Portable igloo cooler kegerator

[wantonsoup]

Forgive my ignorance but how do you do that? Full a spare keg with BLC or water or whatever? The systems are all plumbed up with ball lock connectors so I can't think of how else to do that.

 

[benducklow]

Forgive my ignorance but how do you do that? Full a spare keg with BLC or water or whatever? The systems are all plumbed up with ball lock connectors so I can't think of how else to do that.

I simply built myself one of these: http://www.homebrewfinds.com/2012/11/recirculating-draft-line-cleaning-build.html. I use it with a small little pail along with 2 gallons of water (and the appropriate amount of BLC in it) and let it circulate for 10-15 min for each line. I also use it for my draft lines in my kegerator(s). If you plan things out right, you can move from line to line as part of a periodical line cleaning routine!

Good luck!
-Ben

 

[wantonsoup]

Awesome, thanks for the info! And another project

 

[maierhof]

I simply built myself one of these: http://www.homebrewfinds.com/2012/11/recirculating-draft-line-cleaning-build.html. I use it with a small little pail along with 2 gallons of water (and the appropriate amount of BLC in it) and let it circulate for 10-15 min for each line. I also use it for my draft lines in my kegerator(s). If you plan things out right, you can move from line to line as part of a periodical line cleaning routine!

Good luck!
-Ben

Yeaup - i converted a 3g poison(new btw)/garden sprayer and add the pressure myself - the unfortunate truth is that i have to redo it at least twice to do one line... which sux but it works...

BLC gets expensive after a while imho - which is why i just hold the lines in carbon filtered water until the day of the party and only do the BLC every fourth keg run. havent had a problem yet - but this is expected - and can clean them pretty easily using the same tool...

ty for the answer - anyone else do this too?

 

[solavirtus]

I do something like it, just using a 2-liter with a carbonator cap and a gas QD and running PBW then starsan/saniclean.

 

[dmcman73]

I'm in the process of building out my portable kegerator and came across this website that sells brand new kegs and saw their "belmished" section: https://bvrgelements.com/product/Ball-Lock-New-3-Gallon-Blemished/

Brand new 3 gallon ball lock kegs with either some discoloration or dents for $49 a piece. No one is going to be looking at the kegs inside of an ice filled cooler and for $49 for new ball locks, it sure beats buying the used $29 pin lock kegs with loose handles, plus ball lock conversions and new lid, you would easily be at $50 going that route.

 

[brewmasterorr]

I'm in the process of building out my portable kegerator and came across this website that sells brand new kegs and saw their "belmished" section: https://bvrgelements.com/product/Ball-Lock-New-3-Gallon-Blemished/

Brand new 3 gallon ball lock kegs with either some discoloration or dents for $49 a piece. No one is going to be looking at the kegs inside of an ice filled cooler and for $49 for new ball locks, it sure beats buying the used $29 pin lock kegs with loose handles, plus ball lock conversions and new lid, you would easily be at $50 going that route.

They would be too tall for my cooler... Its a great option as long as the cooler will hold it.

 

[Jester5]

Great (long lived) thread and builds. I read through the 40 pages but couldn't see an answer to this question.

For the 5g keg builds where you cut the top off of the 70qt coolers, do you remove the cooler lid hinge? It doesn't look like the lid would slide over with the keg in there if the hinge was still attached?

 

[Pyg]

Since It looks like I can not afford a kegarator, I have started looking into the jockey boxs.

In all seriousness, how difficult is it to build one of these?
Especially for someone who is only mildly mechanically inclined. ( I cut twice, measure once)

 

[wantonsoup]

Very easy. But these aren't Jockey Boxes - these are portable kegerators. Jockey Boxes are basically heat transfer devices where you run lots of copper tubing in the cooler and fill it with ice, the kegs stay outside the box. The setups in this thread actually contain the kegs themselves.

