Advice on Kegerator build

[WreckinBrewCo]

I just recieved all of the parts and pieces to make a 3 keger out of this freezer.

http://collegestation.craigslist.org/app/3097635726.html

I got 3 pinlock soda kegs, stainless shanks, pearlick creamer faucets, dual body regulator, 5lb CO2 tank, 16' air line, 16' beer line and all of the clamps i need.

Do y'all have any advice before I dive in to this? Whats the best way to drill through the door, hole saw? is there anything else i can do to ensure a good seal around the shanks?

Thank you,

Jeremy

 

[carlisle_bob]

Hi

Link comes up dead.

Hole saw is about your only option for the shanks assuming it's a stand up freezer. If it's a stand up I *hope* it does not have coils in the shelves...

You will need about 3X that much beer line for three taps. You have plenty of gas line.

Bob

 

[WreckinBrewCo]

The freezer is a stand up but its only about 4.5' tall and the base is pretty high.

the taps will only be about 6" above the top of the kegs. 5' of hose per tap is not going to be sufficient?

 

[WreckinBrewCo]

That was a test to see if the picture would post. (sorry im a new guy)

The kegs come up to just under that top shelf. I mean JUST under

 

[b-boy]

Shorter beer lines tend to lead to foaming issues, I'd start with 10ft of beerline per tap and shorten from there if needed.

 

[carlisle_bob]

the taps will only be about 6" above the top of the kegs. 5' of hose per tap is not going to be sufficient?

Hi

You want the beer go gradually go from the pressure in the keg (10 to 20+ psi) to room (0 psi). 3/16" beer line 10 to 15 feet long will do that fine. If you have 1/4" beer line you will need even more of it.

Extending an existing line is a gamble. The stuff they sell to join up tube creates turbulence in the line and that does fit the "gradually" requirement.

What happens if the line is to long - your glass fills in 18 seconds instead of 12 seconds. That's it, no other issues.

What happens if the line is to short - your glass fills with foam in about 3 seconds ...

There are ways to calculate exactly how much line you need to the inch. To do so you need to decide on exactly what your keg pressure will be. Different beer styles need different keg pressures ... Line should cost about 30 cents a foot, go long ...

Bob

 

[zachattack]

Hi

You want the beer go gradually go from the pressure in the keg (10 to 20+ psi) to room (0 psi). 3/16" beer line 10 to 15 feet long will do that fine. If you have 1/4" beer line you will need even more of it.

Extending an existing line is a gamble. The stuff they sell to join up tube creates turbulence in the line and that does fit the "gradually" requirement.

What happens if the line is to long - your glass fills in 18 seconds instead of 12 seconds. That's it, no other issues.

What happens if the line is to short - your glass fills with foam in about 3 seconds ...

There are ways to calculate exactly how much line you need to the inch. To do so you need to decide on exactly what your keg pressure will be. Different beer styles need different keg pressures ... Line should cost about 30 cents a foot, go long ...

Bob

What Bob said. I'll add that a lot of people find that the calculated line length ends up being different from what they actually need... like everything else, the calculators are good in theory but not always directly applicable. The only disadvantage of too-long lines is you wait a couple more seconds per pint.

 

[WreckinBrewCo]

Thanks for the info.

I finished the build yesterday, I used roughly 6' of hose per keg (they sent a couple extra feet). I am going to Austin next weekend and with the realitvely low cost of beer line I'll probably just scoop some up from AHS.

 

[carlisle_bob]

Hi

While you are buying line, remember to get enough to set up for cleaning. Beer line cleaning isn't fun, but it's even less fun without being set up properly for it.

Bob

 

[WreckinBrewCo]

I'm not sure I know what you mean by getting beer line for cleaning. The process i have heard about and used for the first keg on this system was to just fill a keg with 3 gal or so of water/cleaner. Pressurize the keg and dispense through the faucet...


Is there a better way?

 

[carlisle_bob]

Hi

If you decide to run a commercial keg, you will likely need to clean it's line. One way to do that is to run in through the coupler. You need a chunk of beer line to drive the adapter that goes on the coupler.

Bob

 

[suprchunk]

Hi

If you decide to run a commercial keg, you will likely need to clean it's line. One way to do that is to run in through the coupler. You need a chunk of beer line to drive the adapter that goes on the coupler.

