Plywood tub for cooling 3 beer kegs

House Repair Talk

Help Support House Repair Talk:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

gorphus

Member
Joined
Jul 1, 2013
Messages
15
Reaction score
1
I'm hosting a party where I'm expecting 175 guests. I'm getting 3 full size kegs (16.5" diameter, 23" tall) that I need to keep cold. Rather than get 3 plastic tubs, I thought I could build one large box out of plywood and/or 2x4's.

Here is my plan:
Dimensions of the box = 20" deep x 24" high x 60" wide

Water level would go up ~20". If I've done my math correctly, there should be about 40 gallons of water in the tub (some of it will be ice). Simple wood screws every 2" on the vertical walls, ~4" on the horizontal. Add some spray foam to the corners to seal it up. Really only has to stay together for 2 days.

Any thoughts? I did some research and people make 200 - 300 gallon aquaria out of plywood, which would have a lot more pressure on the sidewalls than I'm going to get. They usually apply a waterproof epoxy resin to the inner walls for longer term use, but I don't need mine to last that long.

Thanks,

michael
 
Do you mean to add a plastic sheeting liner to the plywood box or to make the whole thing out of plastic?
 
This photo is a concrete form but notice how they overlaped the 2x4s for strength, just add a 2x4 frame to the inside bottom to suport the floor. Red tuck tap would likely hold water for a few days if you tape the inside of the corners. Or just a big sheet of 6 mil poly on the inside.

box form.jpg
 
Last edited:
I agree with plastic liner. Don't cut it. Just fold it into the corners and staple over the top edge.
Also some bungies or wooden slats over the kegs to hold them down from floating especially as they get emptied.

Maybe throw some heavy blankets over it to help insulate it a bit.
 
One traditional method is to get a small metal livestock watering container. You may even be able to rent one if you are in the right location. Fill 1/2 way up with ice cubes and a little cold water a few hours before the kegs arrive. The water is important because it chills quickly to about 35F and provides maximum contact for chilling the beer and maintaining the cold temperature while holding. You could always dig a little pit and poly if you want to hoist those critters up. - This is very similar to chilling bottle of beer where when the person with the longest arms gets the coldest beer.

If you have real beer fans, do not let get it too cold.

Dick
 
Livestock containers work well.Also old bathtubs and old refrigerators and freezers laid down with the doors off.They are insulated too.I used to be young once.
 
Back
Top