Knotty Pine and Cedar Log Keezer Build

[mwmoose152]

That looks sick. I am green with envy!!!

 

[Hoppopotomus]

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!

 

[Flomaster]

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=-

 

[shroomzofdoom]

Looking good Hop...I look at your bar and think that Fred Flintstone would look right at home drinking there.

 

[Hoppopotomus]

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. 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]

Thanks.....I guess? The Bedrock, pre-historic era wasn't exactly the look I was going for, but I'll take the compliment anyway.

Looking good Hop...I look at your bar and think that Fred Flintstone would look right at home drinking there.

 

[shroomzofdoom]

Thanks.....I guess? The Bedrock, pre-historic era wasn't exactly the look I was going for, but I'll take the compliment anyway.

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

I like it, very original look.

 

[Flomaster]

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. 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=-

 

[Hoppopotomus]

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!

 

[Flomaster]

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=-

 

[Hoppopotomus]

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.....

 

[mwmoose152]

Sleep when you're dead. I'm excited to see the final product...

 

[Hoppopotomus]

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.

 

[Hoppopotomus]

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? 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!

 

[stp]

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!

 

[BIGREDIOWAN]

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

 

[starrfish]

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

 

[starrfish]

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

 

[starrfish]

be glad you got the perlicks... will be up grading soon. experiencing 'sticky taps' and I don't like it!

 

[Butcher]

What are you thinking of for tap handles?

 

[Kegerator]

Awesome!!!

 

[-TH-]

Very nice work. I love it. If you weren't accross the state I would drive over to see it in person!

 

[g8tor]

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

Scott

 

[Hoppopotomus]

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.

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!

 

[Hoppopotomus]

Thanks Big Red. I'm trying to figure out the whole kegging thing as well. Good luck with your kegerator build.

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

 

[Hoppopotomus]

Thanks Starrfish! BTW....Who's Bo???? 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.

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

 

[Hoppopotomus]

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?

 

[Gridlocked]

Pics of deer or you bought the antlers.

 

[Hoppopotomus]

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.

Very nice work. I love it. If you weren't accross the state I would drive over to see it in person!

 

[Hoppopotomus]

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.

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

Scott