Refigerator Keg Conversion Kits...

[EamusCatuli]

Hey all, im in the market for turning my full sized fridge into a kegerator.

I need some help though. . .

I was looking to just getting conversion kit - like this: http://stores.kegconnection.com/Detail.bok?no=33

But I really dont want to spend more than $200 and I want two kegs, or at least have the ability to add one more easily.

Whats my best bet here???

 

[RICLARK]

Im gonna have to tell you something you wont want to hear. Luxury costs money. Unless you can piece together a system with good deals from craigslist and ebay you will have to got this route. Kegconnection has really good deals. To give you an example: I spent 60.00 on two kegs 20.00 on lines and connections, 120.00 on a 10# Co2 tank plus 200.00 for my freezer. Now if you can piece together what I did since you already have fridge you will be in good shape.

 

[Dycokac]

Yeah, kegs are about $30 each, lines for gas and beer will be in the $20 range, a Single Regulator should be around $30. Then faucets themselves are in the $20-$40 range, but you still need shanks (around $10 per faucet) and other hardware. And then the CO2 tank is going to be atleast $80.

It's really tough to get even a single keg setup going for much less than $200.

I have gotten lucky on ebay with my regulators.

It mostly comes down to how patient are you, or if you'd like to have all the gear in one shipment ready to rack to same day. It took me about a month to get all my hardware together and thankfully a buddy of mine sold me a spare fridge for $50 bucks .

I think I spent around $500 total for a 3 tap setup and that included a 4 way air manifold.

Well worth it though, 20 minutes on bottleing day vers 2 hours .

 

[EamusCatuli]

Yeah, kegs are about $30 each, lines for gas and beer will be in the $20 range, a Single Regulator should be around $30. Then faucets themselves are in the $20-$40 range, but you still need shanks (around $10 per faucet) and other hardware. And then the CO2 tank is going to be atleast $80.

It's really tough to get even a single keg setup going for much less than $200.

I have gotten lucky on ebay with my regulators.

It mostly comes down to how patient are you, or if you'd like to have all the gear in one shipment ready to rack to same day. It took me about a month to get all my hardware together and thankfully a buddy of mine sold me a spare fridge for $50 bucks .

I think I spent around $500 total for a 3 tap setup and that included a 4 way air manifold.

Well worth it though, 20 minutes on bottleing day vers 2 hours .

Well I have the fridge already, which is nice. I suppose my biggest question is what sort of regulator should I buy where I can have the option of adding a 2nd keg someday pretty easily.

 

[Chriso]

Cheap solution. Buy a standard CO2 regulator, any kind will work. I have a 2-gauge, but many people swear by 1-gauge regulators too. Use a straight gas line from the regulator into your keg. When you want to add a 2nd keg, buy a stainless gas tee, put it a foot out from the regulator, and add a 2nd gas line and QD.

Moderately expensive solution. Buy a standard CO2 regulator, and a 2-way (or 3-way or 4-way) splitter manifold. Don't make the mistake I made though -- spend the extra $10 or so, and get one with check valves built in!!!!! .... Then, just hook up one gas line to the first valve, and keep the other one (or two or three) closed. Add a hose and a QD as you go for each one.

Moderately expensive but highly adaptable solution. Buy a standard 1-gauge or 2-gauge regulator. Make your own secondary regulator. Use the cheap $5 secondary regulator available at SciPlus (American Scientific Surplus). Buy your own fittings to bridge the individual regulator bodies (close-nipple couplings) and your own low-pressure gauges for each regulator. Buy a brass hex plug for the regulator at the end of the daisy chain. Then... run a hose from the primary regulator (set at 30 or 35 or whatever you want psi) to the input to the daisy-chained secondary regs. Run a hose and a QD from each individual secondary regulator, and dial in each individual pressure.

Most expensive solution. Buy a multi-pressure regulator, and avoid all the work in the above step, but pay more. Not a good idea if your regulator is outside the fridge - you'll have to put multiple gas line holes in the door.

If it were me, if budget were only somewhat an issue (that is to say, it's important, but there's room to work with it if one option is more viable long-term than the other)... I'd go with the 3rd one - buy a single-regulator, run a line, and build your own multi-gauge secondary reg. Jester369 built one for his keezer. ( https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=31221 ) go to about post #10.

 

[Chriso]

As far as prices, mine panned out like this:

CO2 tank: $65, filled, local.
Regulator: $25, died after a couple months, but the vendor replaced it n/c.
3-way manifold (without check valves! d'oh!): $35
2 Shanks, 4.5": $32
2 Perlicks: $80
Hoses, clamps, QD's: Around $20 for each tap? Call it $45 total incl. misc.

About $280 in hardware... That's excluding my 10 kegs.