First kegerator tips

[scrambledegg81]

Ain't she a beaut?

So now that I've got this monstrosity taking up a good portion of my garage, I could use a rundown on things I need to check/clean/repair since I haven't the slightest clue where to take it from here. Also came with 2 full-size kegs, but I'm switching to Cornie's since I don't do full 15-gallon batches (yet........), so I'm gathering I need a different coupling? Danke shein in advance.

 

[beaksnbeer]

Yep, first see what type of keg, ballock or pin lock the latter are easier to come by and a little shorter and a bit wider then ballocks

 

[scrambledegg81]

Ergh...pretty sure I'm going for ball-lock styles, but any more generalized info you can throw my way? Trying not to sound prudish, but I've got bare-minimum knowledge about how to go about getting this thing ready to rock...

So far: refrigerator portion works fine (tested w/ digital thermometer), regulator looks good but has a standard 15 gal. keg connection attached, air line is clean, beer line needs a good soak in PBW, digital display works fine, and the CO2 tank needs a new O-ring. I also noticed that there should be plenty of room for 2 cornies...think it's feasible to swap out for a dual regulator/tap at this point? (Only have the single tap system at the moment.)

 

[jeffmeh]

I would replace the tower with a dual-tap Perlick set-up (unless the unit is large enough to fit three cornies, which is possible but not likely). Here's one with ball-lock liquid connections and 3/16" ID liquid line. http://stores.kegconnection.com/Detail.bok?no=518

Unless you want to serve at two different pressures, you do not really need a dual regulator. A wye splitter or a manifold will work. You will want check valves for each, enough gas line, and ball lock gas disconnects. Gas line is usually 1/4" or 5/16" ID. Just match it to the disconnects you get. 1/4" braided hose from the hardware store works fine.

http://stores.kegconnection.com/Detail.bok?no=15
http://stores.kegconnection.com/Detail.bok?no=51

The disconnects are either barbed or have compression fittings that take a barbed nipple. The barbed ones work fine, but the compression ones enable you to disconnect a line without cutting it (say, if a disconnect failed and needed to be swapped out).

You may also want to cool the tower so that the first pour of the day has less foam. There are many fan builds documented on the forum. I use Bradsul's copper passive cooling method, which you should also be able to find with a search.

Then, for "bells and whistles," you could look at keg line cleaner builds from garden sprayers, keg/carboy cleaners with sump pumps in a bucket, the Bowie Bottler, etc.

Good luck.

 

[scrambledegg81]

Cheers! Thinking the dual-tap thing will work better than a single--seems like such a waste of space having just 1 Cornie in it...will see when $ comes around again.

So after taking it apart, the beer line was in dire need of soaking. Put it in a 30 minute soak in PBW which got a majority of the gunk out, but it still had some clingy bits that required a blast from the garden hose & a good soak in Iodophor. Soaked the tower/spigot in PBW, took a spray bottle of sanitizer to the interior (god this thing had some buildup), & checked connections. Hooked up the CO2, gauges & valves all working right.

Anything I'm missing aside from Cornies, in/out connections & some good brau?

 

[heferly]

i would just buy new beverage lines...sooo cheap, and you can balance your system better with more bev line than what most kegerators come with. plus, you don't have to worry what kind of funk was in the old lines.

you can also drill out the tower to take another tap, if you're so inclined. i was lucky mine came with 2 towers - a 1-tapper, and a 2-tapper. 2 taps are waaay better than one

 

[scrambledegg81]

You may also want to cool the tower so that the first pour of the day has less foam.

Thought about that after reading up on it, but the hole that was drilled into the top of the fridge seems large enough to allow cold air up into the tower (probably 4 1/2" to 5" diameter)...think that would work?

Also, I'm sold on the 2-tap idea now--just too much wasted space & infinite more possibilities (and brewing...). I'm like a kid in a toy store right now...more excited than I really should be.

 

[Gimlet]

Thought about that after reading up on it, but the hole that was drilled into the top of the fridge seems large enough to allow cold air up into the tower (probably 4 1/2" to 5" diameter)...think that would work?

Doubtful. Stagnant cold air will stratify to cause a significant temp gradient from the kegs to the taps. You need to keep the cold air circulating.

