New Upright Freezer

dannyboy58 · February 7, 2019, 5:18pm

Got my new upright freezer today after a couple delays in delivery because of snow, ice, etc.

My old one that died after 20+ years was a 13 cf and the new one is 17cf. It’s taller so that means more storage space for yeast slurry, hops, bottles, etc.

It’s also got a slightly larger foot print. The old one held 4 kegs with the gas cylinder on the outside and line through the side. The new one can hold 4 plus the cylinder OR I could run the line out and fit 5 kegs.

I have no intention of have more than 4 taps in the door so the 5th keg would just be for storage/conditioning which would be nice…

So the question…search out schematics to safely drill a hole through the side or just put the cylinder inside with the kegs? I’ll likely ponder it a bit…

Question for you guys…

Drip tray?

On the old one I had attached a stainless drywall mud pan to the door with construction cement. It worked but wasn’t very pretty and didn’t offer a surface to set you glass on while filling.

Any suggestions for a nice drip tray to mount on the fridge door would be appreciated. Might even consider something with a drain/line for spill overs.

brew_cat · February 7, 2019, 6:14pm

Floor heat grate will fit over the mud pan

voltron · February 7, 2019, 6:15pm

I’d maybe wait to drill holes until after the warranty expires?

I’ve seen some nice wall mount drip trays that can be mounted to the door via magnetic tape, or with some self tappers.

Like these: Beer Drip Trays & Pans

Steve · February 7, 2019, 7:10pm

I built a tray frame out of wood to hold a purchased stainless steel drip tray. Some strong magnets hold the frame to my keezer. The tray just lifts off the frame for easy emptying and cleaning. The magnets are strong enough that the tray will hold at least a couple full glasses (I haven’t tried more than two). You can find pictures, and links to the magnets in this post. I can provide more details if you’d like.

dannyboy58 · February 7, 2019, 7:22pm

Steve that looks really nice. I like the idea. I’ll definitely consider something like that…

brew_cat · February 7, 2019, 7:45pm

That’s a nice look.

brew_cat · February 7, 2019, 7:47pm

Stealing off Steve’s idea make it longer and wider with some finished oak for a mini bar top

dannyboy58 · February 7, 2019, 10:22pm

Drilled the door for my taps and realized it’s thicker than the old door…my shanks are about 1/4" too short! dagnabit!!!

sneezles61 · February 8, 2019, 2:06am

Think of the potential to keep the kegs cold with less energy… ! Sneezles61

sneezles61 · February 8, 2019, 2:13am

The actual drip tray is 6" X 13"… The wooden frame is screwed into the face of the keezer with some metal framing waffle head screws… Sneezles61

sneezles61 · February 8, 2019, 4:06am

See, even has the dribbles to show… it works! Sneezles61

dannyboy58 · February 12, 2019, 6:33pm

Got my new shanks from Kegconnection.com today so I’m back in business. Yes the spacing of the taps was intentional. Left a spot in the middle for 5th tap just in case…

Still contemplating the drip tray…not sure I’m capable of fabricating something nice enough to hang on the front of the fridge. On my last one I had a strip of “blackboard paint” above the taps for labeling purposes. Considering that or maybe painting the whole top half so people could get creative or leave messages…

sneezles61 · February 12, 2019, 7:45pm

looks like our host has a nice collection of drip trays… Sneezles61

dannyboy58 · February 13, 2019, 2:48am

Yea I planned my tap placement on this one:

Then I saw this:

https://www.beveragefactory.com/draftbeer/driptray/wallmount/dp-322ld-5-stainless-steel-drip-tray.html

Of course it’s 3 times as much and I already drilled for my taps having no idea how those are placed.

So yea I’m likely to order the first one from NB. Easy fix. Doesn’t require me to sweat over trying to make something nice.

brew_cat · February 13, 2019, 3:52am

Get yourself a sheet of stainless steel and drill it yourself. It will cost alot less than the $185

sneezles61 · February 13, 2019, 11:06am

I think I have a tray out in the shed… I could look and let you know… Swap you for a couple of home brews? Sneezles61

dannyboy58 · February 13, 2019, 1:48pm

Already ordered one…

Rburrelli · February 13, 2019, 2:15pm

Get a magnetic chalkboard for above the taps. Large one to get creative on.

hd4mark · February 13, 2019, 4:07pm

Which one? The NB one with a simple strip of oak or something over the mounting holes would dress it up nicely.

dannyboy58 · February 13, 2019, 4:44pm

Yea the NB “wall mount” one. Still considering options for the door but will depend on what direction I go with remodeling the tap room. Not sure how much effort I want to put into it since we’re considering selling the house soon.