my latest kegorator build

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nathan

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I lucked into finding a great fridge. It's essentially a single exterior door and has a dorm-fridge style freezer section inside, so it's just an insulated box with coils on the back. It is light, and once emptied out it held five cornies.
Because it's a fridge, I won't need temp controllers (I am testing it now). It also has the benefit of a stand-up freezer in that it's a single door, so my taps are up and out of reach of my child, and at a nice eye level. I also installed a latch on the side I can lock to keep him out.

Anyway, I hauled it home (light enough for me to pick up and move by myself). I cleaned it out and it sat around waiting for me to get the parts.

My brother came to visit and tore out the inside of the door and replaced it with a pebble-board panel (but reversed so it's smooth). He also built a smooth flat solid shelf that is well supported for the kegs.

I got an 8-faucet drip tray (only using six of the holes) that mounts with the shanks. I put on five stainless steel Perlick forward-sealing faucets and one stout faucet. I can only put five kegs inside, but I figured I might not always have a stout but should always have five kegs. In the two remaining holes I may one day add shanks and faucets and dedicate one to soda (for my son) and one to sour beers, along with kegs that get painted and labeled for that use only (for either, since I wouldn't mingle soda or sours with the rest).

I ran gas lines out the back and around into a closet where the tanks can be stored safely. I have CO2 hooked up, but need to go pick up a beer-gas tank. The beer-gas runs in a simple 5/16 ID line and has a connector inside, so it will be controlled just by it's primary regulator. The CO2 has a line from it's primary into the fridge where it feeds a series of five secondary regulators (Micromatic's high-end models) that are chained to run declining pressures with beautiful dial knobs and gauges. Each of these has a shutoff with a check valve to protect it, and runs to a gas connector.

The connectors in this whole thing, both beer and gas, are done with flare fittings so I can change out taps for commercial or specialty kegs if needed. I also set each one up with 48" beer lines (3/16" ID) for each faucet, and since these also have flare connectors, I made a set of extensions. I made three 6", three 12", and four 24" extensions so if I run a higher carb beer at a higher pressure I can balance the system with longer hose extensions and dial it down to within six inches.

Inside each shank has an elbowed tailpiece so the beer lines hang straight down and won't kink, and the shank and faucet are the highest point. When not connected they hang just shy of the bottom of the fridge and there is plenty of room for the door to close.

The drip tray has a threaded drain down-tube that I have just capped for now, so I can uncap it to flush it out if needed.

Parts laid out:
kegorator_parts_sm.jpg


Drip tray:
kegorator_driptray_sm.jpg


Assembled:
kegorator_full_sm.jpg


If anyone wants more detail, I'd be happy to share. I learned a lot from building previous systems, and have taken classes with Micromatic (I was trained as a pro-brewer, I'm just making more money at my not-brewing job right now). I have to say that the beautiful spreadsheet published on this site in the software forum is a great tool for balancing.

One thing I don't know is if or how to balance a line that's using a beer-gas mix to push to a stout faucet (75/25 mix, 32 psi, 40F).
 
beveragefactory.com
not cheap, but pre-drilled and mounts on shanks, so quite sturdy. Has a drain with threaded tube, too.
 
"One thing I don't know is if or how to balance a line that's using a beer-gas mix to push to a stout faucet (75/25 mix, 32 psi, 40F)."

I don't really understand what you mean by balancing? Length of beer line?

i've used both the 75/25 and 70/30 mix with 6ft of 3/16" beer line at 38F and 35PSI for years with great results...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/47460190@N08/4343587511/

At 40F I might would try more like 38PSI-- In any case if you over fizz it just dial back and if under fizzing crank it up.

EDIT: I run 6ft, 3/16" line to all my taps, co2 or nitro mixes... 4 footers work but comes fast and foamy with highly spritzy CO2 beers. I am in no rush to fill a mug and 6 footer slow the flow a bit.
 
I have extenders. Tonight I flushed the lines and put on a bohemian pilsner (still needs to age a bit). I dialed the pressures for four kegs and calculated line lengths (that's what I mean by balancing, using the right length of line).
I made the extensions, and I needed an extra foot for the bohemian pilsner (for a total of about five feet instead of four), so I screwed in an extension. Having all the flare-fitting tubing extensions (I'm on 3/16" also) makes it quick and easy. I'm letting everything settle a bit then will start some test pours.

