6 Tap Keezer Build (Insignia 10.2 cu. ft.)

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RoguePixels

RoguePixels

"This, my friend, is a pint."
Joined
Jun 20, 2019
Messages
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Location
Indiana
I've been planning this build for the last few months trying to decide which type of keezer to build. I purchased the Insignia 10.2 cu. ft. chest freezer from best buy.

Here it is in the basement with the lid already removed.
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I was originally planning to use 2x10 boards for the collar but that required a special order and I'm impatient. I picked up two of the 2x8x8 red cedar boards from Menards and cut them to size.
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Dry fit on the floor with clamps.
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Moved the collar onto the freezer and secured the boards together using angle brackets also purchased at Menards.
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I only secured the back to the sides as I still needed to drill my tap holes. I pulled the front board off and used the drip tray to line up where the holes will go.
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After the front board was drilled, I returned it to the keezer and secured it with the brackets. I used liquid nail to attach 1/2" polystyrene to the inside of the collar as well as secure the collar to the keezer. The insulation and liquid nail were both purchased at Menards. I clamped all sides down and left it to dry overnight.
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After the liquid nail dried, I sealed all cracks with white sealant and left it to dry for another day or so.
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Once the sealant was dry, I came back and covered all the corners and edges with aluminium tape. I ended up having enough to cover all the insulation.
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After the tape, I added weather stripping to the top of the collar where the lid meets the wood/insulation. Once the stripping was in place, I secured the lid back to the board with 1 1/2" self tapping screws purchased at Menards.
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Hardware time. I picked up the stainless steel shanks, flanges, faucets and springs from brewrite.com. I already own two perlick taps but decided to go with Intertap for this build because I liked the idea of interchangeable spout heads. That and the price was hard to pass up.
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Here they are secured to the drip tray. The drip tray is a Micro Matic DP-322ELD-6GR picked up from resturantsupply.com. It has a build in glass rinser that I plan to run off a 3 gal keg sitting inside the freezer on the hump. The manufacturer suggests running it at 15psi so I planned ahead and got a secondary regulator and gas manifold to cover all my needs. The secondary regulator was purchased from brewrite and the manifold from amazon during a flash sale last December.
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I've started mounting the hardware inside the keezer and opted for the push-in adapter disconnects for the liquid side purchased from ritebrew.com. In my rush to order things I picked up the wrong tubing for this so I'm currently waiting on that and a few more parts for this build. I'll keep this post up to date as things get installed.
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Decided to mount the CO2 outside the freezer. Picked up the 5gal CO2 bracket from micromatic.com.
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Drilled a hole and ran my main gas lines. I used screw mounts with velcro straps for the interior to try to keep things clean.
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The correct size liquid lines came in so I got them cut and installed. All the lines are 10ft and wrap around the inside collar, supported with the same mounts and velcro straps. The tube was pretty stiff so this took quiet a while to get all 6 lines pulled around the keezer but it was worth it. Decided to copy another build and color coordinate the liquid posts and taps with electrical tape. I have the gas lines in but was sent the incorrect barb fittings for the posts so waiting on those. After that I just have the fan and controller to mount.
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Gas lines are in.

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Added the fan and controller. The fan and 120mm bracket I found on amazon. I was able to run the fan's power cable as well as the controller temp probe through the existing gas line hole. The fan is plugged into the controller with the freezer so it only kicks on when the freezer does.

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Needed to rig up something for water collection from the drip tray. Found a 6 gallon water container on amazon that looked promising. Sealed off the vent hole and create a new one on the top so I could lay it on it's side. Tested and works great.

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The last item to add for now were the tap handles. I did a lot of shopping around but couldn't justify the cost for wood/resin pre-made handles. The pre-made ones I liked ran between $50-100+ each. I opted to try and build my own using wood/resin pen blanks off etsy and a pack of tap ferrules with hanger bolts off amazon. I paid between $12-16 per pen blank and around $25 for a pack of 10 ferrules. I didn't get pictures of the assembly but I found out quickly I wasn't going to be able to drill a pilot hole and insert the hanger bolts without cracking the wood/resin. I opted instead to bore a hole slightly bigger than the hanger bolt and use a two part epoxy to secure them inside the handle. Once that dried I could install the ferrules and attach them to the taps. I still want to pull them off, sand them a little and seal them but I'm very happy with how they turned out.

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I wont be able to finish the glass rinser until I get a 3gal keg for it. After that I might add a digital tap list, but I'm not in a big rush for that. It's time to start brewing and fill this thing up. :mug:
 
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Any idea why I can’t see your pics?
IMG_5890.JPG
 
Weird, I can't see them either. Seeing pics on other threads tho..... Tried mobile app and chrome mobile.

