Knotty Pine and Cedar Log Keezer Build

[Jota21]

In this application, the benefit of the cement board would be more in that it wont suck the moisture out of the thin-set like wood would.... both should work fine though. Plywood probably wouldn't warp too much.

With either cement board or wood, it's a good idea to moisten the material slightly prior to spreading the adhesive.

 

[OatStraw]

Thanks guys! Guess a few more pounds wouldn't hurt.

 

[tattooman]

Wow !
The whole place is coming together! it really looks good, you did a great job! :rockin:

 

[Hoppopotomus]

Sorry guys....it's been a few days since I have been on.

Oatstraw: Yes I did use cement board over the 3/4" plywood. I treated this application just like I would for tiling over a plywood subfloor. I used 1/4" cement board and attached it with mortar (1/4" notched trowel) and RockOn screws every 6 to 8 inches over the entire field. This is what give the rigidity to the subsurface, so there is no risk of cracking your tiles/grout lines/ etc. It also helps to create a moisture proof barrier as indicated by Jota21. Just like Jeebas said, for an extra 10 bucks, I would rather have the piece of mind knowing that my tile and or grout lines aren't going to crack.

Tatooman: Thanks for the compliment! Sometime we need to arrange a brew day together. You have turned into a brewing machine my man!

 

[joenads]

Hoppo, I have a question about your liquid lines. I was able to pick up on craigslist 3 cornies, a dual guage dual regulator, and a full 10# co2 tank for $145, so I have been researching the rest of what I need to get the kegs running. (have yet to get a chest freezer though...) I found a post about people concerned/complaining about a vinyl/plasticy taste on their first 2 ounces or so when the beer sits in the line for a day or two. Do you notice any of that with your liquid lines?

 

[Hoppopotomus]

Hey Joenads....absolutely no problems with what you are describing. I think that one issue with this problem stems from the fact that some people purchase clear vinyl tubing/hose from places like Lowe's or HD, which is not foodgrade material. The acidity of the beer sitting in the lines over time can leach the off flavors of the vinyl hose if it's not food grade. My lines came from www.kegconnection.com and they are foodgrade tasteless and odorless lines specifically for beer systems. Here is the description of their product copied from their website:

3/16 ID X 7/16 ID Beer Line Hose. American Made, dual layered, tasteless and oderless hose for superior beer dispensing. 3/16 hose gives you the proper restriction for beer dispensing without the foam. 5' of this hose is recommended per beer line. This is commercial quality, American Made hose. This hose is twice the thickness of some hoses offered by other companies. Sold by the foot.

I remember reading a study that someone on HBT conducted by leaving water in various compositions of tubing from many sources for various periods of time and at different temperatures to see which ones created off flavors. The generic clear vinyl tubing and several others for that matter created off flavors, while the foodgrade BevEx lines that KC sells leached very little. Again, I have had no issues with my system and I have had beer sitting in some of the lines of my less popular beers for upwards of a couple of weeks at a time. Hope this helps.

 

[evwoller]

Wow, have to say jealousy does not begin to describe what I am feeling. Recently had to put several projects on hold due to a recent theft.

When i was reading through I noticed you used inline (bathroom evac?) fans. Also you mentioned something about 80mm PC case fans and were wondering about how to possibly wire them.

Probably beating a dead horse as it no longer matters but the easy solution is finding an old cell phone charger that is somewhere between 5-12v and wiring them to that. You could probably even use a 15v one as well if the mA output is appropriately low enough.

I used an old PC fan, magnets from some old crashed hard drives, and a cellphone charger, as the main components from my handy little DIY stirplate.

On another note when can I come over and stress test your tap handles for you?

 

[Hoppopotomus]

Sorry to hear about the thefts....that sucks!

I used 110v, 80 cfm, 4" inline Inductor fans for my coffin intake and exhaust. They are designed as booster fans for HVAC applications to install inline in existing ductwork to boost airflow. Since they were not DC, rather AC, they were really simple to wire. I used a 14 guage extension cord to wire them both to, which is plugged into a 110v outlet controlled by my Love Temp. Controller. I'm not sure where you read about me using DC computer fans, because that was never my intent....I wanted to maximize airflow. I imagine that somewhere along the line in this ridiculously long thread, multiple people had suggested using them, but I had planned on using the Inductor fans the entire time. I purchased the fans at www.homedepot.com for something like $15 each, which was 1/2 of the price of them in the store. Now that I think about it, I think that they price matched it in the store, but were reluctant, because they felt that the on-line price was not accurate. I checked a while back and they are still $15 each.....they are $28 in the store, so order on-line!

 

[evwoller]

Well maybe it wasn't you and perhaps it was another poster. Either way it is still an excellent idea considering PC fans are meant for use in applications where they may be on for hours or even days at a time, they are super cheap (usually people have a couple sitting in a computer they don't use), they are usually whisper quiet when mounted substantially, and offer similar flow rates.

I have another wiring question actually however. Are you running multiple cords out of the back or do you have a single cord out the back and some sort of splitter mounted within?

