**I’ve thought about posting this a few times over the past month or so - wasn’t sure if it was 100% on-topic and really not sure if it’s 100% worthy. But it does all start with a little cooler from the early 1960’s so….that’s HAMB.** Earlier this year, my wife’s grandma gifted me a really cool Coleman cooler that has been around longer than any of her children. She knows I like old stuff and wanted to see it go to someone who would appreciate it I assume, that or she thought it was junk and that’s what she thinks of me. I also came across a free chest freezer right around the same time - I guess maybe people do just give me their junk. Anyway, I’ve been secretly checking Marketplace for kegerators just because I love drinking beer and I thought it would be cool to have draft beer in the garage. I put two and two together and decided to use the Coleman’s vintage styling and convert the freezer into a kegerator. Or Keezer…. Here are a few pics of the process…
After seeing how much I loved the cooler, she said I could come by and pick up her old refrigerator and have it. Not sure what I’m going to do with it but I just can’t let this cool old stuff go to waste. The fridge from what I can tell online is a late 30’s, it just quit working a few years ago she said. I’ll throw it on my ‘to-do’ list.
Nice! The vintage refrigerators, some of them used some exotic sounding refrigerants like ammonia or sulfer dioxide. One thing about refrigerators, they don’t like to be moved around, esp. laid on their side, and then powered up. Let them stand in their new location for a day or two. Something to do with freon and compressors.
Cool, thanks for the tips. I will say, I know nothing about refrigerators but I def want to hang on to that old one. In the back of my head I wondered if I could just equip it with all newer stuff - but tons of research to do yet on that. Even if it becomes a cabinet to hold car parts or spray paints or something - still will look neat out in the garage I thought. But honestly, that’s gonna be a year or so down the road before I even mess with it.
I’d be inclined to actually restore it, if practicable. might not be that big of a deal. Sometimes we hear claims they “waste energy”, but if you actually put an ammeter on the line and measure power consumption you’ll see they are very reasonably efficient and quiet. They work really well. Somehow, too, I doubt the “energy star” POS units will still be chilling brew 100 years from now. They seem to want everybody to throw away perfectly good appliances, spend $800, to save $6 a year. Math, how do it work?
I also insulated the wood collar part on the inside. I used sheets of insulation boars and just used that silver ducting tape over it. Whenever I would open the lid, the temp would raise and cause it to kick on and off so I put my temp probe into this beer bottle to get a liquid temp. Definitely cycles it less. also added a small PC fan to move air inside. It seemed as if the sides were a heck of a lot colder than where I was reading temp to control it.
Michelob Ultra?! Well ... the H.A.M.B. won't confiscate your man card but I think we gotta bend a corner!
LOL, the keg isn’t a Mickey Ultra but that’s the tallest beer can I had on hand and that temp probe is pretty long. And whose to say that watching your carbs is so bad?!?!
Nice work Mink, Ive got a couple of those Coleman coolers in that same green color, I love em ! Some deep freezers like that will build up ice on the walls and needs to be defrosted every couple years just fyi. Also if youre watching carbs try Shiner Blonde brewed here in Texas. It has about a gram more but tastes like a real beer, give em a try if you can find em. I cant stand light beer, my Dad turned me to these and theyre great.
Hey, sorry but I forgot to mention the important part that makes it all work - I have a temp controller on my electrical outlet. So my temp probe sends the current temp inside the freezer to a display. When it hits 36, it kicks the freezer power on, and when it gets to 34, takes power away from freezer. I also have a heat plate in there just in the case that my garage dipped below 32 (it shouldn’t) heat plate would kick on so beer doesn’t freeze.
REALLY cool set-up, nice job. Unfortunately, beer doesn't last very long at my place... no sense refrigerating cardboard.
This is one of mine, an old school "Penguin" all metal. It works good, and holds the .5 lt tall bottles.
My wife's brother-in-law made one years ago. Only problem with it was we spent too much time in the garage drinking beer, and getting nothing done! At least SWMBO and her sister knew where to find us! Maybe that's why they tolerated it... Hmmmm?
My nephew is working on this one. He’s converting it to a sandpaper/body supplies cabinet. It’s his votech project for HS.
Awesome, yea I'm thinking this will be the best bet for mine as well - probably not worth it financially to get it working but still gonna be an awesome cabinet!
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