar heart wood into a log type shape and ripped it to 1" thickness to extend the tap handles out. Just put a second coat of polyurethane on it and will install the new piece tomorrow. It should be the last piece of the puzzle. Tomorrow should be the final day of tinkering with this thing. I'll post final pics this weekend along with my first 3 drafts (hopefully fully carbonated!) from my new, fully operational keezer. The Love controller is functioning flawlessly and I am easily able to maintain a 5 degree differential between coffin and keezer temps. I'm excited to finally see light at the end of the tunnel. Thanks for following my thread and sorry it has turned into a long drawn out process, but there are only so many hours in a day.

 

[g8tor]

Would you mind posting the settings you went with with the Love controller? That will help me when I get to that part of my build?

Thanks,

Scott

 

[Hoppopotomus]

Sure....no problem. I had an issue at first with the factory pre-set parameters. I was having an issue with both outputs working off of my Sd1 probe instead of one output working of of Sd1 and the other off of Sd2. With the help of ClaudiusB and one of the IT techs. at Dwyer, I think there was only one or two settings that needed to change to get the channels operating independently. I don't remember which ones they were, but the one was not at all obvious. I'll scroll through the parameters when I get home and let you know. Have you started your build yet?

Would you mind posting the settings you went with with the Love controller? That will help me when I get to that part of my build?

Thanks,

Scott

 

[MaltMonster]

This is the Keezer of all Keezers! I would have loved to follow this build from the start, but I'm excited to have found the thread before the final unveiling.

 

[Hoppopotomus]

Thanks MaltMonster! I have 2 coats of stone/grout sealer done....one coat to go. I installed my red cedar log trim to bump out the tap handles and it turned out great. I will definitely have final pics posted this weekend. I am flushing out my beer lines with sanitizer tomorrow when I get home from work and my 3 kegs should be close to being fully carbed by Saturday. Should be pouring beers this weekend! :rockin: Pics to come in a couple of days.

 

[g8tor]

Haven't started mine yet. It will probably be June before I start it. I have all the parts now and in June I'll be going on vacation and visiting my uncle who does cabinetry work for a living and has a huge shop. He has offered to help me with this so now I'm just working on the esthetics. I'll let you know when I start

Scott

 

[Hoppopotomus]

Sounds great....start a thread when you start, so I can follow the build. I'll get you those Love Control settings this weekend. I finished everything on my keezer last night, so I'll post pics. this weekend. Hopefully my first 3 kegs are fully carbed, so I can put this thing to good use tomorrow! Cheers!

Haven't started mine yet. It will probably be June before I start it. I have all the parts now and in June I'll be going on vacation and visiting my uncle who does cabinetry work for a living and has a huge shop. He has offered to help me with this so now I'm just working on the esthetics. I'll let you know when I start

Scott

 

[Hoppopotomus]

OK....I couldn't wait 'til tomorrow to unviel my final Keezer pics. It took me a little longer than I expected to build this thing, but here she is. I got home from work tonight, sanitized the beer lines and prayed to god that the kegs would be fully carbed and ready to drink. Here is the first set of pics. I'm excited as hell.....and maybe a weeeeee bit intoxicated.

As I mentioned yesterday, I had to knife another piece of cedar to bump out the taps, so that I would have plenty of clearance for the tap handles. Here she is with the new tile (after my last disaster) and the new grout color that we decided to go with. Hope you like it!

 

[Hoppopotomus]

OK....Now onto round two of the pics. As you can see, I went with a high gloss stone and grout sealer. Here is a couple of keezer side shots, a shot of the kegs inside, and a shot with the lid open...with safety straps. The pic is of 3 kegs inside, but 4 kegs fit quite easily. In fact, I filled my 4th keg with sanitizer, dropped it into the keezer, hooked it up to the CO2, closed the lid, and flushed out my beer lines to sanitize the entire system. I now realize that I really should have went with a 4 tap system, but at least I can have an "on deck' keg carbing and waiting for it's turn in the line up. I have read countless threads and I STRONGLY suggest that those with coffin keezers add the safety straps.....makes life at lot easier. You can thank me later!

 

[Hoppopotomus]

And finally........Jota21, this is for you. Sorry it took me so long, but here is one more shot of the keezer and shots of each of my first 3 draws from my "Rustic Keezer". Tap1 = Centennial IPA; Tap2 = Blood Orange Hefewiezer; and Tap 3 = DFH Indian Brown Ale.

This build has been a spectacular experience for me and I am ecstatic that it is finally done. At the same time, I am also bummed that that the project is coming to an end. I guess, I now have to move onto an AG brewing system. I am one of those guys that needs a project going on at all times to occupy my attention and time. I am forever grateful to have found the "hobby" of home brewing and to have found HBT and the wonderful members that belong to this community. Thank you!!!!!

A few notes......my coffin is able to maintain a 5 to 7 degree temperature differential between the keezer and the coffin with my TSS2 Love Controller. Granted that tonight is my first night pulling drafts off of this thing, but I have had absolutely no foaming issues whatsoever!!!!!!!!:rockin:

I just want to thank everyone that was gracious enough to help me with my build........you guys know who I'm referring to. THANK YOU, Thank You, thank you.....

 

[mullenite]

That is awesome. My local breweries tasting room is done all in cypress and I wanted to do something like that with cedar and cypress but don't have the time or money.

 

[pstrohs]

Looks great. The new grout lines looks so much better.

 

[puckjer]

good job on the red cedar spacer for the taps. it looks great and you will be much happier when you eventually want to put custom tap handles on there. they are very easy to make yourself especially for someone like you that is good with woodworking. great job on this project and i have enjoyed following it.

