Vissani 52 Wine Bottle Kegerator

http://www.homedepot.com/buy/vissani/52-bottle-wine-cooler-in-black-26102.html

This unit perfectly holds two ball lock kegs and a 5 lb CO2 bottle on the compressor shelf. It looks like it was perfectly made for this application for $199.

We are using picnic taps.

The compressor size looks correct for this size refrigerator (have one sitting next to the Vissani).

Further temperature testing on two water filled kegs tonight.

It will look great with some blue cold cathode/LED lights inside.

Victor

The cooler froze water in a pitcher. The temperature control does not seem to work well.

The goal for us is to have it cycle at 44 deg. So readjusting and watching.

We added a small 4 inch fan from Walgeens blowing down from the top on to the cooling coil to move air around the kegs (like a real kegerator). Big improvement.

We will probably try another unit or different model. I calle MC and they said this uint should hold within 5 deg with a low temp of 40 deg.

What is a reasonable amount of cycling at 44 deg?

How long would a real kegerator take to cool two tap water temp kegs to 36 deg?

Victor

I am new to the kegging world, haven't tried it yet with my HomeBrew, but I'm ready too. After seeing this thread I went to Home Depot today and bought one of these exact Vissani 52 bottle wine-coolers. I'm interested to see where this thread goes so I can learn more about this unit.

So are you keeping the 5lb CO2 tank right inside the fridge?

Any thoughts on keeping it a constant temp with one of the Johnson Controls temperature regulator units?

In your photos I don't see the fan mounted on the ceiling inside the fridge.... how did you mount that? How are you powering the fan?

For the fan I ran a very small lamp wire thru the drain hole in the back and made sure it had a drip loop. You can get the ends for the wire. I just cut an old extension chord and used both ends for the test. For the initial test (in-case of return) I wire tide it to the top back thermostat housing and pointed it down along the back.

Eventually, I returned this unit because I wanted to used Perlik faucets and not picnic taps. I finally purchased a kegerator from kegconnection.com.

The Vissani seemed to work.

Victor

I looked at one of these a few weeks back because it seemed ideal. Some research showed that they are very unreliable. Apparently they are another "Magic Chef" brand which is widely seen as a poor brand for reliability. YMMV, but I would avoid this product.

Chris

vkmaynard said:

For the fan I ran a very small lamp wire thru the drain hole in the back and made sure it had a drip loop. You can get the ends for the wire. I just cut an old extension chord and used both ends for the test. For the initial test (in-case of return) I wire tide it to the top back thermostat housing and pointed it down along the back.

Eventually, I returned this unit because I wanted to used Perlik faucets and not picnic taps. I finally purchased a kegerator from kegconnection.com.

The Vissani seemed to work.

Victor

Click to expand...

So you think the Vissani will work ok? What about when hooked up to a Johnson Controls temperature controller to regulate the temperature for fermenting ale at around 67degrees or so in the Vissani?

Even though you abandoned your Vissani, do you still think I might be able to use it ok for keeping 2 ball-lock kegs in there with picnic taps?

Just curious... what benefit do the Perlik faucets provide over the picnic taps?

You kind of lost me on your lamp wire explanation... what's a drip loop?

ChrisNH said:

I looked at one of these a few weeks back because it seemed ideal. Some research showed that they are very unreliable. Apparently they are another "Magic Chef" brand which is widely seen as a poor brand for reliability. YMMV, but I would avoid this product.

Chris

Click to expand...

Hmm, they've gotten pretty good reviews on the Home Depot website. I haven't seen (after much looking) any unfavorable comments really about the Vissani 52 bottle cooler at Home Depot... so I'm not really sure what to do now I guess.

vkmaynard said:

For the fan I ran a very small lamp wire thru the drain hole in the back and made sure it had a drip loop. You can get the ends for the wire. I just cut an old extension chord and used both ends for the test. For the initial test (in-case of return) I wire tide it to the top back thermostat housing and pointed it down along the back.

Eventually, I returned this unit because I wanted to used Perlik faucets and not picnic taps. I finally purchased a kegerator from kegconnection.com.

The Vissani seemed to work.

Victor

Click to expand...

