Help me convert this kegerator...
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You'll need a 2-3 tap tower. Birdman brewing has a three tap for a great price. You'll need to get the perlicks separately. You wont need that sanke connection unless you are going to use that style of keg. do you know if 3 kegs will fit in that? If not, some modification of the interior may be needed. You will need disconnects for the corny kegs, you will also need a 2-3 port manifold. The regulator you have will work but you may want to upgrade to a dual gauge sometime. You'll also need to get some gas line for your CO2. which is typically 5/16.
This seems to be a good deal. http://www.beveragefactory.com/draftbeer/towers/triplefaucet/EBD4743TT-525SS.shtml?bstr=1 Otherwise birdman has a 3 tap w/o perlicks for $145.00 http://www.birdmanbrewing.com/draft-beer-kegerator-tower-stainless-triple-faucet/ You could possibly sell the taps on ebay to offset the price of the three perlick's. Decisions, decisions....
I just noticed that birdman has a 3 perlick tap for less than the 1st link. http://www.birdmanbrewing.com/draft-beer-kegerator-tower-stainless-triple-perlick-525ss-faucets/ I can vouch for birdman. I just bought and installed the one w/o the perlicks.
I just noticed that birdman has a 3 perlick tap for less than the 1st link. http://www.birdmanbrewing.com/draft-beer-kegerator-tower-stainless-triple-perlick-525ss-faucets/ I can vouch for birdman. I just bought and installed the one w/o the perlicks.
I got mine from keg connection. Good prices and awesome shipping. $7.95 flat rate. I'm not aware of anyone that can touch that.
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HopHead10
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I just bought 3 of these cornies :
About to purchase the 3 faucet perlick tower. The site is asking me what homebrew connections I want to add with the following choices:
1. Ball lock barb
2. Ball lock thread
Which connection do I get ?
About to purchase the 3 faucet perlick tower. The site is asking me what homebrew connections I want to add with the following choices:
1. Ball lock barb
2. Ball lock thread
Which connection do I get ?
The barbed is just that a barbed end for the line, the threaded end is designed to be used with a ferrule ended barb this is the one I recommend an they are removable for cleaning..........................my.02
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ozzy1038 said:
Correction... It allows you to see if ANY co2 is left. The gage won't move until all the liquid is gone, then you are literally on fumes.
Likely wondering why you didn't order the MFL hose connectors to hook up the QDs...
Cheers!
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Yep, pretty much... co2 is measured by weight, and the gauge shows pressure. When the liquid co2 is gone, the pressure will drop like a rock.
A lot of folks think they have a leak... you'll hear, "It was full yesterday and now I'm out".
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HopHead10
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Likely wondering why you didn't order the MFL hose connectors to hook up the QDs...
Cheers!
What the heck are MFL hose connectors?
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HopHead10
Well-Known Member
The three tap per lick tower just came. Looks like it came with the beer lines and corny fittings.
This is my thought process ( with any questions in parenthesis ) for how to get to the glory land..Any help is greatly appreciated
1) the corny kegs to come
2) Buy 3 lines for the co2 of each keg
3) buy and install a manifold ( what is the best way to accomplish this?) so the co2 can pressurize each keg
4) clean kegs (what is the best way? Is there a cleaning solution or kit worth investing in?)
5) set up tower and clean lines ( again with the cleaning investment question?)
6) transfer beer to corny keg and generously dry hop w/ wet hops ( Add priming or force carb?) then connect beer fittings
7) set my single gauge regulator to x psi ( is 12 best?)
8) pour 1st beer
I feel like an idiot - but can't wait to get through these challenges
This is my thought process ( with any questions in parenthesis ) for how to get to the glory land..Any help is greatly appreciated
1) the corny kegs to come
2) Buy 3 lines for the co2 of each keg
3) buy and install a manifold ( what is the best way to accomplish this?) so the co2 can pressurize each keg
4) clean kegs (what is the best way? Is there a cleaning solution or kit worth investing in?)
5) set up tower and clean lines ( again with the cleaning investment question?)
6) transfer beer to corny keg and generously dry hop w/ wet hops ( Add priming or force carb?) then connect beer fittings
7) set my single gauge regulator to x psi ( is 12 best?)
8) pour 1st beer
I feel like an idiot - but can't wait to get through these challenges
Likely wondering why you didn't order the MFL hose connectors to hook up the QDs...
Cheers!
Looks like they come with the QD.
The nutted barbed ends on the disconnects, this allows you to remove the line from the QD to clean the QD and/or line. A real PITA to try to remove the line from the barbed end.
I use an pressure sprayer with a 1/4 flare fitting HD, Lowes allows you to connect the line to sprayer fill with starsan or cleaner open tap set a bucket under, pump up pull trigger to flush line. The QD disassemble from the screw on the top. After a couple of times you can do it in your sleep......10 to 15 foot lines (3/16 ID ) @ 8-12 psi depending on style of course has worked for me... not a fan of over-carbed beer enjoy kegging.
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HopHead10
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Well- home brew FAIL!
Ordered the three per lick tower. No holes on top of the fridge to screw it in- can I just drill holes through the top of the fridge?
Also, bought three corny's expecting a half barrel kegerator would be big enough to fit all three. Nope!
This is the inside of my fridge empty- are there any skinnier or smaller kegs I can utilize to make use of my three faucet tower? What about mods to the fridge?
