Hi ya'll.
I am building my first kegerator and need some advice regarding what type of regulator/line kit I should install.
I would like to have a three line system with the ability to serve two beers and carb a keg on the third line. Is it necessary to get a manifold with 3 secondary regulators so that the two beers being served can be at different pressures? Or would both serving lines at the same pressure be adequate?
I also want to have the ability to add another line or two in the future. What do ya'll recommend? Thanks in advance for the advice!
How many lines do you see yourself having in the future? That's what you need to ask yourself. If you're starting out with two now, but know you may have the room for say 4 lines, then I would probably look to build for those 4 lines now. For example, (using Keg Connection as reference), a two line gas distributor is about $24. A 4 line is about $20 more. If you could swing it, maybe spend the extra $20 and have the ability of two kegs carbing "on deck" while you're serving the other two (or serve three and carb up one). The thing with a distributor is all the beers coming off that will be at the same pressure. If you use secondary regulators, then you have the freedom to set differing pressures according to style and/or have one or more kegs bursting carbing. A bit more expensive than a simple multiport distributor. Another reason for an extra port is if you intend on using a beer gun to bottle beers.
Another option is a dual body regulator (3 gauges, one high pressure, two low). I have a TapRite and love it. I wished I had bought one when I first started. With mine, I have one line going to a four port distributor to my kegs being served. The other line is for burst carbing. It maybe not be much of a need if you're one that keeps the pipeline full, but if you're like me and you sometimes let the pipeline dwindle a bit, it's good to know you have the option to carb up a keg quicker than with the set and forget method. Something else to think about is where your co2 tank will reside. The biggest negative with a dual body regulator was it ate up a lot of keg space inside the keezer. I also have a rust ring from it on my keezer bottom. It's been since moved out and I have space for almost 3 more kegs. Some folks prefer the tank inside, I'm no longer one of those in that camp.
IMO (if you haven't bought your freezer of choice to be your kegerator), look thought the thread
Chest Freezer Specs and Layouts. It's one of the stickies in this section and was a great resource for my kegerator project. Look at what you think will work with you now and how will it will work for you when you want to add more to it in the future. Do you want an upright or a chest freezer? Are your taps going to be in a collar? through the door? Are you planning on using a tap tower? These are questions to consider. See how the pros/cons of those options weigh out on what you want.
Sorry for the winded post, but to put your mind at ease, the best part of my keezer project was the research on what I wanted. The extremely long, but wonderful, "show me your kegerator thread" was a great read too and gave me some ideas on how I did mine. Good luck!