First Kegerator

Hi everyone, I'm new to the forums. I'm sure this has been talked about a lot but I can't seem to find the answers I'm looking for. Not much of a search feature here.

Anyways, I'm building my first Kegerator out of barely used Sanyo SR 4912M I have picked up for a 100.

All the conversion stuff is really overwhelming for a newbie and I'm not exactly sure where to start. I have found a lot of conversion kits online (People here have mentioned Keg Connection), but I figure like building your own computer, you'll get much more bang for your buck if you buy all the parts separately. Also, this makes sure that they don't sell you crappy stuff that you will just have to go out and replace later.

So I'm looking for any advice. I want a tower, single tap faucet. I'd also like to keep total cost of the conversion (excluding the fridge) to 200 if possible. I don't have a whole lot of special tools for some of the more creative designs.

Should I buy a kit or should I buy individual parts? Does anyone have a easy to understand list of parts that has worked for their kegerator?

Anyways, I'm sorry for bringing up something that probably has been talked about many times before, I just couldn't find useful answers by randomly looking through the archives.

Hi and welcome! You definitely are bringing up something that we have talked about a few times, but each one of these builds is a bit unique... Mine, for instance, included a finished countertop with 2 levels in a GE fridge that is really too small for this purpose so I had to rip a lot out.

The Sanyos as I recall are generally bigger. What you need from top to bottom:
-Tap handle (cheap one will do at first)
-Faucet
-Tower (lots of variation here in price and style)
-Figure out how you are going to secure the tower to the top of the fridge and how you are going to seal it there. Most towers come with a rubber washer, but if you are going to do something outside of the norm, you will need additional supplies
-Beer line, try to stay away from the shortest line if you can
-Connectors, Line-to-keg (what kind of keg are you keeping in there, best to buy a kit of parts one way or another, commercial or homebrew soda keg fittings
-Fasteners for the line if not in the kit
-Connectors/line to beer
-CO2 tank (this is where you are going to start to blow that 100 dollar budget)
-Regulator
-Air line (this tubing is not standard vinyl, you have to make sure to get the tubing made for compressed air)
-Clasp for connecting your line to your CO2 tank

To stay within your budget, you may want to skip the towers and go with a picnic tap to start out with as they run about 12 bucks (often including soda keg connections) versus the towers that start at 50 without any connections.

I have the same Sanyon that you do. I bought the fridge off of craigslist and the kegging equipment from Kegconnection. I just purchased the following:

http://stores.kegconnection.com/Detail.bok?no=102
(but upgraded to perlicks)

and

http://stores.kegconnection.com/Detail.bok?no=324
(they have cheaper kits, but this fit my need the best)
I would recommend upgrading the beer lines to 8 or 10ft.

Other than these, all you need are the tools to drill the hole in the top. It was a very easy conversion. I did make a blower box out of a computer fan & project box, in order to move the cold air up into the tower. This solved a minor foaming problem I had.
let me know if you have any questions.

You could save some money by buying the parts. But you will likely forget something. And possibly more likely that you will have leaks. I paid the extra $10 or so for security of a completely done setup. It made it extremely easy to install since everything was already put together. Personal preference though.

Thanks everyone for your prompt replies!
I'm looking at http://stores.kegconnection.com/Detail.bok?no=124 for just a basic starter kit.

Another thing, I'm not ready to start experimenting with home-brew quite yet (don't have the time until summer). How hard is it to find slim quarter commercial kegs from distributors or stores? (Blasphemy I know, don't burn me at the stake)

Actually, on further study, wouldn't http://stores.kegconnection.com/Detail.bok?no=323 be the better option? The hoses are thicker and its 50 bucks cheaper. Why is it so much cheaper? Is the 3" stainless steel tower much better then the 2.5"? I'd buy a 10 foot hose from them due to your recommendation.

I know perlicks are the best, but they are expensive and I cant afford it. Another thought is, I have seen people on these forums use a pvc pipe for the tower and a perlick for the faucet. I assume that cuts cost substantially on getting a perlicks and also means I don't have to shell out extra for the tower kit.

Any thoughts on that? Is it easy?

So I would get this = http://www.beveragefactory.com/shopping_cart_01-11-2010.php
Custom Door Mount Kegerator Keg Tap Conversion Kit
Model: BF CKK
Availability: In Stock
$0.00 5% $0.00 Remove Item
5 lb. Aluminum Co2 Tank [BF C5] 1 $58.95 5% $56.00 Remove Item
Commercial Grade Double Gauge Co2 Regulator [BF 742BF] 1 $43.95 5% $41.75 Remove Item
9 Ft. 5/16 Inch I.D. Air Line Assembly with 2 Snap Clamps [BF ALA516-9] 1 $6.00 5% $5.70 Remove Item
9 Feet of 3/16" Clear Beer Line with Hexnut Assembly [BF BLA316-9] 1 $7.50 5% $7.12 Remove Item
5 1/8 Inch Long Shank with Nipple Assembly [BF SHANK5] 1 $17.95 5% $17.05 Remove Item
Perlick Beer Faucet - Stainless Steel [PL 425SS] 1 $44.95 5% $42.70 Remove Item

And some pvc pipe and the wooden board people like to place under the top of this fridge.

