13 replies to this topic

[BlKtRe]

I'm helping my daughters BF with a kegerator conversion. He wants to use a mini fridge. I've been out of that game for while. What fridge are people using now days?

[SchwanzBrewer]

Most of them are damn near the same now.You can't necessarily go by cu ft, but it's a pretty good indication. I think 4.8+ is about where you need to be to fit two kegs.

[Big Nake]

I have a couple of Danby 4.4cf models that will allow 2 kegs inside plus a 5# or 10# tank. You want one with no freezer on top. The Danby also lets you easily take off the molded door plastic piece and replace it with something flat. Danby actually used to sell a flat door liner (I have one) but then stopped selling it so I had to go to Home Depot and but a piece of white plastic to use instead. OTOH, I have a Black & Decker 4.3cf jobbie that is my lager primary fridge and it's a PITA. A ball-lock keg will not stand upright because the light housing on the ceiling is in the way. A 5-gallon bucket-style primary fits in there so that's what I use it for. Also, on that model, the molded plastic door stuff was fastened to the door with adhesive making it much harder to work with. I got that one at Sam's for something like $79 so I'm not complaining but IME the Danbys have held up much better and were easier to work with.

[SchwanzBrewer]

It should be noted that Ken's most likely holds 2 standard ball lock kegs, not pin lock.

[Big Nake]

It should be noted that Ken's most likely holds 2 standard ball lock kegs, not pin lock.

Pin-locks are too wide to hold two kegs in my particular fridges. You might be able to stagger them but that would depend on the size of the compressor hump, etc. Right now I have one fridge with two ball-lock kegs and a 10# CO2 tank which I didn't think would fit but it does.

[SchwanzBrewer]

Pin-locks are too wide to hold two kegs in my particular fridges. You might be able to stagger them but that would depend on the size of the compressor hump, etc. Right now I have one fridge with two ball-lock kegs and a 10# CO2 tank which I didn't think would fit but it does.

 

I had to cut a hole in the compressor hump, fit a special metal plate that would allow the accommodation of a pin lock and then back fill everything with great stuff. It was a pain in the butt, but it worked.

[Big Nake]

I had to cut a hole in the compressor hump, fit a special metal plate that would allow the accommodation of a pin lock and then back fill everything with great stuff. It was a pain in the butt, but it worked.

Nothing like the look on your wife's face when you buy a brand new appliance and then proceed to get all medieval on it's ass.

[BlKtRe]

This 4.4 cuft. Magic Chef should hold two ball locks with the tank outside Id think....

 

https://www.homedepo...440SE/205951840

Edited by BlKtRe, 04 March 2016 - 07:08 AM.

[Big Nake]

The compressor hump doesn't look very big on that one... which is good. I typically have my tank on the hump and I cut a piece of wood to just the right size so I can wedge it into the fridge and keep the tank from falling. Then I put the two kegs in front of it. Nothing on the top (freezer, etc) which is good too. As an aside, these things come up on Craislist often enough that you may want to look around. It's a little easier on the brain to bust apart a used one as opposed to one right out of the box and you may save half the cost of that new one. Also, Sam's often has them for about $30 cheaper. Just a thought. Also, my Black & Decker (lager primary fridge) shit the bed in terms of the thermostat. You may remember that Dan the Brewman walked me through rewiring the fridge so I could control it with an external thermostat (an old Johnson analog I had). I feel like the thermostats are very cheap on these things and the other part is the flimsy capillaries on the back panel which hold the refrigerant. They can be very fragile and one puncture and the fridge is toast. Ask me how I know. Cheers and good luck with the project. Nice of you to help the BF.

[BlKtRe]

I converted the original Sanyo probably 8-10 yrs ago. Still going strong. It holds two ball locks with the tank on the outside and has a double faucet tower. I was able to keep the door panel intact for cans/storage and the light could also stay in place. Seems like the Magic Chef is very similar to my Sanyo. 

[Big Nake]

That sounds good. How do you get the CO2 line into the fridge... drill a hole and fish the tubing through the hole and then fill in around the hole (caulk?) to seal it up? Just curious because I found the "drilling into the fridge" part to be a little intimidating.

[cavman]

I have the sanyo as well and on the back just on top of the compressor hump is a hole to allow moisture to drip out, I ran my co2 line through there.

[Big Nake]

I have the sanyo as well and on the back just on top of the compressor hump is a hole to allow moisture to drip out, I ran my co2 line through there.

Oh, nice. They made it easy for you. I have read some things online from people who have accidentally drilled through coils or other internals and rendered their fridge useless. I have always just put the tank inside as long as it will fit and not cause problems.

[bigdaddyale]

That sounds good. How do you get the CO2 line into the fridge... drill a hole and fish the tubing through the hole and then fill in around the hole (caulk?) to seal it up? Just curious because I found the "drilling into the fridge" part to be a little intimidating.

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Edited by bigdaddyale, 04 March 2016 - 12:12 PM.