 

[scrambledegg81]

Hrm--since I'm not too big on DIY, and considering there's a big enough hole (giggady) for a power cord where the CO2 line comes in, maybe something like a small desk fan or even a computer fan mounted inside the fridge portion would work? Just looking for ease of use at this point (though laziness probably has something to do with it...).

 

[heferly]

Hrm--since I'm not too big on DIY, and considering there's a big enough hole (giggady) for a power cord where the CO2 line comes in, maybe something like a small desk fan or even a computer fan mounted inside the fridge portion would work? Just looking for ease of use at this point (though laziness probably has something to do with it...).

I have a computer fan in mine to keep the air circulating, but my first pour always still foams. To me, no big deal, but to each their own. I put one in to keep the fridge from cycling on and off too much and keep co2 from forming in the lines inside the fridge...I'm happy with the setup, and may eventually cool the tower someday.

 

[camiller]

Ain't she a beaut?

So now that I've got this monstrosity taking up a good portion of my garage, I could use a rundown on things I need to check/clean/repair since I haven't the slightest clue where to take it from here. Also came with 2 full-size kegs, but I'm switching to Cornie's since I don't do full 15-gallon batches (yet........), so I'm gathering I need a different coupling? Danke shein in advance.

Think I could get 4-6 of those inside mine?

Definitely do a second tap. Definitely replace the existing lines. I prefer using swivel nuts and the MFL ball lock connectors to make it easy to swap in a commercial keg from time to time. Something like this: http://www.homebrewing.org/Kegerator-Homebrew-Conversion-Kit_p_720.html The MFL tailpieces go onto the old keg coupler which makes it easy to swap in/out for the pair of ball lock connectors. That way in a pinch I could get a 1/6 BBL of Lucky Bucket IPA if I didn't have enough homebrew ready.

Edit: BTW, that might not be the cheapest source for the parts it was just the first result of my Google search.

 

[scrambledegg81]

Cheers.^ Nice job with that monstrosity! o_o

So we're looking about finished at this point: got the dual-tap installed (a beautiful stainless steel sucker I snagged for next to nothing @ LHBS...woohoo!), CO2 filled, pressure tested the Cornie I also got from LHBS, lines are new & sanitized with ball-locks installed, Johnson temp regulator should be here by Friday along with a SF Giants tap handle (!!) and a Cornie of brewery-fresh Racer 5 IPA. (I love working at a bottle shop...) Also in terms of cooling the tower, the one I got (being stainless steel) is insulated with some decent thermal foam sheeting, and the LHBS owner said he has the same tap on his and doesn't have any issues with warm lines inside.

So for final reference, serving pressure around 9PSI, force carb @ 12PSI around 40 degrees for most ales?

 

[jeffmeh]

Ideally, serve at the same pressure needed to carb the keg at the desired volume at temperature, and balance through the length of the liquid line. I carb and serve generally between 10 and 12 psi.

 

[scrambledegg81]

Ergh...ran into an issue after getting a Cornie of Racer 5 here: the Cornie came with a typical Sankey connection (this is after I hooked up the lines with ball-lock connections). Figured stuff out through the LHBS regarding hardware and got screw-on nozzle type connections attached to my Sankey tap that would work with a different kind of ball-lock connector (which I also got), but the damn thing is too tall to fit inside the kegerator with these new connections. Looks like I'm stuck with pony kegs if I want a commercial brew...

I wound up tilting the Cornie at an angle inside the fridge and it seems to be alright so far--never had a better Racer 5 in my life! But as for finishing out the keg, is there a dip tube similar to Cornie kegs that would affect it? (No clue how Sankey kegs work....)

 

[heferly]

Did you get the low-profile sanke adapter? I think it's the wing type...little less height, and more expensive. I think you can get 90 deg bends for your lines, too...all depends on how tall it is compared to your kegerator.

Not sure on the dip tube, but i think sankes have a spear that goes straight down

 

[scrambledegg81]

Looks like that's what I'll have to do (low-profile)...$45 each x2 + double-nozzle CO2 splitter=ouch.

That said, I've never had a better tasting brew than straight from the keg & this dude is no exception. Cheers for all the help!