it's finally time: building a keezer (questions)

[brewski08]

friends,

long time since being on HBT. i am mechanically stupid and DIY-dumb, so sorry for the stupid questions beforehand.

med school is starting soon, so i figured i should finally get around to building a keezer before i sell my soul to the medical gods. i would like to build a system that holds 3 ball lock kegs and a CO2 tank inside the freezer. basic blue prints include putting a 2x4-6 collar on and putting 3 525ss faucets through it.



couple of questions:

-i am currently looking at the Idylis 7 cubic feet chest freezer (http://www.lowes.com/pd_462646-3311...L=?Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&facetInfo=). does anyone have any experience using this chest freezer? is there any reason as to why this freezer would not work? the price looks nice.

-temperature control: will the above chest freezer need modification? the specs of the above chest freezer mention a manual temperature control, but it makes no mention to the temperature ranges. i like cold beer, but beer slushis are a no go for me.


thanks everyone.

 

[bannonb]

I have a Magic Chef 7 cu ft freezer and it fits 4 ball lock cornies in the deep floor. Then where the motor is the floor is higher and that's where I keep my 5lb co2.

You need a Johnson controls A19AAT-2C freezer temp controller. You leave the freezer on full cold and let the controller turn off the power when it reaches proper temps.

I used a 2X4 collar that fits the top of the freezer exactly, then I put a 2X6 decorative collar attached to that. This looks good and holds the entire collar without any fasteners. I used camper insulating tape to insulate where the wood meets the metal.

Here are a couple of pics.

Good luck.

BannonB

 

[Hoppopotomus]

......or you could build a coffin keezer and skip the collar. I have a GE 7 cf chest freezer that fits 4 ball locks on the floor and a 5# CO2 cylinder on the hump. The 4 kegs are a tight fit, but works fine for me. I personally prefer the coffin top, so that distribution is at chest level, as opposed to waist level. You can also build a nice cabinet around it, put it on casters, and deck it our with wood/trim/stone/tile/etc. to match any existing decor. I purchased a dual stage Love TSS2 Fahrenheit controller to control the temp. in the freezer and the temp. in the coffin to keep the beer lines and tap shanks nice and cold. I purchased the TSS2 directly through Dwyer for $70. You can, however find much cheaper temp controllers on ebay for $20 to $30, which I use for my dual fermentation chambers. They measure in Celcius, unlike the TSS2, but I don't care really, as they are hidden in my brewery.

Good luck in med school! I went through a 4 1/2 yr. undergrad. sports medicine program an then another 3 years of grad. PT school. Although it seems like it is going to be a long road ahead, it goes by really quick. At least you will have a nice keezer and homebrew to help you through! Good luck and please let me know if you have any questions. If you are interested, I have links to a number of my builds in my signature line, including my coffin keezer. Good luck!

 

[brewski08]

thank you friends. i've spent all day doing my homework and have a much better idea of what i need to do. again, thank you.

......or you could build a coffin keezer and skip the collar. I have a GE 7 cf chest freezer that fits 4 ball locks on the floor and a 5# CO2 cylinder on the hump. The 4 kegs are a tight fit, but works fine for me. I personally prefer the coffin top, so that distribution is at chest level, as opposed to waist level. You can also build a nice cabinet around it, put it on casters, and deck it our with wood/trim/stone/tile/etc. to match any existing decor. I purchased a dual stage Love TSS2 Fahrenheit controller to control the temp. in the freezer and the temp. in the coffin to keep the beer lines and tap shanks nice and cold. I purchased the TSS2 directly through Dwyer for $70. You can, however find much cheaper temp controllers on ebay for $20 to $30, which I use for my dual fermentation chambers. They measure in Celcius, unlike the TSS2, but I don't care really, as they are hidden in my brewery.

Good luck in med school! I went through a 4 1/2 yr. undergrad. sports medicine program an then another 3 years of grad. PT school. Although it seems like it is going to be a long road ahead, it goes by really quick. At least you will have a nice keezer and homebrew to help you through! Good luck and please let me know if you have any questions. If you are interested, I have links to a number of my builds in my signature line, including my coffin keezer. Good luck!

it's the world of healthcare, my friend. you never stop studying, and the moment you do, you fall behind. i take it that you are a practicing PT? great field. i could see myself going into PM&R or sports medicine some day.

i've seen a couple really, really cool coffin keezers, but as i previously mentioned, am a little worried i do not have the DIY/mechanical skills to orchestrate such a construction. care to share some blue prints for the build?

thanks again, friends.

 

[Hoppopotomus]

Yes, I'm a practicing PT of 14 years now. I co-own and operate 3 outpatient orthopedic and sports medicine practices, one in SE Michigan (Lake Orion) and two in mid-Michigan (Midland & Freeland). All of our PT's are ex athletes, who are skilled/trained as manual PT's. Besides my background in sports med., my manual background is in Osteopathic Manual Medicine through MSU, so I do a ton of spine care as well. I work closely with PM&R docs, ortho surgeons, and sports med specialists on a daily basis. Your right, you have to stay ahead of the curve or you will quickly fall way behind. Where will you be attending med school?

As far as the coffin keezer goes......I do not have formal blueprints. I have a pretty good knack at making things up and building as I go. For my basement/bar and all of my brewing related projects, I have gone with a rustic cabin decor utilizing cedar logs, knotty pine, tumbled travertine, slate, etc. These materials do not require as much precision as working with milled decorative moldings and having to do fine trim carpentry. My keezer thread is a basically a step by step process of how I built my keezer and many have used it as a template in constructing their own. Many of the measuments will be dependent on your chest freezer's specifications, but it's not terribly hard to figure out. I am certainly not a master trim carpenter or cabinet makers, so there is little jointing, dove tailing, etc. It's just building a frame to fit the freezer into, covering it with paneling, attaching a plywood top, building a coffin box, drilling some holes for ventilation/taps, and trimming it out with materials to make it look decent.

