32 replies to this topic

[japh]

So, I'm finally ready to get my kegorator together. Right now, I have a 10-year-old upright fridge in the garage that's holding my bottled beer.Now, I'm willing to go the extra few steps to do this right. I plan on starting with 1 tap at first, and I'll spend the money to get a nice one. However, assume I know nothing and tell me what I should do.I'm willing to take pics of the whole process to work towards a nice kegging FAQ.

[pods8]

So, I'm finally ready to get my kegorator together. Right now, I have a 10-year-old upright fridge in the garage that's holding my bottled beer.Now, I'm willing to go the extra few steps to do this right. I plan on starting with 1 tap at first, and I'll spend the money to get a nice one. However, assume I know nothing and tell me what I should do.I'm willing to take pics of the whole process to work towards a nice kegging FAQ.

Execute a handstand, put tap in mouth and pull trigger to ensue consumption... Oh I thought you said kegstand. Get a temp controller if you want, but a lot of fridges will likely work without one. You'll need a faucet (either a nice forward seal or older rear seal, your preference), a shank to go through the door (get the width of the door plus an inch or so) I like the ones with a hose barb on the back already. So you drill the hole stick in through and tighten the lock nut and install the faucet on the front. Get some 3/16" beverage line, dip the tip in hot water to soften it to stick over the shank hose barb and tighten down a hose clamp over it. You'll need to balance the lines out (longer explanation) but generally you'll need about 6' of line. The other end gets a fitting that matches your kegs (either ball or pin if using cornys), I like the fittings with flare nuts rather than a hose barb connected directly to the fitting. So you beer side is done. Now you need co2. Easy way would be keeping the tank in the fridge, if outside you need to determine where on your fridge you can drill the hole through to fish a co2 line without trashing the fridge function. Anyways tank gets a regulator then hose gets connected to the tank just like the beer line side (but you can use some cheaper poly tubing here if you want rather than bev line, I just use some 1/4" stuff) and a gas connector to connect to your keg.Connect the up and start drinking (once carbonated of course, another explanation).That is the quick and dirty. Get more complicated as you want to run multiple kegs off a manifold or have dual regulators to allow you to dispense and high pressure carbonate at the same time. (I have mine set like this and can get pictures if desired).

[brewhead]

some good info here:https://www.ihomebre...idgeProject.pdf

[rockon]

Well, the best source I've found for a lot of kegging supplies is:https://www.micromatic.com/I have their premium regulator, and really like it. Their SS shanks were also the cheapest I found.I guess the supplies you'll need are:- CO2 tank - I'd go with a 15 or 20 pounder if you have the room. It means less refills- CO2 regulator - see comment above- 3/16" ID beer line for liquid lines - you'll need approximately 10ish feet for each line you want to have- 1/4" ID or 3/16" ID line for gas line. Again you'll need line for at least each keg you want to run. LEngth doesn't reall matter. I used 1/4", but if I did it again, I think I would just use 3/16" for continuity. It also heps to have an extra gas line so you can carb kegs before you oput them on the tap.- Gas in and Liquid out quick disconnects for each line. These depend on whether you have ball-lock or pin-lock cornies. Either are fine, but a lot of people like to keep the same kind for continuity.-Faucet - in the beginning, for simplicity, you can use a cobra tap inside the fridge. Eventually, you'll probably want the faucet outside the fridge. TO do this you'll need: -Faucet - do yourself a favor and get forward sealing SS (perlick or VM) in the beginning if you're buying new. - Shank - with an upright fridge, you'll probably want to run the shank through the door. Make sure it's long enough. A little extra length isn't bad as it acts like a cold sink and keep your faucet cooler. - hex nut and barb for shank - some come with a barb attached, others don't.You'll also need some type of fasteners to attach your lines to the barbs. I use regular worm drive clamps, but there are other options as well.Oh and cornies, of course. I think that about covers equipment. I'll write another post about balancing your system if you want. There used to be a really good FAQ over at...... oh wait..... nevermind.

[rockon]

Oh, also, if you want to put a drip tray on the front, the cheapest SS one I've found is here:https://www.barproducts.com/On the left, go to "Bar Supplies -> Bar Supplies 2" and scroll down. It's only $14.95 and is pretty solid. I attached it with 2 L brackets and I just set it on top.

[buzhazzard]

I also used Micromatic and had good luck.

[rockon]

