Sanyo 4.9 Cubic Feet Fridge Questions - Kegs

I see Best Buy has a Sanyo 4.9 cu. ft. refrigerator (SR-4912m) for sale this week. I remember reading here that some people use this for their kegs.

I'm wondering what exactly you can fit in there. How many kegs with/without your CO2 canister work?

Has anyone converted this fridge to a kegerator? How easy/effective is it?

I'm seriously considering picking this up tomorrow. I have a gift card and it's on sale for $170.

So I did a google search on this very fridge and guess what.. google brought me to a forum posting about my fridge from a year ago. It seems the Sanyo SR-4912M on sale now at Best Buy will accomodate two corny kegs and a CO2 canister in the fridge. It easily converts into a kegerator as well.

I'm going to be using it as is for a while (until my wife gets over the hundreds of dollars I've invested into my hobby already.)

If I want to go cheap. Can I have two different kegs, a cobra tap, and just switch the CO2 line and cobra tap to whatever keg I want to drink from at the moment?

yes. That setup will work in to despense beer with the minor inconvienece you noted.

Very cool! Thanks! It looks like I'm set up and good to go!

I'm sure it will become more of an inconvenience after I've been drinking the homebrew for several hours and have to close on eye to find the right tube.

I have the sanyo 4912 and have converted it to a kegerator. Its great! It was very easy and there are quite a few places on the net that show ya how to do it. Yes, it fits 2 5 gal cornies and a 5 lb CO2 tank.... but its a tight fit. I also started with just a cobra tap but that didn't last long as I hated opening the door and letting out all the cold air. you'll be very happy with it I'm sure.

I converted a 4912 as well, I love it. I fit 2 cornies and a 10 lb. CO2 tank. I put a tower on it and that was a really easy build, there's lots of good sites on the internet on how to do it as well as some threads on this forum. With the CO2, I recently found out (the hard way) that there is 2 sizes of 10 lb. tanks. One is shorter and fatter and will fit if you build a little support for it. The other is taller and thinner and does NOT fit. My CO2 sits between the kegs and all the way back against the cooling plate. Its a very minor inconventince to get to as you have to take out a keg, but not bad at all.

Being in a small apt and owning next to no tools, I just bought a kegerator a few months ago, Its based off a sanyo..
Here is the link
http://www.beveragefactory.com/refrigerators/beer/bc1206-2.shtml

I love it, kind of wish it was bigger already!

For your viewing pleasure:

My kegerator with dual taps


Kegerator open to show two cornies and CO2 canister tucked behind



I love this compact setup, but I must admit, adjusting the regs can be a pain when you're not in the mood for it. Some people use the drain hole in the back to run the CO2 line in and store the bottle outside the unit, but I like the neatness of having it self contained.

Here's a website that shows you how to add the tap tower:
How To Drill Your Brand New Fridge



Here's a thread that might help as well:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=10307

Thank you very much for all the info. This will make converting mine so much easier!

I notice in the pictures the guy fit his CO2 into the fridge door. That looks like the way to go for quick access.

BTW Spyk'd, that looks bada$$!

I wouldn't count on fitting the CO2 in the door unless you have a funny one like the guy in the picture. I have a standard tank and there was no way to get it in the door and get the door closed. Then I went and added another regulator and sealed my fate.

It's really not bad unless you like to play around with your reg settings alot. Even then, you just lean one keg out a little to adjust them.

Just picked up the fridge today. The guy in front of me at Best Buy was very cool and handed me a 10% off coupon for appliances as well!

All in all I got the fridge for only $130 out of pocket. Not bad for a $200 fridge!

Now to convince the wife that Santa should bring me a two tap kegerator conversion kit.

Good score!


Hopefully you already own or can borrow a 3" hole saw from someone to drill that monster hole through the top. Remember to read my other thread I listed a couple back to avoid some pitfalls. The only other thing left is a piece of 1/2 plywood and a set of bolts, nuts, and large washers and you'll be set.




Good Luck!

Does anyone know if this fridge can fit a full sized keg if you take the door liner off?

My old kegerator died but I kept the curved door liner so I am in need of a fridge that hold a full sized keg with out speanding $500+ for a new kegerator wit the tower and stuff I already have.

Any help would be great.

Thanks,

Hi. Long time lurker, first time poster.

I am able to fit 2 commercial sixtels, the CO2 tank, and a coffee can tower cooler into the Sanyo 4912. A 1/2 barrel will not fit because there is only 13" from the compressor housing to the front of the door (door liner removed), and a 1/2 barrel is 17".

Here are some pics of my hack job. Sanyo 4912 Kegerator Conversion

Courtland, that's a great post about your kegerator, and I especially like the idea of the tip jar. BTW welcome to the forum

Courtland,

Thanks for the post! That's awesome!

I just encountered the space limitations of the fridge today. I kegged another beer and attempted to put another keg in the fridge.

Boy what a pain in the a$$!

I would love to know the dimensions of the CO2 tank stand you made. I ended up having the lift the tank off the ground and shove the two kegs in to pin the tank against the back of the fridge to make it fit.

BTW, other than removing the shelves, I haven't modified the fridge in any other way, if that changes the ability to fit two cornies and the tank?

There's a bottom shelf mod where you push the bottom shelf in the the door in the opposite way(like me) and secure it with a couple of screws. That way you don't lose the shelf and you still get two cornies and a CO2 tank inside.

Yes it's tight and yes you have to make a shelf or pin the tank like you did, but it works.

You can also run the CO2 line out through the drain hole like others have. I personally don't like this idea as I'm living in MS, humidity central.

Thanks for the welcome Flyin' Lion.

Orpheus,

Here is a drawing of the stand I made. I also forgot a really important part about fitting 2 commercial sixtels. The shelf tabs on the walls need to be trimmed or they won't fit.

I updated the pics on the link I posted above.

Shelf cuts for 2 commercial sixtels


CO2 stand drawing

Hello Spyk'd, fellow Mississippian here.


Orpheus,

I have a 4912 and its a pretty tight fit. It will fit two cornies in there, but will take some positioning. I'm using cobra taps still, but one day may convert.

130$ is a good deal for that fridge. I paid 179 after 10% coupon sometime in December or January.

Be careful though. I have frozen a corny solid with it between 4 and 5 on the temperature dial. I was wondering why does this beer keep getting stronger. I was basically drinking a Sunshine Wheat Ice. I tapped it and pulled the keg out and noticed it was still heavy. Opened her up and it was frozen solid. I'd say at least 2 gallons worth.

I just mede one with a Danby wine cooler.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=12860

Easily fits 2 kegs.

Courtland,

Thanks man, you rock! I'll definitely be building one of those CO2 tank stands just to keep my sanity.

anyone have a good link to the co2 canister stand?

shoebag22 said:

anyone have a good link to the co2 canister stand?

Click to expand...

Check the wiki.... why would you dig this up from the graveyard?