My first kegerator! Lots of questions, expert advice needed

CornyKegs 728
Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
6

60sd

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 7, 2012
Messages
87
Reaction score
5
Location
Manteca
I've been wanting to start kegging and get a kegerator for some time now. I've been reading the forums and pricing out parts as well as keeping an eye on craigslist for kegerators. I had a vague idea of what I wanted, an upright top and bottom refrigerator that is roughly the same size as my regular 'fridge. I'm fortunate/unfortunate enough to be a bachelor...I can get away with having a kegerator in my kitchen next to my regular fridge! (My girlfriend has informed me that when we get married and live in the same house there will be no such thing in her kitchen.) I've been collecting corny kegs from my lhbs, and now have three, ready to fill.

Today, I found a college kid selling a kegerator, and I was able to get it for a really good price. It came with an empty 20 lb co2 tank and an empty 15.5 gal bud light keg, as well as the regulator and coupler. I promptly listed the keg and coupler on craigslist, and if i get close to what I'm asking, I'll only have about $40 into the whole thing.

I'm happy with the deal I got, however, it's not quite what I need it to be for my application. So here are some questions for you guys:

The exterior of the fridge is in rough shape. One side has been spray painted silver, and the front is dirty and has stickers on it. I want to repaint it to match my regular fridge. I figure I can wash, sand, prime, and paint with appliance paint. Seems easy enough...any tips?

The 20 lb co2 tank had a tag attached that said "CO2 cylinders will at times remain the property of...and if not returned when empty or on demand, buyer agrees to pay $125 per 20 lb cylinder". Does this mean that I need to return the tank for a full one? Can I sell the tank, or trade it for a 5 lb full tank? What are my options for getting a smaller full tank? Also, how can I tell if the tank is within certification and can I have it refilled if I choose to keep it?

Finally, I would like to run three, possibly four (if they will fit) corny kegs. I would like to be able to control the pressure to each keg from one co2 tank. What is the most cost effective way of regulating pressure to each keg? The regulator that came with the kegerator is a standard two gauge, single output.

I'll try to post some pic's on sunday.

Thanks in advance!
 
In no particular order...

To regulate different pressures in each keg, you'll need something like this
http://morebeer.com/view_product/16196//Secondary_Regulator_-_4_Way

You're on the right track with taking the stickers off (I'd use goo-gone or something similar), sanding & priming the old paint, and adding a couple new coats of whatever. Just take your time with the prep-work and be sure not to get paint on any of the rubber seals.

From my limited experience, most gas places don't fill your tanks. Instead, they trade 1:1 empty for full and sell you the gas already inside their tank. When I had my brand new shiny 5 lb bottle, I was really upset about trading it in on an old crappy-looking bottle, but from what I could find, that's just how it is done. I'm not sure how you will manage to trade it down to 5 lb. Before trying to sell it, you might just ask the shop how much they charge to certify/check the tanks and then sell it on your own. A new 5lb tank will cost about $100 new.... no clue what you should ask for your 20lb.

Hope this was somewhat helpful but my experience with these things is a bit limited.

Best of luck.
 
  1. Get all those stickers off before sanding so you don't clog up the paper.
  2. If the 20 lb CO2 tank came from some place close take it there and they will exchange it for a full one. I'm sure they will be happy to downsize you to a 5lb tank. If they aren't local find a welding supply store and they will more than likely fill or exchange it.
  3. To run separate pressures to each keg you need a Low Pressure Regulator for each keg. I use this setup for my 6 kegs. http://stores.kegconnection.com/Detail.bok?no=471. You basically run a hose from the 2 gauge regulator on the tank to this manifold and regulate each keg pressure using the individual secondary regulators. They are available in 2 to 6 body configs.
 
Hydroponic stores love switching out 20lb tanks for around 20$.. Even if they care (they won't) just remove the tag.
 
