Kegerator: Sylvania SE80106-2

I finally was able to get a fridge using my hoarded Canadian Tire money and gift certificates. I've written up a how-to on the wiki based on my experience today (with the help of MrX's thread here) and based on my own fiddling. I have not yet added a 2-tap tower but I plan to update the how-to once I do.

Sylvania SE80106-2 Kegerator Conversion

Looking good... I am convinced no matter what the means of getting the beer on tap , it always tastes better from the faucet than the bottle.

TheFlyingBeer said:

Looking good... I am convinced no matter what the means of getting the beer on tap , it always tastes better from the faucet than the bottle.

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I KNOW!!! The first time I cracked open the tap I emptied trube into a glass. The second time I cracked that bad boy open my mouth was sucking beer STRAIGHT FROM THE TAP BARNEY STYLE(from the simpson's)! THERE IS NOTHING BETTER!!!!

Wow, you did a great job on that. Removing that door liner certainly looks much easier than than ripping the shelves out. Nine thumbs up!!!!!

Grimsawyer said:

I KNOW!!! The first time I cracked open the tap I emptied trube into a glass. The second time I cracked that bad boy open my mouth was sucking beer STRAIGHT FROM THE TAP BARNEY STYLE(from the simpson's)! THERE IS NOTHING BETTER!!!!

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Thanks, now I have coffee all over my keyboard.

mr x said:

Wow, you did a great job on that. Removing that door liner certainly looks much easier than than ripping the shelves out. Nine thumbs up!!!!!

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Thanks. I was going to do what you did as well. But I remembered a thread on here (wish I could remember so I could credit) where someone used a whiteboard. So I yanked mine off the wall and chopped it up. Nice bare spot on my wall though, I guess I better buy another.

Next item on my todo list is a 2-tap tower. Not sure when I'll get the cash for that as I just bought 2 new kegs for $55CDN/ea yesterday as well.

FYI, I put my little fan in the top left hand corner at the front. And I have one tap at the front (working on funds for a second). I'll show you a pic when I'm home in a few days time.

Hi Bradsul

I recently purchased a Sylvania SE80106-2 on sale at Canadain Tire. I noticed it was 4.5 cubic foot so I decided to measure it to see if it would hold 2 cornelius kegs it does after converting the door as you already know. I decided to google the fridge and thats when I noticed your wiki and your Canadain

I have an almost identical setup as yours and I have just started on the door portion of the conversion. I think I will paint the unfinshed side of the white board with three coats of exterior paint to prevent the board from swelling due to condenation. Also I plan on securing the gasket using tyvec tape on the backside of the whiteboard for a better seal.

I turned the fridge on and it seems that only the back portion of the fridge gets hot or cold. I want to eventually put dual taps on the top of the fridge aswell.


Cheers
BeerCanuck

The refrigeration coils are at the back, at it has been my experience that without a small (an it only needs to be real small) fan for circulation, you'll be stuck with foamy beer even at high pressures and long lines because the temp gets too warm at the top.

BeerCanuck, first off welcome to HBT! Always great to see another Canadian on here. That's a good idea about painting the whiteboard. I was in such a hurry to get my kegs chilled that I didn't consider the humidity issue.

The tyvec tape probably wouldn't hurt but from what I saw when reassembling mine it isn't necessary. Once you get all the screws in, the gasket isn't going anywhere.

I've had mine running with kegs in it since saturday and my temperature has been completely stable throughout the entire fridge. I've got it set to hold at 7-8C and even down in front of the kegs my thermometer reads that. I've been checking the temperature of the beer that I pour and it's all at 8C as well. Maybe I got lucky with this fridge, seems like they aren't the most consistent in the world. I don't have a tower yet so I'm planning on having to implement mr x's solution once I do.

I may be lucking into a free 2 tap stainless tower for the cost of some beer. Fingers crossed!

I was getting 5 degrees c at the bottom front and 11 degrees c on the tops of the kegs.

mr x said:

I was getting 5 degrees c at the bottom front and 11 degrees c on the tops of the kegs.

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I tested with my thermometer and water at all the levels of the fridge and I got a very consistent 8C everywhere. I don't have a hole in the top of my fridge yet so that may be the reason. Will just have to wait and see I guess.

