Wow this is a beautiful build. I am curious, why did you want to add the collar to the Keezer?
Looking forward to seeing the finished build.
Looking forward to seeing the finished build.
My Keezer - The Documentary
- Thread starter t3e871
- Start date
Help Support Homebrew Talk:
2 Reasons really...I wanted to add a little more head space to fit a 10# CO2 bottle (on the compressor shelf) and I also couldn't bring myself to cut up the lid of the brand new freezer. If this design turns out to be problematic, I can try again with the original lid.
SuburbanBrewer
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 11, 2011
- Messages
- 79
- Reaction score
- 17
This thing rocks man! A total inspiration! I currently have a fridge with holes in the door sitting in the garage, but one day I want a piece of furniture I can display in the house, and this will be my model to go by. Keep up the good work and great pictures!
Thank you for the information, deffinitely giving me good ideas for when i start one of these.
Your keezer is certainly a thing of beauty.
![Craft A Brew - Safale S-04 Dry Yeast - Fermentis - English Ale Dry Yeast - For English and American Ales and Hard Apple Ciders - Ingredients for Home Brewing - Beer Making Supplies - [1 Pack]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41fVGNh6JfL._SL500_.jpg)
I then switched gears and started the hard work...sanding! I used a random orbit sander and a lot of hand sanding. I went over all wood with 150 grit and then 180 grit. I also rounded over the top edges with a 3/16" roundover bit in a small router. I eased the rest of the edges slightly with the 180 sandpaper.
Today was a 2-beer day with a lot of sanding and finishing up on the small parts. This brown ale had zest of orange and cold brewed coffe added to the secondary. Its a nice combination giving a nose of orange before sipping and a taste of coffee in the end. This may be my first beer I enter into the AHA competition.
It was a perfect day to set up my "spray booth" outside and start finishing the parts. I sprayed about 6-7 coats of BullsEye amber shellac, thinned 3/2 with denatured alcohol. I sanded with 400g between every other coat and wiped down with a rag. Shellac is not the best finish for a bar top since it thins with alcohol, but I love the hue it puts on dark walnut and mahogany. I plan to put a final coat of laquer on top after the shellac fully cures in a week or so so a spilled beer won't eat through the shellac.
I started playing with the LEDs while waiting between coats.
I started playing with the LEDs while waiting between coats.
I mounted the lights under the taps and made a small mistake. I'll explain later...first look at this stuff called Bondera? It is a SUPER STICKY sheeting that is made to replace mortar when laying tile. I tried it out on the backsplash and so far it is holding up nicely.
I first put the lights too close to the backsplash and once the tiles went on they covered the lights. When I tried to "unstick" and relocate the lights they broke at the seam.
I tested the drip tray location and it looks to be about 2 tile row back from the front edge.
I tested the drip tray location and it looks to be about 2 tile row back from the front edge.
I drilled the holes to pump air into the coffin and sealed the tube (shop vac hose) from the bathroom exhaust fan into the hole. I put the temp controller probe in a bottle of water on the compressor shelf, a second thermometer on the top of the keg and a third thermometer inside the coffin up near the shanks. I'm letting it cool now and will check the temps in at each location periodically.
RandyAB
Well-Known Member
Wow! Terrific job. How many hours in total do you have into that bad boy?
I'd say at least 60 hours in labor and about the same in research and design. But it has been pretty fun the whole time and I can't wait to get it done and in the house.
Overnight the freezer was set at 38F. This morning the temp controller was at 38F, the thermometer inside read 38F and the thermometer in the coffin read 47F at the shanks. I don't think this will be enough cooling inside the coffin, so tonight I plan to add more insulation to the coffin and seal more gap and retry.
Nice progress so far.
I've often wondered why everyone that builds a coffin-style keezer usually only puts two small holes to allow air to pass through. Wouldn't it be better to have the entire bottom of the coffin open to the freezer compartment, and then just drop a fan down below to push up air towards the opening?
I've often wondered why everyone that builds a coffin-style keezer usually only puts two small holes to allow air to pass through. Wouldn't it be better to have the entire bottom of the coffin open to the freezer compartment, and then just drop a fan down below to push up air towards the opening?
You may be right; I thought about mounting my fan on the lid (floor of the coffin), but then decided I would try to push the coldest air (at the bottom of the freezer) into the coffin. So I put the fan in the bottom of the freezer and pushed the air into the coffin via the shop vac hose.