Edit: Shows up on the desktop just fine. Nice build!
 
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Love the keezer, so much so, I'm in the process of building mine largely off your design!

Question for you, @RoguePixels: Looking for the bracket you used for your fan on Amazon and I can't seem to find it. Could you shoot us a link with where you found it?

I guess while you're at it, where did you find those tubing holders? Plumbing section of menards?

Also, saw your GF tank. I'm reppin' the hoosier state too! Hope your "Stay at home" time is going well! Thanks for the help!
 
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MotivationDedication said:
Love the keezer, so much so, I'm in the process of building mine largely off your design!

Question for you, @RoguePixels: Looking for the bracket you used for your fan on Amazon and I can't seem to find it. Could you shoot us a link with where you found it?



I guess while you're at it, where did you find those tubing holders? Plumbing section of menards?

Also, saw your GF tank. I'm reppin' the hoosier state too! Hope your "Stay at home" time is going well! Thanks for the help!
Click to expand...


Fan bracket:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015M4LZKW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Fan:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07CZRKTBZ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Not sure if you mean the mounts holding the tubing to the collar but if so:
Cable tie down mount for tubes:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DEX6MM4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

100 pack of screws for the mounts:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OHUW7ZU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Velcro roll for mounts ( I bought the 1/2 inch size and cut them in half to 1/4inch size. Cost less and didn't use as much of the roll.):
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GTV7PJK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
 
pvpeacock said:
Nice job and beautiful keezer. What's crazy is that the drip tray cost more than any other single item including the freezer itself. You would think someone would sell drip trays for less, but I've looked and can't find them. Enjoy your new build.
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Couldn't agree more. That was the cheapest I could find at the time that included the glass rinser. It will outlast the freezer so I dont regret the purchase. The same option without the rinser would have been $252.
 
Got the raspberrypints digital tap list installed and attached the pi to the back of the monitor. Monitor is attached to a pivoting arm so I can still access the crawl space. Using pictures of the handles instead of numbers to show what is on each tap. Hard to get a good picture with the lighting but it's easy to see everything in person.

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@RoguePixels Very nice build! What are the internal measurements of that freezer?

I'm looking to buy that freezer but am curious if i'd be able to squeeze 4 slim 1/4 barrels kegs in it with a 20lb tank.
 
Just gotta say...wow, well done sir! I'm a geek for the little details, and the beer lines neatly organized around the collar is a nice touch. Custom mount for the fan, check; mount for the C02, check; color coded beer lines, check. I would love to see a pic of the inside of this thing with six kegs hooked up and ready to serve. I do have one question: It looks like you have three gas lines coming from the bank of four secondary regulators, and the last one going to another manifold with four more gas lines. Can you elaborate on why you choose this setup? Thanks for all the details and great photos...very helpful to the community!
 
ok, makes sense. Have you tested it w/o the fan running to see if it actually makes a difference?
 
bhambrew said:
Just gotta say...wow, well done sir! I'm a geek for the little details, and the beer lines neatly organized around the collar is a nice touch. Custom mount for the fan, check; mount for the C02, check; color coded beer lines, check. I would love to see a pic of the inside of this thing with six kegs hooked up and ready to serve. I do have one question: It looks like you have three gas lines coming from the bank of four secondary regulators, and the last one going to another manifold with four more gas lines. Can you elaborate on why you choose this setup? Thanks for all the details and great photos...very helpful to the community!
Click to expand...

Regarding the regulators, the 4 lines off the secondary regulator are for ipa's or similar carb beers. I already had the regulator and it just works well for what we like to drink. Two of the three primary regulators are for force carbing and/or beers I want on a different carb level. The last one is for the glass rinser that stays at 15psi hooked up to a 2gal keg sitting on the hump. I would love to share a picture of all 6 kegs hooked up but haven't been able to fill them fast enough. I end up filling growlers and bottles for friends and family often so it doesn't last long. My goal in the next month is to get them all filled.
 
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ehall said:
ok, makes sense. Have you tested it w/o the fan running to see if it actually makes a difference?
Click to expand...
Can't say I've tried it without the fan. I'm told it's a good idea to recirculate the air so the temps are consistent throughout the freezer.
 
I know it's replying to an old thread, but hows the freezer doing? Still chugging away OK? I'm looking at buying the current 10.2 CF model, and was just wondering if the brand holds up.
 

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