Keggerator project update

This past weekend I made some additional progress on the keggerator, while I’d like to think it’s nearly complete there is quite a bit of detail work left to finish.

However I could have been pouring beer last night with a few more minutes work. But the perfectionist in me said, finish it up right, don’t just jump to the fun part. This is the short list of what I plan to do in the near term.

• Insulate the collar. Install foam board, and caulk seams and holes.
• Hook up the gas line to the regulator.
• Hook up liquid lines to ball lock connectors and shanks.
• Hang dehumidifier and setup a circulation fan
• Mount the temperature controller
• Mount a drip tray and bottle opener

I guess it doesn’t sound so close to complete with all those punch list items. But I did get a lot accomplished, and it even looks ready to pour beer. What I did:

• Assemble inner collar from 2×10’s and assemble facade of 1×12’s.
• Drill shank holes, gas line, and temp probe ports.
• Put the collar on the freezer, and attach the lid to the collar.
• Assemble shanks, and taps.
• Took photos and wrote a blog.

It looks ok, the wood work is amateur at best. It will be overkill for the volume of beer I’ll put through it, but it sure beats having to bottle. I have really enjoyed working on it. I want to have it finished and full for a Labor Day party. Also it’s been a work in progress since July of 2011, when I acquired the freezer, and temperature controller. I have been acquiring bits and pieces ever since. I don’t always have luck with that approach, but for this project it worked. I was able to spread out the investment both in cost and labor. Not including kegs, the freezer, or the few remaining items to purchase I’ve invested about $400 in the project. I could have done it cheaper and saved money, but I’d have compromised on worth while areas. I also become a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to these types of projects. At what I have spent, it is approaching the cost of a prebuilt dual faucet keggerator, just something to think about if you plan to go this route, it’s not necessarily the cheaper way to go.