MN Kegerator Build Log
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collinsDPT
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That is completely badass. Thanks for the updates!!
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Awesome work! Looks like it is going to turn out awesome. I especially like the custom paint job!
My only thought was that with tall tap handles you may have an issue with opening the freezer door....but that is manageable.
Great work! Say hello next time you make it down to Midwest. We recently converted a stand-up freezer into a keezer for the back office, but nowhere near as decked out as yours.
My only thought was that with tall tap handles you may have an issue with opening the freezer door....but that is manageable.
Great work! Say hello next time you make it down to Midwest. We recently converted a stand-up freezer into a keezer for the back office, but nowhere near as decked out as yours.
Operational!
After crossing my fingers, the old fridge made it down to an icy cold temperature- taking almost an entire 24 hrs to get there! I hacked together a line with some misc fittings and have my first beer on tap!
Still to do: Arrange gas manifold, lines, and fittings so I can have more than 1 beer on;
Make and mount carbon drip tray surround;
Finish trim around ss backsplash (as soon as the damn hardware store gets more in stock)
Brew more beer! (tap #2 is bubbling away right now in primary)
After crossing my fingers, the old fridge made it down to an icy cold temperature- taking almost an entire 24 hrs to get there! I hacked together a line with some misc fittings and have my first beer on tap!
Still to do: Arrange gas manifold, lines, and fittings so I can have more than 1 beer on;
Make and mount carbon drip tray surround;
Finish trim around ss backsplash (as soon as the damn hardware store gets more in stock)
Brew more beer! (tap #2 is bubbling away right now in primary)
Thanks, bmeulebroeck! I'll be after some lines and flare fittings soon!
I thought about the handles, and without pinning the doors together I'll just stick with the shorties- The freezer will be used for cold food storage.
[ame]http://youtu.be/XPWiuk0nKw4[/ame]
My hacked-together beer line ended up around 14 feet with 2 different diameters and a bunch of odd fittings. It's a slow pour, but that's at around 9psi and can be balanced later.
You know it's cold when the faucet condenses on the first pour!
I thought about the handles, and without pinning the doors together I'll just stick with the shorties- The freezer will be used for cold food storage.
[ame]http://youtu.be/XPWiuk0nKw4[/ame]
My hacked-together beer line ended up around 14 feet with 2 different diameters and a bunch of odd fittings. It's a slow pour, but that's at around 9psi and can be balanced later.
You know it's cold when the faucet condenses on the first pour!
No time to get a lot of work done. The update is that the hardware store finally got more trim pieces in stock, so I was able to trim out the backsplash tile.
The IPA is a dogfish clone, and the first time I'm attempting a dryhop in a keg. I have a stainless dip tube filter, and just tossed 2 oz of hops right in before racking from primary. I hope it doesn't clog!
The drip tray project is still waiting for me. Summertime is proving to be too much fun with weekend camping trips and family vacations keeping me from being bored enough to play with epoxy in the garage. I plan to mold the tray surround from MDF or ply and skin it with some carbon fiber left over from a separate project. I'll mount it to the fridge door with 6" steel 'L' brackets. Instead of conventionally fitting it to the outside of the door, I'll mount the bracket through the door so it is attached to the inside where it won't be seen. Some measurements are all the progress I've made thus far- it just needs a few hours of solid work.
The IPA is a dogfish clone, and the first time I'm attempting a dryhop in a keg. I have a stainless dip tube filter, and just tossed 2 oz of hops right in before racking from primary. I hope it doesn't clog!
The drip tray project is still waiting for me. Summertime is proving to be too much fun with weekend camping trips and family vacations keeping me from being bored enough to play with epoxy in the garage. I plan to mold the tray surround from MDF or ply and skin it with some carbon fiber left over from a separate project. I'll mount it to the fridge door with 6" steel 'L' brackets. Instead of conventionally fitting it to the outside of the door, I'll mount the bracket through the door so it is attached to the inside where it won't be seen. Some measurements are all the progress I've made thus far- it just needs a few hours of solid work.
ja09
Well-Known Member
Care to share which big-box store it was?
Care to share which big-box store it was?
Menards. Love that place.
