A keg in my kitchen fridge?

I tried some searches but found nothing..

I'm ready to move to kegging but don't have any fridge to convert or any way to keep a keg cold right now. Is there any way one keg would just fit in my kitchen fridge and I could cram the food all around it? I can't really remember how big they are and what type of space it would take up.

I would not be able to drill any holes in the door so it would be a picnic tap situation.

If not my options are..

1) get a dedicated fridge sorted out before getting the kegging gear (maybe the responsible thing to do but least fun for instant gratification).
2) use priming sugar in the kegs, store at room temp, and pull off a growler at a time and stick those in my fridge before serving.
3) build some giant ice bucket to keep the keg in and add ice every day
4) some stuff I have not thought of yet.

What do you think?

I would go with option 1, that way you could set up the fridge the way you want(tap positions, # of kegs you can fit inside ect.) With keeping it out of the fridge you would use more CO2 to carbonate the beer.

I'm in a similar predicament. I have everything for a kegerator, but my mini-fridge it was in died. We're buying a house right now, so there's no way I'm allowed to buy an extra fridge, haha. I had been thinking about CO2 and filling a growler, but good point about the extra CO2 needed at room temp. Maybe I'll try the priming sugar route for now (or really really hope the house we find has an extra fridge!).

You might be able to pick up a cheap fridge on CL if you are lucky!

You can use a standard fridge and use a picnic tap to dispense the beer. Your keg height/width may differ. Also, you want to be careful about the picnic tap not being hit by anything in the fridge. I hung mine up on the rack above so that it couldn't squeeze and release beer accidentally.

The main problem is the co2 tank. you can fit the co2 tank in the fridge too, but that means taking up more space. What I did was carbonate the beer, keep the keg in the fridge and dispense using what pressure it had, and occasionally repressurize with another hit of 12-15 psi after every few pints to make sure I didn't lose too much carbonation.

The downside of trying to do a carb warm with growler is that when you fill the growler at room temp, you'll be losing more carbonation than if you filled a growler when the beer was chilled. And to do that, you'd have to chill the keg anyways.

As for spare fridge, either look for a cheap used fridge, or get a chest freezer and temperature control device. I used my fridge for a time until I got the freezer+temp control.

If you are only talking 1 keg, I'd suggest getting a cheap mini fridge off of CL. That could easily fit 1 keg and your co2 lines. Then, just you picnic taps for dispensing. Cheap and serves the purpose! Do that until you can find the right space/priced fridge to convert into your kegerator

Brewnoob1 said:

If you are only talking 1 keg, I'd suggest getting a cheap mini fridge off of CL. That could easily fit 1 keg and your co2 lines. Then, just you picnic taps for dispensing. Cheap and serves the purpose! Do that until you can find the right space/priced fridge to convert into your kegerator

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I have bad luck with CL.. I'd be willing to grab a new one at Lowes, Walmart, or HD.

Is there a list of models that will fit a keg and tank...or NOT fit a keg and tank.

I'd be cool with fitting one at a time or maybe 2 in order to chill out the second keg for a few days or so before serving off of it.

Hmm, I'd have to look around but there are tons of threads on these boards about people converting mini fridges to kegerators. A lot of them can fit 2 kegs and a 5lb co2 tank. Some add towers...others just use picnic taps.

EDIT: Actually, look at the Show Us Your Kegerator thread (found here https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/show-us-your-kegerator-29053/) ...there are tons of converted fridges there.

Don't be afraid of sticking a keg in your main fridge, that's what I do It's not the best but it'll work untill I get my new apartment and can convert an old freezer for my kegs.

In the mean time it lets my spare kegs age more as I can only have 1 going at a time.

BearPusher said:

Don't be afraid of sticking a keg in your main fridge, that's what I do It's not the best but it'll work untill I get my new apartment and can convert an old freezer for my kegs.

In the mean time it lets my spare kegs age more as I can only have 1 going at a time.

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I was considering this as well until I realized that the bottom of my refrigerator is tempered glass and at liquid weighing approx. 8# per gallon that would be like 40# concentrated into a 9" diameter on the glass. I would think the above would work well though if your refrigerator bottom isn't tempered glass.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/tempered-glass-refrigerator-bottom-cornelius-keg-326598/

Haven't read that link yet, but what about a piece of plywood across the glass to distribute the weight of the keg?

I removed the crisper drawers and bottom shelf on mine. It allows me to fit 2 kegs with stuff in between them. Yeast jars also fit perfectly on the back ridge. I also do the occasional carb burst after a few beers like KevinM.

I too rent and cannot modify my fridge. I have no place for a kegerator and I'm not sure the electrical could handle it if I did. Any instruction/pics of how to do this. I am single and don't keep a lot of food in the fridge so I could accomodate a keg or maybe even a couple of 5 gal kegs. I don't brew anymore, so I would be buying the beer.

homebrewmike said:

You might be able to pick up a cheap fridge on CL if you are lucky!

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I too have not had much luck on CL. Everyone wants what they paid for it and you can buy new for a little more.

http://www.williamsbrewing.com/175-GALLON-BALL-LOCK-KEG-P3222C109.aspx

1.75 gallon keg that is 11 inches tall and would easily fit in most fridges. Add a paintball tank, a regulator made for one and a cobra tap and you're good to go. The paintball tank and regulator can still be used if you eve get a dedicated fridge for kegs. I use mine for my portable setup as well as for force carbing. I always keep 2 full paintball co2 tanks at all times. 5# tanks of co2 can't be filled at night or on weekends, paintball tanks can always be filled at night and on weekends, they make a great backup.

DrHops said:

http://www.williamsbrewing.com/175-GALLON-BALL-LOCK-KEG-P3222C109.aspx

1.75 gallon keg that is 11 inches tall and would easily fit in most fridges. Add a paintball tank, a regulator made for one and a cobra tap and you're good to go. The paintball tank and regulator can still be used if you eve get a dedicated fridge for kegs. I use mine for my portable setup as well as for force carbing. I always keep 2 full paintball co2 tanks at all times. 5# tanks of co2 can't be filled at night or on weekends, paintball tanks can always be filled at night and on weekends, they make a great backup.

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Came in to suggest this exactly..