Kegging Homebrew help!

[jimmypa]

To anyone with home kegging/kegerator experience, I've been dying to start kegging my homebrew (bottling sucks!) and am wondering where to get started... My ideal set up would be a kegerator with three taps (two for cornelius homebrew kegs and one for possible sixtle or 1/4 commercial keg.

I've researched a few different options:

-one being coverting a chest freezer and piecing together all the parts, this method seemed best but when I pieced everything together it added up to more than what a built kegerator would cost... (would rather not convert a full size fridge due to size, and would rather have a tower tap instead of out the side)

-Second option would be to buy a complete kegerator with three taps, but I'm not sure if they have ones that can run two homebrew kegs and one commercial (i believe these are different connections?)

Soo, would anyone have any advice for either option? Best route to go if converting a fridge/freezer and/or best bang for your buck for a built complete kegerator option? brands? where to buy?

Also, if anyone would have any kegging equipment they were looking to sell, close to the Lehigh Valley area, I may be interested, please shoot me a pm.

Thanks in advance!!

 

[Mikes]

Here is the one I made. I researched all options like yourself on homebrew talk. Found a build that I liked and copied it, and I have 0 tools and woodworking skills lol. My handle over there is czmkid. I think in my only post I gave credit and thanks to the original poster if you wanna see the plans I followed. I would give you that link but cannot get that site at work lol (wonder why)

I looked around for the best price on the Perlick SS pearl faucets because I hated the el cheepos on my poolside kegerator sticking all of the time. These faucets you will see cost a ton more but the way they seal is better making them more gunk free....also they pour better. I think I found a complete setup with 4" shanks at a pretty good price just cant remember where. On the shanks I looked for those that were one piece with the tails attached as I did not want to worry about another leak / fitting point.

All of the tube, the tap handles, air distribution block, regulator I got at micromatic online.

Got the 14 cuft freezer at lowes.

Johnson Temp Control @ Austin Homebrew Supply (local shop)

Bottom line is that if I can do this anyone can ;o) It sure is nice having 8 taps and space for two additional corneys that are conditioning and ready to be tapped as soon as one pop's.





If you have any questions fire away.

 

[Mikes]

Oh and yes you can run a commercial keg and 2 corneys. You will even be able to fit 2 corneys and a 1/8bbl in the production setup kegerator...At least in my outside one I can...its tight but it works. These all come with commercial Sankey tapping systems. So you will actually have to buy the ball lock fittings for the liquid out and gas in for your home brew kegs...not the other way around.

 

[deckardjk]

I also did a "keezer." FYI, it is something you could do in phases and use along the way. For exmple, buy a freezer, temp controller, CO2 tank, regulator, a couple kegs, and some snake/party taps. That is basically enough to get you up and running. It is a bit of an investment... but you may be able to find a freezer, co2, kegs, etc on Craigslist.

In the meantime you can build the collar, add the taps/shanks, and so on.

I don't know how my setup worked out pricewise compared to something purchased... but I had fun making it.

 

[deckardjk]

Since these pictures I've moved the regulators outside and just run the tubes in. Cleaned things up a bit. Also added a drip tray...

 

[Mikes]

Very nice deck! Like u I moved the co2 outside...no reason to keep it inside when you could have beer in its place. Also upgraded to the 20 # tank only because of the amt of kegs. I also agree that price wise it works out to about the same cost as if you were to buy pre made but you have more taps and more room....kinda like if you build your own walk in humidor compared to a Aristocrat

U can do this Jim!

 

[jimmypa]

Nice setups guys! Thanks for sharing and the info! Think I;m going to go the diy route also...found a chest freezer on craigslist for $89 that I might snag and wanted to do the 3 tap tower out of the lid, are there any pros and cons you guys would suggest between the tap setups you guys have or the tower? Why did you guys opt for the chest freezer conv. instead of a refrigerator? Because then you wouldn't need the thermostat controller, but size/space would be my only concern I can think of.

 

[veeref]

I know you're looking at chest freezers, but I just finished this up today. I bought it from a garage sale a few years back. I installed dual temperature controllers and I am going to use the right side to house a conical fermenter (eventually).

 

[King Kill 33]

I don't homebrew, but I need to build one of these for sure! Wonder what the wife will say?


-KK33-

 

[deckardjk]

I considered doing a tower... but the thing that kept me back was just having to open/close the top all the time. I find myself opening and closing it quite a bit as I use it for overflow beer fridge/other refridgeration. So, when you're opening and closing the chest freezer you need to consider how to support, move, not bang the tower on something. You'll also probably need to cool the tower. I'm sure you can find all sorts of full design info on homebrewtalk.com for either route.

Also... I wanted 5 taps... and the nice looking towers were pretty spendy.

I went with the freezer just because I liked the way it looked. I didn't want something that looked like a fridge... and basic chest freezers were cheap for the size.

 

[Mikes]

Reason I went with the freezer and not fridge was the fact it has mor insulation in it than a fridge and was made to go lower in temp. With the Johnson control on it I can by pass the el cheep o, and not very precise control that came on it and hold it with in 1 degree of what I set it to. I think in the middle of our Texas summers it kicks on like 2 or 3 times an hour for 3 min at a time. No temperature fluctuations are very important to serving beer and not foam out of your set up.

Declaredjk hit the nail on the head about the tap towers, as well as what a piA it would be to open and close the lid whenever changing out kegs, cleaning line, adjusting pressure if you have your tank inside the keezer. Now I did see a vertical chest freezer build that was the shit with 10 taps out the front on hbt. If you are limited on your space this would be a good option IMO. I think that if I would have see this I would have made one for now and another just because I drink to much and it would still occupy the same amount of floor space as my current set up lol.

 

[NCost]

I built a small keezer this summer. 7.1 cu ft from lowes for $170, add temp controller for another $80 and roughly $25 in lumber.
It's a three tapper as you can only fit 3 corny kegs in it at a time. I have my CO2 outside the unit, makes it easier to adjust pressure w/o the need to open the cooler.
My taps also come out through the skirt I built for the same reasons listed.