1/2 Barrel Kegerator Questions - Help Please!

zbrady · 02-06-2012, 02:44 AM

Hello all,

This will be my first post to this board and I am looking for a bit of "inspiration". I am a 21 year old college student and will admit that I don't really have the taste or wallet for fine beer and craft brews. HOWEVER, I would like to class up a mini-fridge and turn it into a kegerator for the half-barrel Natty Light kegs that my roommates and I have come to love and appreciate. So, does anyone have any plans for a 1/2 barrel mini fridge kegerator? I figure this would be the section to ask on since this is the home-brew guys and you all seem to have some impressive setups.

If this is in the wrong section, I apologize and please feel free to move it to the proper section. Thanks!

-Zach

brewingmeister · 02-06-2012, 04:34 AM

Ahh natty...(my auto correct tried to make it nasty btw)
To fit a 1/2 barrel your options are kind of limited. You are going to have to go with a full size fridge, standard 1/2 barrel kegerator, a keezer..probably with a collar(heavy lifting involved), or you might be able to put a collar type extension on a mini fridge. You might look in the fermentation chamber thread for some ideas on the extension, however you might have a problem getting your natty as cold as you want it.
Post a pic of the creation when you decide.

zbrady · 02-06-2012, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brewingmeister

Ahh natty...(my auto correct tried to make it nasty btw)
To fit a 1/2 barrel your options are kind of limited. You are going to have to go with a full size fridge, standard 1/2 barrel kegerator, a keezer..probably with a collar(heavy lifting involved), or you might be able to put a collar type extension on a mini fridge. You might look in the fermentation chamber thread for some ideas on the extension, however you might have a problem getting your natty as cold as you want it.
Post a pic of the creation when you decide.

Yeah, my autocorrect tried to make it say Nasty too haha, can't complain though when you can get 160 beers for 55 bucks lol. So far my game plan is as follows - build it from whatever I can find that'll fit a 1/2 barrel! lol I'm scouring Craigslist for a 5 c.u. ft. chest freezer or a mini fridge that does not have a hump on the bottom, that way the barrel can slide all the way back. I'll probably mount the co2 bottle externally so that I can see the pressure at all times. I don't want the contraption to be huge as the house I'll be living in next year isn't huge, but is big enough at the same time. Will definitely post pictures of whatever I decide to do since I've noticed there aren't many 1/2 barrel kegerator/keezer builds out there.

zbrady · 02-06-2012, 01:33 PM

Also, figured this was assumed - But I'm trying to do this for as absolute cheap as possible. Any material I need other than the freezer/fridge (will be bought off of craigslist), keg shell, and conversion kit (any recommendations? been looking at beveragefactory.com) will be coming from the scrap pile ---- gonna try to make someone else's trash my treasure

**JoshuaW** · 02-07-2012, 01:49 AM

I would watch Craigslist. You can probably get a commercial kegerator for $250 with a tank and regulator. Ask around, or place a want ad too. I live by Notre Dame, and had I had some more patience, I could have bought one used, but I don't, so I bought one new. Just keep your eyes open.

Oh, and you could brew up some good beer for about the same price, just throwing that out there.

**scubakevdm** · 02-07-2012, 02:00 AM

If you make a top loader you may want to put a little money aside for a chain fall.

zbrady · 02-07-2012, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoshuaW

I would watch Craigslist. You can probably get a commercial kegerator for $250 with a tank and regulator. Ask around, or place a want ad too. I live by Notre Dame, and had I had some more patience, I could have bought one used, but I don't, so I bought one new. Just keep your eyes open.

Oh, and you could brew up some good beer for about the same price, just throwing that out there.

I will be completely honest...I am nervous to dive into the brewing my own beer thing. What is the cost like per batch? How hard is the science involved?

zbrady · 02-07-2012, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scubakevdm

If you make a top loader you may want to put a little money aside for a chain fall.

Have looked into that also, don't know if our realtor would be cool with that. I personally think that the combination of three guys should have no problem lifting a half barrel into a top loader. Just my opinion, I'm sure you all have better experience with it though.

**JoshuaW** · 02-07-2012, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zbrady

I will be completely honest...I am nervous to dive into the brewing my own beer thing. What is the cost like per batch? How hard is the science involved?

If you can boil water and follow basic instructions, you can make beer. Cider is even easier.

For an extract kit, you can spend as little as $22.50/batch (roughly 55 bottles). If you move partial mash (slightly harder) or all grain (slightly more involved) you can really get that number down. Im doing a partial mash tonight that with shipping and tax cost me $21, and I shipped it from the next town over, so I could have just as easily picked it up!

You do have some start up equipment (check the beginner forum) but it is worth it, and everyone you know will think it is awesome.

zbrady · 02-07-2012, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoshuaW

If you can boil water and follow basic instructions, you can make beer. Cider is even easier.

For an extract kit, you can spend as little as $22.50/batch (roughly 55 bottles). If you move partial mash (slightly harder) or all grain (slightly more involved) you can really get that number down. Im doing a partial mash tonight that with shipping and tax cost me $21, and I shipped it from the next town over, so I could have just as easily picked it up!

You do have some start up equipment (check the beginner forum) but it is worth it, and everyone you know will think it is awesome.

Very interesting. I'm interested to see what the process is like, I'll do some research. I know regardless that I'll be building the kegerator/keezer. How much beer does your batch that was $21 make? EDIT: just saw you said how many bottles of beer. How many bottles/beers are in a corny keg? If I were to brew beer I'd like to just be able to keg it in cornies vs. bottle it.