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by Denny Deaton
How I built it:
Once I got the chest freezer home and out on the porch (my wife even helped unload it from the car – I think she was just as excited as I was) I removed the lid and measured the outside length and width around the top lip of the freezer. This measurement helped me decide how much wood I would need to buy to build the collar. I ended up buying 2 treated 2x4’s and 2 treated 1x6’s for my collar (roughly $20.00 with other hardware too), this can vary depending on freezer size.
I started by cutting all 4 pieces of 2x4 for the inner collar with the outside edge as my longest measurement (to equal the outside freezer wall measurements) and a 45-degree angle on each end to ensure a tight seal as well as keep the seam between each piece of wood on the corner, as apposed to displaying the butt end of the 2x4’s on each side of the kegerator (appearance may not be an issue to you but I have gotten many compliments on the appearance of my kegerator). Next I assemble the inner collar together using 4 L-shaped metal brackets (common at most any hardware store) and 16 - _ inch wood screws (4 per bracket). To double-check my measurements I placed the wooden collar on top of the freezer lip. If you have done this correctly, the outside of you collar should be flush with the outside wall of your freezer all the way around, basically forming an extension on top of your freezer. I used white caulk to seal the corners (inside and out) and applied several coats of high-gloss white outdoor/all-purpose paint to the inner collar.
Next I measured the 1x6’s to match the outside circumference of the inner collar, basically I cut the 1x6’s into 4 pieces that wrap around the inner collar, using 45-degree angles once again. I used 1 _ inch wood screws to fasten the outer collar pieces to the inner collar, keeping the top of the 1x6 flush with the top of the inner collar creating an inch or so lip on the inside-bottom of the collar (this will secure the collar to the freezer lip later). To keep the screw heads from showing on the outside, I drilled small starter holes in the inside collar and screwed the inside collar to the outside piece of wood, this gives the outside of your collar a nice smooth finish (just make sure your screws are not too long or they will go through the outside collar). Before caulking and painting the outer/inner collar I drilled 4 evenly spaced 5/8 inch holes in the front of the collar for each of my taps (keep in mind to center these with the inner 2x4 collar and not the 1x6 collar). Also, be sure to drill from the outside in to ensure that your nice 1x6 doesn’t splinter. Now the collar is ready to seal and paint, do this as many times as needed to get a nice tight seal and a flush level top for the freezer lid to rest on. One note I might add, depending on how your freezer’s lid works you might need to either cut out indentions in the outer collar on the back, or do away with the back piece of the outer collar all together to make room for the lid’s hinges… this should be obvious to you after you assemble the inner collar.
At this point you should have a sealed and painted collar that fits snugly on top of your chest freezer with a portion of the 1x6 hanging over the outside freezer wall. This keeps the collar locked down on top of the freezer’s lip without having to drill any holes in your freezer or use and hardware (so essentially you could convert this back to a chest freezer someday if you wanted to – but you wouldn’t want to do that now would you?). I sealed the inside seam of the chest freezer lip and the collar with a bead of silicone. Next I laid the freezer lid on top of the collar and used wood screws to fasten it to back of the collar.
Next I added the tap(s). I don’t have the money just yet to add all 4 taps so I found some inexpensive _ inch (outer diameter) PVC pipe ends to plug up the holes for the other 3 taps until I am ready. I highly recommend pre-drilling these holes while building the collar to avoid a mess in your freezer (wood chips and paint) when you are ready to install your other taps later. To install the taps (I used part # KEG-069 from homebrew.com) just remove the nut and washer from the tap and slide the shank through one of the holes in the collar, place the washer and nut back on the shank and tighten.
At this point you might have been asking yourself, isn’t my beer going to freeze in a freezer? Well, we thought of that before hand as well. All you need is a Refrigerator Thermostat Controller (20-80 F) - $54.99 (I used part # CONT-001 from homebrew.com). I bolted mine to the side of my collar and just dropped the thermostat probe right inside the back corner of the freezer, no need to secure it really; it will just hang there and do its job. Then you plug your freezer into the thermostat controller and plug it into the outlet, set the thermostat; and in seconds, your kegerator will begin cooling to your desired temperature. Remember to set your freezer’s thermostat to as cool as possible to ensure that the Refrigerator Thermostat Controller has full range to do its job. Also keep in mind when setting your desired temperature that most thermostat controller’s have a 4-degree differential.
Now what?
First of all… Congratulations, you are now the proud owner of a kegerator!! At this point you can place you keg(s) and CO2 tank (a 5 lb fits perfect on the shelf above the compressor in my freezer) in the kegerator and begin serving homebrew when it’s chilled and ready! As always, enjoy and keep on brewing!
Did you miss Part I? Just click here... |
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RESOURCES
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IMPORTANT: Married brewers please read this first.
First off before you start this project you are probably going to need some type of approval or consent from your spouse… no worries, I will tell you how to get around that (assuming they like beer).
My wife and I just got married in May and summer was approaching fast. We were talking one day before the wedding about plans this coming summer and the perfect approach/sales pitch occurred to me. I turned to her and said, “Honey, how would you like cold beer on tap on the porch all summer long?”. First of all, who wouldn’t want this? And you have to admit, it sounds much better than “Honey, can I build a Kegerator for my beer?”. Well, her reply was “Of course, that would be great, but how?”. And that is how my home-built Kegerator project came alive…
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Don't know what to put in your new kegorator? Ask the Brew-Swami!
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HBA Brews for your new Kegorator: |
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 Ludwig's German Pilsner::
Not as alcoholic as its Czech neighbor. Golden in color with a light to medium body and floral nose. The perfect beer for the dog days of summer. |
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Tea Party Lager:
Copy of a famous "revolutionary" lager...crisp, yet malty, with a strong hop aroma and flavor. Soldiers and statesmen, brewers and patriots alike will enjoy this complex and refreshing brew. |
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Volstead Pre-Prohibition Lager:
The creation of Classic American Pilsner is the result of an influx of German immigrants to this country at the turn of the 19th century who longed for the pale lagers of their homeland. The German brewers met this demand by adapting to domestic ingredients. By adding approximately 20% to 30% corn grits to their grain bill, they could smooth out some of the rougher edges from the American 6 row malt intended for Ales. This also lightened the body and imparted a distinct sweet grainy flavor. Cluster was by far the most common hop and was used for bittering. More expensive imported noble hops were used for finishing. Unlike the American light lagers of today the Pre-Prohibition lagers had a noticeable malt/hop profile, more body, and a higher alcohol content. (Starting Gravity: 1.050 – 1.056) (Finishing Gravity: 1.008 – 1.014) (30 IBU) |
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Bav' Haus Bock:
A prime example of a German Bock. A malty sweet character predominates in aroma and flavor with some toasted chocolate. Full bodied and dark with a nice rocky head. The addition of 1 pound of DME will change this recipe into a dopplebock.
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Billy Goat American Bock:
Similar to an American Pilsner but with a darker color. A light to medium body with low bitterness makes this beer easy to drink even on hot summer days. |
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Repeats Wicked Brown Ale:
Copy of the beer most folks think of when they think of the American Brown Ale style. Hoppy, but well-balanced by malt...a fine example. Kudos to that "wicked" guy...hope you enjoy this! |
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