Knotty Pine and Cedar Log Keezer Build

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Thanks man....I appreciate the compliment. Let me know when you start yours and make sure to start a thread...I would love to follow the build. Cheers! :mug:
 
Hoppopotomus, I am curious about the Beer Couplings. why were barbed couplings used with a short run of tubing with a barb x MFL fitting connected to the loner run of tubing, did you request it that way?

I plan on doing some thing similar. but my barb x MFL connection is at the bottom of my draft towers.

-=Jason=-
 
I am brand new to the kegging world, so your guess is as good as mine. I ordered the standard deluxe 3 tap system from kegconnection.com and just did upgrades....Perlick faucets, 2 body regulator, 3 way manifold, and a 4th keg. They told me that the system would be assembled and ready to go, so this is what I got. :confused: I guess I just assumed that this is the way it was supposed to be set up.

Anyone else who knows more than me about kegging set ups than me can feel free to chime in. Great question Flomaster....I wish I had an answer for you.

Hoppopotomus, I am curious about the Beer Couplings. why were barbed couplings used with a short run of tubing with a barb x MFL fitting connected to the loner run of tubing, did you request it that way?

I plan on doing some thing similar. but my barb x MFL connection is at the bottom of my draft towers.

-=Jason=-
 
Hoppopotomus said:
Thanks.....I guess? :confused: The Bedrock, pre-historic era wasn't exactly the look I was going for, but I'll take the compliment anyway. :mug:

Sorry that was a compliment! Surprised no one made the connection yet!

I like it, very original look.
 
I am brand new to the kegging world, so your guess is as good as mine. I ordered the standard deluxe 3 tap system from kegconnection.com and just did upgrades....Perlick faucets, 2 body regulator, 3 way manifold, and a 4th keg. They told me that the system would be assembled and ready to go, so this is what I got. :confused: I guess I just assumed that this is the way it was supposed to be set up.

Anyone else who knows more than me about kegging set ups than me can feel free to chime in. Great question Flomaster....I wish I had an answer for you.

well they make couplings for the kegs with a MFL connection so the swivel nut would have just connected to the coupling. it would have eliminated that short run of pipe.

IMHO having your beer hoses on MFL fittings is easier to take off the coupling and give the whole thing a good cleaning. if you have a barb with out the MFL you are stuck with doing cleaning with the lid open.

here is what they should have used:
http://www.austinhomebrew.com/produ...=1274&osCsid=aa4ed26d3be89d3d6817eae110760c0f

here is what you got:
http://www.austinhomebrew.com/produ...=1276&osCsid=aa4ed26d3be89d3d6817eae110760c0f

they it looks like they used a barb x MFL fitting and attached the beer hose to that.


you can see the swivel nut and the barb fitting is a separate piece.

-=Jason=-
 
Good observation. It appears as though they must have run out of the keg connection couplings with the MFL fitting. This must have been their solution to use a coupling with a barb. Looks like it can all be taken apart at the swivel nut/MFL coupling unioun for cleaning, so it should work out fine. Like I said, I'm new to kegging so I appreciate your insight. Thanks Flomaster! :mug:
 
no problem, I was just curious if you had requested it that way for a certain reason.

I on the other hand want to be able to fully take apart my beverage lines so I'll be using those swivel nuts on each end of my line, but where my towers meet the lid I'll be doing with they did with a barb x MFL fitting so I can get that swivel nut on there.

-=Jason=-
 
Well it's 1:45 a.m. and I just finished the final coat on the woodwork for the keezer. I worked 14 hours today, so the home brew helped me to catch my second wind tonight. I'm tiling tomorrow, so I'll update pics when complete. I'm drunk, and sore, and tired, and beaten down, but the keezer keeps me going.......I need sleep....Hopp out.....
 