Hi Bradsul

The conversion of the door portion of my kegerator is complete. I found by taking off the door ( I wanted mine to open from the right...the instructions in the manual don't detail this well but I figured out that the bottom hinge pin has to be inverted when reassembling) and taping the gasket on the backside of whiteboard allowed for a nice easy to install seal.

I just tested the capacity of the fridge after the door conversion. It can hold a 6 gallon glass carboy easily ....nice when I want some cold filter water come brew time

Eventually I would like to put a dual tap on top of the fridge but I want to be certain that I do not damage anything in the process. I figure if I call Sylvania and ask if there is any headspace required at the top of the fridge for ventillation / technical manual available.

Overall Im pleased with the conversion.....I plan on christening the kegerator with a corny keg of Brew Canada Blond on Wednesday


Cheers
BeerCanuck

Personally I'm keeping mine full of beer. Water does just fine for me in my regular fridge.

Its fun to have a day free for a hobby

Called Sylvania...the tech I spoke with say there isn't any lines running through the top of the fridge..he also said that there wasnt a service manual available either and you will void your warranty altering the fridge. I think I will take the back of the fridge for a final check before the tower conversion.

I plan on doing a DIY tower similar to BierMuncher
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=30930

I got an account with http://www.cdnbev.com/products/catalog.html
I ordered;
2 chrome taps
2 90 degree elbow shanks
2 black tap handles
1 2 port CO2 manifold with shutoffs
1 keg lube bottle
1 extra cobra tap

They said it will be here for tomorrow
Thinking of assembling the tower next weekend.
I will keep this wiki posted

I also got the remote sensor for my weather station ..the sensor say the christening keg in my kegerator due on Thursday is a frosty 5.6 C

Let me no how your conversion is coming Bradsul

Cheers
BeerCanuck

Good to know about the cooling line locations in the top. I still think I'll do the corn starch test in the first post in this thread just to be safe but it sounds like it won't be a problem.

So cutting a hole in your fridge will void the warranty? Who would have thought?

Just Cristened my Sylvania kegerator.
Verdict
Kegging/Kegerator...vs bottling...forget about it (best BEER mafia impression)

Now all that remain is the tower and dual co2

Just got some more hardware for the Tower / Co2 portion of the conversion


I plan on trying the cornmeal/ rubbing alcohol test and removing the back of the fridge before installing the tower.

Im think of mounting the co2/manifold on the exterior of the fridge to save on interior space / reading gauges / access to valves / solid mount for co2 bottle

I measured my 5lb CO2 bottle..its about 5 1/4" in diameter....just wondering if there is a fire exstinguisher holder the same size?

Cheers Bradsul
BeerCanuck

Not sure about a fire extinguisher mount. You could probably make one easily enough out of wood and a large hose clamp. I'm sure calling any local fire extinguisher supply will get you a quick answer.

Kegerator is definitely the way to go. I floated my first keg tonight during the leaf game (damn Sens).

oops..double post

Hi Bradsul...cheers to Friday and Monday for that matter.
I connected my regulator to my 2 port manifold/distributor.


Here is Co2/Manifold in Sylvania (dry fit)


And my temporary fridge

....never know when you might need beer on the long weekend

I was looking at the light bulb holder at the back of the fridge...according to the manual it takes a 120V / 10W, E12 Type light bulb....Im not sure if I am going to need a blower fan but this would seem to be a good spot to get power for it

Next task is the Tower
Keep you posted
BeerCanuck

BeerCanuck said:

...I was looking at the light bulb holder at the back of the fridge...according to the manual it takes a 120V / 10W, E12 Type light bulb....Im not sure if I am going to need a blower fan but this would seem to be a good spot to get power for it...

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I was looking at it for that purpose as well. If you remove the housing on the temperature controller you can very easily access to the two leads. I'm waiting to see if it's going to be necessary. Still haven't managed to get my hands on my free tower yet so I'm not in a hurry.

hey beercanuck what was required to get a account with
www.cdnbev.com/?????

Just drilled a hole in the top of the fridge. I used the center point of the underside of the counter top as a center point for the tower.



I used BierMuncher's DIY tower idea...I mounted the toilet flange under the counter top for a cleaner look with my particlar flange.


I christened the kegerator last night.

Cheers
BeerCanuck

Awesome! Can't wait to get my tower. Any issues drilling the hole for the tower? Let us know if you get any cooliing issues like Mr X has.

