Here's my version of a Keezer. Before starting the build I spent several weeks sifting through all the various keezer build write-ups here and elsewhere on the the web and selected the features that made the most sense to me. A couple of things I've put my own spin on but you won't see anything radically different than other designs, I like to think this is a sort of "greatest hits" version.
After much soul searching I decided 3 kegs would be plenty for me and that a 7 cubic foot freezer was the way to go. This prompted me to purchase a GE FCM7SUWW chest freezer, this particular model has gotten several good reviews and has been used in a lot of other Keezer builds. I bought mine online from Wally World using their free "ship to store" option, of course it had dents in it when it arrived, but none bad enough to send it back.
First thing I made was a roll around base, it's just a basic 2X4 base with some cheap Harbor Freight wheels. I put a 1x6 pine board skirt around the base to keep the Keezer from potentially sliding off, it overlaps the bottom of the Keezer 1 inch to allow access to the drain plug.
Next I put together the Keezer collar out of the same 1x6 pine I made the skirt out of. I drilled 3 holes for the taps; they are 6 inches apart and centered on the collar; no reason particularly, just an artistic choice. Some folks make their collars out of pretty oak or maple, I'm just not a good enough carpenter to risk ruining $50 worth of wood, that and I knew I'd probably be painting the collar so no need for added expense.
I used my Kreg jig for a simple butt joint construction using Gorilla wood glue and 3 screws per corner. I don't think it's coming apart any time soon. Using the Kreg jig I had it together in like 5 minutes.
I decided that I needed to attach the collar to the freezer with more than just "liquid nail". So I modified some Stanley 4 hole brackets with my angle grinder and flush mounted them on the bottom corners which lets me put a screw in each corner to connect the wood collar to the plastic frame on the freezer.
Here's the Keezer switch box I put together. Went with the usual STC-1000 two stage controller ( one that controls both cooling and heat ). The controller was $18 shipped from China, the various connectors were about $10 at Lowes and the case came from my junk box. I used 12 gauge solid wire to handle the freezer's start up current/amperage.
I had to get creative with a drill and some hand files to make a hole to fit the controller into the case.
The switch box mounts on the back of the Keezer using the original hinge screw holes, that way I don't have to put any additional holes in the side which might puncture a coolant line.
The blue foam insulation is attached to the collar using Gorilla wood glue and then a bead of silicone caulk around all edges to seal any air leaks. This foam is rated R3 for a single thickness, added to whatever the R value of the wood is a single thickness seems to be plenty of insulation. The only part of the keezer losing cold is the the taps/shanks, I'm getting a bit of condensation on the taps on humid days, if I were to do it again I probably would go with shorter shanks.
Here's a couple of tips for working with this insulation: it comes with a clear plastic coating on one side, remove that plastic before trying to cut it. It's nearly impossible to get a clean cut otherwise. Once you have it cut to approximate size you can use sandpaper to smooth the cut ends, doesn't improve the function any but looks a lot nicer.
This is a clever idea someone came up with to keep the CO2 tank from falling over inside the Keezer. The CO2 tank is kind of top heavy ( especially with a dual regulator setup ) and can tip over quite easily, potentially damaging the regulators and whatever else it falls over onto.
Typically the CO2 tank sits on the freezer "hump" because it is shorter than the kegs, so someone thought to attach an empty paint can to a board that fits on the hump. The tank fits nicely in the paint can and doesn't fall over. This setup is like $5 for an empty paint can, a scrap piece of wood,3 or 4 screws and some paint. I glued the board down to the hump for added safety.
I also attached an air circulation fan to the hump board. This is a simple PC fan running off a 12V power lump. The idea being that by moving the cold air inside the Keezer the beer temperature is more consistent by not letting the colder air settle to the bottom of the case.
I've also mounted a small heating unit on the board as well ( not shown ), as the keezer will live in a unheated workshop it might be necessary to apply a little heat in winter to keep the beer from freezing.
Here's the hardware I bought for the Keezer, all top shelf stainless steel gear. I went with a dual regulator set-up; one regulator will feed serving pressure to a 2 port CO2 manifold to feed 2 beer kegs, the other regulator can be used with a soda/root beer keg ( which takes higher pressure I'm told ) or can be used to force carbonate a 3rd beer keg or just to feed serving pressure to a 3rd beer keg.
Photo courtesy of KegConnection.com
Here's everything installed with the exception of the beer lines.
The last thing I did was install a drip tray on the keezer. I decided to build a shelf for it to attach to, the shelf will provide better support and extend the tray out further under the taps. I determined that the best way to attach the shelf was with some industrial strength double sided tape. I've used this stuff at work and it flat don't come off whatever you stick it to. I used a liberal amount of tape, about $7 worth.
