Neub's Keezer Build

[Neubian]

When my beloved wife gave me the green light to build a keezer, I spent hours researching for not only the how to build one, but also one that I liked to look of it. My wife had one request - to make it not look like an appliance.

In an effort to pay it forward to future keezer builders, here's my build based on a new $200 Idylis chest freezer from Lowes that fits up to 4 taps, although I currently only have 3. Total, to include the purchase of kegging equipment, I spent around $850. I designed the frame around the keezer to accommodate air flow around the freezer. Also, the back of the keezer is open so I can just slide the freezer out the back if needed. Lastly, the wood paneling is something I picked up from Home Depot. Very convenient and very reasonable priced for the knotty pine look.

The one issue I have is the looooong reach inside the keezer in case I drop something small down there. I have no problems getting kegs in/out, but if something falls to the bottom I use my 2 yr old to help me retrieve it. If I were to do it again, I would investigate putting the hinges between the freezer itself and the wooden collar. The factory hinges wouldn't support the weight, so more research would be needed.

If you'd like more detailed info, just let me know and I'll pass along the details.

 

[AkTom]

Very nice.

 

[BrooklynTom]

Very nice. I can see why you would not want to drop anything in there. I have a six inch collar on mine and I can't reach down to the bottom.

 

[Brian77095]

Looks great!

What beer lines did you use? Also what pressure are you keeping and do you like the adjustable faucets?

Great job!

 

[Neubian]

Yea, I opted for a larger, 12" collar as this allowed me to put a 4th 5g keg on the shelf of the freezer. Works well for future growth, but problematic when dropping small things...

I absolutely love the adjustable faucets. It's a very simple way to dial in every beer on tap without having to open the keezer lid to adjust the pressure. Although my experience is limited to these forward-sealing Perlick faucets, I am very happy with them.

I used my LHBS stock keg lines, which are "Bevlex 200 by Kuriyama PVC tubing". I'm in Denver, CO, so I had to run longer lines to accommodate for the higher altitude. My serving pressure is usually right around 10psi. I do have a dual regulator with a 2-way manifold, so I can dial in 2 different pressures, depending on what I want. The dual regulator may be overkill when used in conjunction with those adjustable faucets, but I wanted to build this thing without looking to upgrade things in the future (outside of the 4th tap of course).

 

[Andyoesq]

do you still like the freezer? saw it at lowes today and was considering it. Does it definitely fit 4 kegs? I was eyeballing it, looks like it will but will be close.

 

[BungBrewing]

Any problem with heat from the compressor? I see you closed off the sides but have a air gap under the side skirt so hopefully it can vent the hot air...

 

[Manny_E]

i am glad saw this, as i am looking for ideas for my keezer build.

can you share pics from the back? any plans / drawing you could share?

what adhesive did you use for the collar and the top? i am assuming the frame is made out of 2x4, right?

how much room is between the frame and the freezer?

 

[chisena]

That's a fine Keezer!

 

[neub]

I do like this freezer. You can fit 4 kegs if you make the collar high enough to accommodate.

Also, I have not had any issues with heat. I designed the frame to provide the clearance around the vent so I'm not totally blockin it off. The 2x4s rest against the side of the freezer, but there's the 4" between the freezer and the pine paneling.

 

[neub]

I used silicone to seal the collar to the freezer, then used that foil wrapped bubble wrap and HVAC tap to better insulate the seams around the collar. Not being a very good carpenter, it took some time to get the collar to sit flush on the freezer, and for the lid to seal properly. I did get it all locked up pretty tight, it just took some patience. Unfortunately, I do not have any plans or diagrams (which is very unlike me). This was my first big project that I just went with a mental image and went about building it. I'll try to snap a pic of the back side later today-it's not very pretty back there, but that's why it sits against a wall

 

[neub]

The backside.

 

[OkanaganMike]

Resurrecting this from the past - Love the idea what you did here and wonder how difficult it is to drop your full kegs down into it? What is the height of the lid? Thinking of something very similar but hinged where the wood collar meets the freezer for ease of access. Awesome job!