No issues drilling dead center in the fridge. There seems to be no lines in the top as the Sylvania tech mentioned.
Remote temperature sensor in fridge seems to hold at 10 degrees C.



BeerCanuck

You'll probably be fine with 10c and a tower. Any CO2 coming out of solution will rise to the top and be less of a problem. With me coming out the front, it is really difficult to keep the high point at the tap, so gas will collect at the ball lock (high point) if the temp isn't down around 5c. The gas seems to blow foam, so I try to avoid it with temp and pressure.

I thought you had a tower, didn't realize you went through the door with shanks. I wouldn't have thought there would be enough clearance.

I didn't even think of putting a tap on the door ...if I did I would have probably done it. It would have been an easier/more frugal way of doing it. Good to know about the C02 line height caveat with this type of installation mr. x

Just having a glass of blond beer now - remote temp sensor reading at bottom of fridge 9.6 C (at max cooling on thermostat)

I put 5' of 3/16 tubing for my beer line..I have my regulator feeding both kegs at 12 psi. The 5 foot of line I think I will trim down to something more manageable / convenient to aid with giving more head/faster pour.

I have been thinking of insulating the tower more to see if I can get my temps lower in the fridge. The fridge prior to the tower addition was ~ 8 C.
Conversely I have heard that you should try to keep your in a taps in a tower cool so that your beer doesnt go foamey due to temperature differentials.

Any Ideas...Suggestions?

BeerCanuck

How about a smaller diameter piece of pvc for an inner pipe. The hoses run through the inner pipe and then spray-foam between the inner and outer for your insulation?

I was thinking spray the interior tower with insulating foam as well...I think an HBTer on BierMuncher thread mentioned this as well.....good idea.

I think shortening up the 5 foot line should take care of the slow pour/weak head/Rapunzel likeness of the hose

Overall Im happy

Just priced out a predone kegerator ~ $700 Can (fridge/single tap tower /co2 / regulator )
Think mine came out to around ~ $550 Can for the DIY
I would probably buy a premade 2 tap chrome tower for $150 next time if I had to do it again ( probably saved $30 after buying all the materials and tools to build and install for the DIY tower)

Probably I good idea putting a 2 X 6 for the support Co2 shelf inside the fridge ( I tied a wire to the hidden screw under the light to secure the CO2 bottle ) or even better mounting the Co2 on the exterior of the fridge.

Cool thing about this project is almost everything can be purchased at Canadain Tire..
How Canadain is that

BeerCanuck

BeerCanuck said:

Cool thing about this project is almost everything can be purchased at Canadain Tire...

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I have to admit, I love Crappy. Not many places where I can pick up brake parts and oil for my truck and also a new hockey stick and flatware without leaving the store.

I'm thinking of adhering some cleats to the back wall with epoxy and using a short bungie to keep the CO2 tank from falling. But mine is in there pretty good so I'm actually not too worried about it.

Well my free tower fell through so I've decided to go with Biermunchers PVC tower as well as the drip trays. I emailed Canadian Beverage about ordering some 90* shanks and a couple Perlick faucets so hopefully they get back to me soon. I work pretty close to Canadian Beverage so hopefully I can setup an account or something and pick them up this week.

The tower is working well for me
It's nice having beer on tap

I have shortened up the beer lines and insulated the tower more.
Temperatue is down to ~ 8 C
Beer pours without to much foam at 12 psi

First kegging ..DOH!
I didnt check the seals on the top of a new keg I connected in the fridge to force carb. I was pressuring sealing a newly racked keg a little later when I noticed I had no C02 pressure? Checked the regulator and it was showing no pressure.
This also correlated with a huge head ache....DOH!

After a little back tracing and confirming with some soapy spray on the "force carb keg" I was able to pin the leak to the keg feet not allowing O ring to seal properly.
I think I will look into a C02 alarm close to the kegerator in the future for some cheap insurance ...save on C02 refill and headaches

Bradsul...CBS is good.... a bit pricey for the 90 degree shank $30...everything else was reasonable .

Cheers
BeerCanuck

Gotta be careful with the CO2 for sure. I make sure a window is open when I'm doing stuff like that. Not totally necessary I'm sure but I live alone so I don't want to take a chance.