Thanks everyone! I got started cleaning up the outside of the fridge today (in fact I'm just taking a break right now...) Are there any other options for low pressure regulators? The parts listed in the links in the first few replies are running from $175-210. That seems a little high, can you buy the parts individually and assemble the manifold at home for less money?

With regard to the co2 tank, I'm gonna call the place where it's originally from and see about exchanging it. I know I could probably get it filled, but I wanted something smaller.

Thanks again. I'll try to post some pic's later tonight. I'm super stoked about this project. I have a brown ale in the primary right now, so maybe that will be the first kegged brew
 
60sd said:
Thanks everyone! I got started cleaning up the outside of the fridge today (in fact I'm just taking a break right now...) Are there any other options for low pressure regulators? The parts listed in the links in the first few replies are running from $175-210. That seems a little high, can you buy the parts individually and assemble the manifold at home for less money?

With regard to the co2 tank, I'm gonna call the place where it's originally from and see about exchanging it. I know I could probably get it filled, but I wanted something smaller.

Thanks again. I'll try to post some pic's later tonight. I'm super stoked about this project. I have a brown ale in the primary right now, so maybe that will be the first kegged brew
Click to expand...

You can assemble your own but when your done buying all the parts and the same quality regulators your savings are minimal. Must curious why do you think the price is high?
 
Personally I would stick with the 20lb tank. Its amazing how fast you can go through it if you get a small leak. Plus if you plan on keeping 3-4 beers on tap that's the way I would go. I had a 5lb tank given to me and I traded it for a 20lb as soon as I emptied it, I just had to pay a little extra for the bigger tank :) You will go through more gas than you think.

As for the tank most any gas supply will take the tank and give you a full one. Dont worry about making sure the tank is inspected. The gas supply places go through so many of those things the don't really pay attention it. It's pretty much just the same as a propane exchange give the old get the new.

Tanks have to be inspected once a year visually, and every five years a hydrostatic. (Scuba tanks at least) Its just part of the normal day to day business of a gas supplier.
 
Here we go:

The Fridge is a POS, but it works and it stays cold. I mostly bought this one because I got all the parts I need with it.

The pics show what it looked like when I got it. I had to take the shank and faucet off to get it through the door at the house where I bought it. Today, I took a swing at stripping the paint. (Yes, thats silver spray paint on one side, I have no idea why anyone would do that...) I had a can of spray on paint stripper, but that was proving to be messier and more labor intensive than I wanted. I picked up a can of brush on gel stripper and applied that. The label says it takes 30 min to 24 hours to fully lift the paint. I'm gonna let it sit overnight and check it in the morning.

Regarding the low pressure regulators, it just seems like they are expensive... I would have guessed it would be around $100, but it would have been a shot in the dark guess, I had no idea.

Regarding the 20 lb tank, how do you guys plumb the gas line? I have seen set ups with the 5lb tank on the top shelf of the fridge, so everything is contained inside. With a 20lb tank, it would cut into the keg capacity if I put it inside the fridge. If I keep it, which is sounding like the recommendation, should I drill another hole in the side of the fridge and run the gas line in from the outside?

Thanks again for the help!

100_1486[1].jpg


100_1488[1].jpg
 
If you are going to stick with the 20lb cylinder I would cut a hole in the side so you have more room for beer :)

Then you can use that top shelf for six packs and bombers!

I think the reason they only painted one side is they probably ran out of paint and said F it. lol

My kegerator doesnt look much better than that... but I don't care, its in the garage and it stays cold. That is what really matters.
 
gregwarro said:
if you are going to stick with the 20lb cylinder i would cut a hole in the side so you have more room for beer :)

then you can use that top shelf for six packs and bombers!

I think the reason they only painted one side is they probably ran out of paint and said f it. Lol

my kegerator doesnt look much better than that... But i don't care, its in the garage and it stays cold. That is what really matters.
Click to expand...

