Carpuzzi Cooler -- D.Sapsis

Y'all can stop holding your breath, cause here it is, the long awaited Carpuzzi Cooler plans -- just in time for Winter! The idea for this device stems from a need to keep beer very cold using a minimum of ice over roughly a two to three day period in hot weather. You see, the swimmin hole that I frequent in the summer is a steep walk in where we drag along kegs down to the river (along with everything else we may want or need). I'd tried a number of means of keeping the kegs cold, all of which failed the ice efficiency test. Hence, I put my pea brain to work designing this here thingamajig.

Here's the drawings.

Design Objective

Parts

• 20 gallon HDPE dustbin with snap-down lid (available at Oak Barrel)
• 1 large (20 oz.?) low density spray-in foam insulation
• 1 roll of 10x2 ft. reflectix foil backed bubble insulation
• 1 piece 20 x31 inch closed-cell blue foam pad
• 1 old and disfunctional Thermarest pad
• RTV (high quality silicone caulk)
• lotsa duct tape

Assembly

1. Cut reflectix to proper height (coincident with height of dustbin). Roll together so that the inner diameter is 12", and tape lengthwise along seam.
2. Place reflectix centered in dustbin, so there is a uniform gap between it and wall of dustbin. Using reflectix as a form, spray in foam insulation using the provided dispensing tube. Remember, this stuff expands to like 2-3 times its volume when it dries, so spray in lightly, but use whole can.
3. Cut blue foam so it is the same height and just wide enough to make a one layer thick inner layer. Tape seam, and RTV to reflectix. Cut out proper circle of blue foam for bottom. RTV to bottom, and put a bead along edge to seal the inner chamber and make watertight.
4. Liberally duct tape the entire top so that the exposed ends as you look down over the cooler are all covered. This duct tape not only is functional, it makes the whole thing quite attractive and bitchin'.
5. Cut out a donut shaped piece from old thermarest to serve as collar sealing ice chamber from air above. Outer dimension isn't critical, but inner diameter should fit snugly around keg: 21 cm (god I love mixing up them units).
6. Cut whole in center of lid for keg to protrude through.
7. To operate, place keg in center of cooler so that there is about 4 cm (okay! 1.5 inches) gap between keg and blue foam. Fill with ice -- takes about 15 lbs. to fill it chock full. Put collar over keg, and slide down till flush with ice.
8. Place lid over keg, and snap tight.
9. Attach fittings and serve. Prost!, Cheers matey! and a Chukkah heyo to you!