That's not too bad for the shanks, the only place I can find them for a decent price is kegworks.com and by the time you pay shipping and customs it's still cheaper from CBS.

Hi Brad
Just curious how your tower is coming along.
I have been running my kegerator for 2 weeks
My beer brewing buddy wants a kegerator as well.
Im think of possibly upgrading to a keezer...tentatively
I just picked up 2 more cornies for the fridge (8.5" diameter)
The kegerator I believe will be a little to tight for space for two 8.5" diameter kegs
Thats ok for me because I plan on getting 1 more 8" diameter keg to make a total of 6 cornies (3 single handle 8" dia kegs and 3 double handle 8.5" dia kegs)

thanks for the tip of brewtime

Cheers
BeerCanuck

Haven't had much time to get to it. I'm hoping to put a final coat of paint on the tower tomorrow night and do assembly Wednesday but will have to see how it goes.

I've not had any problems using 2 ball lock kegs and my 5lbs CO2 in mine so far. It's annoying to have to open the door to use a picnic tap but that will be going away sometime this week.

I was going to make a keezer originally but by the time I bought a temperature controller and had to pay out my own money for the freezer it was just way too expensive.

No worries about brewtime. I just picked up a sack of marris otter for $57, looking forward to trying it after I've heard so much. Picking up some Niagara grape juice this weekend too.

since everyone is on the subject here, i purchased a chest freezer cheap and now am thinking about weather to go with the tower or make an extension of wood for taps under the door. do u regret using the tower. i know mines a chest freezer and the door opens up top but those towers look real cool. also did u piece out that co2 set up or did u buy a kit canuck? im also searchin for that too. maybe help me out with what i need for a set up like that? i guess after that ill be ready to keg it up. thanks

Rico6115 said:

since everyone is on the subject here, i purchased a chest freezer cheap and now am thinking about weather to go with the tower or make an extension of wood for taps under the door. do u regret using the tower. i know mines a chest freezer and the door opens up top but those towers look real cool. also did u piece out that co2 set up or did u buy a kit canuck? im also searchin for that too. maybe help me out with what i need for a set up like that? i guess after that ill be ready to keg it up. thanks

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My two cents...

With a tower, once your lid is up...your kegerator is out of commission.

I have my freezer lid open all the time...cleaning lines, changing hook-ups, bleeding pressure...etc.

A lot of these "chores" require me running liquid through the lines to test pressures, flush lines, test carbonation.

I can't imagine openning and closing that lid everytime. Plus, you'll need some extra clearance behind the chest for the tower to clear.



Plus...don't you want multiple taps?

Rico6115 said:

i know mines a chest freezer and the door opens up top but those towers look real cool. also did u piece out that co2 set up or did u buy a kit canuck? im also searchin for that too. maybe help me out with what i need for a set up like that? i guess after that ill be ready to keg it up. thanks

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I'll defer the keezer question to BierMuncher since i copied his DIY tower to a tee except I mounted the toilet flange underneath the counter top.

As far as Co2 and regulator goes....I shopped through the Yellow pages for Welding Supplies...I finally got a recommendation to a local Co2 supplier in St Catharines. I got the 5lb tank and a two gauge regulator for $175 and $12/refills. The 2 gauge regulator came from http://www.simgo.com/ as well as the tank I believe.

The Keezer Idea I really like because of the extra space and the ability to control temperatures eg; fementation box / Keezer . I would be nice to have a big freezer box set to ~68 to 70 F for beer/wine/cider.

Brad: The local distributor I deal with for Niagara grape juice is Pontevechio
I bought some of there California select last week...I asked when they are going to get the local Niagara grapes ~end of November. I did some red wine last year for the first time and it turned out very well according to all that drank it ($20/5G pale)


Cheers
BeerCanuck

BeerCanuck said:

...Brad: The local distributor I deal with for Niagara grape juice is Pontevechio
I bought some of there California select last week...I asked when they are going to get the local Niagara grapes ~end of November. I did some red wine last year for the first time and it turned out very well according to all that drank it ($20/5G pale)...

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I didn't think to ask which vineyard Brewtime uses. I'm picking up 23L of freshly pressed gewurztraminer this weekend for $87. I've done a few wine kits and I usually do the ones around $100CAD. They seem to give the best bang for the buck in terms of quality for cost.