Kreezer project opinion....

[VisaliaIPA]

I've been wanting to do a keeper for awhile now. Here was my dilemma.......I live in the Central Valley of CA and in the summer temps are routinely 100+. I want to keep my kreezer on my back patio under the roof but afraid a chest freezer would still work too hard to stay cool, even if in the shade.

Well I have a friend who is a HVAC guy and he stumbled on this after I to.d him my idea. He said a freezer would have to work hard in the heat.

This is one of those "Ice" coolers that stores use outside to keep bags of ice cool. It's got the cooling unit on top and is a single door. What are your opinions on this being able to,work.....?

 

[day_trippr]

The first three questions that come to mind are:
- does it still work reliably?
- can you run that beast at a temperature more suitable for dispensing beer?
- what style keg(s) do you want to fit inside - and can they actually fit?


Beyond that, knowing the options for running gas lines and mounting faucets would be a good thing. Unless you'd be using picnic taps, would you have to have faucets mounted in the door? (probably inconvenient as hell) or could you go through the front or sides?

For the gas, if you weren't going to stick the tank and regulator inside, where's a safe spot to run a gas line?

Cheers!

 

[EcuPirate07]

I would assume with the unit Ontop it would pump cold air in from the top so you wouldn't have to worry about where you drill holes since it wouldn't be running coolent through the walls. But that's just a guess and would have to see pics. If that truly is the case you could put faucets right below the door and wouldn't be an issue. Worst case you could go through the the door and just have enough beer line so that when you open the door it's not hung up. I would think as long as the power cord is just like your standard chest freezer you could hook up to an ink bird and run it just like everyone else. I would say go for it, if it's free all you have in it is time.

 

[CGVT]

That is cool as hell and would make a great Keezer. It is a commercial unit, is repairable, and will probably last for years. Wire up an ST1000 and you'll be set.

 

[SGTSparty]

I would assume with the unit Ontop it would pump cold air in from the top so you wouldn't have to worry about where you drill holes since it wouldn't be running coolent through the walls. But that's just a guess and would have to see pics. If that truly is the case you could put faucets right below the door and wouldn't be an issue. Worst case you could go through the the door and just have enough beer line so that when you open the door it's not hung up. I would think as long as the power cord is just like your standard chest freezer you could hook up to an ink bird and run it just like everyone else. I would say go for it, if it's free all you have in it is time.

Couple thoughts on putting your taps under the door. In addition to your lines getting hung up, you'd have to worry about smashing your shanks when you add/remove kegs so you might want to build in some type of protection. Unlike a lift top keezer you'd have less range of motion when adding/removing kegs so it may be a challenge to not hit/lean on/ bump your shanks. You'd also limit yourself to short tap handles since the door swings open vs. lifting open like a keezer.

 

[CGVT]

You don't have to put your taps in the door. You could put them anywhere. Without a lot of DYI skill you could make the door bigger, slide, hinge at the top, or even move it to the back. The possibilities are pretty much endless.

 

[tracyk]

How wide is the side of your unit? That is where I would put the tap handles. Those units were usually 2 feet wide and used to keep ice frozen in the dead heat of summer, so I would think that it could keep beer kegs cold. You could probably easily get 6 kegs in there plus your tank, maybe more. I agree with CGVT. I would say go for it!!!!

 

[k1ngl1ves]

I'd put the taps in the door with 90° shank connections. Mount all the lines cleanly towards the hinge side. You'd be able to open the door with no issues and plenty of clearance.


This could be a sweet build...

 

[EcuPirate07]

Couple thoughts on putting your taps under the door. In addition to your lines getting hung up, you'd have to worry about smashing your shanks when you add/remove kegs so you might want to build in some type of protection. Unlike a lift top keezer you'd have less range of motion when adding/removing kegs so it may be a challenge to not hit/lean on/ bump your shanks. You'd also limit yourself to short tap handles since the door swings open vs. lifting open like a keezer.

True Statement. I still like the door idea or even the side for faucets. Really wherever the hell you wanna put them.

 

[SGTSparty]

True Statement. I still like the door idea or even the side for faucets. Really wherever the hell you wanna put them.

I just did my kegerator and did the taps on the side. I like it personally, keeps them out of the way (out of the sun in this case) and I prefer not having the lines swing w/ the door but do whatever works best. Also triple check with an expert that there are no cooling lines in the side if you don't end up going through the door. My residential fridge didn't have any but I've never seen anyone cut into a beast like that. But I second the put them where ever you want them/works for you.