 

[Hoppopotomus]

I didn't realize that the pc fans could move a similar volume of air. Your right....I have 3 old computer towers in the storage room of my basement. The Inductor fans that I used are pretty quite, but I suspect they are louder than pc fans. I sound proofed my coffin, so you can here a subtle hum when they kick on, but nothing offensive. OK...onto your question:

I don't recall if there is a picture of the back of my keezer or not. Basically what I did was install 3 electrical outlets mounted on the back of the keezer cabinet. I have one power cord (a cut 12 guage extension cord) that plugs into the wall outlet behind the keezer, which is a dedicated 20 amp. outlet. That cord feeds power to the Johnson Love Controller. I have a TSS2 controller, which is a Dual Input/Dual Output controller, meaning it has two seperate temperature probes and can supply controlled power for two seperate applications.

Channel #1 off of the Love controller is wired to the first outlet mounted on the back of the cabinet and it's temp. probe is inside of the freezer compartment. Channel #1 controls the temperature control for the freezer compressor itself, so the freezer plugs into that first outlet.

Channel #2 off of the Love controller is wired to my second outlet on the back of the cabinet and it's temp. probe is located inside of the coffin.
Channel #2 provides the temp. controll for the coffin and the two Inductor fans are wired together into another cut extension cord. This extension cord plugs into the second outlet.

Here's where it got a little tricky. I have LED lights, so I installed a light switch on the side of my keezer. I used another cut extension cord to provide power to the light switch. This cord plugs into the wall electrical outlet behind the keezer along with the cord that supplies the Love controller's power. I then wired the switch to the third outlet on the back of the cabinet to provide a switched outlet. My LED strip plugs into the third outlet on the back of the keezer, so I can turn them on with the installed switch.

So basically, I have two power cords plugged into the wall behind the keezer, one for the Love controller, which controls two seperate outlets.... one for the freezer compressor and one for the coffin fans to plug into. The other provides power to the switch, which controls the outlet in which my LED lights are plugged into.

Make sense, or do I have you totally confused now? Let me know if you need some pics. and I'll try to hunt them down.

 

[ASublimeDay]

Just read through this entire thread. This may be the greatest thing I've ever seen related to brewing. You, sir, inspire me to be a better brewer.

 

[Hoppopotomus]

I appreciate the compliment, but lets not get too carried away there big fella! I'm just a guy with a few tools, widdling away at some logs. Look around the DIY threads some more and you will find a lot of builds that put mine to shame. I may have one of the more creative builds, but it's a far cry from the quality of work that some of these guys knock out.

 

[2BeerSpeer]

Completely Awesome!

 

[joenads]

I also need a keezer....I just got off craigslist 3 cornies, a full 10# CO2 tank, and a dual gauge, dual regulator for $145. Ordered the rest of the needed hardware and taps to start a 4 tap keezer but I am still waiting for the right chest freezer to pop up on craigslist. Currently, I have kegged and carbing a IIPA in my garage fridge with a picnic tap...

 

[ASublimeDay]

I also need a keezer....I just got off craigslist 3 cornies, a full 10# CO2 tank, and a dual gauge, dual regulator for $145. Ordered the rest of the needed hardware and taps to start a 4 tap keezer but I am still waiting for the right chest freezer to pop up on craigslist. Currently, I have kegged and carbing a IIPA in my garage fridge with a picnic tap...

Wow thats a lucky find! I checked craigslist for two months before giving in and buying from a retailer. Good luck with the keezer!

 

[Hoppopotomus]

I also need a keezer....I just got off craigslist 3 cornies, a full 10# CO2 tank, and a dual gauge, dual regulator for $145. Ordered the rest of the needed hardware and taps to start a 4 tap keezer but I am still waiting for the right chest freezer to pop up on craigslist. Currently, I have kegged and carbing a IIPA in my garage fridge with a picnic tap...

Sounds like you are well on your way......$145 is a great deal. Did it come with the 3 way manifold? You will need a 3 way manifold off of one of the regulator bodies to accommodate 4 kegs. Also, are you housing the 10# CO2 tank inside or outside of the keezer? If inside, you will certainly need a larger freezer than I used (7 cu ft) or at least a substantial collar, so one of the cornies can sit on the hump.

Good luck and keep me posted on how it goes. If you have any questions, I'm happy to help the best I can.

 

[dficken]

Could you post a picture of the inside now that it is holding 4 kegs? I am just curious to see how everything sits. I am on the fence to see if this size freezer is good enough or if I should go up a step. Decisions, decisions...

 

[Hoppopotomus]

Here you go.....here's the pic. of the inside of the keezer with all 4 kegs and the 5lb. CO2 cylinder. Good timing on the request, because I needed to swap out kegs tonight anyway. I'm retiring my Cedar Infused IPA, which was average at best and replacing with a fresh keg of my Red "Rye".P.A. There is only about a gallon left of the Cedar IPA, so I may just dump it and move on. It was certainly drinkable, but I got carried away with the cedar tea that I topped the batch off with and it created a strong resin quality that was strange. I though about bottling the rest with my bottling wand and putting it in my cold storage room, but decided to just dump it and move on. As you can see, it's a tight squeeze inside of the keezer compartment, but works just fine. I plan on moving the CO2 cylinder and dual body regulator out of the keezer and into the adjacent pantry for direct access for adjustments without having to pull this beast out everytime I want to make adjustments.