For the tap, I was thinking about going with the Perlick Lo-Boy Low Profile D System Keg Tap Coupler w/ Pressure Relief. Reading through some of the other forums, you can just barely squeeze in a 1/2 keg if you can get the low clearance tap and are willing to rip out the front trays and stuff of the fridge (You'd have to prop it up). Have any of you tested this on this fridge?

I'd sacrifice looks for functionality any day.

jpkramer said:

Actually, on further study, wouldn't http://stores.kegconnection.com/Detail.bok?no=323 be the better option? The hoses are thicker and its 50 bucks cheaper. Why is it so much cheaper? Is the 3" stainless steel tower much better then the 2.5"? I'd buy a 10 foot hose from them due to your recommendation.

I know perlicks are the best, but they are expensive and I cant afford it. Another thought is, I have seen people on these forums use a pvc pipe for the tower and a perlick for the faucet. I assume that cuts cost substantially on getting a perlicks and also means I don't have to shell out extra for the tower kit.

Any thoughts on that? Is it easy?

Click to expand...

The hoses are actually the same thickness - one is longer. That's a (comparatively) cheap expense in the grand scheme of things.

Buying this stuff is sort of like buying tools. You can head over to Home Depot, and either spend $150 on a Dewalt drill, or $75 on a Ryobi. A lot of folks will buy the Ryobi, take it home and end up returning it (or being stuck with it, more likely) because it doesn't do the job they need. That said, there are folks too for whom the cheaper model works nicely.

Firstly, your fridge - you've got the ideal model for a kegerator, so well done there, and great find! It's nicely big, so you have room for two sixtels or homebrew kegs in there (I need to double check the sixtel sizing, but two cornies fit in there for sure).

Given that, I'd urge you to hold off for a bit, and expand your budget until you can swing a two tap setup. If you can stretch it even further, go for Perlick faucets - there are tales galore from kegerator owners who wish they'd gone this route, and if you do a search on the classifieds forum, you'll see plenty of the chrome "starter taps" up for sale, with their owners taking a huge hit, and reciting the mantra of "I should have listened and gotten Perlicks in the first place." However, if I were in your shoes and had the choice of one tap Perlick, or two tap standard, I'd go the standard two tap route, and upgrade later, knowing I'd be taking a bit of a hit.

In terms of building a tower, it's certainly doable as long as you have the tools and DIY skills. You'll still need to buy faucets and shanks, which will run about $50 per outlet (for Perlicks). Bear in mind you won't be buying standard shanks for this, you'll need what's called gooseneck or elbow shanks: http://kegworks.amazonwebstore.com/Gooseneck-Tower-Shank-Assembly/M/B000CI83NQ.htm

Bear in mind also that if you decide to amass parts as opposed to buying a kit, you'll end up paying a lot more in terms of shipping. The vast majority of places don't charge actual shipping, and even sniffing around on ebay you'll find yourself paying $8 shipping on a regulator, $12 shipping on a CO2 tank, $6 shipping on taps, $4-5 shipping on a coupler, etc. etc. That all adds up quickly, and not too many folks factor that into your cost.

Finally, have a look on Craigslist. You'll often find used CO2 tanks and regulators in there (I know I see a few of them in the SF one) you can get on the cheap - then call kegconnection, speak to Todd, and he'll get you kit pricing on whatever you need.

If I use the pvc tower, couldn't I buy another faucet later and attach it to the same pipe? Then I would only have to buy more hoses and regulator right?

jpkramer said:

If I use the pvc tower, couldn't I buy another faucet later and attach it to the same pipe? Then I would only have to buy more hoses and regulator right?

Click to expand...

Yep. You'd have to turn the tower a little, drill another hole level with the first 90 degrees (or so) around the circumference, then add another faucet, gooseneck, beer line, keg coupler, gas line, and a tee/manifold. (You only need one regulator.)

It would basically end up costing about the same in parts, I'm thinking, as just buying this: http://stores.kegconnection.com/Detail.bok?no=125 - and I haven't seen a DIY job (yet) look as good as "the real thing".

Just my pair o' pennies.

Thanks for all the responses guys. I am excited that I might have hit the jackpot on kegerator parts. The guy is on craigslist and he might be willing to sell me some of his parts from his kegerator he doesn't use anymore. So far we have agreed to a 5" CO2 tank for 25. He has a duel gauge regulator, tower, tap, empty kegs, hoses, etc. I think I might buy the regulator if he is willing to sell it. I figure hoses are a bad idea, there's no reason to get them second hand. The tower is a maybe. Its a double faucet, but I figure I'm better off buying a new perlick. Also unsure about the taps. I need help with this though. I'm not exactly sure what its all worth if he decides to sell it all to me.

If your interested, here is the ad http://bloomington.craigslist.org/app/1621340039.html

Do yourself a favor and get Perlicks the 1st time.
Even if you have to wait and save up the money for them, it will be worth it!!!!!