Also I'm wondering, which kegerator did you get on kegconnection.com?

Do you have the keg equipment and picnic taps yet? If you do, I would try the Vassani for two weeks and see how it works. Honestly, all the Chinese fridges look the same including the EdgeStar kegerator I just purchased. We bottled our last 30 batches over the years but decided to start kegging to keep up with our neighbors! So this month we made 15 gals and kegged instead. Much easier. We have a Belgium and IPA on tap with an English Brown under pressure waiting for Drinking. We need a forth keg to keep the beer flowing.

I purchased the EdgeStar kegerator with the kegs, dual Perlik faucet SS tower (they pour better and stay cleaner), SS door (see living direct for picture), Taprite Dual body regulator (can set two separate pressures), added a third gas line for external keg maintenance/pressurization, 12X5 SS drip tray (the small plastic one does not fit under dual taps), additional clamps and clamping tool. The SS tower from Kegconnection.com is an upgrade for the same price as the Chrome plated one from Living Direct (who does not support home brew). I also have one picnic tap for maintenance.

I drilled an extra hole in the back above the original for the second gas line and used a spare part from the first shipping damaged kegerator.

In addition I purchased a 12v squirrel cage blower and 12v power supply and built a 12v voltage regulator from an LM317 adjustable regulator to slow down the fan that worked too well (faucets dripping with condensation) and was a bit noisy (http://www.rigacci.org/docs/biblio/online/voltreg/fan-regulator/tutorial-full.html).I carefully soldered (not too much heat) the LM317 to the back of the potentiometer to act as a built in heatsink.

I used 1/8” foil backed adhesive insulation (Frost King from Lowes) to line the inside of the tower with two layers to keep it from sweating. Only a very small area around the back of the faucets is exposed. I should measure the voltage and recommend just purchasing the low voltage power supply to save the $10 regulator expense and wasted electricity (heat from the linear voltage regulator).

Works perfectly and it’s quite. Maybe a ¼” of head or less on the first and every pour. The IP and Belgium are set to slightly different pressures. Temperature is too cold at 50% setting.

For a significant cost difference I would try the Vassani if you don’t mind the picnic taps. That was my original cheap goal. I just have a hard time not going over board.

Ben at kegconnection.com was very helpful. If you go that route tell him hello from me.

Victor

Regulator Pictures

nikolausp said:

Hmm, they've gotten pretty good reviews on the Home Depot website. I haven't seen (after much looking) any unfavorable comments really about the Vissani 52 bottle cooler at Home Depot... so I'm not really sure what to do now I guess.

Click to expand...

I went to try to dig up some of the reviews I had read in a quick moment at work but was not able to do so, so I guess take my statements with a grain of salt.

Anecdotally (and unsupported..) what I had gotten from reviews that involved more then "I plugged it in and it worked, five stars".

1. Cannot get to lower temps (one reviewer couldnt get it past 52
2. Uneven cooling, great variance in cooling (insufficient insulation?)
3. Noise
4. Poor reliability (based largely on magic chef brand)
5. Poor customer service

Its an attractive unit. I would be interested in the opinion of anyone who has owned one for more then a year and used it to store beer at 45-50 degrees.

Chris

For $500 difference I would try the Vassani if you plan to use picnic taps.

Hopefully we'll hear back from someone who tries one for at least a month.

For sure everything fits nicely inside. No mods. The fan is optional.

Victor

Hi there guys... I really appreciate the time and effort you've given to responses! Very nice of you, thanks!

Victor that is a pretty detailed description, and I don't think I exactly understand half of it, lol. Sounds like you sure know what you're doing! I'm such a n00b when it comes to kegging.

I will give the Vissani a shot.... by the way, they are now $148 at Home Depot, down from the $199. The $148 seemed like a regular price, the guy in the store told me that wasn't a sale price, but a normal price.

For kegging 2 kegs at the same time, i need to figure out what to buy. After looking at the Kegconnection site, I'm thinking this is what I need? Would this be a good one for me to buy?

http://stores.kegconnection.com/Detail.bok?no=324

That is exactly what I purchased. Then upgraded to the Taprite regulator for $35 because they the nice knobs like a regular compressor setup. I also purchased a third keg to rotate kegs. Take advantage of the $7.95 shipping.

vkmaynard said:

That is exactly what I purchased. Then upgraded to the Taprite regulator for $35 because they the nice knobs like a regular compressor setup. I also purchased a third keg to rotate kegs. Take advantage of the $7.95 shipping.