+1
 
I'm hoping I can make this thing come out nice enough that I can have it in my kitchen alongside my regular 'fridge. After seeing the cost of manifolds with individual regulators, I'm wondering (and again, I am relatively new to this sport), does anyone have any experience using Harbor Freight regulators. I saw a few examples that are less than $10 each including gauges. Granted, the reviews are terrible...

My next question is: Once a keg is carbonated, how much difference should there be in serving pressure? I understand that a heavier beer may take a slightly higher pressure to serve, but is it enough to justify a $200 gas manifold? I'm starting to think that perhaps I could design my system so that whatever needs to be carbonated could be on one valve/regulator, and the rest of the system could be on a set serving pressure. I guess my question now is: How much difference in serving pressure should there be between a (for example) heavy stout or porter, and a lighter lager or hefe? I would much rather spend my hard earned dollars on grain and yeast than pressure regulators. On the other hand, I want my finished product to be the highest possible quality and I would hate to see a good beer drop a notch due to poor carbonation. I anticipate that most of the beers I keep on tap will be IPA's, red ales, and brown ales, with the occasional stout and porter; so what is my most cost effective set up?
 
I pour all of my beer at roughly the same psi. There is generally a sweet spot in between 10-14lbs of pressure. Almost any beer will pour at these pressures. I used to work for a distributor and any time I was setting up a keg I always used 12lbs as my starting point and worked from there.

I adjust to the beer, but 12lbs is a great place to start.

I have no reference to the harbor freight regulators. Probably not an area you want to skimp to much on, as there are usually only two things that make a beer not pour correctly. Temperature and pressure. Oh and make sure you have at the minimum 6ft of line between the Keg and the tap.

What I would recommend is getting a good regulator to start. Since most of your beers above will probably pour at all the same pressure you can run all of those off that. Then when you get ready for a stout of something that you like more pressure you can upgrade. Just have it in mind when you buy your regulator so you can minimize the number of parts you need.

You could by this which would power two kegs:

http://www.micromatic.com/draft-keg-beer/regulators-pid-842-2.html

When you are ready add one or two of these:

http://www.micromatic.com/draft-keg-beer/regulators-pid-841.html
 
I pour all of my beer at roughly the same psi. There is generally a sweet spot in between 10-14lbs of pressure. Almost any beer will pour at these pressures. I used to work for a distributor and any time I was setting up a keg I always used 12lbs as my starting point and worked from there.

I adjust to the beer, but 12lbs is a great place to start.

I have no reference to the harbor freight regulators. Probably not an area you want to skimp to much on, as there are usually only two things that make a beer not pour correctly. Temperature and pressure. Oh and make sure you have at the minimum 6ft of line between the Keg and the tap.

What I would recommend is getting a good regulator to start. Since most of your beers above will probably pour at all the same pressure you can run all of those off that. Then when you get ready for a stout of something that you like more pressure you can upgrade. Just have it in mind when you buy your regulator so you can minimize the number of parts you need.

You could by this which would power two kegs:

http://www.micromatic.com/draft-keg-beer/regulators-pid-842-2.html

When you are ready add one or two of these:

http://www.micromatic.com/draft-keg-beer/regulators-pid-841.html
 
I run mine with a 20 lb tank on the outside (plumbed through the side) to a 4 way gas manifold mounted on the inside of the fridge. This allows me the keep up to 4 kegs on pressure at any given time. In this setup I have to keep all of my kegs at the same pressure. When I build my keezer I will use secondary regulators, but this was the most cost effective at the time. The gas manifolds can be had for under 100 depending on how many ports the have. Just make sure the one you get has the check valves installed.
 
I wouldn't worry about different gas pressures at this point. Also, I would keep the 20lb tank and run a line through the fridge to keep it on the outside.