 

[Hoppopotomus]

Thanks guys! It has been a blast. Now I just need to polish off the rest of the basement. At least I will have plent of beer to get me through the project!

 

[Yambor44]

What a spectacular build!

 

[g8tor]

Looks fantastic. Thanks for letting us follow along with you.

Scott

 

[MaltMonster]

Looks great! Love the final pics with your brews poured.

Are you still planning on deer antler tap handles?

 

[Jota21]

THAT... is a thing of beauty! Glad you're finally able to enjoy it and the beer looks awesome.

However, that thing is too pretty to spill beer on!!!

 

[Hoppopotomus]

Thanks MaltMonster. I do have several old racks laying around and I purchased a 10 pack of the inserts from McMaster/Carr, so I'll probably give it a try. The inserts are 1/2" OD (3/3" ID), so it's going to be a pain in the a$$ to get the antlers drilled out to that size. I'll give it a go, but after I get the rest of the bar finished and the drop ceiling in. I will most likely purchase 3 tap handles from my favorite craft breweries for now. In the meantime, I really need to get the other projects complete, because if I spend anymore time on this keezer project, my wife is not going to be happy.

Looks great! Love the final pics with your brews poured.

Are you still planning on deer antler tap handles?

 

[Hoppopotomus]

Thanks Jota21! I have 3 coats of semi-gloss polyurethane on the woodwork and 3 coats of high gloss stone sealer on the tile and grout, so bring on the spills! My IPA and Indian Brown Ales turned out great. The Blood Orange Hefewiezen is not my favorite, but I made it for a couple of my neighbor's wives that like sweeter wheat beers. I have another batch of my Amarillo Wheat dry hopping and should be ready to keg next weekend. I have a feeling that once it conditions for a bit and then is carbed with the set it and forget it approach....it will be taking the place of the fruity sh*t on tap 2! Thanks for all of the feedback along the way Jota21.

THAT... is a thing of beauty! Glad you're finally able to enjoy it and the beer looks awesome.

However, that thing is too pretty to spill beer on!!!

 

[JakeTheHopDog]

Wow! Turned out great! Very, very nice work. Looking forward to seeing pictures of it that kick a$$ basement of yours.

 

[starrfish]

tapping the brew! Glad you redid the grout! looked good before PERFECT now! AND doesn't keg beer taste that much better!

Congrats!

need to see complete finish of full area now.... "build it and they will sit for years to come!" (in my best field of dreams whisper again).

 

[Hoppopotomus]

Thanks...I appreciate it. My wife and I are grouting the slate floor in the bar today and I'll be sealing it on Thursday. Other than that, I just need to get the drop ceiling in and clear coat the log bar stools. I'll post some pics when I'm done. I am already working a ton of hours and now I got roped in to coaching my son's baseball team, so spare time is getting tighter and tighter. Thanks again Keith, I appreciate your advice along the way.

Wow! Turned out great! Very, very nice work. Looking forward to seeing pictures of it that kick a$$ basement of yours.

 

[Hoppopotomus]

Thanks Starrfish! Trying like hell to get the bar project done ASAP before summer. Did you ever get your Hop Randall designed and operational? Yes, keg beer is awesome. I just got sick of rinsing bottles all of the time, so this is much, much easier. Dry hopping another batch of amarillo wheat for my 4th keg. I need to lose the Blood Orange Hefe on tap 2 until my next party with the neighbors. It's too sweet for me and I'm not digging the bavarian wheat yeast that the guy at the HBS talked me into using. A few of my neighbors like that sort of thing, so it's all theirs next party! In the meantime, I'll swap it out for the amarillo wheat when ready. Still waiting for brew day pics

tapping the brew! Glad you redid the grout! looked good before PERFECT now! AND doesn't keg beer taste that much better!

Congrats!

need to see complete finish of full area now.... "build it and they will sit for years to come!" (in my best field of dreams whisper again).

 

[skibumdc]

So much work for 3 taps.
DO you wish you had gone bigger or had more taps?
Have a commercial beer in there too?

 

[Toasted678]

Awesome job man. I love the cedar just being everywhere in your bar. Congrats!

 

[Hoppopotomus]

3 taps is absolutely fine with me. I think that 15 gallons of beer in 3 varieties on tap is plenty, especially considering that I am the only person in my household that drinks beer. I could easily expand it to 5 taps, but the 7.0 cf GE chest freezer really only comfortably fits 4 kegs. I can fit 4 kegs and the CO2 cylinder on the floor. If I used a 3.5 gallon keg on the hump, I could expand to 5 taps if needed. I put a cold storage cellar in my basement for beer and wine, which I will keep fully stocked with craft beer from around the country and I will periodically bottle home brew as well. There will be no shortage of beer for my bar. I don't drink commerical beer, so don't need space for that. I'm perfectly content with what I have, but do have the potential to expand prn.

So much work for 3 taps.
DO you wish you had gone bigger or had more taps?
Have a commercial beer in there too?

 

[Hoppopotomus]

Thanks Toasted! I appreciate your feedback along the way. I'm very happy with the way it turned out. I just got home from work and was planning to grout the slate on the bar floor, but my wife "needs" to go grocery shopping. Too big of a project to tackle myself. As of right now, it is fully operation sitting out in the middle of my billiards room. Can't put it into it's final resting place until the grout is done on the floor and the slate is sealed. I'll post some final pics of the bar when it's complete. Thanks again.

Awesome job man. I love the cedar just being everywhere in your bar. Congrats!

 

[chipsah]

Very well done. I just finished my build up today (link in sig if you'd like to check it out) and used your thread and Jester's as my blueprint. Thanks for providing all of the details, I only wish I had your woodworking skills.