Bob

I'm not following what you are trying to say. The way the OP mentioned is the way I always clean my lines. Extra keg full of cleaner run through the system (which is the keg connection to the faucet). Then I rinse and run sanitizer in the same fashion.

Where would extra beer line enter the equation? Why wouldn't you use the beer line that you just pushed the beer through? I must be missing something. Or you left out something in your explanation.

 

[carlisle_bob]

I'm not following what you are trying to say. The way the OP mentioned is the way I always clean my lines. Extra keg full of cleaner run through the system (which is the keg connection to the faucet). Then I rinse and run sanitizer in the same fashion.

Where would extra beer line enter the equation? Why wouldn't you use the beer line that you just pushed the beer through? I must be missing something. Or you left out something in your explanation.

Hi

If you have a commercial keg, it has a coupler on it. That coupler needs to be cleaned when you clean the lines. It's got the same issues as the line does. The line from that coupler to the shank needs to be cleaned along with the faucet.

You can take everything apart and clean each piece individualy. That does indeed work. Since you are doing it more often than you empty a keg, it can get a bit triesome to tear it all down and put it all together.

The *easy* way to do it is to have an extra line. That line goes from the cleaning slotion keg (since the commercial keg still has beer in it) to the adapter that hooks onto the bottom of the coupler. Cleaning solution goes out of the cleaning solution keg, into the extra beer line. It goes from there to the adapter. From the adapter it goes into the bottom of the coupler. Then up the normal line, through the shank, and out the faucet into a bucket.

Not sure I can be any more clear than that.

Bob

 

[zachattack]

Hi

If you have a commercial keg, it has a coupler on it. That coupler needs to be cleaned when you clean the lines. It's got the same issues as the line does. The line from that coupler to the shank needs to be cleaned along with the faucet.

You can take everything apart and clean each piece individualy. That does indeed work. Since you are doing it more often than you empty a keg, it can get a bit triesome to tear it all down and put it all together.

The *easy* way to do it is to have an extra line. That line goes from the cleaning slotion keg (since the commercial keg still has beer in it) to the adapter that hooks onto the bottom of the coupler. Cleaning solution goes out of the cleaning solution keg, into the extra beer line. It goes from there to the adapter. From the adapter it goes into the bottom of the coupler. Then up the normal line, through the shank, and out the faucet into a bucket.

Not sure I can be any more clear than that.

Bob

I just take my Sanke coupler and rinse it out really good in the sink w/ hot water, soak in PBW if needed then spray Star San all up inside and through both MFL connections. I'm pretty sure with the coupler "open" (the handle down and locked in) I can get all interior surfaces wet this way. Or am I missing something?

 

[carlisle_bob]

I just take my Sanke coupler and rinse it out really good in the sink w/ hot water, soak in PBW if needed then spray Star San all up inside and through both MFL connections. I'm pretty sure with the coupler "open" (the handle down and locked in) I can get all interior surfaces wet this way. Or am I missing something?

Hi

If the commercial keg is still in the keggerator, it's a lot easier only disconnect it from the keg and clean the whole setup "in place". You will be hooking everything right back up again once you are done. Fewer things disconnected / reconected = fewer leaks...

Bob

 

[zachattack]

Hi

If the commercial keg is still in the keggerator, it's a lot easier only disconnect it from the keg and clean the whole setup "in place". You will be hooking everything right back up again once you are done. Fewer things disconnected / reconected = fewer leaks...

Bob

Gotcha. I have all MFL fittings so it's pretty easy for me to disconnect it real quick without creating leaks, but anyway with 1/6 bbl kegs the keg doesn't last long :cross:

 

[carlisle_bob]

Gotcha. I have all MFL fittings so it's pretty easy for me to disconnect it real quick without creating leaks, but anyway with 1/6 bbl kegs the keg doesn't last long :cross:

Hi

Quick to disconnect and even easier to loose those blasted little nylon washers. I suspect there are hundreds of them sitting in a dark corner around here somewhere ....

Bob

 

[zachattack]

Hi

Quick to disconnect and even easier to loose those blasted little nylon washers. I suspect there are hundreds of them sitting in a dark corner around here somewhere ....

Bob

Haha no kidding. Good thing they're cheap.