I started with a 5 pound tank and fairly quickly upgraded to a 20 pounder. I run all 4 kegs at the same pressure, around 13psi, through a 4-port block with check valves.
 
keep that 20 lb tank!!!
later if you have the need for another tank you can find a used one or buy a new smaller tank.
the reason I say that is I find it nice to leave my 20 lb tank on the keezer and use the smaller tank for sealing kegs after I fill them and then carbonating tanks when I have a full keezer and now another keg full of beer. you might not have the need to do this right now but later if you're making beer on a regular bases you may end up with a fermentation chamber that could double as a storage/clearing/lagering chamber.
Just give it some thought on what you might want to do in the future before you get rid of something that could end up costing you a bunch of cash later.
As for the second stage regulators. Love the idea of having it but most of your beers will be served at the same psi, or can be anyway. you can get a manifold or make one for much much less.
 
I'd keep the keg and sanke coupling, too, unless you get a fortune for it (you won't). You can then serve commercial beer, AND your homebrew. It'd be nice to be able to do that. With the keg, you may need it someday if you decide you want to either ferment in it, serve with it, or cut the top off for a boil kettle. They go for about $30-$50. So, you could get a few bucks from selling it, but I'd keep it.

I now have a 20# co2 cylinder, and I really like it. You can get a decent regulator for $60. Then, if you want more than one beer on tap, a simple T-fitting, or Y-fitting, will let you have two or more. A manifold is nice, but you don't need one.

You need one gray disconnect for each gas line (for each keg you'll have) and one black disconnect for each keg. They are about $7 each. You need some gas line- either beverage tubing or the red tubing from the auto parts store (for air compressors). And you'll need 10' of 3/16" beverage line for each tap. I think you could get all that for $100, with a regulator.
 
I highly recommend using 3/16" line and 1/4" barbs on everything. It's a tight fit during assembly, but it will never leak. Believe me, it sucks to lose 20# of co2. All of my gear came with 1/4" barbs except my micromatic regulator. For that, I just swapped the shutoff from an older regulator I had.

Also, some places wouldn't fill or swap my 5# tank, I had to go out of my way to a paintball shop that complained about the connection and that the tank was too heavy for their scale. I upgraded to a 20# tank and swap it near my house for cheaper.
 
Here's the latest:

I'm keeping the 20# co2 tank. I had to apply for an account with the distribution company, and a driver will be by to pick up the empty and drop off a full. It'll cost me about $30, not bad i think. (side note: they can only deliver to commercial customers, but apparently an automotive repair shop is good enough) Thanks to everyone on this forum for convincing me to keep the 20 pounder

I stripped the spray paint off the fridge and have sanded it down. It's ready to be masked and primed. I was gonna do that today, but I decided to brew instead!

Newest issue: The fridge is starting to stink! I think it may have something to do with condensation. It hasn't been plugged in since I got it, and obviously theres no food in it. I wiped down the inside with clorox wipes when I first got it. The smell is definitely coming from under or behind the fridge. I'll be looking for the source of the smell and cleaning it up, but I would greatly appreciate any tips or suggestions that may save me some time.

I have three brews in fermentors right now, two in secondary and today's brew in primary. I'm out of carboys, so I'll be trying to get the kegerator on-line as soon as possible.

Thanks again for all the help.
 
Cool. The dead smell is probably comi g from the heat being exchanged causing the crap that has accumulated around the compressor to stink. Get in there and give its good cleaning. There may also be a dead mouse up in there.
 
+ 1 on the dead mouse especially if the fridge was stored in a garage. As for the harbor freight regulators, I have a 20 pounder hooked to the kegerator with a good 2 gauge regulator but got a HF cheapo for my 5 pound back up. I had to change out the tank fitting as they are argon/ CC2 regulators and are set up for argon. The replacement fitting comes with the regulator. Also, the low pressure gauge from HF is a flow gauge, that needs swapped for a 0 to 60 psi gauge. You may be able to find that at a pool supply store. Multiple regulators are nice but not necessary if serving similar styles of beer but variety is nice. I used a manifold up until I keged water for soda, it carbs and serves at 30 psi so I had to alter the pressures.
Hook up the 20 and buy a 5 when you can. Buy or build a manifold for now and save up for a regulator bank in the future.
Brew often because it seems that kegs empty faster than bottles ( I think it's because I don't count pints but empty bottles stare back at me ).

