Portable igloo cooler kegerator

[MeanGreen]

another option with a 5 gallon keg. I like the two keg option what is the diameter of those small kegs? If they are the same as the five gallon I wonder if you could put two five gallon kegs coming through the top like I did with the single I will have to measure.

I know you posted the majority of the details for the portable kegerator. How is your co2 bottle resting in the cup holder hole?

Also would 20oz be a wiser choice?

I don't think I have access to your regulator, so I would probably have to put all that inside the cooler, and just run the gas line up throught the hole?

I see that you went with the tap directly, is that due to concerns about the temp of the beer line

 

[Encinoman]

I haven't even finished my first batch and I wanna start building one! MUST.....REESSSISST! Very cool thread.

 

[Special Hops]

Cool, just wish those 3 gal cornies weren't so damn expensive.

 

[danger831]

I drilled a hole with a hole saw through the cup holder just smaller than the co2 tank and then just pressed it in.I did the direct tap for simplicity and coolness I wanted to be able to make tap handles to match the party.

 

[demonrichie]

maybe swmbo will let me make one of these then she doesnt have the 'theres no room' excuse

 

[kmat123]

Building a portable keg cooler like Danger's would be more appealing to me because if going to a party/bbq/etc. I could simply grab one of my 5 gallon cornies out of my keezer, put it in the cooler and toss in a bag of ice = instant party!

 

[Encinoman]

Thats if you have a keezer already

 

[BBBF]

I have the kegs, faucets and now the cooler. As for CO2, I have an extra (out of date) 20lb tank that I think can be traded for a smaller tank. Would a 5 or 10lb tank be best? Is a 5lb small enough to fit inside or attach to the outside or would I be better off going with the tank that will last the longest?

 

[attitude]

I would go with the piantball 20oz tank they are cheap enough on ebay.

 

[Cpt_Kirks]

I would go with the piantball 20oz tank they are cheap enough on ebay.

Wal*Mart has them for about $25 or so.

 

[IrregularPulse]

I have the kegs, faucets and now the cooler. As for CO2, I have an extra (out of date) 20lb tank that I think can be traded for a smaller tank. Would a 5 or 10lb tank be best? Is a 5lb small enough to fit inside or attach to the outside or would I be better off going with the tank that will last the longest?

even a 5lb is going to be too big for a 'portable' system. And way overkill. I can carb and serve ~4 kegs on a 5lb fill.

I finally got my 3G corny and am debating using the quick change 12G cartridges or picking up the adapter for a 20oz paintball tank I already have laying around.

 

[AnOldUR]

. . . debating using the quick change 12G cartridges or picking up the adapter for a 20oz paintball tank I already have laying around.

I still bring the small quick change cartridges along for backup, but haven't used one in a long time. The 20oz are small enough to be portable, but big enough that you don't have to worry about running out. The trigger on the quick change are way too tempting for drinking buddies to fiddle with. With a regulator on a 20oz, it's set it and forget it till the keg kicks.

And as a bonus, if you want to purge a carboy, keg or even bottles, the 20oz is much easier to use than hauling the bigger tank out of the basement. The paint ball place fills them for something like $3. Well worth the convience!

 

[danger831]

I use a 9oz and they make even smaller ones like about 4 or 5oz

 

[user 40839]

Speaking of 20oz cylinders, has anyone found a good spot to snag regulators for these? I know Keg Connection has them for $60, but when I sniff around ebay, I see things like these going for half that: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320496656839

 

[danger831]

I like the looks of that a lot very compact but the connection to a pb co2 tank doesn't look normal

 

[user 40839]

I like the looks of that a lot very compact but the connection to a pb co2 tank doesn't look normal

Yeah - I honestly have no idea, since I've never used one of the wee tanks, I just saw that it was threaded to go on a tank, and the PB ones are the only ones I know of that are threaded (unless it's some wacky proprietary Chinese tank it needs!)

 

[Cpt_Kirks]

I use a 9oz and they make even smaller ones like about 4 or 5oz

How do you use the 9oz tank? With linked adapters?

I never got the 9oz tank to work.

 

[natebomb]

Speaking of 20oz cylinders, has anyone found a good spot to snag regulators for these? I know Keg Connection has them for $60, but when I sniff around ebay, I see things like these going for half that: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320496656839

Not sure if this works for you or not, $20

http://www.homebrewstuff.com/servlet/the-298/portable-co2-injector-ball/Detail

 

[user 40839]

Cheers for that, Nate - I actually ended up getting the paintball regulator, now I just need the tank and the cooler, and can get this built.

 

[ScubaSteve]

Why not just go with a smaller "long" cooler? You could still keep things compact, AND fit 2 5 gallon cornies side by side.

 

[starrfish]

another option with a 5 gallon keg. I like the two keg option what is the diameter of those small kegs? If they are the same as the five gallon I wonder if you could put two five gallon kegs coming through the top like I did with the single I will have to measure.

SWWEEET ROD HOLDERS mounted to front! had homebrews on the beach in the fish/bait cooler this weekend bottles smelled like bait by end of day LOL!

love the portability of these jockey boxes!

 

[suffer78]

I haven't even started kegging yet and I want to make one of these. How to make it floatable down the river is the question...

 

[BBBF]

I ended up building one that looks exactly like C. Kirk's. I've taken it out twice and it worked great. I also picked up another 3 gallon keg off craigslist for $20, but it is a pin lock and I haven't been able to do anything with it yet.

 

[danger831]

suffer78 it fits in a tube

 

[Aubie Stout]

Huh..... I thought I had an original idea. Should have known better!


Anyway, here are the pics from the one I built today.

Components:

Trimmed the top to fit a 5gal keg and CO2 bottle:

Finished product:

 

[IrregularPulse]

Might as well post my 3G setup. The lid does close all the way. I used it a whole one time before breaking the quick change co2 adapter. I'll have to pick up a new one this spring. I was a bit wasted and the beer stopped flowing. So I assumed the co2 was empty, I tried real hard to unscrew it and it broke. Turns out it was still under pressure, the keg was just empty

 

[HellBentBrewCo]

Still need one more keg but I'm ready for baseball season.

 

[Whut]

.

 

[HellBentBrewCo]

I got my second keg today and I can't get it in. Does anyone else have this problem? I have the 70 qt cooler and 2 3 gallon kegs. I think the rubber strip around the base is making the kegs too wide. Any suggestions.

 

[DrHops]

I have the same issue with mine. I read somewhere awhile back that there are actually two different versions of the 70 qt cooler. The older one easily fits two kegs and the newer one does not.