Freezer Conversion

[Doc]

Warren,

I'm finally getting around to a chest freezer conversion for my keg frigde. My current keg fridge has @(#&$(&@# DIED.
So I'm going to get a chest freezer for my serving taps. I'm going to go down the collar and font path as well for it.
However I don't have as much room as you seem to behind the freezer (ie a font would go through the wall before I got the lid open enough to be able to get kegs in and out).
So I've been thinking of ways around this.
My current thinking is a collar, then a false lid on top of the freezer lid to mount the font. The false lid would be on drawer runners so it can slide off to the side to the side allowing me to open up the freezer lid.
The problem I see with this is the length of beer line I'd need to be able to slide the false lid off the top to open the freezer lid. I guess I could go for a balanced system but I force carb at 300kpa so that would a lot of beer line which would then need to be cooled otherwise the first few beers wouldn't be chilled. That would mean an aquarium pump or a glycol system. Unfortunately that is getting very expensive on the budget I have from my very understanding wife who really saw me crack the ***** today when my keg fridge died and my projector in the home theatre room also started dying a slow death just before the All Blacks vs Spring Boks game.

Anyone got any good ideas or tangents of thought I haven't thought of ?

Beers,
Doc

 

[BrentonSpear]

Doc,

Why not split the lid for the top of the freezer in two and hinge it front and back so that the front section with the font attached to it swings forward and the back section swings back. That way you can easily get at the kegs without the font hitting the wall.

You would need the front flap to overlap the rear one to ensure a good seal but it wouldnt be too hard. You could then lock the whole lot down with wing nuts or something similar.

Brenton

 

[Doc]

Brenton,

That is a good idea. I'd have to make sure that any driptray was properly attached and empty before opening the lid though . Getting kegs in and out would have to be done from the side. Would have to allow room for that.

If I went for a balanced system (which I think I'll do so I can leave the gas bottle hidden behind the freezer), does anyone know of a good source of appropriate hose retractors ?
I'm thinking that if I have 4 long-ish beer lines (so I can open the lid) hose retractors will keep things tidy and also keep the hose in the freezer cavity and any contained beer cold.

Thoughts ?

Doc

 

[Linz]

Doc,
With my freezer, Im going to build a frame around the base of the freezer and mount castors to it so the bar will be mobile(Island bar).
As with the beer line, one way Ive seen done is to run the lines to the rear wall(hinge side) of the freezer then coil the excess on the under side of the lid, circling to the middle, and up the post. I saw this done in the freezer at "hop to it" at Botany

As for the projector.......your on your own on that one!!

 

[Doc]

Thanks to the Trading Post I picked up a 210 litre chest freezer today. Looks brand new and has hardly been used. Ironically some a Belgain couple who are out here working on a four year visa.
Anyway it will fit 4 18/20 litre kegs and probably a couple of 11 litre half kegs if pushed.
Visited the hardware store this arvo and checked out hinges and timber and braces etc. Trying to get a plan together for it. Will see what the temp of it is on the minimum setting to see if I have to worry about a temp controller or not. If I do the fujoka (sp?) will be on my hitlist :lol:
Now also calling in my contacts for a four tap beer font. Two sources look good so fingers crossed.

Doc

 

[kman]

ill be testing my new chest freezer on min setting tomorrow, and hope it doesnt freeze my beer (i think ill test with a few bottles of beer and a few of water.) but if they do, i would be interested in getting what ever your getting to control temps

cheers

 

[Vlad the Pale Aler]

There was a post about a yank brewer who made a cool font setup from poly pipe and expanding foam insulation, on top of a freezer. Problem is I cant recall which website I saw it on.
Anyone else seen it ?

 

[kman]

ill seen it, ill try and track it down now

 

[Doc]

Linz posted it here. Although one of the links in dead.

Beers,
Doc

 

[Linz]

dang .... beat me to it!!

 

[Doc]

My chest freezer plans are coming together.
Have sourced a couple of fonts and will decide between them when they arrive. All I know so far is one has five taps and the other is 3 or 4 taps but is a flooded font.