I set out to finish the drip tray. It's a plywood tray surround covered with a couple layers of carbon fiber to make it look purdy. I've used the carbon for a couple of other projects- It's fairly easy to work with as long as you have a handle on the epoxy instructions.
user 78027
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Totally Awesome, I am currently handicapped and can't build my keezer I was given for my last birthday, My SWMBO also can't stand all the bottles laying around 
.
I really like the tiled look and the drip tray. You would never know it is an 80's refrigerator.
Inspirational for sure.
.I really like the tiled look and the drip tray. You would never know it is an 80's refrigerator.
Inspirational for sure.
fifthcircle
Well-Known Member
Love that CF drip tray!
Where do you buy your CF supplies?
Where do you buy your CF supplies?
ja09
Well-Known Member
Do you know what your casters are rated for? I was looking at some with a 300lb rating that look similar to yours, but didn't think that's enough with a few full kegs.
Casters are rated at 175# each. The fridge rolls fine with 4 filled kegs, a bunch of bottles, and a freezer of food. I have no idea if they'll hold up over time. I had considered using all-steel shop casters, but just went with rubber ones instead. I know you don't want to operate them at their rated capacity, but i figured it would be difficult to ever get close to more than 700lbs!
The carbon is 6 oz 2x2 twill that I bought in a bulk roll on eBay. 6 oz is light enough to drape well into curves, though you need a few layers to give a uniform coverage without bleed- through of whatever's underneath. The twill weave is what gives it the distinctive diagonal zig-zag pattern.
I used system three silvertip epoxy resin that I bought in person from their composites distributor warehouse when I lived in Seattle. It sets up completely clear and is easy to mix by weight.
I used system three silvertip epoxy resin that I bought in person from their composites distributor warehouse when I lived in Seattle. It sets up completely clear and is easy to mix by weight.
Long time to leave this thread, but I realized that I had finished the build and not posted photos.
-Made an aluminum bracket to mount CO2 bottle to the side.
-Ran a second regulated gas line to have charged water or soda at a higher PSI.
-Split the Primary gas line with a wye fitting at the regulator so I have an accessory gas port on the outside for purging kegs/fermentors/etc. Very handy.
-Added a Sankey tap on MFL fittings so I can swap in commercial kegs during the winter brewing hiatus.
-Made all beer lines minimum 10' of 1/4" tubing. The cheap vinyl stuff.
-Made an aluminum bracket to mount CO2 bottle to the side.
-Ran a second regulated gas line to have charged water or soda at a higher PSI.
-Split the Primary gas line with a wye fitting at the regulator so I have an accessory gas port on the outside for purging kegs/fermentors/etc. Very handy.
-Added a Sankey tap on MFL fittings so I can swap in commercial kegs during the winter brewing hiatus.
-Made all beer lines minimum 10' of 1/4" tubing. The cheap vinyl stuff.
As it sits today in the garage:
(purchased the black butte, but brewed the others)
I can officially call it 'finished' though I do have an idea floating around for some sort of security/safety control. The kids are going to get tall enough to reach the handles in a couple years, and then in a few more years old enough to realize what beer is. I still want the ease of pulling a pint without unlocking anything, though. The current thought involves actuated ball valves on the beer lines inside the door, with an arduino and fingerprint reader. I've never seen anyone attempt it that way before, but I have a fingerprint gun safe that is fast and amazing, and It would be cool to have the same functionality on the kegerator. Still haven't worked out the details, but someday.
(purchased the black butte, but brewed the others)
I can officially call it 'finished' though I do have an idea floating around for some sort of security/safety control. The kids are going to get tall enough to reach the handles in a couple years, and then in a few more years old enough to realize what beer is. I still want the ease of pulling a pint without unlocking anything, though. The current thought involves actuated ball valves on the beer lines inside the door, with an arduino and fingerprint reader. I've never seen anyone attempt it that way before, but I have a fingerprint gun safe that is fast and amazing, and It would be cool to have the same functionality on the kegerator. Still haven't worked out the details, but someday.
I just finished my electric BIAB build. So, if you ever want to brew in the winter just shoot me a line. I brew in my garage with my current setup. It's heated any all that...so it's very comfortable in the winter.
Really like the kegerator. Looks really good. I just finished my Keezer build a few weeks ago. But haven't had time to fill it with beer yet. Hope to change that this week.
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