Help! I am loads of money invested into this and am starting to panic. Should I return the tower to bird man brewing? How to I salvage this situation?!
Ordered the three per lick tower. No holes on top of the fridge to screw it in- can I just drill holes through the top of the fridge?
Also, bought three corny's expecting a half barrel kegerator would be big enough to fit all three. Nope!
This is the inside of my fridge empty- are there any skinnier or smaller kegs I can utilize to make use of my three faucet tower? What about mods to the fridge?
Help! I am loads of money invested into this and am starting to panic. Should I return the tower to bird man brewing? How to I salvage this situation?!
runningweird
Well-Known Member
get tall ball lock kegs instead of short pin lock. drill through the side, put the co2 tank outside the kegerator.
runningweird
Well-Known Member
if they have ball lock fittings then they have been converted from pin lock. Ball lock are taller and thinner. Look around for ball lock footprint dimensions, I think they are 8.5 inches across. Then cut out three 8.5 inch circles of paper, and try to see if they will fit in there.
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HopHead10
Well-Known Member
Hmmm interesting. As you can see in the picture there is a step in the back of the fridge space that looks like it takes up a lot of space. Is there an easy way to remove this? There is some kind of rod on the side of it : /
What should I do to secure the tower on top of the kegerator? It has holes to screw down and secure but there aren't the same holes at the top of the refrigerator is it safe to just drill through the top?
What should I do to secure the tower on top of the kegerator? It has holes to screw down and secure but there aren't the same holes at the top of the refrigerator is it safe to just drill through the top?
The compressor is under that "step", so there'd be no gain on the play in removing it.
On a more positive note, this picture
indicates the fridge uses a cold plate on the back wall as opposed to having a cooling coil in the ceiling. So you're likely to be safe to drill the mounting holes for the new tower, especially if you center it over the old tower hole.
That said, I'd use some caution: mark the holes, use a small drill bit, drill just through the skin, then use something to probe down through the insulation making sure you can reach all the way down to the liner without hitting something solid (like tubing) in between.
Repeat for each hole, and if they all seem clear, go ahead and use the size bit for the mounting hardware for the new tower.
As for the three keg problem, as was suggested, make some round templates for standard ball lock kegs and see if three of them fit on the floor. If the third one projects out a bit so the door can't close, you may be able to modify the door liner to gain a little more space...
Cheers!
ps: as was pointed out, your QDs came with the MFLs needed to hook them up
On a more positive note, this picture
indicates the fridge uses a cold plate on the back wall as opposed to having a cooling coil in the ceiling. So you're likely to be safe to drill the mounting holes for the new tower, especially if you center it over the old tower hole.
That said, I'd use some caution: mark the holes, use a small drill bit, drill just through the skin, then use something to probe down through the insulation making sure you can reach all the way down to the liner without hitting something solid (like tubing) in between.
Repeat for each hole, and if they all seem clear, go ahead and use the size bit for the mounting hardware for the new tower.
As for the three keg problem, as was suggested, make some round templates for standard ball lock kegs and see if three of them fit on the floor. If the third one projects out a bit so the door can't close, you may be able to modify the door liner to gain a little more space...
Cheers!
ps: as was pointed out, your QDs came with the MFLs needed to hook them up
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HopHead10
Well-Known Member
Thanks- so what went wrong with my keg connection order? I ordered the standard grade ball lock kegs. Do they offer the kegs you are speaking ofif I want to return them? Either the kegs or the tower have to go back- what says you?
When I look at the kegconnection.com page for ball lock kegs it not only delineates which kegs are ("Pepsi style") ball locks and which are converted ("Coke style") pin locks, but offers a complete description of each if you click on the images then the "Description" link in the underlying pages. Without knowing how you actually ordered your kegs, I'd be inclined to chalk this up to simple inexperience with the differences.
Standard ball lock kegs are thinner and taller than converted pin lock kegs, so if you wanted to go through the return/reorder cycle there is that option. But before you bother it would make sense to determine if there would be any actual gain - do the template thing to see if you could actually get three of the thinner kegs in your fridge...
Cheers!
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HopHead10
Well-Known Member
Thanks, yeah I wish I knew that before I bought them. Guess I thought they all had the same dimensions. I will give the template a try but I am thinking this might work ! The fridge space is 16 " wide so two 8" diameter corny's should just barely fit with the width. It is 15 " L so the third would definitely fit I could fit two kegs in the back of it.
Ball lock kegs are actually 8.5" in diameter.
Thus, you have a problem:
If you're set on three kegs, one solution would be remove the door and hinges, attach a collar around the face of the fridge, then attach the door and hinges to the collar. Otherwise you're looking at a two keg setup...
Cheers!
A collar is home built and usually constructed using wood and extends the opening of the fridge or freezer to expand capacity. You remove the door and hinges, construct the collar to mimic the dimensions of the fridge making sure it's square, plumb and lays flush to the fridge opening, then attach it to the fridge using hardware or adhesive, then attach the door and hinges to the collar, making sure the gasket seals well.
I've seen examples of this posted in the forums. You'd have to do some searching for them, see how they've been done, then decide if it's something you want/can take on.
Otherwise you're pretty much stuck with a dual keg setup using that fridge. The 2" protrusion by the third keg is too much to account for doing mods on your door alone...
Cheers!