 

[Hoppopotomus]

I plan on moving the CO2 outside of the keezer all together. One of my patients and now homebrewing maniac...."Tattooman" gave me a 10 lb. CO2 cylinder, so my plan is to move the CO2 and regulators out of the keezer and into the adjacent pantry. I plan on punching though the adjacent wall and running my gas lines behind the fridge, through the coffin, and down into the freezer compartment. I did a light sanding to the CO2 cylinder and then gave it several coats of stainless steel spray paint to clean it up. Still need to get it re-certified and filled, but I plan on getting to it in the very near future.

 

[dficken]

Thanks for posting the additional pics!

 

[joenads]

Sounds like you are well on your way......$145 is a great deal. Did it come with the 3 way manifold? You will need a 3 way manifold off of one of the regulator bodies to accommodate 4 kegs. Also, are you housing the 10# CO2 tank inside or outside of the keezer? If inside, you will certainly need a larger freezer than I used (7 cu ft) or at least a substantial collar, so one of the cornies can sit on the hump.

Good luck and keep me posted on how it goes. If you have any questions, I'm happy to help the best I can.

I usually don't brag about stuff, but I figured $145 was a pretty good deal and I wanted to gloat a little bit :cross:. It did not come with a manifold, I bought a new 4 way so I can have 4 kegs at serving preasure and 1 line open for options (not really sure what yet). I would like to keep everything inside the keezer, so like I said, Ive just been waiting for the right size, right priced chest freezer to come up on craigslist. But, im not opposed to getting a smaller on and putting a collar on it if the price is right.

 

[Hoppopotomus]

Good luck!

 

[Valk0001]

Just read your post on the keezer build...Very impressive project and results speak for themselves. I am jealous of several things, not having a basement and not doing something similar to the many fridges I have owned and just stuck stickers on the face along with a couple of faucets.

Very inspiring project.

 

[Hoppopotomus]

I appreciate the compliment. If you ever decide to move from a kegerator to a keezer, start a thread and ask lots of questions. We are all very happy to help out in anyway that we can. Thanks again!

 

[Hoppopotomus]

I have been planning on building a cedar log chalkboard to hang above the keezer, but kept putting it off. I finally decided to get my table saw out and rip down some logs for this project and for trim pieces on my rustic fermentation chambers. I used my draw knife to knife the bark off of the logs, then sanded, cut to size, and threw it together. After 4 coats of poly, it's almost done. Just need for it to dry, so I can install the chalkboard from behind and the hanging brackets.

 

[Hoppopotomus]

Final pics of the cedar log chalkboard for over the keezer. It's smaller than I wanted, but with this being the only size board that I could find, I just had to roll with it. I would have liked for it to be 12" or so wider, but it will do the trick. It's still a little bit tacky, so I didn't write the line up on it yet. To fill the space on either side of the chalkboard, I plan on making cedar log and deer antler wall sconces. Onto the next project.

 

[snccoulter]

Very good looking.

 

[Hoppopotomus]

Thanks for the compliment and sorry about the crappy picture quality. Not sure why the last one was blurry. I'm stopping by the office supply store tonight to get some chalk to write the lineup on it. Thanks again!

 

[snccoulter]

You have inspired me to build one similar. My wife's grandparents have a cabin at about 7,000 feet in elevation in the Sierra's near Shaver Lake, CA. that I care for when there is no snow. (About 4 months out of the year) I will have to start harvesting ceder limbs for the corners and tap handles. Now if I could just my wife's grandpa to bring his portable mill back up there I could do the whole thing in ceder for just my labor and gas to run the mill.

 

[Hoppopotomus]

Man, that sounds great! I would love to have something like that in my family and I would love to own a mill. My family owns a tiny little hunting cabin in Cadillac, MI that is literally a single room (20'x25') shack.....no indoor plumbing, no bathroom (just an outhouse), but it does have electricity. It has been in the family for more than 40 years and has never been renovated. Needless to say, it's a POS! We have been contemplating knocking it down and rebuilding something nicer, as it is on acreage and surrounded by the Manistee National Forest, close to the Pine River and Caberfae Ski Resort. The problem is that there are other distant relatives that have a small share of ownership, that refuse to invest in the property to bring it up to suitable living standards. My immediated family members (dad/brother) refuse to invest in the property to make it nice, as long as the distant relatives continue to have access to it. It has been a standoff for years now and it's a shame, because it could be built into something really nice.

Someday my goal is to own my own log cottage in NW Michigan, near Traverse City on one of the big lakes and not have to worry about other family members or distant relatives being involved. It was one of my main driving forces for opening my own businesses and working my a$$ off all of the time. Hopefully someday I can make it happen, but in the meantime I can enjoy my rustic cabin like basement. Good luck on your build and I look forward to following it. Let me know if I can help!