Click to expand...

I wonder if I should just buy it locally here in Houston. http://www.kegcowboy.com is located here in Houston, and maybe their stuff would be as good as kegconnection.

It looks like KegCowboy has an upgraded type of regulator as well:

http://kegcowboy.com/index.php?dispatch=products.view&product_id=230

What're you using to seal the CO2 lines going into your kegerator? I'm going to move my tank outside my kegerator and want to do something similar but with a good seal to prevent condensation. And I don't feel like spending a bunch for shanks.

The prices look the same. You are going to pay tax on either one since both companies are in TX. The Kegcoybow has a relief valve with knobs on on their base regulator which is an upgrade from kegconnection. Plus you can look at the kegs before you buy.

Do you have to drive 200 mi to the other side of Houston?

The gas line pass-through came with the kegerator. I added a second one borrowed from the first damaged kegerator.

Victor

vkmaynard said:

The prices look the same. You are going to pay tax on either one since both companies are in TX. The Kegcoybow has a relief valve with knobs on on their base regulator which is an upgrade from kegconnection. Plus you can look at the kegs before you buy.

Do you have to drive 200 mi to the other side of Houston?

The gas line pass-through came with the kegerator. I added a second one borrowed from the first damaged kegerator.

Victor

Click to expand...

The prices seemed a bit more to me on KegCowboy, but maybe I was looking at it wrong I guess. I don't understand what the relief valve with knobs on the base regulator means, or how that's different. I guess I don't know how all that stuff works, lol.

The pressure relief at the gauge is nice since you don't have to relieve the pressure at the keg initially to set the pressure. Just turn off the valve to the keg, set the pressure; if it is too high then turn down the pressure, pull the relief valve and slowly turn the pressure back up, then turn on the keg valve and relieve the pressure at the keg if necessary. Some lower cost regulators only have set screws, not knobs to set the pressure. Works ok but not user friendly.

The Vissani is now $148 at our Home Depot. Great price. Certainly worth trying at that price.

Price both and go with the lower price. Kegconnection has lower prices in general.

Here is another option without state tax http://www.midwestsupplies.com/. Ask if they have knobs for their regulators.

Well how's the Vassani project going?

I just kegged my first 2 beers last night and put them in the Vassani... I have the Vassani plugged into a Johnson Controls temperature control unit.

I put the temperature probe on the side of one of the kegs, and taped a thawed freezer ice pack around it. I set the digital Johnson Control to 44degrees last night.... I'm a bit confused this morning, because when I woke up, the temperature on the probe reads 65 degrees!!! I'm not sure what the problem is. Do I need to adjust the manual fridge settings possibly? Could it possibly take that long to cool down the beer in the kegs? Doesn't make sent to me.

Any ideas?

It wil take at least 24 hours to cool two kegs. The Johnson control shoud not be necessry since it is not a freezer. Just turn the cooler thermostat down to it's lowest setting and skip the Johson controler for now.

Sorry about the late reply, I just got back into town last night.

Please let us know how it works out.

FYI: the Vissani is now back to $199 as of last night.

Thanks for the info.

Any thoughts on how I should have the PSI set during this time to get the beer carbonated correctly? I've read so many various things about it that I don't know which is best. I had it set at 30 for the first day, and then I turned the pressure down a ways. Right now the regulator reads around 14-15 PSI.

depends on the temp of the beer... so if it is still falling then i would set it at what it needs to be at when you reach the target temp using one of the many charts out there for that purpose. If you set it for your current temp and the temp drops you run the risk of over-carbing unless the temp is dropping so slowly you are confident you can keep up with it.

I have found 10psi as worked well for me at around 38 degrees in my fridge.

