Kegerators by Keg Connection or Alternative?

[Toadies]

I'm interesting in getting a kegerator from Keg Connection and their model they coined TapDraft. I'm not finding a lot of details about this product or company and curious if you guys have any feedback.

My budget is $1,300, including 2 new 2.5 gallon kegs... So about $1,100 for the kegerator, if you have any alternatives I should check out, please share!

Thanks for any help anyone can provide.

 

[cswis86]

This is what I have and it's great. The temp goes from 32F to 75F so you can also use it for fermentation. Comes with all of the fittings needed for ball lock kegs.

http://www.beveragefactory.com/draf...gco-HBK309B-3-digital-homebrew-kegerator.html

They have new kegs (both 2.5 and 5 gallon) for $75 here:

http://www.homebrewing.org/AIH-New-Double-Rubber-Handle-25-Gal-Keg_p_5101.html

 

[cswis86]

If you call you can upgrade your faucets to Perlicks for another $40.

 

[Toadies]

If you call you can upgrade your faucets to Perlicks for another $40.

Is that worth it? I'd imagine you won't waste beer this way.

 

[bleme]

I can't speak for that TapDraft system, but I bought my system (and installed in my own fridge) from Keg Connection and I have no complaints about the company at all. They are top notch!

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

Is that worth it? I'd imagine you won't waste beer this way.

Keep the sanke connecter the kegerator comes with...get a sanke keg...get a Perlick flow control faucet....keep the 5 foot lines the tower came with

This will be your best kegerator setup....and by far the easiest

 

[Toadies]

Keep the sanke connecter the kegerator comes with...get a sanke keg...get a Perlick flow control faucet....keep the 5 foot lines the tower came with

This will be your best kegerator setup....and by far the easiest

Just completed my order. I ended up upgrading to perlick, but not the flow control version. I'm pretty excited!

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

Just completed my order. I ended up upgrading to perlick, but not the flow control version. I'm pretty excited!

Now is your only chance..call and upgrade to flow control...spend an extra $15 or whatever and be done....Don't say I didn't warn you when you get a glass full of foam every single fist pour wasting beer and causing aggravation...

EDIT: Your spending $1300 and cheaping out on the very last thing to hit the glass...silly

 

[woo_pig]

1300? Holy geez.

 

[cswis86]

Is that worth it? I'd imagine you won't waste beer this way.

It's worth it. Don't mind the guy saying you should get the flow control. Sounds like he doesn't know how to pour a beer.

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

LOL...I guess that's my problem. Not enough experience pouring a beer.

I'm setting him up from the get go for trouble free kegging without ever having to upgrade....Do it once and be done.

The sanke kegs are key. By design they don't foam. I rarely use the flow control anymore. But in the summer when the tower is warm it comes in handy.

If the OP doesn't get them that's fine...but to say they don't work is foolish

 

[bleme]

The sanke kegs are key. By design they don't foam.

This isn't exactly true. I pour at Beerfests several times a year and they often have to make small adjustments on the fly because a beer in a sanke keg is foaming. Last weekend it was The Immortal IPA from Elysian that was foaming. Split Shot, on the same regulator and everything, poured fine.

Thousands of homebrewers use corny kegs with no problem. The liquid has no way of knowing if the keg has a 3 inch opening at the top or not.

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

This isn't exactly true. I pour at Beerfests several times a year and they often have to make small adjustments on the fly because a beer in a sanke keg is foaming.

Thousands of homebrewers use corny kegs with no problem. The liquid has no way of knowing if the keg has a 3 inch opening at the top or not.

Small adjustments is normal and understandable in any situation.

The liquid must have a way of knowing or there wouldn't be the endless long line balancing act threads. With a sanke just hook up the beer and go...

I even called keg connection and one other retailer and asked how is it that every single kegerator comes with 5 ft lines but homebrewers need 10 ft lines?
The reason is most people that buy a kegerator use it for commercial beer that come in a sanke and there is no balancing act...5 ft lines work or they wouldn't be sold that way. Cornys are meant for soda and have been "adapted" for beer...Why go through the trouble of "rigging" a soda system when using a sanke the way it was meant to be is so much easier..

For the record I've used cornys and did the line balancing act.
I switched to sankes and never looked back.

Theres a reason why every single beer serving facility in the country uses sankes.....they work.

