Kegotator Mk2 Build

[Tony]

I had a 360 liter freezer and was going to make it a kegorator. Even started a thread but the freezer was dodgy and it sat in the garage for about a year and never got done.

So i took it to the tip!

I got hold of a great 500 liter freezer for almost nothing and started the buildup this arvo.

First up i removed the origional thermostat and installed a temperature controler and 10A relay to switch the power to the compressor. I will run a cable inside the freezer to a PT100 temp probe that will live in a bottle of liquid. This bufferes the compressor from excessive on/off operation and gives a true liquid temp in the freezer.

I have the top drilled and sat the font on for photo op but still need to modify the inside and mount it up properly...... which will happen in the next day or 2.

Then i have to work out how to get the gas in withoout killing the freezer with a hole saw

anyway... here are a few pics.

cheers

 

[Zwickel]

Tony that looks beautiful.

why did you remove the original thermostat? basically you wouldnt need to remove it, just leave it as it is.

As long as your fridge is over the temp switch point of the thermostat, the power to the compressor is always switched on.

Thats what I did with mine.

:icon_cheers:

 

[Tony]

I wired it so the temp controller switches a slave relay thats rated to 10A. The slave relay switches power the the compressor the same as the old thermostat did.

If the power to the compressor is always switched on........ it will run non stop and feeeze the kegs.

I have been running my fermentation fridges and freezers like this for many years nad it works great.

Its the same, just better

cheers

 

[Brewman_]

Hi Tony,

Set up looks great.

I set up something similar earlier this year, but I never installed a new relay. What is this for? Is the temp controller switch not up to the 10 amps, or some other reason?

Fear_n_Loath

 

[Zwickel]

If the power to the compressor is always switched on........ it will run non stop and feeeze the kegs.

I meant, the new regulator is wired in the main power line so it can switch on and off the kegerator when the old thermostat is always on.


:icon_cheers:

 

[Tony]

I set up something similar earlier this year, but I never installed a new relay. What is this for? Is the temp controller switch not up to the 10 amps, or some other reason?

Fear_n_Loath

The relay in the temp controller is only rated to 2 amps. It could probably handle the job but with a slave relay to do the high power switching of the compressor, it takes a lot of load off the controller, reducing heat and extending its life span.

Thats the theory anyway

I meant, the new regulator is wired in the main power line so it can switch on and off the kegerator when the old thermostat is always on.


:icon_cheers:

Ahhhhhh that makes sence mate. That would work fine but i just didnt see the point in leaving it there if its not going to do anything.

cheers

 

[GTS350]

..... I will run a cable inside the freezer to a PT100 temp probe that will live in a bottle of liquid..
.....Then i have to work out how to get the gas in withoout killing the freezer with a hole saw

Hi Tony,

Nice freezer and font/tap setup.
Where is the temp probe cable going to enter the freezer? - Is there not enough space to smuggle your gas line in with it?

Cheers,
Rich

 

[Tony]

The temp probe cable will come in through the compressor hump.......... not sure about the gas yet. Still need to finalise how im going to set that up as i will need 2 different pressure lines in there. One for dispence and one for carbination.

I let it run for a while yesterday and found there the cold lined run and also where it gets hot on the outside. Will be very carefully drilling through the week.

cheers

 

[troopa]

Sounds brilliant Tony.. i know who ill be calling when i manage to find a freezer

We just dont tell SWMBO though ok? LOL

Tom

 

[Tony]

Ahhhh mate.......... a women will always notice a great big cheat freezer that appears with a font on it

I was having real trouble finding a freezer......... i reng everywhere that sells second hand stuff.......... heaps of fridges but chest freezers are rocking horse ****.