image-1019314203.jpg


image-3018177726.jpg


image-3020307109.jpg


image-3191576292.jpg


image-2663906243.jpg


image-3179585453.jpg
 
I might be blind but I keep seeing people saying to use 10' (or 6') of hose minimum from the keg to the tap and I've never seen a reason given for that. What is the reason and where do I buy more tubing (can I just buy vinyl tubing from lowe's?)?
 
A guy above mentioned that 5lb tanks run $100 new. I'm not sure where he's shopping, but I got a brand new 10lb tank for 82 shipped ($68 + shipping).

Anyways, if you do downsize, check out bvrgelements.com. They've got really good tank prices.
 
nickmv said:
A guy above mentioned that 5lb tanks run $100 new. I'm not sure where he's shopping, but I got a brand new 10lb tank for 82 shipped ($68 + shipping).

Anyways, if you do downsize, check out bvrgelements.com. They've got really good tank prices.
Click to expand...

I think I gave $98 for my 5lb tank. It's a lease. I don't have to worry about hydro certifications. It's a no questions asked swap.
 
jeepinjeepin said:
I think I gave $98 for my 5lb tank. It's a lease. I don't have to worry about hydro certifications. It's a no questions asked swap.
Click to expand...

Lease? Hydro certifications? What's all that for, I'm curious?


I just bought a 10lb tank and I take it to the paintball store when it's empty. 20 bucks a fill and I'm out the door and back in business.
 
nickmv said:
Lease? Hydro certifications? What's all that for, I'm curious?

I just bought a 10lb tank and I take it to the paintball store when it's empty. 20 bucks a fill and I'm out the door and back in business.
Click to expand...

Tanks are supposed to be visually inspected yearly and Hydrostatic tested every five I think. If its out of date it isn't supposed to be filled. I don't know if your paintball shop cares.
 
60sd said:
The exterior of the fridge is in rough shape. One side has been spray painted silver, and the front is dirty and has stickers on it. I want to repaint it to match my regular fridge. I figure I can wash, sand, prime, and paint with appliance paint. Seems easy enough...any tips?
Click to expand...

check this out and see if it helps you. i just did this a few weeks ago. Buy "Goof Off" spray from home depot. its about $7 a bottle and will take anything off the interior and exterior of the refrigerator, including any overspray from your appliance spray paint.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/my-kegerator-rehab-project-time-lapse-342120/
 
Done with another week of work, so hopefully I can wrap up this project this weekend. I just picked up my shiny new (full) 20# co2 tank and will be putting it to use to carbonate a batch of brown ale. I dont recall if I posted this yet, but I used a roll on appliance epoxy to paint the fridge. I also determined that the smell was, in fact, coming from the rotting grain in my green waste can. I pretty much took everything apart and found that it was clean and dry. The can was within 3' of where I was working and when I lifted the lid I discovered the problem.

One of the previous replies showed several pictures of the gas and faucet set up. I'm wanting to store the gas bottle outside the fridge and run a bulkhead through the side or back. I figured I'd do it the same way that I built my cooler mash tun...use a brass nipple with some washers and barbed adapters on either side. Is there anything I should be aware of when drilling holes in the main body of the fridge? I obviously dont want to drill through something critical, and I'm not completely familiar with the inner workings of a fridge.

Thanks again for the help!
 
I dont think you can see in the pic's but there are some blemishes in the paint. There's a few spots where the crust from the roller stuck in the paint, and a few spots where you can see a line where the paint went on extra thick. I used a foam roller and applied two coats. I had enough left out of a quart can to probably do one more coat on the doors and maybe another coat on the sides. I decided that I don't need concourse quality, so I'm calling it good. If I wanted to really step it up, I would have wet sanded and done one more coat.
 
