I recently finished making a kegerator out of a refrigerator so I thought I'd share a few pics.
The intended resting area for this fridge is pretty dark with wood paneling and brick, so I wanted a dark fridge to avoid the contrast a white one would create. Finding a used black fridge for a decent price may have been the hardest part
One four year old Whirlpool upright fridge allocation later:
I plan on serving commercially available beer in 1/2 barrels so there is only one tap currently. I could add two more and keep the symmetry if future plans dictated, but it would require modifying the inside door surface due to the integral molded shelving. For the single tap I just placed it in the best flat spot available based on tap height and horizontal center. It is also placed as high as possible without interfering with the freezer door when a 6" BOD tap handle is installed.
The drip tray is a relatively inexpensive (and it looks it) Krome 6" X 10" unit with drain.
The main structural requirement for holding a 1/2 barrel was to build up the "compressor hump" area to provide a full sized flat surface at the bottom. This platform is simply a 2X4 base with a 3/4" plywood top that fills the front portion of the fridge (where the vegetable crisper bins had been) and is level with the top of the compressor hump. Then this platform is skinned with 3/16" Lauan sized to cover it and the hump. Due to the extrusions in the fridge floor and placement of the 2X4s the end result is a platform that stays in place without fastening it, even when rustling a full keg in and out.
Beer runoff drains through a 1/2" hose at the bottom of the drip tray. It goes through a drilled hole in the front door and is insulated with expanding spray foam. The outside has been trimmed with a chrome plumbing escutcheon. The hose angles downward and goes into a removable 5 quart jug which is velcroed to the inside door so that it doesn't slide around during door movement. The jug fits nicely into the existing door rail.
With plenty of space on the left side I decided to place a bottle bracket/strap inside the left wall to fix the CO2 bottle. This is held in place with double sided adhesive and two 5/16" rivet nuts installed in the plastic wall. The bracket is designed for much heavier bottles so it is heavy and a bit overkill, though it was all I could find that seemed like it would work. With a small bit of space to the left of the temp control console up top I managed to wedge two 16" stemware racks in. There are four Libbey "belgian" and four "porter" glasses hanging in the picture, purchased cheaply on Amazon.
Here's a wide view of the inside with keg and hoses hooked up.
The intended resting area for this fridge is pretty dark with wood paneling and brick, so I wanted a dark fridge to avoid the contrast a white one would create. Finding a used black fridge for a decent price may have been the hardest part
One four year old Whirlpool upright fridge allocation later:
I plan on serving commercially available beer in 1/2 barrels so there is only one tap currently. I could add two more and keep the symmetry if future plans dictated, but it would require modifying the inside door surface due to the integral molded shelving. For the single tap I just placed it in the best flat spot available based on tap height and horizontal center. It is also placed as high as possible without interfering with the freezer door when a 6" BOD tap handle is installed.
The drip tray is a relatively inexpensive (and it looks it) Krome 6" X 10" unit with drain.
The main structural requirement for holding a 1/2 barrel was to build up the "compressor hump" area to provide a full sized flat surface at the bottom. This platform is simply a 2X4 base with a 3/4" plywood top that fills the front portion of the fridge (where the vegetable crisper bins had been) and is level with the top of the compressor hump. Then this platform is skinned with 3/16" Lauan sized to cover it and the hump. Due to the extrusions in the fridge floor and placement of the 2X4s the end result is a platform that stays in place without fastening it, even when rustling a full keg in and out.
Beer runoff drains through a 1/2" hose at the bottom of the drip tray. It goes through a drilled hole in the front door and is insulated with expanding spray foam. The outside has been trimmed with a chrome plumbing escutcheon. The hose angles downward and goes into a removable 5 quart jug which is velcroed to the inside door so that it doesn't slide around during door movement. The jug fits nicely into the existing door rail.
With plenty of space on the left side I decided to place a bottle bracket/strap inside the left wall to fix the CO2 bottle. This is held in place with double sided adhesive and two 5/16" rivet nuts installed in the plastic wall. The bracket is designed for much heavier bottles so it is heavy and a bit overkill, though it was all I could find that seemed like it would work. With a small bit of space to the left of the temp control console up top I managed to wedge two 16" stemware racks in. There are four Libbey "belgian" and four "porter" glasses hanging in the picture, purchased cheaply on Amazon.
Here's a wide view of the inside with keg and hoses hooked up.
