Getting started kegging...

[mpenn35]

I've been brewing for about six months now and I love everything about it except the cleaning and sanitizing and storing of 60 bottles each time I finish a batch. I recently found out that a relative of my girlfriend is a former home brewer and has a kegging system he's willing to sell. He is selling me the following:

Two 5 gallon stainless kegs
10 pound co2 tank
Regulators and fittings
Two carboys

For $100. Seems like a hell of a deal to me, judging by the prices of this equipment new, unless I'm missing something here...

Anyway, I now need a kegerator. I don't really have $500 to drop on even a cheap one, and I'm not real confident that I can convert a mini fridge into something I can use. I live in an apartment so a second fridge or chest freezer is out of the question.

I've searched the forums for ways to convert mini fridges over but they seem quite involved, especially for someone with limited knowledge and skill of those things. Any advice? Am I making it seem more complicated than it is? Should I just wait til I've got the spare cash to buy a kegerator?

Thanks!

 

[OHIOSTEVE]

the 100 bucks IS a deal....converting a mini fridge should be pretty straight forward...make sure your keg and tank will fit in it with the door **** and drill a hole in the door for the shank.

 

[rhamilton]

All of that for $100 is indeed a deal -- and yea, kegging rocks vs bottling.

If I was you, I'd get a small chest freezer. A small chest freezer will have the same footprint as a mini-fridge and you should be able to fit 2-4 kegs in it depending on the actual size you use. They are also cheap and don't use much electricity vs a modded mini-fridge.

I would get:

1. Small chest freezer ($100)
2. Johnson controller ($50)
3. Gas line bulkhead ($10)

By moving the CO2 tank out of the freezer, it'll free up space for an extra keg (you'll want it, promise!). So you'll need to drill a hole for the bulkhead, If you are lucky, the freezer will be deep enough for kegs. If it isn't you'll need to build a collar; search around and there are plenty of guides.

After that, you should have a nice temp-controlled freezer. Then you need to decide how you want to run taps but that is all up to you.

You'll still end up spending a nice chunk of change but if you buy used over time, you can keep prices low. Used freezer, controller, and taps/tower are all OK.

 

[mpenn35]

Thanks for the input guys. I guess it shouldn't be too bad to turn a mini fridge or freezer into a kegerator...not as bad as I thought for sure. I should have the stuff on Sunday and then I'll be able to start figuring out the dimensions I'll need inside the future kegerator.

 

[zegolf]

Worse comes to worst, you can always just store it in a regular fridge and use party taps until you've got the fridge converted. I guess the limitation to this would be a lack of fridge space once you've stored the kegs, but maybe you can get a cheap full size fridge on CL or something?