Kegerator or keezer project

[Jeebas]

Got all of my faucets used off of e-bay 12 415 perlicks and 2 stout style faucets 1 Taprite and the other a Caffreys Irish Ale over time total cost $108.34 with shipping if you watch you can find deals works best when your not in a hurry but have the money ready to buy when you do find the deals

I just saw this now. Not sure what the Perlick 415 is but I spent $121.96 on 4 Perlick 525 SS ($30.49 a pop). You're saying you got 12 perlicks and and two stout faucets for $108? Even if that was just for the Perlicks thats $9 per faucet. Someone must have lad a lapse in sanity to sell them that low.

If I buy a set up for a single tap system is it easily convertible to a double? Or should I just buy all the stuff for double upfront?

It depends. If you do a mini fridge conversion than you are gonna be limited on the configuration of the tower. If you do a collared keezer, then the sky's the limit as you can always drill more holes. The same can kinda be said for coffin builds, but it depends on how wide you make the coffin box. But I guess thats more a design consideration than what equipment to buy.

As far as equipment I would drop the extra $20-30 and get a dual body regulator over a single body regulator - this is more for wanting to serve at two different pressures or have one for force carbing at 30 PSi and another for serving at 12 PSI, etc. Then you buy whatever manifold you need to scale up to different numbers of taps.

Bear in mind that you are need a faucet, shank, tailpiece / beernut hose and beer and gas QDs for each additional line. A good idea is to understand what goes into the assembly of the system and then plan out what you are going to need rather than just buying a "X Faucet Conversion Kit"

 

[beaksnbeer]

Sorry, 425's got 6 for $6.00 a piece they were listed as "brass soda faucets" could hardly breathe time time expired.

 

[SCBrewster]

Ok so for a double tap kegerator I need a 5lb co2 tank. 2 regulators 2 5 gallon kegs. Gas lines from the tank to the keg. Beer lines from each of the kegs. 2 taps. Anything else? Obviously the mini fridge. How tough is it to build a draft tower? Seems you could make it out of almost anything for waaaayyyy cheaper

 

[Jeebas]

Ok so for a double tap kegerator I need a 5lb co2 tank. 2 regulators 2 5 gallon kegs. Gas lines from the tank to the keg. Beer lines from each of the kegs. 2 taps. Anything else? Obviously the mini fridge. How tough is it to build a draft tower? Seems you could make it out of almost anything for waaaayyyy cheaper

You don't need two regulators, you either need:

A normal one body regulator

and a two way gas manifold / air distributor

OR a Two body regulator

Then you need

Gas line

Beer line

Quick disconnects (one for each line) for gas side of the corney kegs

Quick disconnects (one for each line) for beer side of the corney kegs

Swivel nuts (the barb goes onto the hose, the other end screws onto the MFL part of the QD - this allows for easy removal of hose from the QDs, you can skip this by just doing barb style disconnects)

And Oetiker clamps to clamp everything down

People have made their own draft towers out of PVC / wood, then you would need to source the parts for the tower faucet assembly yourself (I am not familiar with this)

I hope this helps!

 

[beaksnbeer]

Or this

 

[SCBrewster]

What's that?

 

[Huaco]

What's that?

Brilliant... That is what that is! In a pinch, any hardware store should have this setup! Thanks for posting this...

 

[Jeebas]

What's that?

They look like plastic (or something like that) MFL disconnects, basically an alternative to the swivel nuts

 

[beaksnbeer]

This one has 5/16 OD x 3/16 ID x 1/4 mfl no more clamps you push it in til it stops to remove you push the grey ring to the body and pull (John Guest) push-lock fittings

 

[beaksnbeer]

They come this way as well

 

[SCBrewster]

Ok I am bringing this thread back to life. Is it cheaper and simpler to just buy a kegerator conversion kit rather than all these seperate pieces? Seems like it would but idk. Guess that's why I'm askin

 

[Jeebas]

It would be simpler, but it isn't necessarily cheaper. Plus if you decide that you wanna go with MFL swivel nuts (so you can unscrew lines from disconnects) instead of just hose barbs clamped some kits just do hose barbs.

Prices fluctuate all the time, so there isn't a straight answer for this moneywise.

I would read up on all of what is needed for a keg setup and understand it very well before you make any purchases.

 

[SCBrewster]

I'm looking at buying this kegerator off of Craigslist http://myrtlebeach.craigslist.org/for/3606396876.html any thoughts? I offered the guy $100 for it and he said he'd take it. Its about 2 hours away. Should I do it?

