Convert a 22 inch kettle to a drink cooler..


 
DanHoo

DanHoo

TVWBB Olympian
Before you send the hit men after me, here is the story, and reason...

1981, a 22 inch Weber kettle, "brownie" was given to a family member as a wedding gift.

Many (20?) years later it was not being used and given to me.

6 or 7 years ago I loaned it to a friend.

I'm going to give my friend a different kettle so I can repossess the brownie, restore it and then re gift it back to the not so newlyweds.

But, they now live in an area with extreme fire risk so it's not as practical. They have a genesis E320 sidewinder and a propane smoker.

So, is there a good hack to add a liner or something to hold ice and drinks? It would look great on their deck.

And maybe in winter they'll light coal in it.

Any ideas?
 
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I could see finding an appropriately sized plastic punch bowl or something to fit inside a perfectly clean grill to use as a cooler. I can't see using a dirty grill as a cooler though, so for me it would have to be either a grill or cooler.
 
I was thinking some sort of liner, with a drain hose that could exit out a bottom vent. I think it is a three vent bottom so a small hose would work.

if the liner sat on the coal grate, and has a slight taper then it might work well.

I suppose I could make an insulated liner out of Styrofoam and fiberglass reinforce it, but that sounds like a lot of itchy work.

I'm hoping someone will come along and say "hey, check this out" and I could simply copy what someone else has already done.

If I can make it work, I'll add some custom wheels with names and wedding date and maybe a cool looking handle.

Even if one could cook on it, I doubt they will, so once it's clean it will likely stay clean.
 
It's the drain hose idea that's got me tripped up, that sounds cool but complicated.

Were it me, I'm get a huge contractor heavy duty plastic garbage bag, cut it down the side and across the bottom to open it up, and use it as a liner. Trim it somewhat neatly around the edge of the bowl, fasten it with some binder clips, and load it with ice and drinks and see if it works. Just dump the melted contents after the party.
 
I have a metal wash tub like this and it should work.

17 Gallon Galvanized Round Wash Tub - Storage Tub | Bucket Outlet

Durable smooth finish galvanized steel - watertight 17 gallon capacity - corrosion resistant - classic round shape - easy carry handles - quick shipping from Virginia.
www.bucket-outlet.com
Bottom is like 20 3/4" and will slip in.
Drain I dunno cant fit on the side

Edit: They also make a 15 and 11 gallon so you would have room to drill a hole and add a PVC or metal hose bib on the side.
 
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One other potential consideration: weight. During cooking most of the volume of the kettle is full of air. Will the legs, and more importantly (in my opinion, without doing any math) the leg sockets support a full load of ice and drinks?
 
DanHoo said:
Before you send the hit men after me, here is the story, and reason...

1981, a 22 inch Weber kettle, "brownie" was given to a family member as a wedding gift.

Many (20?) years later it was not being used and given to me.

6 or 7 years ago I loaned it to a friend.

I'm going to give my friend a different kettle so I can repossess the brownie, restore it and then re gift it back to the not so newlyweds.

But, they now live in an area with extreme fire risk so it's not as practical. They have a genesis E320 sidewinder and a propane smoker.

So, is there a good hack to add a liner or something to hold ice and drinks? It would look great on their deck.

And maybe in winter they'll light coal in it.

Any ideas?
Click to expand...
Line the kettle basin with lightweight/thin plastic sheet.

Spray the inside with expanding foam insulation.

Put a large balloon or beach ball somewhat centered in the middle, and hold in place with ducky tape or straps- the foam will keep expanding and will push the ball out.

Once done, smooth it out, poke a few holes in the bottom for drainage and spray with flex seal-

Just spitballing on my coffee break, lol
 
Thanks all. I think I'll consider the weight factor first. The wash tub looks like an easy option.
 
John_NJ said:
Line the kettle basin with lightweight/thin plastic sheet.

Spray the inside with expanding foam insulation.

Put a large balloon or beach ball somewhat centered in the middle, and hold in place with ducky tape or straps- the foam will keep expanding and will push the ball out.

Once done, smooth it out, poke a few holes in the bottom for drainage and spray with flex seal-

Just spitballing on my coffee break, lol
Click to expand...
Interesting idea. Hmmm.
 
This sounds like a really cool idea if weight isn't an issue. Here's my take on it @DanWoo . No liner, just a nice clean grill. Put the wash tub down below and let the ice drain into it. I can vision about twenty-four long neck Corona's covered with ice and only the caps peeking out. 👍
 
You could drill a hole in the washtub and put a hose fitting on that Drop the drain through the vent, pretty easy.

I really like the expanding foam idea which came to mind first, fit a hose through the plastic and up through the foam, tape it of and spray it with Flex-Seal. More fuss work but very cool! Ooh, sorry about that pun. You’d want to line the top with styrofoam too, no? Cut in wedges, construction adhesive in place, spray? This is a fun idea!

Spitballs are flying!
 
Timothy F. Lewis said:
You could drill a hole in the washtub and put a hose fitting on that Drop the drain through the vent, pretty easy.

I really like the expanding foam idea which came to mind first, fit a hose through the plastic and up through the foam, tape it of and spray it with Flex-Seal. More fuss work but very cool! Ooh, sorry about that pun. You’d want to line the top with styrofoam too, no? Cut in wedges, construction adhesive in place, spray? This is a fun idea!

Spitballs are flying!
Click to expand...
Yes, definitely insulate the top too.

If the top and bottom fit together snugly, it should help keep those refreshments colder longer.

And @DanHoo - any photos of the brownie? Interested in how the legs attach to the kettle.
 
I don't have the 81 brownie back yet.

I recall it has wood handles on the bowl and lid, three vents on the bottom, does not have the one-touch sweeps and the normal three legs, two wheels and the metal ash tray held on to the legs.

Insulating the top sounds like a good idea. I'll definitely factor this in along with a lid-holder.
 
Spray on bed liner like they use in pickup trucks. A few layers of that and it’ll be waterproof. Use PVC fittings and build a drain hole and a PVC ball valve as the open/close to drain the water out. Use a small angled PVC elbow and some schedule 40 or class 200 to point the water away for draining. I have extra class 200 if u want some for free. Buy the primer and cement and you should be all set.

HERCULINER Aerosol Spray Bed Liner, 15 Ounce https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KPJVDO2/?tag=tvwb-20
 
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