One Step Closer to Kegerator (and $430~ poorer)

Dropped a couple hundred at Best Buy last night. Dropped more than that yesterday at kegconnection.com on the remaining equipment. So...as soon as that stuff arrives from Tejas, I'll be in business. In the meantime, I think I'll get started on the fridge conversion tonight or tomorrow, so alls I gotta do is hook up the regs & tank when they get here.

Anyone who has any tried and true kegging rules, lemme know. As it stands, I have no idea as to temps, psi, etc., but then again, I haven't done any real research yet.

Damn, I can't wait.

I keep mine @ 42F and usually 11-12psi...

(note - the beer in the pic wasn't fully carbed yet)

anyone (buford?) know where to find that dry erase board for the door panel?

also, Soulive, did you bother with the cornstarch/vodka test to locate the coolant line on top? I'm wondering if it's necessary---you never know what doofus was assembling the thing and happened to locate that line an inch too far forward...has anyone ever had any problems drilling dead center?

Evan! said:

anyone (buford?) know where to find that dry erase board for the door panel?

Click to expand...

Just realize you don't have to remove the inside door. I kept mine on to use it...

Soulive said:

Just realize you don't have to remove the inside door. I kept mine on to use it...

Click to expand...

So 2 cornies and a 5lb tank fit in there even with it still on there?

Also, did you do anything (like Buford did) to keep cold air recirculating into the tap tower and thus avoid foamy first pours?

Evan! said:

So 2 cornies and a 5lb tank fit in there even with it still on there?

Also, did you do anything (like Buford did) to keep cold air recirculating into the tap tower and thus avoid foamy first pours?

Click to expand...

Yeah they'll fit without removing it. No I didnt add the fan to recirculate air. I have no problems, but I think that can vary from fridge to fridge. I know someone with a 4912 that does have foaming...

Check out Bradsul's DIY threads. He has a neat way to cool the tower with copper pipe.

mr x said:

Check out Bradsul's DIY threads. He has a neat way to cool the tower with copper pipe.

Click to expand...

where's that. Searched. Found nada.

nevermind. found it. yikes, that looks like more work than Buford's fan idea---plus, I don't like the idea of forever sealing up my tower with spray foam insul. I guess it'd be different if I had BM's PVC tower, but I have a polished chrome deal from AHS.

Evan! said:

anyone (buford?) know where to find that dry erase board for the door panel?

Click to expand...

It comes in big sheets, you can get it at Lowes. I just had them cut it at the store to the correct size; I got two panels out of a sheet of it. The stuff is called Mark-R-Board wainscot. It's where wall panelling is located.

Buford said:

It comes in big sheets, you can get it at Lowes. I just had them cut it at the store to the correct size; I got two panels out of a sheet of it. The stuff is called Mark-R-Board wainscot. It's where wall panelling is located.

Click to expand...

cool, thanks. Any more detail you can provide on the fan box would be awesome. I'm stupid when it comes to small electronics and motors...

Evan! said:

cool, thanks. Any more detail you can provide on the fan box would be awesome. I'm stupid when it comes to small electronics and motors...

Click to expand...

The fan box was simple, I just half-assed it. I took a 12v fan and just used electrical tape to affix the leads to a 12v adaptor cord. The rest of it is just cutting holes in a box and mounting the parts. It seems to work fine as-is so I left my test attempt as the finished product.

Evan! said:

anyone (buford?) know where to find that dry erase board for the door panel?

Click to expand...

I know this isn't what you want the dry erase board for, but I had to take this opportunity to show off what SWMBO got me for X-Mas:





I know, my handwriting sux, but check out the cool sticker on the fridge.......

Bernie Brewer said:

I know this isn't what you want the dry erase board for, but I had to take this opportunity to show off what SWMBO got me for X-Mas:...

Click to expand...

Those are nice tap handles, where did you buy them?

Glad to hear that you've got everything on the way and just need to get the conversion done, bud!

