Sizing your Chest Freezer for Corny Kegs

[Spyksman]

Building my 25qf and just put 15 korneys in it. They fit fine and a little room to spare. I will post pics when i get them.:rockin:

 

[trent]

Just using picnic taps until I can put a collar on it.

Damn, I really wanted to avoid the collar, but I like this 4 on the floor business.

 

[Irrenarzt]

A collar is worth your time and effort to build.

I'm just sayin'

 

[trent]

A collar is worth your time and effort to build.

I'm just sayin'

I realize this and I know its an easy build. I just don't need another project at this moment.

 

[cinderbike]

Do they still make the "old" Holiday 5.0? I was at Lowe's the other day and saw one, but the compressor hump takes up the side instead of a corner, meaning 2 kegs vs. 3.

 

[IffyG]

Do they still make the "old" Holiday 5.0? I was at Lowe's the other day and saw one, but the compressor hump takes up the side instead of a corner, meaning 2 kegs vs. 3.

No. You'd have to find one on CL... I was initially going to get the 'old' Holiday 5.0 and ended up with the 7.0.

 

[SkiNuke]

Is that first one in the list the same as the one in the link?

http://www.samsclub.com/sams/shop/product.jsp?productId=145054

Also could I fit 3 pin lock (slightly more than 9 inches diameter) kegs into that freezer? I'd like to find a small freezer that can fit 3 pin lock, but it sounds like that might be harder to come by.

I guess the best question is, what is the cheapest/smallest freezer that can fit 3 pin lock kegs into?

 

[SkiNuke]

Well as a follow to my post...

I went to Lowes and Home Depot to look at their chest freezers. Lowes had the 5 cu ft Holiday chest freezer while Home Depot had the GE 5 cu ft chest freezer. These models are identical, the internal dimensions are exactly the same (including the hump). The only difference is that the GE one was 20 bucks more expensive.

Anyways, I believe you should be able to fit 2 pin lock kegs without a collar, if you cram them in, it looks like it would be a pretty tight fit. If you build a collar, it looks like you will be able to fit 3 pin lock kegs (with the two on the floor being crammed in), so 3 ball locks will fit nicely with a collar.

It seems that the best setup if you have pin locks and want to fit 3 in this thing is to build a collar as well as a stand. So you would basically extend the hump across the entirety of the freezer. If you were to do this, you should be able to fit 3 pin locks fairly easily without having to cram them in. However, if you have ball locks you might be able to fit 4 with this method.

 

[Spyksman]

Here is my new 24 cu.ft. Keezer. 15 Korneys fit comfortably. Getting there.

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[cinderbike]

15 taps? Sweet.

 

[mtmeyer32]

First post!!! Great forum btw. As many before me, it all started by bumping into Jester's project via a google search. Now I am hooked and have been researching madly for the last 2 weeks. I have completed my design in sketchup, Jester was nice enough to share his sketchups with me as well, and the only thing I can't decide on is the right freezer.

As I don't brew my own beer (yet, probably gonna start next summer), the number of cornies I can fit is not really a concern to me. What I really want is to be able to fit 3 1/6 barrel without a collar. This will be the set up 90% of the time and then for parties I would like to be able to throw a 1/2 barrel of piss-beer for the masses and keep a 1/6 barrel of the good stuff in for myself also without adding a collar.

For ppl who hate reading: 3x 1/6 barrel or 1/2 barrel + 1/6 barrel no collar. Possible? Which freezer(s)?

 

[SkiNuke]

Well I just got a 7 cu ft Holiday freezer from Lowes (same as 7 cu ft GE freezer from HD) and I can fit 3 pin lock corny kegs without a collar. I did some quick research and found that a 1/6 barrel keg is 1/4 inch wider than a pin lock corny. I would bet that it would fit it for you. However, just to be safe, I would cut out 3 circles with the diameter you need and go pay a visit to your neighborhood HD/Lowes and check if the circles fit in the 7 cu ft GE/Holiday freezers.

 

[terrapinj]

Kenmore 6.9 from Sears

Will fit 2 ball lock on the floor + 1 20# co2 tank

can fit 2 more ball lock on the compressor hump but will need a collar

if you add a block on the floor to extend the hump you can fit 5 ball lock with a collar

interior dimensions:
total interior width is 24"
width of floor is 15" to the hump
hump is 9" wide
interior is 18" deep
height from floor to top interior is ~26.5"
hump is approx 8.25" tall

 

[mtmeyer32]

Thanks for the quick responses! I think fitting the 3 1/6 bbl will be the easy part, I am more concerned with fitting a 1/2 bbl + a 1/6 bbl.

I guess I could add a collar and put the 1/2 on the bottom and the 1/6 on the hump but I am really trying to avoid the collar. Has anyone seen a keezer with 1/2 and 1/6(or corny) without a collar?

 

[mtmeyer32]

Just found this thread, his pic looks like it might fit 1/2 + 1/6. Can anybody id the freezer? It looks old, does anybody know of freezers that have that "half" hump?

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/my-own-keezer-build-does-seem-right-174461/

Edit: Guess I should read the thread before I post, sorry got excited haha.

