How portable are mini fridge kegerators?

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Trenchant

Trenchant

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Here's the scoop. If I get a full size fridge(really cheap) my parents will pay for power. If I buy a small fridge(danby new for $150) I pay them say $20 a year.

My basement isn't finished other then my room. The fridge has to go in the basement. I'm thinking if I get a small half fridge I can unload the kegs, carry it upstairs, and put the kegs back in it when I'm having people over. There's no problem leaving the fridge in the kitchen for the weekend. We have lots of space.

What do you guys think? Reasonable idea? I'm thinking about putting a tower out the top. Mini fridge or fullsize? If its a fullsize then you have to run downstairs to fill your cup(or a pitcher?)
 
I bet you'd move it once and then decide that it's better to have friends walk up and down stairs that haul that mofo upstairs again.
 
brewthunda said:
I bet you'd move it once and then decide that it's better to have friends walk up and down stairs that haul that mofo upstairs again.
Click to expand...

The problem is that I have a very big house with lots of stairs (oversized 9ft & 10ft ceilings) and I have to walk up and down there as well.

Might not be such a good idea under all circumstances either... :drunk:

I think I have myself convinced to buy the small fridge anyway. There's a Danby on sale for $150 and I can get it for $140. It's regular $230
 
I'd just buy a pitcher. If my friends wanted to drink my beer, they get to walk down to refill the pitcher. :D Yeah, I'm just that kinda host
 
I say get the big fridge for downstairs and buy the little fridge for upsatirs. Then set up 2 taps..:tank:
 
I say finish the other part of the basement.

That or move out of your mom's house. (I am sorry but someone had to crack on you for living with your mom.)
 
Fullsize. My big CL fridge holds six kegs, and I still need more room.

Get a couple of 5 gallon buckets. When your friends come over, put a couple of kegs in the buckets and fill them with ice. Pick up a couple of those thin foam camping mats from wally world to wrap the top of the kegs with.
 
madewithchicken said:
I say finish the other part of the basement.

That or move out of your mom's house. (I am sorry but someone had to crack on you for living with your mom.)
Click to expand...

I finish basements in construction over the summer so ours will be done soon and I'm only a first year university student. I'm broke :D

If I can find a cheap fullsize fridge I guess I might as well go with that. Unless i get that deal on the Danby but who knows.
 
Get a full size fridge or freezer that will handle 4 kegs min. Most people dont realize that if you have 1 or two kegs on tap you really should have 1 or 2 kegs in waiting cold conditioning. If you are a college kid talking about having friends over...I doubt a lil danby 2 kegger set up will keep you in properly conditioned brew. My kegs taste best after a few weeks to a month cold conditioning.

Also...say you have nice clear beer downstairs...disassembling and carrying the kegs upstairs will result in cloudy brew unless you are a magician. Kegs pour best when the are left cold and stationary. Moving kegs around usually disturbs the sediment. It happens to me sometimes just moving kegs around w/in the keezer.
 
wilserbrewer said:
Get a full size fridge or freezer that will handle 4 kegs min. Most people dont realize that if you have 1 or two kegs on tap you really should have 1 or 2 kegs in waiting cold conditioning. If you are a college kid talking about having friends over...I doubt a lil danby 2 kegger set up will keep you in properly conditioned brew. My kegs taste best after a few weeks to a month cold conditioning.

Also...say you have nice clear beer downstairs...disassembling and carrying the kegs upstairs will result in cloudy brew unless you are a magician. Kegs pour best when the are left cold and stationary. Moving kegs around usually disturbs the sediment. It happens to me sometimes just moving kegs around w/in the keezer.
Click to expand...

So how do you go about converting a freezer to only run as cold as a fridge? I have a freezer at my house right now thats 3 feet wide, 2 feet deep and about 3 feet high. It doesn't appear to be adjustable in any way though. It would be nice if I could get a simple plug in thermostat for this freezer and then buy my parents a larger freezer.

Something like this looks simple enough but it's pretty expensive:
Refrigerator or Freezer Thermostat Controller - (eBay.ca item 380078646308 end time 02-Feb-09 10:57:35 EST)
 
You can find cheap full size fridges on craigslist all the time, at least around where I live. A lot of time you can find people giving them away for free too.
 
You may consider the idea of setting up your living arraignments around 'having friends over' as a bad proposition from the beginning. Free beer will get you aquainted with friends of your friends and friends of their friends and so on.

Do the math. 5 gallons is about 54 bottles of beer rounded off to 50 because of the 4 spiled. That's a little over 4 twelve-packs or a six-pack apiece for 8 of your friends with you only drinking one because you're trying to stay sober so your friends don't trash your Mom's house.

Now multiply that by 2 (another keg). And take up the throw rugs in your bathroom or unscrew the porch-light so the neighbors don't see your friends urinating.

Don't forget to get one of these:
SELF CLOSING BALL LOCK KEG BEER FAUCET @ Williams Brewing
Friends always forget to close the tap when serving themselves.

I have experience in these matters that I'm reminded of years later at family reunions.
 
Truthfully i would just buy a few Two liters and let my friends enjoy that! Surly a 19 year old is only drinking home made soda from that thing right?

Didnt realize where your from! Douh... open mouth insert foot! Yeah i think all that moving would be a pain. Go with the fridge. More space for more kegs
 
One of my best friends that been helping me with my beer has found a fridge for me. His dad has been answering my questions about the CO2 setup and helped me track down some parts. Apparently he still has their old fridge(2001) at their shop! So I guess I get to use that one. Hopefully I can pick it up tomorrow. It's a fullsize.

I started loading my first batch of beer into my fridge last night after I started another batch that will be kegged. It's looking really good. It's nice and clear and you can see the carbonization in it. I put the beer in pop bottles and they are just about rock hard.

ZooBrew said:
You may consider the idea of setting up your living arraignments around 'having friends over' as a bad proposition from the beginning. Free beer will get you aquainted with friends of your friends and friends of their friends and so on.

Do the math. 5 gallons is about 54 bottles of beer rounded off to 50 because of the 4 spiled. That's a little over 4 twelve-packs or a six-pack apiece for 8 of your friends with you only drinking one because you're trying to stay sober so your friends don't trash your Mom's house.

Now multiply that by 2 (another keg). And take up the throw rugs in your bathroom or unscrew the porch-light so the neighbors don't see your friends urinating.

Don't forget to get one of these:
SELF CLOSING BALL LOCK KEG BEER FAUCET @ Williams Brewing
Friends always forget to close the tap when serving themselves.

I have experience in these matters that I'm reminded of years later at family reunions.
Click to expand...

Very enjoyable post :D

From the advice in this topic the new plan is to have 2 serving kegs and 2 conditioning kegs.
 

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