Balancing a Draft System.I'll do my best, but anyone feel free to correct/add anything.I think that balancing my draft system is the best thing I've done for ease of use and consistency in carbonation and kegging. It has basically allowed me to very rarely mess around with the pressure on my regulator. The only time I touch the pressure is if I want to change it for a different style of beer. The amount of carbonation is a function of temperature and pressure. The goal of balancing your system is to make the amount of pressure coming from your regulator about equal to the amount of resistance in your lines. I have a great table that shows pressures/temps/carbonation for different styles. It's an excel file. Maybe a mod or someone can help me upload it, because it says that I am not allowed to upload files of this type.So, my method is to determine what temerature I want to serve at, let's say 40 degrees. Then how much CO2 you want in your beer -- say 2.6 volumes, which is kind of in the middle for beer styles:·        British Ale: 1.8 to 2.3 volumes ·        German Lager: 2.4 to 2.6 volumes ·        American Lagers and Ale: 2.6 to 2.8 volumes ·        Wheat Beers: 3.0 volumes So, at 40 degrees, for 2.6 volumes of CO2, you need a pressure of 13.4psi, this is what your regulator gets set to. Now, the goal to balance the system is to have about 13.4psi of resistance in your lines. The resistance a section of tubing provides depends on the flow rate, material of the tubing, and inside diameter (ID) of the tubing. A general rule of thumb for 3/16"ID vinyl beverage tubing is 1.8psi of resistance per foot of tubing. This will give you a flow rate of aroud a gallon a minute. So, 13.4/1.8 = 7.4 feet of tubing.Realistically, with HB, if you have 8 feet of 3/16"ID vinyl beverage tubing per line, you will be OK for most styles and pressures. You might have a little trouble if you have highly carbed beers.With my system, my fridge is around 40 degrees. I keep my regulator around 12-13 psi most of the time. This way I can hook a keg up to the gas, and in about 4-5 days, it's carbonated, and I can then leave the pressure there and serve. I never have over-carbonated beers that can result in force carbing quickly.That's a lot of stuff. I hope my explanation makes a little bit of sense. That table is really helpful. If we can't upload it, I'd be happy to email it to anyone.

[rockon]

Ha. Having said all of that, I got desperate and force carbed a pale ale keg at 30psi this past weekend. I'm still messing around with my regulator trying to get it back to where it was. I should listen to my own advice.

[Stout_fan]

Another thing you can do is add a resistive gate. Fellow CRABS member brought some of these to a gadget meeting.The great supplier of gadgetry: McMasterYou remove the twirly doo-dad and splice in a section of 1/4" hose into your faucet line. It won't fit in 3/16". The resistance reduces flow and keeps CO2 in solution. This was posted on another forum somewhere. My idea is for portable keggerator applications, several will fit nicely in a liquid tube. That will allow you to put one of those faucets right on the out fitting without the usual excessive foaming.

[japh]

I'm 100% sold on forward-sealing faucets. Especially with my plan to grow this one keg/faucet at a time.

[Glacies]

To add to what has already been said, understanding the equipment is the hardest part. Once you understand it, kegging is the easiest, simplest thing. I even keg my wines.

[Kremer]

Before you get into it you might want to consider trying something like this conversion on your fridge. This is the second top freezer I've converted like this to all fridge, no freezer, by removing and cutting the center divider shelf. As far as I know this is my own invention, I have never come across anyone else who did this. I love the conversion and would do it again in a heartbeat.https://picasaweb.go...ew_Beer_Fridge#

[*]It lets you put the faucets up higher to a more traditional height, and there's no issue with long tap handles and opening up the freezer door and hitting the handles.[*]It's more efficient, since there's no freezer compartment to keep super cold, my kill-o-watt says it's using ~40% less energy than when it was in the kitchen as a normal fridge/freezer.[*]I kept the wife happy by having the additional refrigerated space for non-keg stuff on the freezer shelf: milk, wine coolers, wine bottles, etc...[*]It also makes working on kegs easier because you can just reach down from the top and put on connectors and things, the only time I have to open the bottom door is to actually remove a keg, or to access things in the door/drawers.[/list]

[Stout_fan]

Doug,Who's brand is that.I have two, the avacado monster and the kitchen unit. Both have evaporator coils attached to the divider.

[Kremer]

It's a Frigidaire, the coils are on the back wall of the freezer. The only stuff in the divider was the thermostat and light, an air damper/diverter, insulation, and wiring to the controls and heater tape on the front of the divider.

[DR0NE]

As someone who has just built a kegerator for the 'first time'...I have one caveat. In this area I have had no luck gettiing a gas tank filled. So, check your local area. I'm able to get an exchange with the local Pepsi Warehouse, but basically wasted my money on the new Co2 cylinder.

I had a hell of a time finding a place too (I got a new 20 lb tank with my setup) but found that if you look for places that service fire extinguishers you might have luck. We have a monopoly of sorts if you look for the places that specialize in welding supplies etc. and they would only exchange (and it looked like would exchange my brand new aluminum tank for a heavier old steel one.) Once I started looking under fire extinguishers I found a few places that would just fill it.

[rockon]

I had a hell of a time finding a place too (I got a new 20 lb tank with my setup) but found that if you look for places that service fire extinguishers you might have luck. We have a monopoly of sorts if you look for the places that specialize in welding supplies etc. and they would only exchange (and it looked like would exchange my brand new aluminum tank for a heavier old steel one.) Once I started looking under fire extinguishers I found a few places that would just fill it.

Yeah, I now go the exchange route. I find it to be way more convenient, but my tank sometimes is pretty ugly. I keep my tank inside the fridge, though, so nobody sees it. The guys at the welding shop I go to usually know I'm using it for a kegerator, and look for one of the nicer tanks for me.

[VolFan]

Here is a word document the former owner of Ventmatic sent me.Clicky

[Dave in Indiana]

Great site on kegging: https://www.iancrock...egbalance.shtml

[chuck_d]

If you want to drop the cash for it, there are new faucets on the market that allow you control the flow by adjusting them. Some of them come with short shanks, some of them can be retrofitted onto standard american shanks that we all have been using.The on pictured below uses an alan wrench and can be retrofitted onto our shanks. I am seriously considering picking up one or two of these.