It says Wood's on the handle. WC Woods on the sticker inside. Model UWC10-ZL/E date is listed as 9506. R12 refrigerant

hope that helps

 

[DGibb]

Hi!

I got an older Gibson chest freezer off of Craigslist a month or so ago. It is working beautifully for freezing food, but I would like to turn it into storage for my beer!

It is the Gibson FH05M4DX 10.3 cubic foot freezer. The dimensions are as follows on the interior:
Hump - 18" x 11 1/2" x 19 1/2"
Deep - 18" x 26 1/2" x 29 1/2"

I have 9" paper plates, and it looked like I could fit five kegs easily in the bottom. Does anybody have any experience with this freezer? How many could I really fit? What are the logistics of having 5 kegs (with CO2 and regulators, and such)?

Thanks!

 

[barrooze]

Pin lock kegs are 9" in diameter and are larger in diameter than Ball lock kegs. If you can fit 5 plates on the floor, you would likely be able to fit 5 pin locks in there and put a 5# or 10# co2 tank and regs on the hump with no trouble and no collar. Just get a temp controller and you're good to to!

 

[DGibb]

Pin lock kegs are 9" in diameter and are larger in diameter than Ball lock kegs. If you can fit 5 plates on the floor, you would likely be able to fit 5 pin locks in there and put a 5# or 10# co2 tank and regs on the hump with no trouble and no collar. Just get a temp controller and you're good to to!

Are you saying just use picnic taps and keep it all inside? If not, how would you build the taps?

 

[barrooze]

That's one option. Another is using a couple towers or a coffin. Or go ahead and make a collar. The best part of DIY is you can do anything you want!

 

[DGibb]

That's definitely true. If I can go picnic for now and upgrade to a coffin later, that might be the way to go.

Thanks for the advice!

 

[mtmeyer32]

Here is the freezer I ended up going with. The small cylinders are 9 1/4" and the large cylinder is the size of a 1/2 barrel.

It is a 10.6 cu ft Sunbeam I got at Menards. Took the display model for $229.

You could definitely fit a 4th corny or 1/6 barrel in the bottom pic I just didnt have another template.

 

[mmonacel]

Adding another one to the list.
Maytag 14.8
Model # MQC1552TEW
Internet # 202867507
Store SO SKU # 624458

Fits 9 ball locks on the floor comfortably and a 5# bottle on the corner hump. Easy to tweak the thermostat so you don't need a controller for keezer use. It retails for $399 at Home Depot at the moment, but I ordered a 10% off Lowes coupon from eBay to use (HD will accept them) and got it down to about $385 after tax which is nice. It's an Energy Star appliance as well so it runs pretty cheap and you might even get a tax break!

EDIT: Looks like there's an "internet sale" on this right now for $359. Note that they also have free shipping and installation so you don't need to haul the thing down to your basement as well as free removal of your old appliance. You might need to call your local store to arrange this. Even though it's relatively light when empty, I highly suggest letting someone else do the work...

 

[cossacks19]

Does anyone have an idea what size of freezer I would need to fit two 6.5 carboys?

 

[barrooze]

Does anyone have an idea what size of freezer I would need to fit two 6.5 carboys?

I know they'd fit in a Magic Chef 7.2 cu. ft. freezer, especially if you built a stand to continue the humps height across the entire bottom.

 

[cossacks19]

Awesome thanks I'll have to look for one cheap.

 

[two_hearted]

I guess the best question is, what is the cheapest/smallest freezer that can fit 3 pin lock kegs into?

I too, am wondering this.

 

[OatStraw]

Going to purchase the Sam's Club GE 7.0 CU Ft tonight. Does anyone know if this will still fit 4 on the floor? I know it was covered in the first 2 pages, but seems like the dimmensions on a lot of these change every year.

http://www.samsclub.com/sams/shop/product.jsp?productId=145055

 

[rwagner23]

mmonacel, quick question. It says five sided coils. Does this mean there are coils on the top? I was actually looking to purchase this exact model sometime in early 2012.

 

[scotched]

Originally Posted by SkiNuke
I guess the best question is, what is the cheapest/smallest freezer that can fit 3 pin lock kegs into?

I too, am wondering this.

Check my post #341. I have a 7 cu/ft Woods freezer that fits 3-pinlocks and I recently found that a 20lb co2 tank will fit inside as well. However, it is an extremely tight fit with the tank.

I think ~7.2cu/ft is the minimum you need to fit 3 pin-locks. My 20lb tank has a smaller diameter than my pin-locks. If the tank had a 9" diameter, it would not fit.

 

[two_hearted]

Originally Posted by SkiNuke
I guess the best question is, what is the cheapest/smallest freezer that can fit 3 pin lock kegs into?



Check my post #341. I have a 7 cu/ft Woods freezer that fits 3-pinlocks and I recently found that a 20lb co2 tank will fit inside as well. However, it is an extremely tight fit with the tank.

I think ~7.2cu/ft is the minimum you need to fit 3 pin-locks. My 20lb tank has a smaller diameter than my pin-locks. If the tank had a 9" diameter, it would not fit.

Thanks for the info!