To buy or Not to buy??

[D_Rabbit]

I have gone a little crazy lately with buying some new things for home brewing but this may seal my fate with my wife. She is sleeping right now but i'm about to stand over her and stair at her like a dog that has to pee in a moment to see if I can get this one last thing.....

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/ ... 58341.html

[FrozenInTime]

That looks like it would be easy to build. I plan on doing one hopefully this coming winter/spring. From the looks of it, needs some cleaning/minor repairs. I'd low-ball the guy, if he takes it great, if not, I'd pass on it. IMHO

[D_Rabbit]

I've actually priced this out for a build before and it would probably cost me just as much, if not more to build this size.

Used chest freezer of this size: $100
Kegerator Conversion Kit (for 3 kegs): $250-$300
Know how and ability to build one: $1000 in my book because I have no ability myself

[Beer-lord]

I'm looking at a small chest freezer to use as a fermentation/cold crash box. My 3 keg kegerator is fine for me but temperature control is my next nemesis.
Its not my money so I say get it and get it now!

[D_Rabbit]

Yup, wife is on board She just wants to clean up the outside a bit and maybe paint it black. I might even convince her to let me keep it in the kitchen if it fits in the spot I want it to. Luckily I just came in to a little amount of money, enough to cover this purchase, so it won't put a hit in to my normal bill money

[Inkleg]

Johnson digital controller - $75
5lb Co2 tank - $60
Regulator - $50
Looks like 6 Perlick faucets at -$25 each
Shanks at $10 each
Gas and liquid disconnects at $10-15 a pair
Not counting the freezer and these are low prices.
Yeah, I'd offer $400 cash and still give him the $425 if need be. I'd offer less if those aren't Perlicks.

[Kealia]

Where can you get Perlicks for $25.00???

Buy it. Sounds like she's on board, so congrats.

[Inkleg]

Here ya go, sorry I meant 22.95. They are not the Stainless, but still Perlicks.
I get all my kegging supplies for here. Good prices and great service.

[Beer-lord]

I just switched to the 630 SS and love em. Not always the best ptprices but for sure the best service is Birdman Breweing though I have bought many things from Kegworks and keg Connection.

[FedoraDave]

Eventually, my brother is going to come around and build the modification for the freezer I bought this summer.

If you don't feel confident building this yourself, and don't know anyone who can do the job for you, this looks like a good deal. Mine is only going to have 2 taps, but it should hold 3 kegs and the CO2 tank, so I can pressurize and condition a batch ahead of time and make a quick switch.

[D_Rabbit]

So I went and picked this up today. Was surprised to see Perlick taps on all the mounts. He said they were the chrome ones, which is fine, that is still $30 a pop. Of course nothing in my life goes without its issues. We were transporting it home and forgot to put a tie down over the top of it to keep the lid closed and of course it flew open on the last turn home and caused damage to the lid. Luckily nothing else is damaged but now I have to try and repair the lid and/or purchase a new lid which seems to be pretty expensive part for this freezer. Hoping I can fix myself without needing to order replacement parts otherwise I will need to drop another $100-$150 for the parts I need to replace... FML, nothing every goes smooth for me, I swear!

[BigPapaG]

Sorry to hear about the mishap Dan...

Since I assume you are already pricing a lid at all the appliance parts wholesalers, let me suggest:

You could make your own lid... Wood (maybe a salvaged kitchen or dining room table top), some 1x2 strips to form the lid inset so the strips sit in the collar while the lid sits on it.

Line the inside with that foil backed foam panel insulation stuff and you are good to go!

[D_Rabbit]

FIXED!! Luckily I wasn't too busy today with work at home so I took an hour or 2 to try and see if I can fix the lid. A little of banging things around with a hammer and I got the lid lined back up and put in place! Pretty excited about that. Although, I really like Papas idea for the build my own lid thing. Some type of counter top would be nice and heavy to make sure the lid stayed closed, as right now I do still need to put something with weight on top of it to make sure the seal stays tight, more of a precaution than anything. Can't wait to brew something up, keg it and drink it from the tap now!

[ScrewyBrewer]

Good buy at the price and a great save on fixing up the damage. I've been reading about this same exact build in BYO magazine this week too.

The article mentions attaching the wood collar to the lid, makes it easier to lift full kegs into the freezer. But in your case I'm thinking that would've cause a lot more damage if it flipped open. Congratulations on your new beer toys!