Planning for a kegerator...

[Javaslinger]

I'm looking at used fridges on craigslist with the hope of eventually turning it into a kegerator, but for now using it to get all the beer out of my kitchen fridge and use for cold crashing.

I've seen people use little 4.3 cu mini fridges and standing up fridge/freezers, etc. I think the extra space of the stand up is nice, but is the 'freezer' portion just wasted once it's a kegerator?

 

[Greytop]

It depends. Whether side x side or top mount, most refrigerators move air from the freezer compartment to the main compartment. I chose to keep mine separate, but I've seen a lot of guys take out the partition in side x sides or put a larger fan in the wall between compartments. Some have the fan controlled by a temp sensor so they can regulate different temps between the compartments.

 

[brandonlovesbeer]

My first kegerator was just a rectangular mini-fridge that I bought off craigslist. I modified it and added a tap tower. It was able to accommodate 2 kegs very snugly. But the CO2 tank remained out side. And the kegs froze up if more than one was inside.

I'm about to render that one obsolete.

I moved to a new house with a fridge included. But I took my old fridge (from my other house). That has been used solely as my beer fridge. It's a side-by-side.

My plan is to dismantle the old mini-fridge kegerator and use the taps and other transferable equipment on this new fridge.

It will double as a bottle fridge/kegerator.

 

[GPP33]

Chest freezer for the win. Google keezer. Options are endless.

Just get one bigger than you think you need. I got one big enough for three, should have done 5. The longer you brew the more good recipes you figure out that you'll always want to have on tap.

 

[NeoBrew]

Check out the "all refrigerator". All the cooling goodness, none of the freezer space wasted.

https://brewnanigans.wordpress.com/diy-2/all-refrigerator-kegorator-build/

 

[imasickboy]

You can probably buy a complete beer fridge on craigslist cheaper than you can buy most of the components separately. The fridge will likely be old, but usable, and all you'll need to do it convert the fittings from sankey to ball or pin lock. It's a good starting point. The freezer can be used for bulk hops, or a glycol chilling setup for a fermentor, or a long-run tap system. Or fill it with bacon. Or bags or buckets of ice. Just don't leave it empty. Any mass will maintain temperature better than air. But seriously, freezer space will likely never go to waste. There's always something to put in the freezer. Like bratwurst when it goes on sale. One of my freezers has 30 quart sized mason jars of hops in it. You can fill a freezer, I promise.