I'll mess around with the first stout I run through on getting the pressure just right.
 
force carbonate your stout at 40 PSI (gas on) with the 75/25 and it will be cascading in like 5 days give or take. dial it back to 30-35 if over fizzy after a week or so. maybe a touch higher if warmer then 38F. Kegs are rated for 100 psi but i have never gone more then 45 (by accident)-- too many dings and i don't trust 'em.

The extenders are probably just places to get dirty/infected... The longer lines don't effect the carbonation-- just the speed of the beer coming out. A 6 foot line pouring at 6 psi for a low carbonate beer is just a matter of taking like 10 extra seconds to fill a glass vs the 4 foot line... my 2 cents...
 
i wasn't too impressed with the lack of fit of the faucet wrench on my nuts. hows yours fit?

the wrench I got is nicer than any I've used in pubs or bars before. It's not just a cresent with a nub on it, it's angled a bit differently and it fits absolutely perfectly.
I had expected to be banging knuckles on the shank threads for the inner faucets but nope, it worked like a dream.

I HATED cleaning faucets at a brewpub I was at because the wrench stunk.
 
The extenders are probably just places to get dirty/infected... The longer lines don't effect the carbonation-- just the speed of the beer coming out. A 6 foot line pouring at 6 psi for a low carbonate beer is just a matter of taking like 10 extra seconds to fill a glass vs the 4 foot line... my 2 cents...

In commercial setups, they are usually pushing the same beer over and over, so when calculations for line length are made (which is resistance in the system so you don't deliver foam into the glass) it usually doesn't need to be changed. In my case I want to be able to change beer styles and keep their volumes of CO2 appropriate, so the variable I can adjust is line length.

At a given temperature (my kegorator temp) to maintain a set Vol of CO2, I need a specific pressure. Since both of those are now constants and not variables, my variable is resistance, which is a factor of line length and inner diameter. I'd rather not use different thickness of tubing, so I just made the extensions to give me the ability to control that last variable easily.

They are flare fittings, and I will clean the lines and remove extensions after every keg, so it won't add much work.

And last night I pulled a PERFECT pint. It came out at a nice speed, filled the glass in about 6 seconds with a perfect head on it and the carbonation level is precisely where it should be. :)

Now I have to finish carbing up my pilsner and double IPA and try them! brewing three batches this weekend to start stocking up so I can keep the five keg slots full.
 
I like the dedication to a perfect pint... And the fact your brewing like crazy! I just think you are over complicating your very nice kegerator just for the sake of doing it.

not so much for you but for guys setting up kegerators for the first time and might think these extensions are necessary...

Balancing lines on a direct draw home kegerator is as simple as having a length of 4 to 6 foot 3/16" ID beer line. No formulas needed.

Any 3/16" ID line in that 4 to 6 foot range will pour a beer plenty fast and control foam. The longer you go the slower the pour and more foam control.

You would never use two different inner diameter lines unless you wanted to for some odd reason. Splicing two different lines may only be needed for lines 16ft or longer. And at some point on super long lines--- I would go with beer gas or better yet a booster pump, rather then have pints of beer in thick beer lines. Another common home draft system that requires lines more then 6 ft and less then 16 ft (say going from one floor in your house to another or one room to another) requires no figuring either. Just use 14 or 15 feet of 1/4" ID line as that slows the beer down the same as 5 or 6 feet of 3/16" beer line will. Set the Co2 regulator at whatever desired carbonation level you want. Over 16 feet may require two different lines but not too many homebrewers will have to deal with this.

In nathans case -- his shorter beer line (4ft) kegerator will cause foam only on a highly carbonate beer because the beer comes will travel out the tap too fast -- thus his extension idea-- more line slows the beer down... In any case beer line has no effect on the volumes of Co2 in the keg. A longer 3/16" line will not cause foam--quite the opposite-- and again has zero effect on the volumes of co2 in your keg.

The only way to effect the carbonation level of the beer is adjust the co2 regulator pressure attached to the keg.

Having the wrong inner diameter line-- say a 5 foot length of 1/4" ID will cause lots of foam b/c the beer will come out like a fire hose out of the tap--- not because it does anything to the carbonation level of the kegged beer.

Hell you could have a 15 foot line of 3/16' at any typical desired volumes of co2 in the keg and you would still pour a perfectly carbonated pint-- it would just crawl out the tap.

That would be great for bottling beer (actually have done that) --- there would be zero foam as the beer would come out so slow--- but i might get a little impatient waiting for my pint to fill.

The only marginal benefit of the extensions is to pour the beer faster-- a matter of a couple seconds difference-- and form a frothy head on the beer with a tilted glass on a low carbonated beer.

