Show us your Kegerator

[Flyin' Lion]

First of all I should say hello. I've been lurking around these boards for a while and now that a few final exams are out of the way I can take the time to post some photos of my kegerator. I removed the door handles and replaced the stock inside door panel with a piece of whiteboard material to increase the space in addition to removing the shelfs and building a platform to hold kegs. Oh yeah and the sweet two tone spraycan magic paintjob (better than old beige at least).

I had my roomates measure the fridge out and it seems like I should be able to fit 2 corny's along with a 1/2bbl. :rockin:
I should probably go to the new member forum and properly introduce myself soon...

Excellent first post TheFlyingBeer.

And welcome to the forum, you definitely need to start working on getting some homebrew in that kegerator.

 

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

Funny. Before I read that I was actually thinking that photo looked photoshopped.

1/2 barrel for "them" and the cornys for "you"?

 

[FlyingHorse]

Oh yeah, yours was a strong influence on this design (ok, I totally stole it! ) I am planning on having the top be completely separate from the base, attached to the lid of the freezer, tower and all. I just ordered the freezer today, so construction will commence in another week or so!

Jester, Brewpastor -- I have a pending great deal on a 23 cu ft chest freezer, and want to turn it into something similar to your designs. Do you have any plans/tips/things you wish you'd done differently? PM me if so. Thanks!

 

[FlyingHorse]

You may say that you only want two taps....

You should plan on having as many taps as the fridge will hold. This isn't suggesting that you have to buy them all at once. You should just plan for the expansion... In other words, don't cut any holes that will limit future expansion or invest in a drip tray that only has room for 2 taps.

Couldn't agree more!

One day my wife said she hated all the fuss of bottling (she wasn't doing any of it, just didn't like having the bottles around, me taking over the kitchen, the time it took, etc.) So I jumped at the opportunity and said, "well, I could keg it". Bought a Sanyo 1206 that day, with the two-tap tower. Awesome, right?

Yeah, well now I find myself with 5, 6, 8 beers ready to go...and two taps. So I jury-rigged a picnic-tap setup in an old upright freezer that the previous owners of our house left behind. Not real easy to use, not very aesthetically appealing, and not without its problems.

So now I have a line on a 23 cu ft chest freezer (craigslist deal), and plans to rig it up for at least 8 taps. Maybe more; I think it'll hold at least 10 cornies.

'course, then I'll need more kegs

 

[drayman86]

Word of caution about these old fridges: they're NOT grounded. I added a grounding wire to the frame at the rear of the fridge (white wire in first pic) and ran it to a grounding clamp that connects to my house electric grounding wire that runs (conveniently) right overhead above the suspended ceiling. There are documented cases of ungrouded fridges like these causing electrocutions; talk about a buzz killer......

 

[kornkob]

I shoudl take another pic of my kegerator. Last year the wheels of my heier kegerator got bitched up rolling it accross a parking lot so they've never worked right since. On inspection it became apparent that the wheels were totally inadequet in several ways. Too small so they hung up on small things. They were mounted in the metal sides with on singificant renforcement so they bent easily. They were cheap plastic instead of rubber. Lots of issues.

So recently I picked up some 4 inch casters and mounted the kegerator on those using some scrap lumber and some lag screws. Slap a little black paint on the wood to make that disappear and I've got a kegerator that I can move around with one finger.

 

[Flyin' Lion]

Kornkob, just an FYI, my buddy jacked up his Danby kegerator by moving it around a lot (he also transported it on his four-wheeler up and down the street). He was able to get a replacement under warranty, but he also only had it a short while.

I don't know if you move yours a lot, but it's something to consider.

 

[kornkob]

Been moving it for years. It's fine.

 

[Flyin' Lion]

On second thought, my buddy is kind of a knucklehead. His was probably self inflicted. I'm sure bouncing around on a quad wouldn't be good for any appliance.

 

[Bobby_M]

Here's a couple pics of my finished product:

I've got 7" mower wheels on one end and 3" swivel castors on the other. I haven't tried doing it yet, but this design was so I could roll it out of the garage and around to the back of the house over a bit of grass (hence the larger wheels). If I had a welding machine at my house, I would have made a rectangular dolly frame out of bedframe angle iron and weld the castors and rear axle to it. There is really nothing to screw into at the bottom.

 

[hmpitags2006]

 

[kornkob]

Either that or I'm really lucky.

Might be a brand thing too-- I know another guy who has a Heier and he takes it to conventions all the time where it certainly gets banged around a lot.

One of the local rental places uses Heier kegerators to rent for events/weddings/bach parties-- I can't imagine they'd use them if they broke down every time they went out.

 

[Uncle Argyle]

I finally got my build diary of sorts completed. I actually built it back in '04 purely for commercial beer (before i started brewing), but this site and this thread inspired me to get the pics and such online.