Almost there. Tiling complete....just need to grout and seal. Kegged two batches tonight and brewing an indian brown ale and another amarillo wheat this week. I think that I am going to let the kegs carb with the "set it and forget it" techniques. I'm not comfortable force carbing at this point and I have waited this long so another week or two to wait for the brew to carb isn't a big deal....I have plenty bottled at this point. Here are a few pics. I am really proud of the way this thing is turning out. :)

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A few more pics.....oh yeah, I got the Perlicks installed along with the beer lines as well. I also cut to size put the rubber mats in the bottom of the chest freezer ala Jake the Hop Dog. Still need to build something to mount the 3 way manifold to and organize the inside. I also need to make sure that the Love Controller is hooked up correctly. I have the freezer probe (channel 1) set at 38 and the coffin probe (channel 2) and it seems to over shoot to around 34 degrees. The compressor kicks off at 38, but the temp seems to drop a few more degrees. Maybe when I have the inside full of kegs of beer, the temps. won't fluctuate as much? :confused: Anyways, I purged the first two kegs of beer and blanketed them with CO2 and popped them into the cold storage cellar until I finish the last few things up. Almost there! :ban:

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Wow, just wow!
Following from the beginning and have been reading every update. That's definitely something to be proud of.
Can't wait for the pic of the first pint!
 
Great to see you are getting close buddy, hope all is well. I'll be getting into the keg portion of this hobby as well, but I'm not gonna go the keezer route. Too much money and not enough time to build the darn thing. I'll be getting a kegorator instead, but I'll be building it myself. Little bit cheaper and less time involved. Just gotta figure out how to keg now. lol
 
WOW LOOKS AWESOME Bo! LOVE the tile and the front vent. I was always a fan! Tile looks awesome! Build it and well... (if i'm ever in the area I may never leave...) in my best field of dreams whisper. just a side note I had my mini fridge short cycle again and cut out.... un plugged for 30 min. and it was fine thank god I was home from golfing after a weekend... not sure why it's happening every 4 months
 
OH as a side... kicked a pale. had a paint ball tank in reserve. still pumping a 8.5% saison, and will force carb my 3% mild this week when I ex change 5lb tank. the co2 goes from low to nada quick. glad I had a 22oz in reserve
 
Thanks STP! Kegged my first two batches last night and brewing one more this week for sure. I believe my first pint will be a centennial IPA. Thanks again. :mug:

Wow, just wow!
Following from the beginning and have been reading every update. That's definitely something to be proud of.
Can't wait for the pic of the first pint!
 
Thanks Big Red. I'm trying to figure out the whole kegging thing as well. Good luck with your kegerator build. :tank:

Great to see you are getting close buddy, hope all is well. I'll be getting into the keg portion of this hobby as well, but I'm not gonna go the keezer route. Too much money and not enough time to build the darn thing. I'll be getting a kegorator instead, but I'll be building it myself. Little bit cheaper and less time involved. Just gotta figure out how to keg now. lol
 
Thanks Starrfish! BTW....Who's Bo???? :confused: Thanks for all of your advice and feedback a long the way. I've been following your Hop Randall thread. Let me know when you have all of the bugs worked out. Still waiting for brew day pics. of your set up. :mug:

WOW LOOKS AWESOME Bo! LOVE the tile and the front vent. I was always a fan! Tile looks awesome! Build it and well... (if i'm ever in the area I may never leave...) in my best field of dreams whisper. just a side note I had my mini fridge short cycle again and cut out.... un plugged for 30 min. and it was fine thank god I was home from golfing after a weekend... not sure why it's happening every 4 months
 
I'm puchasing hap handle inserts and am going to try to drill out deer antlers to use as tap handles. I have a feeling that it's going to be much easier said than done. I've seen a couple of other guys try it on here in the past, so I thought that it would be fitting with my decor. I have to be really careful, because the overhang on the coffin top is a wee-bit more than it should have been. With the cheap black handles....the Perlicks shut off fine, but if I go with anyting much thicker I may have to modify the top. :(

What are you thinking of for tap handles?
 
ROAD TRIP! :rockin: Come by to see it anytime you are in SE Michigan. Thanks for the compliment. I notice you have a lot of links to various projects. I will take some time to browse your builds when I get a chance. :mug:

Very nice work. I love it. If you weren't accross the state I would drive over to see it in person!
 
