Best place to buy? Kegerator conversion kit

So the inevitable has happened, and I am tired of bottling. I have a beer fridge in the garage I want to convert to a kegerator, and I am wondering the best place to buy the equipment. I want at least two taps and probably three. My thinking right now is to purchase locally, but not without checking the web. Any recommendations? Kits are convenient, but seperate purchases aren't out of the question.

This is the kit I bought when I made my keezer 1.5 years ago. It's on sale now too!

http://www.beveragefactory.com/draftbeer/kits/shk.shtml

Follow up question. What options are best for three taps? Ball or pin? How much cleaner? How big of a gas tank?

Check kegconnection, as well as beverage elements.

Got my 3-tap fridge conversion kit from kegconnection, as well as my 3 kegs. Upgraded to 10ft beverage lines, And perlick faucets. Got extra o-rings, keg lube, and a couple feet extra line for approx 400 bucks. Only thing it didnt come with was the tank-- and thats because i bought a 20lb tank from beverage elements for $90 shipped.

Word of advice, KEEP the documentation that comes with any refurbished steel tank you buy. When i had mine filled, the guy told me he wouldnt have filled it if i didnt have the documentation ziptied around the tank. (Because of the xx'd out stamped numbers on the tank)

for your follow-up, it appears if you force carb with the same co2 tank you use for serving, you can get about 7-8 kegs at best from a 5lb tank. If you have a 3 keg setup, that means you can kick all the kegs twice, and start preparing for your next fill/exchange. Thats why i got the 20lb tank. Should be good for at least 28 kegs if my math serves.

I have been very pleased with everything that I have purchased from Keg Connection so far. I just ordered their 3 tap kit, which included a free upgrade to stainless shanks. Definitely get the Perlick tap upgrade, and decide if you want a drip tray now (it may influence where you drill your holes for the shanks)

Ball Lock/Pin lock is an ongoing debate. There was a thread yesterday outlining the differences. I prefer the smaller diameter of the ball locks, but I could have gone either way. Whatever you choose, I recommend staying with that type just for replacement part inventory.

I also decided to upgrade to a dual regulator so that I could force carb one keg (30 psi) while pouring the rest at 12 psi. Not necessary....but depends on how you want to use your draught system.

Congrats on the move to draught...draught is REALLY nice (I have a single kegerator now) and I can't imagine bottling every batch.

I've got a good bit of reading to do, and will likely have to bottle one or two more times before making the switch around tax time. I just wanna be ready. I need to read about the build and the process if kegging itself. Any links are appreciated and rewarded with likes.

Some of the parts for sale now in classifieds
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f16/kegging-supplies-383126/#post4807838

OP - We'd love if you'd give us a look too. We're a forum sponsor and you can check the reviews - solid prices, solid service.

http://www.birdmanbrewing.com/index.php

Thanks for considering us!

I have purchased draught equipment from both Kegconnection and most recently Birdman and have been pleased with both experiences. I just received my order from Birdman last week(3 Perlick+shank SS combos, 4 way manifold, faucet wrench, and some swivel nuts) and everything was of high quality and shipping time was reasonable. I'd give them three thumbs up if humanly possible.

[ame]www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC7MDb0IuLs[/ame]

This is (in my opinion) one of the best video series to watch. Clear, concise, and pretty much takes you through the entire process. Once i had watched this series a couple times, i quit looking for other "how to" vids.

Also, for force carbing, there are 2 ways most people do it. The "set it and forget it" method-- which is where you set the co2 regulator to your serving pressure and let the beer carbonate to that pressure over a week or more.

Then there's "burst carbing" where you crank up the pressure, in order to get the beer carbonated quicker. Theres 2 common ways ive seen to do this. First, theres the "rock and roll" method where you set the reg to 20ish psi, and rock/roll the keg around on your lap or the floor. I tried that, but wasnt happy that i got beer in my gas line. (Doesnt happen to everybody.).

Next, there has been a methid ive read about, and Biermuncher is the one off the top of my head who i remember seeing write about it. He said if he's in a hurry, he will just set the reg to 30psi, wait 36 hours, purge the keg, and set to serving pressure. No moving/rocking the keg necessary. I havent tried this way yet, but i will on my next batch.

All the aforementioned carbonation methods and listed pressures require the kegs to be cold.

Theres a nifty chart (in color too!) on kegerators.com that shows you how many volumes of co2 you get in your beer, according to the temp of the keg versus the psi of your regulator. Thats my favorite one.

Next, there is a keg balance calculator that tells how long your beer lines need to be if serving at a certain pressure, or conversely what pressure you need to serve at for a given length of beer line. (So you dont pour glasses full of foam)

I used those 2 things to determine what temp to set my fridge, what psi to serve at, and what length beer line to get. I can say i read many times to get beer lines about twice as long as you think you need. I got 10 foot lines, and am VERY happy i did. Most kits come with 5 ft lines, so see if you can upgrade for a small price.

Will try and link you to the chart and calculator i referenced when i get on the desktop PC. Am typing this on the droid.

EDIT: Here ya go:

http://www.kegerators.com/carbonation-table.php

http://www.iancrockett.com/brewing/info/kegbalance.shtml

BirdmanBrewingCo said:

OP - We'd love if you'd give us a look too. We're a forum sponsor and you can check the reviews - solid prices, solid service.

http://www.birdmanbrewing.com/index.php

Thanks for considering us!

Click to expand...

Read this and did this very thing. Ordered a two keg fridge conversion kit today. Best price I found and a sponsor=win/win to me.

I'm now considering doing as I have with this hobby all along, and buying a little at a time. Are the basic kits with picnic faucets worth consideration? I eventually want 3 taps in the door of my fridge, but I'm not sure I want to spend that amount at one time.

Another question. I guess its best to have a spare keg and gas tank?

befus said:

Read this and did this very thing. Ordered a two keg fridge conversion kit today. Best price I found and a sponsor=win/win to me.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the support!

Another question would be, how do I determine the necessary length of the shank? Do I just try to measure the door thickness? I have seen lengths between 4 & 5" with kits.

+1 on birdman. Best prices I found and great customer service.

It's time. I just bought a, brand new never used, 14.8 Maytag off C's list for $275, $449 in HD! Aside from the $$$ savings, I decided to go bigger off the bat to have room lagering, bottled beer storage, Co2 inside etc. I want to start with a four tap system. The question is, would I save by piecing it together or buying a kit? If a kit, I already know I'd want to find a supplier that would work with me on upgrades like perlik faucets, ss shanks, 10 ft. hoses, manifold etc. I do not want to later be saying"I wish I would've"! One more thing, I always like to try and support locals, suppliers, but this doesn't look like it's gonna be cheap so I will go with best deal or so says my financial advisor/ social planner! Thanks, Gunny!