Converting kegerator?

[marano]

I am thinking of getting into homebrewing. I will probably bottle the fisrt couple of batches I make but I would like to start kegging it after that. My wife recently gave me and Edgestar kegerator for Christmas. It is set up for commercial beer. I have now ran two kegs through it with no problems. My questions are as follows for some of you who might have answers for me.

1. Can I use my kegerator minus the hoses and Sankey coupler with Corneilus kegs and their hoses and couplers/connectors to dispense beer through the faucet of my kegerator?

2. Also would it be possible to get a two faucet tower for my kegerator and have two corneilus kegs on tap at once with only one CO2 tank running both?

 

[Professor Frink]

Kegging is the way to go!

In answer to your questions:
1. Yes - you'll need Cornelius post disconnects for the gas and beer, which you'll attach to your respective lines.

2. Yes - you can split the CO2 lines using a simple T-junction, or you can use a manifold splitter which will control the gas individually to each keg.

 

[marano]

Are the hoses the same size when using Corneilus kegs? Thanks for the reply.

 

[Professor Frink]

Are the hoses the same size when using Corneilus kegs? Thanks for the reply.

In general, you want to use beverage grade 3/16" ID tubing for the beer, which should be the same as you use on the Sanky, you just hook them up to the Corny disconnects. The gas hose size isn't as important, most people use 1/4" or 5/16" tubing.

 

[beerbuddy]

Yes, I just cut the lines and connected the corney disconnects. It takes about five minutes to make the change. If you plan on swapping back and forth you may want to have MLF fittings on your disconnects.

 

[marano]

If I use the T-splitter for the gas lines, I will need to have some way to shut the gas off to each keg for times when one of the kegs is floated or not hooked up right? If I am right how is this done?

 

[missing link]

No need for a shut off on the gas tees. The disconnect holds the gas back.

Linc

 

[Professor Frink]

Like missing link said, there's a nipple on the inside of the gas disconnect that needs to be depressed to release gas, so even if the disconnect is not hooked up to a keg, it will not release CO2.

 

[tentacles]

I skipped bottling and went straight to kegging, which is something you should consider. You already have a kegerator so the big expenses are over - just buy corny kegs and connectors. You also get to avoid the intermediate step of buying bottles and a capper, and also avoid potentially frustrating problems of bottle bombs, extra 2 weeks to carb, etc.

That's how I did it - I already had CO2 equipment, so once I factored in the expense of 60 or so bottles, a capper and caps, the price of the keg was actually cheaper! Even at the $50 I paid for my first one. I picked up two more last night, with 10 feet of beer line and some bevflex line for $60 total. If you want to be able to give away some beer, find some 1/2 gallon growlers or you could get a capper and bottles and do it that way.

It's possible to upgrade draft towers, if your kegerator has room for 3 cornys, then you could get a 2 faucet extension for the top (if it's a standard 3"). Otherwise there's no reason you can't change it, it looks like a standard draft tower.

 

[marano]

Can you bottle beer from the keg after it is carbonated? I have never had a growler, do they keep the beer carbonated for a while?

 

[Professor Frink]

A growler will keep carbonated for a short period of time, maybe a day or so. You can bottle from your keg using a counterpressure bottle filler, beer gun, or you can rig something up like BierMuncher's bottle filler.

 

[marano]

I am planning to get started right after the first of February. I will start gathering my equipment this week.