If cornys worked better they would all use them and so would I.....but they dont

 

[bleme]

There is also a reason why so many homebrewers use cornies. Not all of us have the money to invest in pressurized transfer, which is what sankes require. You are 1 data point. Sankes work great for you. I'm glad you found something that works and that you have had so much problems with cornies.
But you can't assume your experience is everyone's experience. If everyone had that kind of trouble, nobody would use cornies. I've only have my cornies for 16 months, but I have never had a problem.

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

There is also a reason why so many homebrewers use cornies. Not all of us have the money to invest in pressurized transfer, which is what sankes require. You are 1 data point. Sankes work great for you. I'm glad you found something that works and that you have had so much problems with cornies.
But you can't assume your experience is everyone's experience. If everyone had that kind of trouble, nobody would use cornies. I've only have my cornies for 16 months, but I have never had a problem.

Pressurized Transfer???
I use a $15 auto siphon to transfer from the primary to the sanke....
The fact that you bring that up makes me think you don't have a grasp on how sankes work....

The ENDLESS threads of line balancing and foamy beer makes me think lots of people have issues with cornys and "figure" out a way to make them work

I know when I started I was in that category
I evolved.
I believe the forum is about spreading the best info available even if it goes against the "homebrew thing to do"

I do appreciate the respectful responses...normally doesn't go that way when I go against the grain

 

[bleme]

Pressurized Transfer???
I use a $15 auto siphon to transfer from the primary to the sanke....
The fact that you bring that up makes me think you don't have a grasp on how sankes work....

I probably don't. About 6 months ago my wife picked up a used kegerator at a yard sale that came with a 5 gallon sanke keg. The keg has been sitting in my garage ever since. I read one thread on here about how to take it apart and put it back together. One guy complained that it took him more than 30 minutes to get the clip back in place. Another complained that he couldn't get a good seal so I decided it wasn't worth the bother. I got the whole thing for $50 and just wanted the fridge, CO2 tank and regulator anyway.

 

[Toadies]

I went with 2.5 gallon torpedo kegs.

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

I went with 2.5 gallon torpedo legs.

Torpedo Legs?
Is that one step past bowlegged

 

[Toadies]

Torpedo Legs?
Is that one step past bowlegged

It's an extension of bowflex.

Btw, can you clarify what you mean by 5ft vs 10ft?

I ended up calling beverage factory to upgrade to the flow control perlicks.

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

It's an extension of bowflex.

Btw, can you clarify what you mean by 5ft vs 10ft?

I ended up calling beverage factory to upgrade to the flow control perlicks.

Good deal..Youll be glad you did.
Your kegerator will come with 4 or 5 foot beer lines from the faucet to the keg. It will most likely also come with a connection for a sanke keg as most people don't buy kegerators for homebrew. If you use a sanke (every keg you ever bought at a keg party) just hook it up and your done. If your going with cornys your going to need different connections for the keg and longer beer lines

 

[Toadies]

Good deal..Youll be glad you did.
Your kegerator will come with 4 or 5 foot beer lines from the faucet to the keg. It will most likely also come with a connection for a sanke keg as most people don't buy kegerators for homebrew. If you use a sanke (every keg you ever bought at a keg party) just hook it up and your done. If your going with cornys your going to need different connections for the keg and longer beer lines

I bought the homebrew edition, comes with ball lock instead.

But why do I need 10ft? Can I not cut it to make the line shorter?

 

[bleme]

The beer is served at roughly 12 psi. With short beer lines, you loose some CO2 in the pour because there isn't enough resistance between the keg and the faucet. Thinner and/or longer lines give more resistance so you can still have decent carbonation without it blasting out of your tap. That is part of what flow control faucets do too.

 

[Toadies]

The beer is served at roughly 12 psi. With short beer lines, you loose some CO2 in the pour because there isn't enough resistance between the keg and the faucet. Thinner and/or longer lines give more resistance so you can still have decent carbonation without it blasting out of your tap. That is part of what flow control faucets do too.

My kit came with 5ft 3/16" I.d. lines. Should I replace to 10ft?

 

[bleme]

My kit came with 5ft 3/16" I.d. lines. Should I replace to 10ft?

5ft is the bare minimum but that works for a lot of people. It doesn't hurt to give it a try and see how it works for you, especially since you opted for the flow control faucets.

If you do get longer lines, you have several options. I went with the Silver Barrier line and really like it. Birdman Brewing carries a line that sounds pretty similar in performance and a lot of people like. $40 for 100' might last you a lifetime. The cheapest alternative is standard vinyl tubing from Amazon. It's price is insanely cheap at $14 shipped but you would have to replace it every 6 months or so.