My first test with the fan running constantly, left a differential of 9F between the temp controller reading (probe inside a bottle of water and sitting on the compressor shelf) and the coffin. I still need to insulate a few gaps in the coffin, that may help this.
My second test I wired the fan to the temp controller so it only pushed air when the compressor was running. This was really bad - temp controller reading 35F, coffin 53F!
My third test I put the shop vac hose a little further into the coffin (2") and wired the fan to run constantly - temp difference was the best so far! 35F on the temp controller and 43F in the coffin near the middle of the 4 shanks.
I believe after I add more insulation and seal the gaps I can get the temps even closer...but the problem I see is the hose directs the cold air onto a small are in the coffin - so the tap getting the direct air is coldest. I still may reverse this design and open it up like you suggest - this would also get my fan out of the bottom of the freezer and make more room.
Brickout
Well-Known Member
I would add two fans to the coffin, one bringing cold air in, and one blowing it out.
Beernip
Well-Known Member
You may want to hook up a tube so that the out intake is located at the top (heat rises). You may get a more uniform temp in the coffin that way.
Monster Mash
Well-Known Member
Is the wood against the sheet metal? If it is it won't allow the coils to cool properly and it will over heat and shorten the life of the freezer. If you put your hand on the skin of a working freezer you will feel that it is warm, this is what cools the refrigerant before it goes back into the compressor.
- Joined
- Mar 2, 2011
- Messages
- 414
- Reaction score
- 57
I am guessing here because my set up is different but I don't think you need a hose to pull up the lower colder air into the coffin. Just the air being sent back into the freezer from the coffin should be enough to stir up the air.
I cant tell from the pics but do you have a lot of dead space in the coffin or did you fill most of it up with insulation?
If you have a lot of dead space I would insulate the middle of the coffin below the shanks creating a lower case "n" shaped channel. With a fan mounted to the channel, it will pull the cold air up into the coffin, over the shanks and back down to the freezer. The channel diameter will also dictate the air flow rate.
I would not be too concerned with the temp at the shanks. Look more at the temp of the beer coming out of them and whether you are getting a lot of foam.
I cant tell from the pics but do you have a lot of dead space in the coffin or did you fill most of it up with insulation?
If you have a lot of dead space I would insulate the middle of the coffin below the shanks creating a lower case "n" shaped channel. With a fan mounted to the channel, it will pull the cold air up into the coffin, over the shanks and back down to the freezer. The channel diameter will also dictate the air flow rate.
I would not be too concerned with the temp at the shanks. Look more at the temp of the beer coming out of them and whether you are getting a lot of foam.
TheBusterBrew
Member
Amazing build! Thanks for sharing the details on the entire build. Truly inspirational. I can't wait to build my next keezer. If only I could make a living out of keezer builds...
I'm not following you...you mean put the fan inside the coffin?
A lot of the keezers on this forum have these LEDs from Amazon, $36 for the package that includes 16' of lights, the power supply, remote.
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Changing-LED-Strip-Controller-Ledwholesalers/dp/B0040FJ27S/ref=acc_glance_hi_ai_ps_t_4
Last edited by a moderator:
No the wood skirt is 2" from the sides of the freezer and I believe the manual called for a 3" clearance. I put some small fans on each side of the base to help remove some of the heat from the gap. Currently it's running in my garage that is around 50-60F and it doesn't seem to get too hot. When I bring it inside we'll have to see how it goes.
I insulated each interior wall of the coffin with 3/4" sheet foam and a double sheet on the shanks, so I do have a lot of dead space. Tonight I filled the small gaps with that spray foam and was getting 37F in the freezer and 43F in the coffin....I think I will make that N shape and direct the air around the shanks and maybe double up on the rest of the insulation as well.
I tested a few lengths of 3/16" beer line starting with 15' at 12PSI. That was too long and I only got a trickle at the tap. The I removed a pic nic tap from a 4' length of 3/16" beer line and tried that at 10PSI...way too strong and all foam.
By the time I tested the 8' and 10' lengths I was almost drunk and still getting too much foam on all but the 8' at 10PSI.
I'm trying to figure out how much 3/16" beer line to use to eliminate foam and I'm remembering why I dismantled my lest beer fridge and sold all of my kegs a few years ago...I was always dicking with the pressures and was never happy with the results.
