How would you refurbish this kegerator?

[jskennedy1979]

I met a fellow homebrewer via Craigslist who was moving out-of-state and selling his kegerator that he built years ago. It just so happens I was ready to stop bottling and looking for a deal. $50 for his rig which included taps, tap lines and pin lock connectors (liquid side). Obviously, I need to supply everything from keg to CO2 tank (lines, connections, regulator, etc). Here's a picture after I unloaded it:

It looks as though he could easily store 3-4 kegs. The unit has 4 taps. Three he used for beer and one for carbonated water. This is a picture from his listing showing the space in the fridge and one of the taps.

This is a view of the inside connections of the taps.

Here is the inside of the fridge once I cleaned it out. It took about 3 hours with a heavy dose of Simple Green. There are some questionable black spots on the lining in the door. I plan on bleaching those this weekend.

My Plan:
Phase 1 (This weekend) -
1) The shelf above the veggie drawers is cracked and gross. I don't think it can support the weight of multiple kegs. Home Depot is on the schedule for this weekend. I plan on measuring the shelf and cutting a piece of plywood to fit plus 4 support beams to be attached to the bottom of the plywood.
2) Bleach "moldy" spots. Wipe down interior with bleach solution.
3) The unit will be in the garage and due to space, etc. I need to run an extension cord to reach an outlet. Added to HD list.

Phase 2 (Next 2 weeks) -
1) Purchase temp controller, kegs, CO2 tank, regulator, gas lines and connectors.
2) Remove taps plus all hardware for a bleach bath. The lines have had beer sitting in them for months. Must decide what to scrap and what to keep.
3) Paint exterior. My wife is a craft guru and wants to chalkboard paint part of the front for tap details.
4) Add boxes of baking soda for a few days to clear up cleaning solution/paint smells that may linger.

So my questions:
1) Is there anything obvious that I am missing?
2) Would you scrap the hoses and clamps but save the taps and pin-lock connectors? Are the hoses worth saving not knowing what is living in there?
3) Is the tap he used for carbonated water different from the 3 beer taps? It looks different. Can I still use this for beer?
4) I read some older threads about pin vs. ball lock. Results were mixed but skewed toward ball lock. Is it worth switching these connectors since I am already replacing a lot of parts?

Thanks for any help that you can provide! I will update as this project continues.

 

[OleBrewing]

Myself I would replace the lines with new. The disconnects I would keep, disassemble and soak in a cleaning solution. Same with the taps. The water tap must be a different style or brand, u can use it for what ever beverage you want.

As far as pin lock verses ball lock...I use pinlock because I have a cheap supplier. They both work the same besides the disconnects. The other difference is their foot print. Pinlocks have a larger diameter and are shorter, pinlocks have a smaller diameter and are taller.

Ball locks are more expensive compared to pinlocks.

And what a steal on your kegerator.

 

[bigdaddybrew]

Wow what a deal!!

 

[Hello]

To fit more kegs, I'd go ball lock but they are more expensive. I'd get new lines and definitely soak shanks, taps, and all that. Such a wonderful deal! Congrats!

 

[jskennedy1979]

Thanks to everyone for the advice! I will change all the hoses/clamps out for new ones. Does anyone know if you find the proper hoses at Home Depot? Or do I need to visit a bar supply store?

I thought it was a great deal too. He wanted to make sure it went to another brewer and not to a "frat house". It was almost like a torch being passed. Also, I picked this up on St. Patrick's Day. Luck o' the Irish!

 

[madscientist451]

Why do you need a temperature controller? Are you using it as a kegerator or fermentation control?

 

[brewmax25]

I would replace all the hoses. No point in keeping them. Hose is way cheaper than your homebrew and all the time you put into it!

Keep pin locks. If you've got all the connectors already might as well roll with it. They are also cheaper.

Avoid using bleach. Get some PBW and hot water. Soak and then make sure you run PBW through all the faucets and shanks before running beer through them.

When gutting the inside of the fridge might as well make some sweet spots for bottle storage!

I always avoid bleach. Just my opinion.

 

[jskennedy1979]

Why do you need a temperature controller? Are you using it as a kegerator or fermentation control?

I'm using it for a kegerator to start but was thinking ahead to the hot months in VA. Currently, my fermenter holds a steady temp in my spare bathroom but that won't be the case come June. Obviously I don't think I can keg and ferment at the same time.

I see your point though. I don't really need the temp controller now. I can move that to the bottom of the priority list.

 

[jskennedy1979]

I would replace all the hoses. No point in keeping them. Hose is way cheaper than your homebrew and all the time you put into it!

Keep pin locks. If you've got all the connectors already might as well roll with it. They are also cheaper.

Avoid using bleach. Get some PBW and hot water. Soak and then make sure you run PBW through all the faucets and shanks before running beer through them.

When gutting the inside of the fridge might as well make some sweet spots for bottle storage!

I always avoid bleach. Just my opinion.

Great advice! Much thanks! I wasn't sure about using bleach but I thought it would "scorch the earth" and get rid of anything nasty living in there. I have plenty of PBW on hand so I'll go the route. From my limited research, I assume I could either buy a hand pump or pour a PBW solution into the keg and run it through the tap into a bucket. Seem right?

Bottle storage. Briefly thought about that but your comment re-stoked my interest. Thanks for the help!

 

[brewmax25]

Yeah put some PBW solution into a keg and force it out with co2 like you would with beer. Collect in a bucket and reuse for all your kegs (unless the solution turns really gunky looking.

 

[jskennedy1979]

Update: I finished the base for my setup. Cut a shelf that would fit the inside of the fridge and work with the shape of the fridge lining at the corners. The corners are curved so I couldn't butt the plank right up against the walls. I added 3 2x2 support beams to the board; two in the front with the center support set deeper to distribute weight.

Today, I added the side board which I plan to use for attaching gas distributors, etc. Connected it with corner brackets that I recycled from another project. I then cut and nailed down a rubber mat to the horizontal board for easy clean up in case of a spill.

Question - The board I plan to use for attaching distributors, etc is flush with my other board but has a large gap between itself and the fridge. Could this cause a problem with airflow? Has anyone encountered something similar and have any advice?

Next steps are building the gas line side and acquiring kegs. I hope to get the exterior painted soon after.

 

[jskennedy1979]

The more I look at the gap between the board and fridge it makes me wanna add some sort of insulation. Any suggestions?

 

[Schecter]

Perhaps just a spray foam insulate with another board/plexi on the open end?

 

[jskennedy1979]

Perhaps just a spray foam insulate with another board/plexi on the open end?

Good idea. Thanks for the feedback!