My 6 tap mini fridge kegerator build

[Supergrump]

I'm planning on doing exactly what you have here. I've gone through 2 keezers and managed to kill them both by drilling into the interior wall in order to mount the gas manifold. After 2 keezers dying a slow death (about 2 years each time before the died) I've learned my lesson to never pierce the interior wall of a freezer, but I'm also sick of custom building a cabinet around a freezer just to do it all over in 2 years.

I thought if I build an insulated chamber within an attractive cabinet and chill it with a mini fridge, just as you have, I can just swap out the fridge if it ever breaks without having to rebuild a cabinet each time. I want it to be a coffin kegorator so I also like the idea of front-loading without having to pull the cabinet away from the wall each time I want to open the lid. I'm sad to hear that you've had trouble achieving your temperature... it's making me rethink the whole project. I've seen many fermentation chambers built this way without complaints about the temperature but maybe they aren't trying to achieve anything below 40.

I still plan to try it. Maybe your problem is lack of heat dissipation as others have mentioned. I plan to add some air circulation around the fridge to remove heat. I'll also keep it in the basement which doesn't ever get too hot so ambient temperature won't stress the system. Just need to get a fridge off of CL. Watching for deals...

 

[rebel_scum]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aspp1r0tS4

I love it!!!! Wish I could incorporate that into my sig lol!


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[Carlscan26]

Check out post 15 of this thread:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/frigidaire-frt03cngw-full-dismantle-move-guts-new-chamber-317662/

Similar symptoms, etc.



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[rebel_scum]

That is pretty extensive! Not sure if I am wanting to take something of that magnitude on- and the keezer is coming along nicely right now. I didn't take a bunch of pics but here are a few- it's pretty much a direct descendent of jester's build I am sure you have all seen with a couple of mods:

First the cage, I added some airspace around the front and sides for ventilation:





The coffin- I ran the STC from the middle of the tap board and put an outlet on the back:





Top and coffin done and working correctly:





Hooked up my dunkel to a picnic tap. Then got pretty drunk on it and found this the next morning:



(The picnic tap had a slight leak I failed to notice... that's about 4 gallons of pretty good dunkel on the freezer floor )

Side panels built and dry fitted:





Mounted the sides and front, trim attached:









All lit up! Working like a champ, I hooked up my blueberry hefe and it is pouring nicely-

 

[number40fan]

Nice! That looks really good.

 

[Carlscan26]

I didn't mean to suggest that you should take your mini fridge apart - just reinforcing the idea that if you give it some breathing room it should work fine for a kegerator and you can sell it as such.

Nice work on the keezer!


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[Dan]

Work of art !

 

[Weezy]

The wall outlet with USB ports for 12V power is genius

 

[NathPowe]

Looking good man - you do nice work. Sorry to hear about the Dunkel. Damn picnic taps strike again.

Cheers.

 

[rebel_scum]

Thanks all!


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