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Sunday, November 30, 2008

Kegerator is almost done

I am almost finished with the Kegerator. All I have to do now is hook up the CO2 and the kegs. Here are some pictures of what I did.

First, I cut the wood and assembled the collar. I checked the fit to make sure all the gaps were close. It was hard to keep it flat. I used the concrete garage floor. It is flat enough for my needs.


I wanted to be sure the corners were as tight as possible. Therefore, in addition to the 8 screws holding the collar together, I added some angle brackets on the inside. Simple enough, 4 screws.



The next thing I did was fill the holes with wood filler. You can see it here in the screw holes. I also filled the areas where the wood was screwed together. I wanted it to be smooth when I painted it.

Then I took the collar off, sanded down all the wood filler, and painted it white. I used a kitchen semi-gloss white. I wanted it to resist moisture and mold. This is what the Home Depot recommended I use.



I'm sorry didn't get a picture of the weatherstripping between the collar and the freezer. But what I did was lay down a 1" wide layer of 1/4" thick adhesive backed weatherstripping all the way around. It worked out well. It fills in all the gaps between the collar and the freezer for a tight fit.

I was worried about the weight of the lid pulling the front end of the collar up. So I added these little brackets. I made a tiny hole in the freezer lip to get that little screw in there. I hated doing it, but it gives me a little more confidence in the strength of the collar.



Here you can see the back side of the freezer. This is the one hinge with the spring in it. The other one doesn't have one. I don't know why, but it works. Everything worked out well with the alignment. I used the same holes in the lid, made 2 new ones in the wood collar, and used the original top holes for the bottom.

The next step was to drill the hole for the temperature controller. I used a 1/2" drill bit to make the hole. I am going to fill the hole with something after I stick the probe through it. Not sure what yet, but I will fill it to try to keep the keezer sealed the best I can.


You can also see the manifold in there. I screwed it to the collar. I had to buy a 6 piece unit because they didn't have a 5 piece. O well, it was cheaper than adding an extra one to the 4 piece. I plan on having 5 kegs in it eventually.

Here is the inside of the keezer as of right now. I am letting it sit flat before I plug it in. You can also see the rubber mat I added. It is an entry mat from the Home Depot. It is a 24"x36" rubber mat, and fit perfectly. I traced the hump and cut it out. Not bad for $7.00

So this is where I am at right now. My plan is to plug it in tomorrow morning. It will be cold by the time I get home. Good thing, because I am picking up 2 kegs on my way home from work. I will put them inside and let them settle for a day. This will give me time to sanitize the lines and hook up all the plumbing and air lines.
If all goes well, I will be able to pour my first pint on Wednesday. So check back and see how it goes.
-Prost!

5 comments:

Seawolf said...

Nice work mate! I think it would be pretty cool if you could utilize the 6th manifold connection for some root beer; homemade or otherwise.

Do they give you weird looks at Home Depot when you go there for beer stuff?

"Hi, I need a ball valve, two stainless steel washers, some assorted copper fittings, 3 feet of 2" plastic tubing, 1 roll of yellow electrical tape, 1 bottle of oxygen, some lumber, a jigsaw blade, some paint, and 3 five gallon paint strainers."

Which temperature controller did you go with?

I have 4 kegs for a two tap system. As soon as one empties, I'll brew a new batch, and I'll always have one naturally carbonated, and ready to tap.

How long are your beer lines? Balancing your system is very important.

You must be going mad with anticipation!

Anonymous said...

NERD ALERT.

Good Burp said...

You have no idea. I went to the Home Depot 6 times this weekend. No lie.
I have been to the beer store on
Friday, Saturday 2x, and today. And I have to go back tomorrow.

I am jonesin' to get this thing going. I just filled the talk today. I'm hooking it up in a few minutes.

I will make a post in a few minutes.

You are going to have to upgrade to another kegerator, or a 4 tap system.

What are you brewing next? I need to brew 2 batches for the last 2 taps.

Seawolf said...

might I suggest Coniston Bluebird Bitter and Bells Two Hearted Ale clones. I have a Negra Modelo clone and Coniston on draft right now with a Two hearted and Coniston standing by. I love my compact system, and it's all I have space for right now.

All of the above beers are great session beers that go down so easy, yet have great flavor and aroma.

No plans to brew for a while. I'm really well stocked at the moment. I still have 4 full cases of bottles, a carboy with 6 month old Flanders Red, and a five gallon share in a 65 gallon barrel aged Flanders Red. Sittin' pretty.

Good Burp said...

If you want, you can ship some of that to me. I can help you finish it. That is just to much beer for you. You have more beer than I do!

And from what I hear, you are considered a "lightweight".

I didn't say it. Someone else told me. I wonder who that might have been?