It’s been a while since I’ve talked about my keezer build, so I thought I’d give everyone an update.
I had a feeling that the video would help people out, but I didn’t expect it to get over 11k views and inspire so many people to do similar builds. Cool!
Where I last left off, I made the collar and had two out of the four taps hooked up, with caps in the other two holes.
I invite you to check out my keezer photo album on facebook where I just added new pictures.
Since the last post, I’ve:
- Switched from using a “tee” on the CO2 to having four gas lines running through the manifold
- Added the final two Perlick faucets
- Added a new 3 gallon and 5 gallon corny
- Added a mini-dehumidifier
- Added a fan
The fan is what I mainly want to talk about.
The problem was that the top of the keezer was much warmer than the bottom because of the collar. The collar doesn’t have any cooling coils running through it, and we know cold air sinks, so that area stayed a good 14°F warmer than the bottom.
That meant the lines were warm and that first pour was always a warm and foamy one. No good.
The fan is used to circulate the air. It doesn’t have to be very strong, it just needs to get things moving.
After installing the fan, the temperature different between the top and the bottom went from 14°F to 3°F. Not bad.
Here’s how I built it.
Adding a fan to a keezer
The goal was to attach the fan to the collar and have it pointing down instead of sideways so it would push the warm air down and the cold air up.
At first I was stumped. I looked all over at other setups but couldn’t find exactly what I wanted. A lot of people attached the fan to the inside lid of of the freezer, but I haven’t damaged the freezer one bit yet and don’t plan to. That’s the whole reason I built the collar. It’s a tool belt.
Finally I decided on what you see below.
The fan is attached to hinges via machine screws. The hinges rest on a small wooden shelf.
It’s a combination of hinges and a shelf. The hinges are great because they stick the fan far out past the lip of the freezer. The problem was that they wouldn’t stop at 90°, which is why I built the little shelf.
The shelf is just a scrap piece of plywood attached to the collar with a corner brace.
These are the parts I used:
- 3″ AC cooling fan from Radio Shack
- Extension cord
- 1 2-inch corner brace. The exact ones I bought aren’t on Ace’s site.
- 2 3-inch strap hinges
- Scrap piece of plywood I had lying around
- Two machine screws, washers, and nuts. Not sure the size but I fitted them to the fan at Ace.
Building it is pretty simple and you can probably figure it out from the picture, but a few notes:
- The wood screws went all the way through the plywood so I cut the tips off with a Dremel.
- I cut the female end off the extension cord and attached it to the wire leads from the fan using wire connectors.
- To be safe, I plugged the fan into a GFCI adapter.
- I spray painted the hinges and brace the same color and stained the plywood with the leftover stain from the collar so they match. It’s a big improvement as you can see from the pictures on facebook.
Like I said, it works great and although I’ll continue to tinker, I’m happy to call my keezer complete.
If you’re wondering about the drip tray, I decided not to add one. I have an old one I keep on the floor below the taps, but honestly the Perlicks drip so little that I don’t even need it.
Another useful addition was the dehumidifier. I tried Damp-Rid first and this works much better.
If there are any significant changes in the future then I’ll do another post, but otherwise, let me know if you have any questions. If you’re ever in Denver, swing by and grab a pint!
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{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }
Great job Billy!
Thank ya!
For the drip tray, my plan is to use some heavy-duty magnets to stick it to the keezer. One thing I’ve read that because the drip tray may be too heavy, you can use tape where you’re going to place it, then place the magnets over the tape to prevent it from sliding down.
Just a thought. I’m sure having it on the floor works great too! Great job! I plan on making something similar to this, because of the previous post.
That plan sounds like it would work. I’ve seen a few builds with the drip tray attached to the freezer and I think they were using magnets. I may add one eventually, but honestly it just hasn’t gotten to the points where I’ve thought “Man, I need to do something about this.” Maybe after I finish my Brutus 10 ; )
Keep me posted on your build. I love seeing them.
Very nice. Why did you need the shelf? Why not just put the hinges lower so that they rested on the freezer lip?
The shelf just gives it a better 90 degree angle and also more support. You can’t tell from the picture, but the fan casing is metal and actually pretty darn heavy. Having the shelf support almost the full length of the hinges reduces the tension on them.
Outstanding Billy. I believe your Dad had some hand in making some of this on his trip out there? I am sorry I missed it. I’ll get out there to share a pint or 5 with you one of these days. Do you have 4 different beers in there?
Uncle Steve you wussed out on the last trip! You should see what Billy is building now!…. The Brutus 10 clone! Control panel is ready to go and the welding is going to start soon for the framework and burners, gas valves etc. If you play your cards right you and I can be out there when he fires it up and try those 5 pints or so with Billy and his Denver Buds!
I think you Virginia guys need to make this trip happen. Grab Ted while you’re at it.
Will do and Uncle Ted would love it!
Excellent, well done! I still can’t thank you enough for the most perfect “how to build an awesome kegerator” instructions/video out there on the web…mine is awesome thanks to you! My next goal is to run 2 lines out the kegerator and through my garage wall which has a kitchenette on the other side. I would really only need 2-3 feet of line outside the fridge. I would of course insulate it, but I wanted to ask – do you think this fan would be strong enough if I set it up to blow through the unrefrigerated lines? In other words…how powerful is this fan would you say? Thanks!
Sorry for the delay Ben, this one slipped through. For the size the fan is pretty powerful. It has no problem moving air throughout my ~ 9 cu. ft. chest freezer. Radio Shack had larger versions available as well. You could always return it and buy a larger one if it’s not strong enough. Glad the posts have helped you get your keezer rocking!
Hey Billy,
You have one of the best DIY’s for a keezer that I’ve seen yet! Yes, great explanations and easy to understand. You hit the “sweet spot” of providing information with understanding. Looks great too! I’m ready to get started on this.
David Ivey
Black Bucket Brew Inbox Magazine Editor
Thanks David. I work hard to make these things as helpful as possible so it’s good to hear they’re doing the job.
Billy,
This design is perfect. I plan to begin purchasing all of the elements, pretty much how you had it. I have a few questions, if you don’t mind. First, I was considering going with a 1×10 or 1×12 oak for the finish. The reason would be to allow ample room to install a dip tray right into the wood rather than into the freezer. Thoughts? is that too much of a difference between the inner pine collar and the outer collar? or, does that matter?
The second question I had was I plan to drill 3 holes for taps. Two for commercial kegs and one for a potential home brew, should I start that up. How did you plug the empty shank holes so that you didn’t lose any cool air?
Thanks again for your attention to detail, I can’t wait to begin my own.
Chris
Hey Chris, great to hear you’re tackling this project. It’ll be worth it.
For your first question, I don’t see any drawbacks to using the larger piece of oak. I think it’s a good idea actually. For #2, I only capped the holes, I didn’t fill them (though I probably should have). You can find the caps in the specialty drawers at Ace Hardware. They’re perfect for this. I don’t think you need to go too crazy insulating the holes. Even balled up newspaper would help.
How does the fan perform? Have you noticed a difference? I have a similar keezer. I have been having troubles with balancing my lines/psi/temp. I didn’t have a fan though. I’m thinking I need to add the fan to provide a consistent temp.
It works great. From the post – “After installing the fan, the temperature different between the top and the bottom went from 14°F to 3°F”. I would give it a shot.
Wow! That’s quite the difference in temp. I will try it out.
Thanks!