SWMBO's birthday gift to me.

[richthrift]

My birthday isnt until June 11th but my wife got me a pretty sweet early gift. She got me a 4 tap kegerator. Its not like a mini fridge kegerator though. It looks like it came straight out of a bar. Its a about 6 ft long and also has a cooler built into it for bottles. My question for anyone willing to answer or has the time, it needs a bit of fixing up, it works, turns on and everything, but is in need of new hoses. Can anyone tell me what size hoses to use that go from the tap to keg? I could pull them out but the thing weighs a ton and is positioned to where pulling out the hoses and taking them to Lowes (where I work) would be quite the chore. So if someone can clear this up for me or point me to a thread that would have this info Id be much appreciative. Also, its make out of stainless steel and my wife says I can put it into the little alcove in our living room. It isnt very attractive as is at the moment, so would a decent laminate suffice to cover the top in? If yall wanna see it at all let me know, I dunno if I can post photos here, but I can link you to a site where the photos are.

 

[aristurtle]

Commercial beer line is usually 3/16" ID tubing but for cornelius kegs you usually want 1/4". Get the thick-walled tubing if you can find it.

 

[carlisle_bob]

Hi

The hose you use with a keg isn't a Lowes item. You want one that's made for beer (or at least made for food). There are two common sizes and the fittings are either for one or the other. You will need to tear into it and see what you have.

Bob

 

[roadymi]

Normal beverage hose should have size embossed along the length. Standard size would be 3/16 but could be 1/4.

There is much about balancing a system I am not familiar with. But I believe you want a minimum of 10' lengths to decrease foaming issues. They make a specific beverage hose that is recommended. It is heavier wall thickness and smoother interior to decrease foaming. You can buy it online in bulk quite reasonable.

 

[richthrift]

Thanks for the replies. I believe I can actually order beer line in any size I want as a special order from my job, and I get it 10% above cost =) If yall wanna see some photos heres the link http://s1248.photobucket.com/albums/hh491/ThriftyJanschek/ not the prettiest thing but it has potential.

 

[OneHoppyGuy]

Nice!
Now tell her you NEED a brewstand...

 

[Beernip]

Wow, nice unit. Needs a lot of TLC but she will clean up nicely.

 

[dbrewski]

Wow that thing is HUGE. If you have the space for it, that's pretty awesome.

 

[barrooze]

For short lines like you'll be using, definitely use 3/16" ID thick-walled beer line. The 3/16" hose from Lowes may kink too easily, causing too much foam when you pour. Definitely pick up the line from a beverage store or your LHBS. 1/4" line will also cause way too much foam for your short lines.

Happy birthday! Once you get your system balanced, you'll absolutely be loving your beers. For some reason, pouring out of a tap makes the beer taste SO much better than out of a bottle. Cheers!

 

[GarageDweller]

nice one. will be fun cleaning it up a bit.

 

[JoshuaW]

That is definitely going to be worth the work! It is big enough, you should be able to get more than four kegs in there. I would personally build a box on top and maybe do 6 taps or so.