 

[Pyg]

Very easy. But these aren't Jockey Boxes - these are portable kegerators. Jockey Boxes are basically heat transfer devices where you run lots of copper tubing in the cooler and fill it with ice, the kegs stay outside the box. The setups in this thread actually contain the kegs themselves.

I actually have one of those huge 72 can igloo, wheeled coolers.
However when using a portable kegerator I have to imagine that there is a process of adding ice every few days to keep it cold. Doesnt this become a tedious cycle, especially if you dont have a drink for a week (gasp)!

My thought with a jockey box was that the keg could remain room temp and there is never the fear of having it cool down, warm up, cool down etc....

However I have to imagine making a portable kegarator entails simply drilling a hole in the cooler. Dropping the keg in and running the nitro line in.

Can the nitro tank be stored in the cooler itself?

SWMBO is going to be thrilled that my gears are spinning for another "non-house related" project. Who wants to strip wall paper and repaint the hallway when I can make a portable kegarator!

 

[wantonsoup]

I think people use these for temporary occasions, not for weeks at a time. My scheme is keep the kegs in the fridge at home, and in the portable setup when I want to transport more than a growler of beer.

 

[Pyg]

I think people use these for temporary occasions, not for weeks at a time. My scheme is keep the kegs in the fridge at home, and in the portable setup when I want to transport more than a growler of beer.

Got it.
I was thinking of it as a cheaper version of a kegarator, which is going to run me $300.
I wanted to leave it on my deck for the summer, filled with beer!

 

[wantonsoup]

Hey it's your beer and your cooler, and your choice! But leaving it outside in the summer, you're going to spend a LOT on ice!

 

[toast26]

These are great for camping. Holds good temp for a couple days easily.

I did cut the hinges off of mine. (Shaved the bumps off that hold the hinge together.)

View attachment 1422497632366.jpg

 

[Jester5]

I did cut the hinges off of mine. (Shaved the bumps off that hold the hinge together.)

Thanks for the info Toast

 

[asoltero213]

Hey Wountonsoup,
just curious if you were ever able to fit two of the 3 gallon kegs in a cooler? I have all the parts i need for this except the cooler. Seems like walmart and target are out of any cooler over 60 quarts and those didn't work. I went into the store with my 2 kegs to try them for size just in case. Please let me know or anyone else that used the 3 gallon legs from AIH. Thanks.

 

[Silentdrinker]

I think people use these for temporary occasions, not for weeks at a time. My scheme is keep the kegs in the fridge at home, and in the portable setup when I want to transport more than a growler of beer.

I built one exactly the same as OP. I take mine on week (7 days total including driving there and home) long vacations to lake chelan. I fill it with two kegs and ice as we leave. I take two extra full kegs chilled and in those iced blanked neoprene keg glove wraps. The chilled ones stay cold the 6hr drive, but they go in the fridge once we arrive. The other two and cooler sit outside most the time (it gets hot, so I try to keep it in the shade) I only bring it in during the night time or when we leave the house (unless it's to go to the lake, then I take it). I get pretty much the full week out of it before the ice is melted down to nothing but water. Kegs still remain cold though for a bit longer.

I don't fill it with loose ice anymore. I've been freezing used water bottles and gallon size zip lock bags since I hate having to deal with the water. So I will do several in the chest while several are in the freezer as back-up.

Our two day and 5 day beach trips are normally during colder weather. I never have to add ice. So a week is probably the most you would get out of the cooler on warm days. Probably slightly less if it's outside in the sun all the time.

 

[coolharry]

Hey Wountonsoup,
just curious if you were ever able to fit two of the 3 gallon kegs in a cooler? I have all the parts i need for this except the cooler. Seems like walmart and target are out of any cooler over 60 quarts and those didn't work. I went into the store with my 2 kegs to try them for size just in case. Please let me know or anyone else that used the 3 gallon legs from AIH. Thanks.

You're after the 75qt coleman cooler at Lowes. With the molded handles, not the white loose handles, they have different interior dimensions for some reason. I'm not sure if they're still around though. None of the Lowes near me have the molded handled ones anymore.

