Keezer build

[chickenlittle]

I have been planning a keezer build for couple years. A keezer is a chest freezer converted to serve beer from a keg or used in home brewing. I have a 20 year old 5 cu ft freezer. I purchased a temp controller a couple years ago. I bought wood to make a collar extension last year. The collar sits on the freezer opening and the door seals on top of the collar. The thermostat, beer lines, and CO2 can be routed through the collar. The collar gives enough height for kegs and carboys to sit in the freezer with the door shut.

I finally got going because I wanted a place to store scionwood and rootstocks. I got the collar assembled and everything put together. I added the controller tonight and set it for 40F. And nothing happened. Damn. I know that freezer worked a couple years ago when I moved it down there.

So now I need to grab a freezer off Craigslist.

 

[j-bird]

Now you are stuck! You have a freezer that doesn't work that needs moved. You need a freezer that does work to be moved. And possibly no way to bribe your buddies to help.....because the beer isn't cold! Yep - your screwed now!!!!

 

[chickenlittle]

That was one advantage to the 5cu.ft. I was able to strap it to a bag cart and move by myself a couple times. But it was easier with some help.

 

[bueller]

If it worked before installing the controller, and now it doesn't after, I would bypass the controller and check the freezer operation before scraping it.

 

[chickenlittle]

It workedin recent memory but i did not run it before starting this effort. No function now with or without the external controller.

I did not see anything good on Craigslist so I'll check the relay and thermostat if I get time.

 

[chickenlittle]

Hail Keezer!

I guess in moving it around, the starter relay had backed off the compressor terminals. It should be held on with a spring clip but the relay fell off when I removed the clip. I pushed the relay back on, plugged the freezer in, and the compressor started right up. Running nicely on the external controller now.

I'm not sure where I got mine but this is the controller I am using. The freezer plugs into it and the controller's thermocouple is fed into the freezer through the wooden collar extension.
http://www.northernbrewer.com/johnson-controls-a419-digital-temp-controller

Attached are some photos of it. It is very rough but I'm glad to have it working I used 2x10 to make the collar to make sure I had plenty of room to put cornelius kegs or fermenters on the hump. With a tight fit, I can fit 4 corney kegs or 2 fermenter or 2 kegs/1fermenter. The 2x10 board was a little warped so the joints were not tight. I applied a generous bead of silicone caulk and screwed together. The boards get one coat of polyurethane. The lid of the freezer is screwed to the collar. Another generous bead of silicone on the bottom of the collar. Probably not necessary but I used two metal straps to attach the collar to the freezer using the holes for the hinges. The controller is mounted on the collar and the thermostat runs in the the back of the collar. The lid seems to seal to the collar ok but I'll probably get some foam weatherstrip on that to be sure.
Still to do, I'll run some holes through the side of the collar for a couple taps. I will probably keep the CO2 tank and regulator inside (with 3 kegs) rather than put another hole in the collar. I might add a small fan for air movement at some point.

It is not pretty and that is ok. Longer term, this will be for controlling temperature for fermentation rather than used as a keezer. I would not have used the 5cu.ft. freezer for this except I had it. At some point, I'll look a doing a nicer looking keezer with a 7 or 8 cu. ft. chest freezer.

Maybe I can brew a batch in it before my rootstock arrives. I have 100+ on order plus scionwood to store until I do my grafting. I did not have any good place to hold this stuff last year. Garage freezes, basement is too warm. Now they can enjoy their old cold storage.

 

[mthompson]

I was going to tell you to wrap on the compressor lightly and wiggle the connections around. I have an old dorm fridge that I have attached to a large box made from 1" foil foam board. I use it for a fermentation chamber....but every once in a while I gotta knock the compressor to get it started. I'll be storing a 100 or so bare root trees in the ferm chamber this April.

Here's the keezer I built a couple years ago for my Father-in-law...