Chris

I've been keeping our beer around 44 deg with most beers set at your pressure of 14 PSI. The Belgium was set to 18 and a Red Oak clone 16. We have a dual output regulator that has been real helpful. I added (mandatory especially for picnic taps) the epoxy mixers to all our 5' lines supplied by KegConnection.com to prevent foaming https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/cure-your-short-hose-troubles-100151/

Did your beer finally cool down?

Ya it seems to have finally cooled down some... my Johnson controls digital display says 45, but the beer coming out says around 49 or so... not sure what's up with that... i turned the Johnson controls unit down to 39 to see what it does. It'll probably take another day or two to get to 39, lol.

One of my 2 kegs i've got a problem with the inlet tube getting clogged with pellet hop sludge that came from my secondary fermenter I think.

Does the beer seem cold enough? Foaming?

Yah it seems decent. Since I lowered it it's coming out around 44-45 or so. Seems awesome. It's a Pliny the Elder clone.... it's effing great.

Just want to say thanks for the info. Picked up one a few weeks ago, with the highest setpoint 7 (lowest temp) I was getting down to 49 or so with one corny. Yesterday I took a look at the temp control mechanism/thermostat assembly. On the back left corner of the little box that houses the tstat is a small screw with an access hole. I used a small phillips and gave it a 1/2 turn clockwise and it dropped the temp below 40. Basically it seems putting more pressure on the spring increases the amount of force required by the tstat. I also have a small 12V computer fan I'm going to tie into the light switch to get some circulation going. I'll get some pictures later, hopefully, I have a 2 year old.

Gotta start saving for a tap.

Oh, and the corny's have to be the 8 1/4" diameter variety, the pin lock I had wouldn't fit 2 at 9" diameter.

Thanks again

homeeey said:

Just want to say thanks for the info. Picked up one a few weeks ago, with the highest setpoint 7 (lowest temp) I was getting down to 49 or so with one corny. Yesterday I took a look at the temp control mechanism/thermostat assembly. On the back left corner of the little box that houses the tstat is a small screw with an access hole. I used a small phillips and gave it a 1/2 turn clockwise and it dropped the temp below 40. Basically it seems putting more pressure on the spring increases the amount of force required by the tstat. I also have a small 12V computer fan I'm going to tie into the light switch to get some circulation going. I'll get some pictures later, hopefully, I have a 2 year old.

Gotta start saving for a tap.

Oh, and the corny's have to be the 8 1/4" diameter variety, the pin lock I had wouldn't fit 2 at 9" diameter.

Thanks again

Click to expand...

Still working ok?

vkmaynard said:

Still working ok?

Click to expand...

Yeah, so far so good. Almost ready for the two full keg challenge. Very consistant 39F with the control knob at 5 1/2. I haven't timed the duty cycle, but I'm guessing it turns on 2-3 times/hour for 2 minutes. It's pretty quite so I don't always notice it. The fridge is only about 6 feet from my couch (convenient), and I usually don't even realize it kicks on.

I made an error in my last post though. When I got the fridge I didn't have my glasses on and I thought the label on the front of the control unit read "12V only", not "15W max" 8). So going to have to dig up a 120V fan, but it's not a big priority.

Thanks for posting. So my original guess was correct that this unit would work.

Nice to know.

Victor

Hey guys, I'm considering doing this as the fridge is back on sale at Home Deport for $150. Curious if anyone had any trouble drilling in the tower because of cooling lines, etc. Thanks!

Can't beat that price for new, my only complaint would be the lack of insulation on the clear door. It probably takes a little more energy to keep this one cool, although seeing the kegs and pressure reg inside might be cool. I guess if.its am issue, you can always put foam over the inside of the door.

spikor said:

Hey guys, I'm considering doing this as the fridge is back on sale at Home Deport for $150. Curious if anyone had any trouble drilling in the tower because of cooling lines, etc. Thanks!

Click to expand...

Bump. I see a few posts mention using picnic taps. I am considering this unit ($150) for a kitchen area. (I have a converted refrigerator in the basement that I would keep). I would like to install a tower...has anyone done this for this unit?

Picking one of these up as a fermentation chamber!

Don't think a fermenter will fit.

vkmaynard said:

Don't think a fermenter will fit.

Click to expand...

I've seen photographic evidence. I'm inclined to believe it.