 

[beaksnbeer]

Indecision may or may not be your problem. But if it cools not a bad deal replace lines and clean add a few more QD's and I believe 3-4 kegs should fit nicely.

 

[Jeebas]

If you're looking at something just to get you going into kegging on the cheap I would say yes thats' a pretty good deal.. You could always slap a two faucet tower on there if you wanted to.

BUT that thing does look old. $100 is a decent price for it though. I'd go for it

 

[SCBrewster]

Hmmm haha yes indecision is definitely my problem. Sorry to keep bringing old threads back to life! So would it be decently easy to make it work with homebrew kegs it sounds like?

 

[beaksnbeer]

A brew buddy has one like that switched to 3 tap. It's a R-12 at 1.4 amp and 120 volt brake down on electricity: 1.4 X 120 = 168 (Watts) X 2.3 (Hours it runs per day) =386.4 X 365 (Day per year) =141,036 (Total Watts) / divided by 1000 = 141.04 Kw X .06 (what ever your price is per Kw) = $8.46 per year to run, or 2 cents a day here.

 

[SCBrewster]

Yeah but would you not keep it on all the time so your beer stays cold?

 

[beaksnbeer]

It is but the compressor will only run for several minutes every 1/2 hour to hour. So it will only run or draw power for about 2-3 hours per day total.

 

[SCBrewster]

Well I emailed the guy asking him some questions about it like if it runs and important things like that and he never emailed me back and it's off Craigslist haha makes that decision easy!

 

[beaksnbeer]

Not to offend but if your looking for deals you have to move quick or there gone " hesitate and wait"

 

[SCBrewster]

Oh no I completely understand. There was no way I could get to this guy during a work week just too far away and I knew that so I'm not all that upset

 

[ClemsonDV]

I feel your pain. I started looking about 5 months back. Bought one is Seneca SC for $75 and it was huge. SWMBO hated it and I really didn't need one that could fit 9 kegs (but honestly, if you have space and a love for brewing...go big or home). Then i looked around and had 2 available in Charlotte (where I live) for $50 and they were prestine. But got sold right form under me when I asked for dimensions and such. Luckily i found one in Florence (great condition for $50) and another one that was older but work (now my fermentation chamber) for $40.

But now I am helping my buddy make one and it seems freezers have risen in value. Can't find a 5-9 cu ft freezer for less than $125 anywhere. At the time, $50 freezers riddled CL, now they are unicorns. If you do the math and think a decent deal, you gotta take it. Price gas into the equation, but also be smart. Some crap is on CL, and you can't return it.

What's your size and price range. I do a scout out in Columbia/Florence/Charlotte/Greenville every so often for good deals. I will be on the lookout. My buddy is wavering his kegging commitment, but i like finding deals. Sold the giant freezer for a $25 project and a happy SWMBO. Also I have found some 20 lb CO2 tanks for $20 each (wasnt quick enough).

 

[Arg1129]

I went to beveragefactory.com and got their two tap picnic tap set with a tank and two ball lock kegs and two 525ss with stainless shanks for less than their two tap conversion kit. It saved me like $60 doing it that way. All I need is beer line and clamps. It isn't the eBay/Craigslist route but I wanted new.

Now I'm just waiting for my aquarium thermostat and kenmore 8.8 to get here...

Oh and how to be a better brewer...

Does anyone know how much of the chalkboard paint is needed to cover the kenmore 8.8. I know lowes has an cover amount but I wanted a real world number.

 

[SCBrewster]

Sweet. How much did all of that end up running you?

 

[HopVol]

I think it really depends on what you already have kegs, faucets, etc. I got the freezer for mine off craigslist for $90. The wood, stain, and appliance paint was maybe $50. Where it gets expensive is when your buying kegs, faucets, gas regulators, etc. Thats why I went with the keezer and started with just two faucets but I drilled eight holes and covered them with faucet hole covers.

If I might suggest one thing. Go as big as space and $$ will allow now and add to it later because you WILL want to add more taps. They are addictive!

 

[Arg1129]

Sweet. How much did all of that end up running you?

Because I wanted new, minus the kegs, plus good old 8% CA sales tax and shipping was $400. The temp controller was $20 but I am nervous about it and might just throw down for a Johnson or Ronco I'm weighing my budget first. I found that the wood and hardware for the collar, I went with red oak, was also about $100. I didn't want to spend so much but everyone on CL out here wanted a lot for stuff they built or pieced together. I at least know what was put into mine and how all the parts have been treated.