I was complaining to a work mate how i couldnt find one and he says.......... There is one in the old boys (his father in law passed away the week before) shed if you want it..... 500 liter one.

got it for $50 They offered it to me for $30 but i felt bad just paying $30 and all i had was a $50 note.

you have to be lucky now and then dont you.

cheers

 

[arsenewenger]

I know that feeling about luck Tony , A guy from work gave another workmate a freezer a while back and on friday I was saying to him that I wish I got that freezer myself when the door to the office opens and My Boss asks to grab the trailer because he wants to get rid of his freezer down the tip because no-one wants and he cant give it away , needless to say its in my shed now , Offered money but he was happy to not to have to move it so i got it for nothing.

Cheers
AW

 

[komodo]

Man this thread makes me feel like I got ripped paying $220 for my 500L cheasty.
Then I look at the price of a new one and think "yeah I did pretty good" Admittedly I did have to pay a further $80 for a new fridge seal to be sent out (So easy to fit a new seal I'd recomend any one with a bung fridge seal to do it)

 

[vicelore]

DW man, I paid over 300 for a second hand one last year...

Cheers Vice

 

[MarkBastard]

I paid $450 for a factory second. It was new but had been damaged in transit. I wanted that exact model and wanted the peace of mind knowing it was new and should work for a while. The corner was a bit bashed in as it had been dropped, but I hammered it back out to square.

 

[komodo]

I cant believe how little chest freezers run once they are cold. compared with my bar fridge next to it the cheast freezer would be lucky if it ran for 1/4 of the overall time the fridge runs for.

 

[glaab]

that looks **** hot Tony, I want one! Is that a flooded font?, will you flood it or will you blow cold air through it?

 

[floppinab]

I will run a cable inside the freezer to a PT100 temp probe that will live in a bottle of liquid. This bufferes the compressor from excessive on/off operation and gives a true liquid temp in the freezer.

I've seen a few people recommend this but I have a feeling that, depending on the size of that bottle of liquid that it will have the freezer running for longish (1/2 hour or more???) lengths of time while it chills down the liquid.

At moment mine is hanging in free air and............... I haven't measured it but at guess it's probably running at a duty cycle of around 1/2 to 3/4 hour with a run time of not more than 5 mins.

Is there really much difference between the former and latter as to improving the lifetime of the freezer???

BTW mine is a graysonline 2nd F&P ~200L for $200. I got a good 2 years out of the previous ebay freebe although towards the end of it's life it churned through a shitload of power trying to keep things cool!!!!!!

 

[Tony]

I already do this (the probe in the bottle) with my fermentation fridge and it works well...... has done for years.

I will have a fan circulating air in the freezer and the controller usually cycles in 0.2 deg changes.

This means the freezer doesnt run too long so i get a more stable temperature.

I have this set up in a smaller chest freezer i use to ferment in and CC and it works well also. The temp rises by 0.2 deg over a few hours and the compressor runs for about 5 Min and its back down to temp......... undershoots by .03 deg and sits for hours again before it goes again. And thats in a 27 liter brew in a fermenter.

a 2 liter coke bottle wont take 1/2 hr to cool

All well tested and proven here

cheers

 

[MarkBastard]

Probably not needed though with a temp controller that only has 1 degree Celsius resolution though aye tony?

Because if you set the temp at 4 degrees it'll cut in at 5 degrees and cool down to 3 degrees. If it was in water who knows what temp the air would be at by the time it cuts in.

 

[Tony]

Ok........... i have had a think about how to word my reason for the probe in the liquid.

The air temp in the freezer full of kegs will fluctuate more than the liquid temp in the kegs........ hence why i dont measure air temp. The freezers origional thermostat doesnt measure direct air temp...... its under the skin of the metal in the compressor hump to buffer it from air temp fluctuations.

If i measure the temp of the kegs........ i get more over and under shoot as it takes longer to cool and heat the contents of the kegs. and a full keg will cool down slower then a 2/3 empth keg sitting next to it.

Soooooo i go with a small volume of liquid in a bottle in the center of the kegs as a refference. It buffers the probe from air temp fluctuations and steadies the on/off cycle of the compressor. this in turn should give me a steadier temp in the kegs......... which is the main objective.

Trust me :wacko: im a doctor