For all those setting up a home keggerator--- simple is better.

With a line at the high end of the typical 4 to 6 foot range on home kegerators --- 6 ft--- you can pour any beer with or without a frothy head by tilting the glass or not. From near flat cask conditioned ales to spritzy hefeweizens.

A four foot line on highly carbonated beers can be a bit heady... and every pint of foam you toss is like 1/4 of a beer! Waste not want not!

The added bonus if you over carbonate a wee bit from rushing force carbonation at higher pressure-- typical of homebrewers-- the longer line gives you added foam control...

ps- with the perlick and stout faucets 'cause there forward valved you don't need to take them apart to clean them adequately... just run your beer line cleaner through them at higher pressure (20 to 30 psi). The high pressure creates turbulence in the line and scrubs the beer line and faucet parts.
 
Droopy,
You are correct in that a new kegorator builder could go simpler.
My motto is "if something is worth doing, it's worth getting OCD about and way over-doing".

I considered making extensions smaller than 6", then decided a 6" variance was sufficient.

I only have a starter line of 48" because I needed to be able to open the door with the kegs connected, so that was my minimum distance. I wanted them to all start at the same minimum so I could geek out from there and have maximum control.

I have elbowed tailpieces, which are more resistant than standard, and my faucets are a bit higher than average keezer or chest-with-tower modes, so my 48" lines are indeed likely to be GREAT for just about any beer (maybe not a hefe), BUT, I'm in the pursuit of building this out so I can deliver perfection in every pint. :) So yeah, mine is far more complicated than it needs to be, but it is versatile and way over-expensive and FUN and I love the heck out of it.

I do clean my lines and faucets with high-pressure hot pbw, then a hot rinse, then a cold rinse, then a sanitizer run, which is left in the line. I do one gallon of each (I fill up a keg). It's great and I love the forward seals. Hrm. Typing that it seems even my cleaning method is overkill.
 
My motto is "if something is worth doing, it's worth getting OCD about and way over-doing".

AMEN! But if you were really OCD you would be able to set each keg at different temperatures :D Something tells me you will probably figure that one out too...
 
Oh I've thought about it. Eventually when I buy or build a house, I might consider purchasing a few chest freezers over time and running insulated lines up from the basement into a kitchen faucet set.
 
Go with a walk in fridge. Set up zones/rooms of varying temperatures...

Ale fermenting zone, lagering zone, multiple keg serving zones, hop freezer zone, yeast storing zone... haha
 
in my last house I had two standup fermentation fridges with dual stage controls and heaters inside, a 25 cuft chest freezer, a kegorator made with a smaller chest freezer, a spare garage fridge for my brewing stuff...

right now I only have the one standup freezer for fermentation (2 carboys), a 16 cuft chest freezer, the new kegorator.... there is time to build up! ;)
 
interior view. Regulators sit in the freezer compartment (I removed the plastic freezer door). There's a shelf built that can hold the five kegs that fit. Right now I have four in. The fifth sits in the center between them all.
kegorator_int01.jpg



Inside the door. The interior shelf panel was removed and replaced with pebble board which has been reversed so the smooth side is showing. The four foot beer lines hang down but the door closes fine and there is clearance so when they are disconnected they just hang. High point is the shank.
kegorator_int02.jpg


A different angle so you can see the keg in the back corner.
kegorator_int03.jpg


here is the five stage secondary regulator. Gas comes in on the right side and works through. I also have a beergas line run in but it just uses the exterior primary regulator on the tank and runs to a single gas connector on the inside.
kegorator_int04.jpg
 
It was a bit confusing in the drawing phase, where I listed all the parts. And of course the boxes and boxes of little parts to assemble, but by the time it was all coming together it actually looked quite clean and it's easy to deal with.

The trick is finding a fridge or freezer that holds five kegs. I really wanted an upright so I could lift in kegs easily (my last one was a chest freezer with a tower) and I wanted the taps up and out of reach of my toddler, who is fascinated with all things brewing.

I drove around to craigs-listings with 3 cornies in my van for a while before lucking into this one for free. That's the most important part, then the rest was pretty straightforward: draw plan, list parts, locate all parts (took four or five vendors) then assemble.
 
I've adjusted it to 38F now, and the 2 degrees seems to make a difference. The pours are amazing and fast, I feel like I'm at a bar.

Now I keep staring at my stout carboy and trying to make it finish fermenting by sheer willpower!
 
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