I keep mine right around 42-44 degrees. 2 kegs and a 5# tank fit just fine with the door panel still in (you will have to take the big botton shelf out of the door though). It comes in handy for yeast storage. I figured that if I couldn't remember what was coming out of 2 taps then I wouldn't need to be drinking anyway, so I opted to not do the dry erase board.

I didn't bother with the cornstarch test. I had read enough on here that it was dead center so that's what I went with and it worked just fine.

I didn't do the fan or anything else to cool the tower. I had some foaming on the first two kegs, but once I got my system figured out it's been smooth sailing. As I mentioned before, feel free to PM me anytime if I can be of any help to you.

bradsul said:

Those are nice tap handles, where did you buy them?

Click to expand...

Northern Brewer

ohiobrewtus said:

Glad to hear that you've got everything on the way and just need to get the conversion done, bud!

I keep mine right around 42-44 degrees. 2 kegs and a 5# tank fit just fine with the door panel still in (you will have to take the big botton shelf out of the door though). It comes in handy for yeast storage. I figured that if I couldn't remember what was coming out of 2 taps then I wouldn't need to be drinking anyway, so I opted to not do the dry erase board.

I didn't bother with the cornstarch test. I had read enough on here that it was dead center so that's what I went with and it worked just fine.

I didn't do the fan or anything else to cool the tower. I had some foaming on the first two kegs, but once I got my system figured out it's been smooth sailing. As I mentioned before, feel free to PM me anytime if I can be of any help to you.

Click to expand...

Oh, I will be doing that...got many a question when it comes to actually kegging the beer.

Evan! said:

Oh, I will be doing that...got many a question when it comes to actually kegging the beer.

Click to expand...

Lots of guides out there, lots of topics here.

10-15 psi for a week, or 30 psi for about 48 hours. Done.

I have just recently set up my Sanyo. I did remove the door plastic to get more room. If you don't want to buy a whole sheet of dry erase I used masonite on mine. They can be had in 2 X 4 sheets and get the thinnest sheet they sell which I think is 3\16". My unit is set on #1 and it is still very cold.

FWIW, I noticed that you can buy Rust O'leum dry-erase paint these days, if it were cheaper/easier to make a replacement door panel with fiberboard and then paint it.

the_bird said:

FWIW, I noticed that you can buy Rust O'leum dry-erase paint these days, if it were cheaper/easier to make a replacement door panel with fiberboard and then paint it.

Click to expand...

Honestly I don't need the dry erase, I had originally just thought that you needed to remove the door panel to make space for the kegs, but I've since been corrected. Doubt I'll bother with it at the moment---maybe in the future if I'm bored

Well, I finished the conversion over the weekend. PITA in several places, though. First, my hole saw couldn't get through the metal fridge case. Had to go out and buy a wood/metal version, then it went right through. Next, I cut the hell out of my hands getting all those plastic fins from the underside of the top panel. After that...I was on my final bolt on the tower, and the t-nut was bad. It wouldn't accept the bolt. Stripped it out. I was so pissed...had to go to Lowes for the second time in a day. Ugh. But it was a blessing in disguise, because I remembered that I needed to get 3 of my propane tanks exchanged (I'm planning a big brewday for saturday)...so it worked out. Got everything attached, made a shelf for the tank...but the kegs wouldn't fit with the door closed. I cut half-circle notches out of the shelf, and that fixed that. So now all I'm waiting on is the remaining equipment...disconnects, gas tubing, dual reg---which I just got the tracking notification for. Garg, I can't wait...

Evan!......are 2 cornies going to be enough to meet your needs. What I mean is that you have like a few hundred carboys in the basement and this frig only holds 2 cornies.

I enjoy your posts as it seems your almost like my neighbor talking over the fence.

I've got 4 cornies. Enough to rotate them out. Finish one off, replace it with a full one, sanitize the first one, rack a new beer into it, repeat...of course, I'll still bottle some batches. There's something to be said for being able to take my beer on trips, etc.

I enjoy your posts as it seems your almost like my neighbor talking over the fence.

Click to expand...

Thanks!

Best source for info on dispensing beer. www.micromatic.com There is a forum discussing nothing but dispensing beer. lots of info on cooling towers, modifying fridges etc.

Linc