Yeah, I wired the switch on the left side to a plug in the back that the LED lights plug into. I wanted easy access to control the coffin lights, but didn't want the switch on the front of the keezer. Thanks for the kind words. :mug:

This is looking fantastic. Is the switch on the side to control the lights?

Scott
 
LOL...the antlers that I will use for the tap handles are from scrubby little bucks that I have shot over the years. The smaller ones end up in a box for my "projects" and the decent ones end up as plaque mounts, European mounts, etc. No need to buy antlers with my upbringing. Grew up in rural lower MI and have been hunting my entire life. I'll hunt down some pics when I get a chance. Smart a$$! ;)

Pics of deer or you bought the antlers. :p
 
I'm puchasing hap handle inserts and am going to try to drill out deer antlers to use as tap handles. I have a feeling that it's going to be much easier said than done. I've seen a couple of other guys try it on here in the past, so I thought that it would be fitting with my decor. I have to be really careful, because the overhang on the coffin top is a wee-bit more than it should have been. With the cheap black handles....the Perlicks shut off fine, but if I go with anyting much thicker I may have to modify the top. :(

first of all, i REALLY like your build. one suggestion i was going to make before you go and modify that beautiful top to accomodate custom tap handles is to just build a spacer to go behind the where the faucet mounts. i had the same problem on kegerator when i installed the faucets on the side of my full size fridge. i wanted custom tap handles but the length of them wouldnt let me close the tap when i pushed them all the way back against the fridge. i bought a stainless steel 1 inch box flange (toilet part) at hope depot, ran the shank through it then screwed the faucet it on. it looks and works great and gives me the extra clearance for the 10" tap handles i have.

as good as you are with working wood, i would think you could build a spacer out of wood then just drill holes in it big enough for the shanks to go through and you are golden.
 
Thanks for the advice puckjer. I haven't drilled out the antlers yet, but I'll keep your suggestions in mind if I need more clearance. Like the rest of this build....I'll cross that bridge when I get there. Your right...I really don't want to modify the top or try to remove it and rip it down at this point. Good suggestions! Cheers. :mug:
 
4 will fit in mine, but not easily. You have to literally jam the 4th one in and it's a very tight fit. That's the main reason why I went with 3 taps instead of 4. It leaves 3 on the floor + the CO2 tank and then a primary can fit on the hump if I want to try lagering at some point. Regardless, I'm happy with the set up and like having the extra gas supply line just in case I want to cram a 4th "on deck" keg in for carbing, have a wheat bear at a higher CO2 volume, or if I need to simply purge a newly racked kegs and pressurize before conditioning at room temp. Good luck with your build! :mug:

Great build I thought I could fit 4 in mine but I think I'm going to have to double check.
 
I'm trying to figure out what materials I want to use, and how I want to cover the bottom. For the top I'm going to use glass and stone mosaic tile. I'm going to probably use pine too since I don't like oak furniture.
 
Sounds like a great plan....I like the stone + glass mosaic idea! If you don't like the look of oak, which I absolutely hate, then pine will be fine. However, remember that pine is a softer wood and you need to consider that. I went with the knotty pine + cedar logs to fit my entire basement decor. I'm the only one that will be using the keezer in my household and my friends/ neighbors are all fairly responsible people, so mine won't be subjected to a lot of bumps and bruises. If I were going to build this thing to match the decor. of the rest of my house I would have went with a more contemporary design and used hardwoods like maple and cherry. They are much harder and less prone to dings, gouging, etc. You just need to consider the environment that it's in. For example....if it's going to be subject to a lot of hard use like wild parties with many people using it, setting drinks on it, bumping into it, etc. then I would use a harder wood. On the other hand, if it's going to be in a tame environment where people are going to respect your keezer then softer woods will be fine.