Here's the finished keezer with drip tray, tap plugs and a magnetic curtain rod to hold beer towels.
Cheers!
After much soul searching I decided 3 kegs would be plenty for me and that a 7 cubic foot freezer was the way to go. This prompted me to purchase a GE FCM7SUWW chest freezer, this particular model has gotten several good reviews and has been used in a lot of other Keezer builds. I bought mine online from Wally World using their free "ship to store" option, of course it had dents in it when it arrived, but none bad enough to send it back.
First thing I made was a roll around base, it's just a basic 2X4 base with some cheap Harbor Freight wheels. I put a 1x6 pine board skirt around the base to keep the Keezer from potentially sliding off, it overlaps the bottom of the Keezer 1 inch to allow access to the drain plug.
Next I put together the Keezer collar out of the same 1x6 pine I made the skirt out of. I drilled 3 holes for the taps; they are 6 inches apart and centered on the collar; no reason particularly, just an artistic choice. Some folks make their collars out of pretty oak or maple, I'm just not a good enough carpenter to risk ruining $50 worth of wood, that and I knew I'd probably be painting the collar so no need for added expense.
I used my Kreg jig for a simple butt joint construction using Gorilla wood glue and 3 screws per corner. I don't think it's coming apart any time soon. Using the Kreg jig I had it together in like 5 minutes.
I decided that I needed to attach the collar to the freezer with more than just "liquid nail". So I modified some Stanley 4 hole brackets with my angle grinder and flush mounted them on the bottom corners which lets me put a screw in each corner to connect the wood collar to the plastic frame on the freezer.
Here's the Keezer switch box I put together. Went with the usual STC-1000 two stage controller ( one that controls both cooling and heat ). The controller was $18 shipped from China, the various connectors were about $10 at Lowes and the case came from my junk box. I used 12 gauge solid wire to handle the freezer's start up current/amperage.
I had to get creative with a drill and some hand files to make a hole to fit the controller into the case.
The switch box mounts on the back of the Keezer using the original hinge screw holes, that way I don't have to put any additional holes in the side which might puncture a coolant line.
The blue foam insulation is attached to the collar using Gorilla wood glue and then a bead of silicone caulk around all edges to seal any air leaks. This foam is rated R3 for a single thickness, added to whatever the R value of the wood is a single thickness seems to be plenty of insulation. The only part of the keezer losing cold is the the taps/shanks, I'm getting a bit of condensation on the taps on humid days, if I were to do it again I probably would go with shorter shanks.
Here's a couple of tips for working with this insulation: it comes with a clear plastic coating on one side, remove that plastic before trying to cut it. It's nearly impossible to get a clean cut otherwise. Once you have it cut to approximate size you can use sandpaper to smooth the cut ends, doesn't improve the function any but looks a lot nicer.
This is a clever idea someone came up with to keep the CO2 tank from falling over inside the Keezer. The CO2 tank is kind of top heavy ( especially with a dual regulator setup ) and can tip over quite easily, potentially damaging the regulators and whatever else it falls over onto.
Typically the CO2 tank sits on the freezer "hump" because it is shorter than the kegs, so someone thought to attach an empty paint can to a board that fits on the hump. The tank fits nicely in the paint can and doesn't fall over. This setup is like $5 for an empty paint can, a scrap piece of wood,3 or 4 screws and some paint. I glued the board down to the hump for added safety.
I also attached an air circulation fan to the hump board. This is a simple PC fan running off a 12V power lump. The idea being that by moving the cold air inside the Keezer the beer temperature is more consistent by not letting the colder air settle to the bottom of the case.
I've also mounted a small heating unit on the board as well ( not shown ), as the keezer will live in a unheated workshop it might be necessary to apply a little heat in winter to keep the beer from freezing.
Here's the hardware I bought for the Keezer, all top shelf stainless steel gear. I went with a dual regulator set-up; one regulator will feed serving pressure to a 2 port CO2 manifold to feed 2 beer kegs, the other regulator can be used with a soda/root beer keg ( which takes higher pressure I'm told ) or can be used to force carbonate a 3rd beer keg or just to feed serving pressure to a 3rd beer keg.
Photo courtesy of KegConnection.com
Here's everything installed with the exception of the beer lines.
The last thing I did was install a drip tray on the keezer. I decided to build a shelf for it to attach to, the shelf will provide better support and extend the tray out further under the taps. I determined that the best way to attach the shelf was with some industrial strength double sided tape. I've used this stuff at work and it flat don't come off whatever you stick it to. I used a liberal amount of tape, about $7 worth.
Here's the finished keezer with drip tray, tap plugs and a magnetic curtain rod to hold beer towels.
Cheers!