 

[asoltero213]

You're after the 75qt coleman cooler at Lowes. With the molded handles, not the white loose handles, they have different interior dimensions for some reason. I'm not sure if they're still around though. None of the Lowes near me have the molded handled ones anymore.

Yes I got the one with the molded handles, they fit perfectly in there except when you add the pin lock connectors. I went ahead and ordered the short pin lock connectors and they are still too high, the lid won't close. Not sure what to do at this point, I really didn't want to cut into the lid.

 

[coolharry]

Yes I got the one with the molded handles, they fit perfectly in there except when you add the pin lock connectors. I went ahead and ordered the short pin lock connectors and they are still too high, the lid won't close. Not sure what to do at this point, I really didn't want to cut into the lid.

You can convert the kegs to ball lock which saves just enough room to fit. Its still takes some maneuvering but the fittings should line up with recessed areas in the lid in the right position.

 

[Silentdrinker]

Yes I got the one with the molded handles, they fit perfectly in there except when you add the pin lock connectors. I went ahead and ordered the short pin lock connectors and they are still too high, the lid won't close. Not sure what to do at this point, I really didn't want to cut into the lid.

I have 16 three gallon Spartan kegs and all of them were pin. I found there was a specific orientation where they both fit with the coupler, but it was a PITA.

So what I did was purchase a couple sets of low profile pin coupler from chi company. They're pin couplers the size of a ball. Worked great and was way cheaper than swapping posts.

 

[asoltero213]

I have 16 three gallon Spartan kegs and all of them were pin. I found there was a specific orientation where they both fit with the coupler, but it was a PITA.

So what I did was purchase a couple sets of low profile pin coupler from chi company. They're pin couplers the size of a ball. Worked great and was way cheaper than swapping posts.

I bought the pin couplers from chi company also. So did they for four toy in the same ice chest from lowe's?

 

[asoltero213]

You're after the 75qt coleman cooler at Lowes. With the molded handles, not the white loose handles, they have different interior dimensions for some reason. I'm not sure if they're still around though. None of the Lowes near me have the molded handled ones anymore.

I just noticed I don't have the molded handles one.

 

[coolharry]

I just noticed I don't have the molded handles one.

I was just coming back to update this. I was at Lowes and took a quick measurement of the ones without the molded handles and it was the same dimensions listed earlier in this thread. So apparently its just a matter of getting it from Lowes. If you want to check, the Lowes cooler is 20" x 15" x 17" (interior dimensions). This will fit the three gallon kegs.

 

[asoltero213]

I was just coming back to update this. I was at Lowes and took a quick measurement of the ones without the molded handles and it was the same dimensions listed earlier in this thread. So apparently its just a matter of getting it from Lowes. If you want to check, the Lowes cooler is 20" x 15" x 17" (interior dimensions). This will fit the three gallon kegs.

Yea I have the lowe's cooler and bought the short pin lock connectors, but the lid won't close. Wondering what everyone with the same stuff did. Did they cut into the lid?

 

[humpadilo]

This is my portable setup. I didn't want to have to buy the smaller legs so I wanted to fit my 5 gallon legs in a rolling cooler I already had. So I rigged up a top that just sits on the cooler with the lid removed. It stays cold pretty well and I can just squeeze in two 5 gallon kegs. These pictures are before I installed the taps but you can see were they go. It was made with stuff I had laying around. I only had to purchase minimal hardware for this.
View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1425501068.836594.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1425501107.733873.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1425501127.598694.jpg

 

[asoltero213]

Well i finished mine, I had to cut into the lid a little bit so the lid would close. Here it is.

 

[brewprint]

Well i finished mine, I had to cut into the lid a little bit so the lid would close. Here it is.

Which model of cooler is this? Are those pin lock kegs?

 

[HiImBrian]

Seriously super pumped by this idea! I'll have to come back to this once it's time to build!