Your obviously a pretty bright guy, so I'm certain that you can handle it. Regardless of which approach you take, please let me know if I can be of any assistance. Good luck and keep me posted!

 

[jaywhy]

friends,

long time since being on HBT. i am mechanically stupid and DIY-dumb, so sorry for the stupid questions beforehand.

med school is starting soon, so i figured i should finally get around to building a keezer before i sell my soul to the medical gods. i would like to build a system that holds 3 ball lock kegs and a CO2 tank inside the freezer. basic blue prints include putting a 2x4-6 collar on and putting 3 525ss faucets through it.



couple of questions:

-i am currently looking at the Idylis 7 cubic feet chest freezer (http://www.lowes.com/pd_462646-3311...L=?Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&facetInfo=). does anyone have any experience using this chest freezer? is there any reason as to why this freezer would not work? the price looks nice.

-temperature control: will the above chest freezer need modification? the specs of the above chest freezer mention a manual temperature control, but it makes no mention to the temperature ranges. i like cold beer, but beer slushis are a no go for me.


thanks everyone.

Did you go ahead with this build?
I'm currently looking at the 5cu ft Idylis model from Lowe's and am wondering if you have any feedback about the brand/build?

Thanks!

 

[SleepwalkRisk]

Did you go ahead with this build?
I'm currently looking at the 5cu ft Idylis model from Lowe's and am wondering if you have any feedback about the brand/build?

Thanks!

I am looking at the same unit at Lowe's, solely because it's the only one they stock (would rather get GE, but no time to waste here). Would love some feedback.

 

[jaywhy]

I am looking at the same unit at Lowe's, solely because it's the only one they stock (would rather get GE, but no time to waste here). Would love some feedback.

You can definitely fit three kegs in there with a collar. 2 on the floor and one on the hump. My pin lock measured 4 inches above the lip on the freezer so I figure that would require at least a 6 inch collar. I don't know the amount of clearance I would need from the top of the keg to the lid. If anyone with more knowledge can chime in....

 

[JacquesG]

Costco is selling their manual defrost model by Haier for $175 if you have access to one near you. I was thinking of doing the same and that size seems good. And yes, external temp controls will be needed. They're not too pricey, though. I don't have the specifics as I've looked at a ton of YouTube videos on doing this project. But I'm about ready to dive in.

 

[dschoemaker]

Just and FYI, since I just finished mine. With a 5" collar you can fit 3 5 gallon and 2 3 gallon kegs with the CO2 on the outside.

Dave

 

[jaywhy]

Just and FYI, since I just finished mine. With a 5" collar you can fit 3 5 gallon and 2 3 gallon kegs with the CO2 on the outside.

Dave

In the Idylis 5 cu ft model?

 

[count2infinity]

Bump: I'm looking at the Idylis as well. 5 cu foot model. Would 3 pinlocks fit? 2 on the floor, one on the hump?

 

[jaywhy]

Bump: I'm looking at the Idylis as well. 5 cu foot model. Would 3 pinlocks fit? 2 on the floor, one on the hump?

Yes. You would need to build a collar though.

 

[Babybatch]

I'm just starting out and I'm considering getting the 5 cu ft for a fermentation chamber that will be used as a keezer in the future. Any thoughts on whether I could fit 2 carboys in there?

Thanks!

Dan

 

[beaksnbeer]

I'm just starting out and I'm considering getting the 5 cu ft for a fermentation chamber that will be used as a keezer in the future. Any thoughts on whether I could fit 2 carboys in there?

Thanks!

Dan

Only with a collar, I used one for single fermenter and a lagering keg. Now I use a fridge holds 3 fermenters and a lagering keg or 4 kegs and a fermenter

 

[vlucchetti]

Have you done the build with the Idylis 5 cu? 3 pins and a tank or did you run the co2 from the outside. Eyeballing this spec wise, have not gone to see it in store, seems very close to the GE 5 cu. Wife works at lowes so I get 10%.

 

[vlucchetti]

Finally got to see the idylis, went to Lowes with 3 9 inch cutouts. Two cutouts fit with maybe an 1/8 inch of space between the two of them. A third could fit on the hump, but you would need one big collar to accommodate the disconnects.

Really only a two pin lock freezer and I would be wary of that without taking two kegs in to lowes to see if they fit. You would really need to lift them straight up and down, not a great deal of wiggle room.

ETA: Looks like it and the GE 5 cu are the same layout

 

[jaywhy]

Finally got to see the idylis, went to Lowes with 3 9 inch cutouts. Two cutouts fit with maybe an 1/8 inch of space between the two of them. A third could fit on the hump, but you would need one big collar to accommodate the disconnects.

Really only a two pin lock freezer and I would be wary of that without taking two kegs in to lowes to see if they fit. You would really need to lift them straight up and down, not a great deal of wiggle room.

ETA: Looks like it and the GE 5 cu are the same layout

I measured it with 3 pin locks. 2 on the floor and one on the hump.
I ended up going with the GE 7.0.

 

[vlucchetti]

I measured it with 3 pin locks. 2 on the floor and one on the hump.
I ended up going with the GE 7.0.

Thanks. The more I look, 7 cu is the minimum way to go. Footprint is not that much larger - took a large cardboard box, cut the footprint and mocked it in my garage.

This is much more doable.