getting first keg system

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robd

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Apr 12, 2009
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Location
washington state
first question is do i want to use a refridgerator or freezer to convert into a kegerator

and second i want to have three different kegs so what is all the equipment i will need like how many co2 tanks etc.\
 
Whether you want a fridge or freezer depends on several factors to include, how much money you have to spend, how much DIY work you want to do, how much beer you realistically plan to have on tap at any given time.
Most of these questions are your personal preference. To help insulate upfront costs, it is often easier to get a system piece by piece that is upgradeable as you upscale your brewing.

I see you are in WA state. There is a wholesale seller on Ebay selling scatch and dent Haier kegerator units that are good to hold 3 cornealious kegs. He is fairly knowledgeable and helpful on these units. ( No affiliation other than I have dealt with him) You might give Ebay a peek to check out his units.

If you know you want 3 kegs on tap you will need 1 CO2 bottle, 3 kegs, 3 faucets, (Perlick recommended), and a distribution system for your CO that can deliver product to 3 keg/taps.

Google is your friend. Do a bit of research for vendors for these items.
 
Personal preference plays alot into it as well.

I prefer my keezer, because it is more energy eficient than a fridge doing the same job, and there is no empty space. I am also more than happy with using picnic taps to dispense.

You should decide, weither you want chest freezer or fridge, and picnic taps ot faucets, as well as how many kegs you want to have going at once. After you have that figured out, call kegconnection or midwest, and talk to the guys there, they would both be happy to guide you through the best purchace to do what you want.

remember, if you want faucets on a chest freezer, you will need to either do a colar or a tower.
 
+ 1 on keg connection - they are very helpful. I would recommend picking up 1 extra keg to have on hand. It allows you to keep the beer pipeline running while waiting fo ra new batch to condition or carb. Also consider a distribution block with at least 1 extra port. The ports or holes can be plugged with threaded inserts. This allows you to easily add extral lines with individual shutoff valves instead of a jumble of "T"s or "Y"s.
Spend a little extra upfront, It will save $ in the long run.
Enjoy
Jason
 
If cost is a consideration...just go easy. Get into it first. No need to go out and buy a half dozen perlick faucets. I still have plastic picnic taps right now and have no issues. I just have to open the ghettorator to get at them is all. No big deal, and at $3 a piece, I got 5 of them for much less than I would have paid for a perlick.

For gas distribution, I bought a 50' length of vinyl tubing from mcmaster carr and picked up some little brass "T" fittings with barbs on them for like $2 a piece. Then I just daisy chained them all together. So for less than $15 I can hook up all 5 of my kegs at once instead of paying $50 for a fancy manifold. Is it ideal? No not really. But it's got me started. Now as I go along I can decide what components are important for me to upgrade and what ones aren't.
 
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