My kegerator is nearly done! I decided to put it in the kitchen and was surprised to see that it's actually a little bigger than my regular fridge!

I havent figured out the best way to post the pic's, so I'll explain first:

I made new handles for the fridge out of oak.

I made a "Bulkhead" (for lack of a better term) for the co2. I used a 1/4" mpt x 3" long brass nipple with barb fittings on either side and a few washers. If anyone is planning on doing this, the wall thickness on the side of my fridge was 2-1/4". I had no idea it would be that thick, so I had to go back to the store for a longer nipple

The co2 manifold is mounted to a piece of plywood and screwed to the racks on the back of the fridge.

I made a plywood base to help better support and distribute the weight of the full kegs. For that I used 3/4". I got a 2'x4' piece rather than a full 4x8 and it was plenty. I covered the top of the base with a plastic/rubber non-slip mat. I used spray adhesive for the mat, but the adhesive was for upholsterey and it didn't work very well (it was all I had and didnt want to buy another can)

I centered the faucets as best I could on the hole that was already there. I put them pretty close because I anticipate adding at least one more faucet, perhaps two or three. I made cardboard templates to represent a keg footprint; I should be able to get 5, and 6 seems possible. (Of course that would mean another co2 manifold or a couple of Y fittings.

All I have left to do is finish the drip tray. For that I'm using a piece of vinyl rain gutter and I will make an oak trim for it to match the handles.

Here it is:

100_1553[1].jpg


100_1554[1].jpg


100_1556[2].jpg


100_1557[2].jpg
 
NewBrewB said:
Did you take any pictures of the back (co2 rack)?
Click to expand...

Not completely sure what your referring to... I have my co2 bottle on the side of the fridge, I didn't do anything to the back, other than clean it up. I used a 4 way co2 manifold from midwest. I have it hooked up now and it's working great.

Earlier in this thread I mentioned wanting to be able to regulate pressure at each line. My brother, who has the same manifold as me, bought a regulator from Napa auto for use in his kegerator. It looks like a solid unit and if it works well, I'll probably add one or two to my set-up so I can serve and carbonate at the same time.

Anyway, here's my co2 setup. If you want to see any other pics, I'm happy to oblige, just keep in mind that I'm no expert, just a guy who likes to drink and is kinda handy

100_1561[1].jpg


100_1558[1].jpg


100_1559[1].jpg
 
I'll probably end up putting a longer line from the "bulkhead" to the manifold on the inside of the fridge. It need a little more slack to be pushed out of the way to make room for more kegs.
 
Ahhh At first I was going to suggest some sort of rack to hold the bottle on the back so it is out of sight in the kitchen. I see now that it is already against the wall. Maybe you can build a wooden cover to sit down over the bottle and "sexy" it up a bit?
 
NewBrewB said:
Ahhh At first I was going to suggest some sort of rack to hold the bottle on the back so it is out of sight in the kitchen. I see now that it is already against the wall. Maybe you can build a wooden cover to sit down over the bottle and "sexy" it up a bit?
Click to expand...

Yes, that is definitely in the works; i'm not completely sure about the design yet, but i plan on making something.
 

Similar threads

Draft Master Flash
15 lb Co2 tank overfilled?
Replies
17
Views
521
Draft Master Flash
Draft Master Flash
agentbud
CO2 Transfer Question
Replies
14
Views
443
Wigglebutts Brewery
Wigglebutts Brewery
kquistorff
Whirlpool mini fridge conversion
Replies
3
Views
419
odie
odie
U
For Sale 2 tap kegerator + 3 corny kegs + 2 aluminum CO2 tanks + tap rite regulator for sale in Orange County, CA
Replies
0
Views
358
user 342338
U
J
Possible PET Oxebar setup
Replies
9
Views
589
kylewag
K

Latest posts

Back
Top