I'm not sure if you have checked out my basement bar build, but my bar top is a 12ft. long, 4" thick slab of redwood with raw edges. Redwood is also considered a softer wood and eventhough I have 5 coats of conversion varnish on it, it already has some small dents/dings from putting tools on it. Thankfully, my basement is a rustic decor and I will be making people use coasters, but over time it is going to get dings/dents. I have reserved to the fact that it's "building character" in the piece and it's not going to stay pristine forever. My 2 cents. :mug:

I'm trying to figure out what materials I want to use, and how I want to cover the bottom. For the top I'm going to use glass and stone mosaic tile. I'm going to probably use pine too since I don't like oak furniture.
 
But wait....there's more! :D I was also able to get the cabinet covered with the T&G knotty pine and installed all of the vents. The GE has the compressor in the lower right side of the unit with a large vent for cooling. I have also heard that heat build-up dissipates through the skin of the unit on all sides. I decided to put a 6" x 10" vent in the right side of the unit at the bottom, so that heat can escape and not get trapped in the cabinet. I then put a 3" x 10" vent on both the right and left side of the unit, but higher on the cabinet to allow any rising heat from the skin of the unit to escape from the cabinet. For these three vents, I used cheap white wall vents from HD ($15 for all 3). I decided to place a 3" x 12" vent in the front of the cabinet as well to allow heat to escape. For the front vent, I used a brushed nickel vent ($12), so it will match the SS drip pan and faucets when complete. I probably went waaaaay overboard with the venting, but what the hell. Better to be safe than sorry. Here are some pics. :mug: Is it possible for this thing to overheat? Any feedback would be great. I really don't want to install fans if I don't have to.

Nice build! I'm sorta all thumbs when it comes to doing anything handy but I will be attempting a build like this in the near future. I just had a few questions -

1) What kind of screws did you use to assemble the base and frame?
2) What did you use to attach the pine to the the frame? (Post #6 in this thread)? What size are those pine planks?
3) Looking at the last picture in post #5, did you construct the frame so that the top of the frame would be level with the top of the lid of the freezer? Or so that the lid sticks out above the frame a few inches?
4) What did you use to attach the vertical trim logs to the frame?

Thanks for the time!
 
Thanks for the compliment. Here are a few answers to your questions:

1) What kind of screws did you use to assemble the base and frame?

I used 2 1/2" wood screws

2) What did you use to attach the pine to the the frame? (Post #6 in this thread)? What size are those pine planks?

I used liquid nails on the back and 1 1/2" finish nails on the edges, which are hidden by the corner log trims. I used a much smaller profile and thinner knotty pine for this project compared to the rest of the basement. I purchased the knotty pine at Home Depot and I believe it is 3" wide T&G and 3/16" thick. It comes in 8 ft. long pieces and is packaged with a total of 6 pieces per package. It's around $16 per package. It certainly doesn't have as much character as the 6" wide 3/4" thick knotty pine that I used for my bar and walls, but I wanted something much lighter and thinner for this appliation.

3) Looking at the last picture in post #5, did you construct the frame so that the top of the frame would be level with the top of the lid of the freezer? Or so that the lid sticks out above the frame a few inches?

I made the frame height fall about 1" below the height of the freezer lid and then, obviously, the horizontal trims on the lid hide the gap.

4) What did you use to attach the vertical trim logs to the frame?

I used 3 1/2" wood screws through the 2x4's from behind to secure the logs to the corners. I did this so that there wouldn't be any screws or nails through the face of the logs. I believe that I used liquid nails on the 2x4 corners as well for extra hold.

Thanks for the time![/QUOTE]

No Problem, if you have ANY questions along the way...I would be more than happy to help. I can't wait to see your build, so make sure you chronicle it on a thread. Good luck!

:mug:
 
I thought about covering the sides with Formica but that was just too much of a granite look. It would look alright on the top but not so much the sides. I would use maple but it's bucks. I'm not to worried about it. I'm 33 and my friend are pretty reasonable, although the last time we all got together I ended up getting 8 stitches in my left index finger from a broken beer bottle. :rockin:
 
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