The bit still troubling me is the top of the freezer. I really want to put a nice wooden top on it so it looks all nice and pretty and blends in nicely with the rest of the kitchen.
I went and had a look a the Country Brewers chest freezer conversion at thier Thornleigh store this morning to see how they did it. They just went straight through the lid. I was trying to avoid doing this if at all possible.
There-in lies the problem. If you want to have the beer lines etc all nicely hidden they must be between the wooden top and the freezer lid (and enter the freezer through the rear and the wooden collar). This either means using a thick wooden top and routing out a channel on the underside for the beer lines, or leaving a space between the wooden top and the freezer lid. And you still have to attach the font only to the wooden top.
The problem with both is I would still want to somehow connect the wooden top to the freezer lid so that when you lift the wooden top the freezer lid also opens allowing access.

Anyone seen this done or have some inspirational thoughts for me ?

TIA,
Doc

 

[JasonY]

Doc how about removing the top for storage and building a new one from wood only + a seal ....

Or if there is a rubbish day or something get another lid from a freezer which is stuffed and use that and save the original.

ideas?

 

[Doc]

Doc how about removing the top for storage and building a new one from wood only + a seal ....

That is a great idea.
Doing that is there any special timber I should look for as it would be exposed to the cool temps of the fridge ?

Doc

 

[JasonY]

Cant say for sure but I would perhaps use MDF for the inside (cheap) and clad it with a nice timber for presentation. As long as you give the underside a good coat of some waterproof sealant it should probably be ok, I think moisture would be your enemy. Perhaps some insulation (polystyrene?) sandwitched between the MDF and cladding would be an idea?

If you plan ahead a bit you could design it to ustilise the hinges off the existing lid which will make it easier to open & close....

 

[GMK]

Go for Cypress Pine.

Has beutiful colours and grain.
Is rated H3 - used outside - moisture resistance.

Will need to seal it on the bottom - use marine varnish.
Use an organ oil - they make a marine oil finish on the top.

Trust me - will look sensational.

Otherwise - mount the font on the bar and forget the freezer top.

What ever font you choose not to use - i would like first option on the purpose - i am after a 4 or 5 tier font and/or flooded...

Here is alink to a guy that makes slabs...
Cant find the one link i want to guy in NSW taht machines and sells them..but here are some links...
http://ids.lis.net.au/solarslabs/
http://www.trendtimbers.com.au/

 

[Linz]

Doc, the freezer you bought , is it posssible to buy another lid?? IS it a local brand(I think you told me it came from Belgium, fact or trying to get beer cred for the freezer??).Or can you get one here??
Store the new lid, drill throught the lid thats on it now. Then, if in the future you want to change back, you've already got the lid in storage and it will be cheaper than if you have to buy it in the future.

Just my 2c

 

[BrentonSpear]

Doc,

By the time you are thinking about getting another fridge the current one would have blown up and lost all its gas, so why worry, get you power tools out and drill through that lid

 

[Doc]

Here is what I'm going to do.
Have sorted out the temp thermostat. Ended up changing it from the pictures I took etc as the probe was in the lining of the freezer and was too slow to get the changes in temp. Not a problem when you run it as a freezer, but when you want to be within a few degrees above zero not good enough.

Tobins are now selling the 0-40 deg thermostat in a box like the growarm ones. More expensive though @ $185.

That is how I've now done the temp thing and have got it holding the temp under five degrees currently.

As for the top. Spoke with one of the guys that has sourced me a font. This is the four tap one and is flooded. Apparently it isn't too high so I won't have to split the lid. Will build a collar for the freezer and attach the lid to it.
I will have a dead space between the lid of the freezer and the wooden top. The wooden top will be hinged at the rear. When I need to access the freezer I lift the wooden top, then can open the freezer.

As for cooling the font, I'm going to put a bucket (about 5 litres) in the freezer with a mix of salt and water, or meths and water. Drill two holes in the top of it and install fermenter gromets. Install a loop of beer or gas line that draws water from the bottom of the bucket and returns it to the top after cycling through the font. This will be done by a small aquarium pump. The aquarium pump will also be connected to the temp controller unit so when the freezer comes on to cool down it also pumps the cooling liquid through the font. This should mean the font is always at a good temp and ready for a beer.

Thanks for all you help guys. Will post pics of it as I build and finish it. Will have the font this weekend. Will hopefully construct all the mods next weekend.

Beers,
Doc

 

[Jase]

Sounds sensational, Doc. Bloody sensational. Can't wait to see the end result.

Off the topic, my keg fridge is almost ready, just the tap to go in. Not sure if I put in 1 or 2 taps. Think 2 may be overkill. Will post pics when finished.

Jase

 

[Bobby]

you could try adding some radiator coolent in the bucket, that is a glycol.