Kegerator? Convert fridge? Chest freezer/keezer?

First, stop worrying about the override thermostat burning out the compressor...that's not a thing. Expect longevity equal or better than a normal freezer.

Lowering carboys/kegs into a keezer is a thing. I've been doing it for a decade+, so it's definitely doable, but some effort is involved. A full keg is just over 50 pounds, so keep that in mind. Converting a fridge minimizes this problem but lacks the overall efficiency of a keezer. Commercial kegerators usually open on the side but cost and reliability can be a problem

Converting a freezer is pretty straightforward, and yes this is the cheapest approach. Once you have your external faucets you will rejoice in not opening the door to pour a beer. When set up properly you can go for years with little to no maintenance.

Finally, hang out some in Home Bar. Topics like this are discussed a lot and they really need the business over there.

 

I have built several kegerators over the years. Despite the lifting up and over I 100% prefer chest freezer for one simple reason, headspace. Opening up the top of the chest freezer to disconnect or reconnect different hoses is much easier than a standard upright fridge. All the standard upright fridges I have had I could squeeze 6 kegs into. I have had 4 faucets drilled through the door. Its great but reaching in and manipulating gas/beverage lines really sucks. Especially the kegs in the back row. Chest freezer is super easy. Its easy to make a collar with 2X6 lumber if you want faucets mounted on the outside. My next freezer build I am going back to a chest freeze and just using picnic taps for less maintenance.

 

Are you aware of any work-arounds for placing a full keg into a chest freezer? For older people (or people with bad backs) is there a 'fix' here?

Cheers!

 

If the keezer has a sturdy anchor point above (like a rafter, floor joist or a home made A-frame support), a BIAB pulley system like this one would probably be sufficient.
The working load for that pulley system isn't specified, but it's made for the Brewzilla. The recommended max grain bill for the Brewzilla is 18 lbs. A mash pipe w/18 lbs of crushed and saturated grains would surely weigh much more than a corny full of beer.

 

Well, a gallon of water weighs 8.33 lbs. so a the contents of a 5 gallon corny would be about 42 lbs. If you guesstimate about 10 lbs. for the corny keg itself this would get you to around 52 lbs. Maybe just round down to 50 lbs.

Cheers!

 

Unless my math is off (which it could be), I figured the capacity for the Brewzilla to be about 64 lbs with a thickish mash:
18 lbs grain + 46 lbs strike water [aka ((18 * 1.25) / 4) * 8.33] = 64 lbs. Does that look right?

Since the pulley system is designed for the Brewzilla (conservatively @ 64 lbs) it should easily handle a full corny, which you calculated to be ~ 50 lbs (rounded down).

 

According to a BYO article:

"The water absorbed by the grain will vary with the specifics of the grain bill, the type of malt and adjuncts and their moisture content, but an average value of 0.50 quarts per pound (1.04 L/kg) has proven to be a very reasonable assumption in most cases. In the hypothetical recipe above (10 lbs. or 4.5 kg of grain), the volume of water absorbed is 5.0 quarts (4.7 L)."

https://byo.com/article/calculating-water-usage/#:~:text=The water absorbed by the grain will vary,be a very reasonable assumption in most cases.

So, for 18 lbs. of grain there will be 9 quarts of water absorbed. 9 quarts is 2.25 gallons of water x 8.33 lbs./gallon = 18.7 lbs.

In your above calculation you arrive at 5.6 gallons of water absorbed i.e., (18 * 1.25) / 4). I suppose you assert that a lb. of grain will absorb 1.25 quarts of water? Do you think that is he correct answer here?

Cheers!

 

No, not absorbed, but the total weight of the mash (grain + strike water).
It seems reasonable that the non-absorbed liquid wouldn’t immediately and completely empty upon lifting, but I suppose one could raise it slowly enough that it would have some effect to that end.
This wouldn't an issue if MoreBeer had listed the safe working load, so I posted the question there.

If one wanted to go to the trouble to piece together a pulley system, they could spec out the pulleys, rope and cleat/s to handle 150 lbs and be done with it.

 

Please report back what you hear.

I would think that how well the anchor is attached to the ceiling could potentially be a factor here?

Cheers!

 

One would think.

 

Well, we had a good discussion here.

Is it now time to solve the high inflation problem?

Maybe Jethro can help us since he knows his gazinta's?
?

 

I started with a fridge, then moved to a chest freezer. Definitely go with a chest freezer. Biggest issue for a fridge is when a keg in the back row blows and you need to get the keg out/replace it. You have to take the keg in front of it out, which disturbs any particulate at the bottom of the keg. Lager no longer lagered. Crunchy hop floaty IPAs. Had a beer that never got clear because I had to keep moving the keg.

Also, if you can figure out a way to mount your hoses to the lid or inside of the collar it will save a lot of headaches. The most annoying part of moving kegs in the chest freezer is having CO2 lines and beer lines criscrossing all over the place when you try to lower a 50# keg of beer into the freezer.

 

Just going to put it out there that these days you can get kegs in just about any size you might want. If 50 pounds is a bit much, you could use 3-gallon kegs instead. I realize there are downsides but if that's what it takes to make kegging feasible, it could be worth it.

 

Just be very, very careful to not 'clink' your carboy during the insertion and removal process if it is a glass carboy.

Cheers!

 

A couple of things to consider: A regular chest freezer used as a ferm/lager chamber should present little problem when lowering a glass carboy. Typically this would be the only item in the freezer and a good old "heave ho" will get it in or out. Trouble starts when you have little space (i.e. mixing cornies and carboys)...navigating a safe landing may be tough.

Converting a freezer to a keezer typically involves adding height to the unit. Your standard 2 x 6 is a time proven addition...that adds 5½" to the height you'll be lifting. Moving a corny over this extra height into a full keezer is a little more difficult, especially when the unit is full. I keep 5 on the floor and 2 on the hump, so there is some "threading the needle" when replacing an empty (remember, the front is lined with faucets you have to work around). But you can rest a corny on the lip of the unit, or even on top of another corny when fighting the hoses for room. I would not recommend doing this with a carboy.

Like many problems, throwing money at it can help. Having a freezer for ferming/lagering and a keezer for serving is a fine way to go.

 

In addition to just plain ol' getting more space, another advantage to a collar of 2 x 6's is you can drill where you want for the faucet shanks and the gas line (if the CO2 tank is stored outside the keezer) without concern for compromising the freezer wall or its contents, like refrigerant lines and insulation.
The collar can also serve for routing/anchoring lines and/or a manifold, if used.

Or unless some ingenious chap offers an articulating tower. Never heard or thought of one before now.

 

HAng on...

How do you plan to keep your fermenting wort at lager fermentation temps and your kegged beers at serving temps in the same freezer?