Plus, I've just completed work on a new tower cooling device that's a bit different than most of what I've seen around.

Very open to hearing your comments or thoughts about the project: http://www.pbase.com/mrfebtober/kegerator_build

Checked out your page and thought what you did with the cooling fan was great! Might have to steal that idea as I am tired of the foamy first beer...that and the sticking cheap faucets!

 

[jlinner]

Here is mine....

 

[jlinner]

Its not completed yet, we installed all the new kick ass tap handles and we have a stout tap that is not on there as well.

 

[Uncle Argyle]

Here's mine. Basically pilfered all the ideas from everyone on this board! Thanks!

it's a 4.9 Kenmore...almost identical to the Sanyo model.

 

[BierMuncher]

Here's a couple pics of my finished product:

I've got 7" mower wheels on one end and 3" swivel castors on the other. I haven't tried doing it yet, but this design was so I could roll it out of the garage and around to the back of the house over a bit of grass (hence the larger wheels). If I had a welding machine at my house, I would have made a rectangular dolly frame out of bedframe angle iron and weld the castors and rear axle to it. There is really nothing to screw into at the bottom.

That turned out great Bobby.

I have the same model. Mine sure seems to have a lot of condensation inside.

I ended up with 2x8 for a collar so too heavy to try to make it part fo the lid. I'll put the taps close together off to the side to avoid a collision when lifting kegs in and out.

Man I wish I could afford some perlicks (or shirrons) right now.

 

[EdWort]

Word of caution about these old fridges: they're NOT grounded. I added a grounding wire to the frame at the rear of the fridge (white wire in first pic) and ran it to a grounding clamp that connects to my house electric grounding wire that runs (conveniently) right overhead above the suspended ceiling. There are documented cases of ungrouded fridges like these causing electrocutions; talk about a buzz killer......

Yeah, I remember growing up and opening the fridge at home while at the same time reaching up and pulling on the lamp chain above the fridge. It was an electrifying experience. I was only 12 then, but I figured to wrap some tape around the chain.

 

[olllllo]

Use Damp Rid for condensation.
http://www.damprid.dsiwebbuilder.com/index.asp?cat=40019

or live in the desert like I do.

oh and GFCI for those shock problems.

 

[Bobby_M]

I added some damprid but I'm not all that concerned with condensation. There's nothing inside that will be ruined by the moisture, I mean it's all stainless in there. You'll also find that you'll get less when you put faucets in because you won't be opening the lid so often. Whenever I swap a keg out, I absorb the water from the bottom with some paper towels.

 

[olllllo]

Moisture is potentially more of an issue if you ferment in the freezer and you airlock fails, etc.

In some humid areas, the condesation can be quite substantial, however.

 

[HenryHill]

I have two and a nice Sony digital camera, but where can I plant pics-who is the best at hosting pics?

I also get to keep one in the living room-but it frees up a lot of fridge space and I have 3 of those.

"My other Kegerator is a dirt bike shop beast".

 

[MrFebtober]

Checked out your page and thought what you did with the cooling fan was great! Might have to steal that idea as I am tired of the foamy first beer...that and the sticking cheap faucets!

Thanks! With the thin layer of closed-cell foam that came in the draft tower I bought, I am able to get the tower line to within about 10 degrees of the main compartment temp with 6VDC powering the fan. 12VDC brings the temp down even closer to the fridge temp, but because my tower isn't well enough insulated, it gets very cold to the touch, which means i'm wasting quite a bit of energy. I keep the fan running full time when I have something on draft (as opposed to wiring it into the thermostat switch).

 

[kornkob]

I have two and a nice Sony digital camera, but where can I plant pics-who is the best at hosting pics?

https://cdn.homebrewtalk.com/gallery/

 

[BierMuncher]

...Whenever I swap a keg out, I absorb the water from the bottom with some paper towels.

I try to do that. But with those 2x8's mounted and me at 5'9", when I bend over to swab the bottom I come pretty close to tipping myself upside down in my own kegerator.

Oh...but what a way to go...

 

[Brewer3401]

That Philco is really nice.

 

[BierMuncher]

Okay, okay...I know.

The faucets are on their way. I'm just prepping.

Even so, this is a lot nicer than openning the freezer everytime for a "sample:.

Bobby, you were right. Hardly any condensation now.

 

[howlinowl]

Ok, here are a couple pics.
First my old kegerator. Found this one listed in one of those throwaway classified papers. Originally had only one faucet. I had added a manifold and 2 more faucets, then upgraded to a 3 secondary guage manifold.

http://www.howlinowl.com/photos/kegerator/10.jpg

Then, I got the one below. I removed all the hardware from the old kegerator and scrapped the fridge. I still have everything but the manifold (sold it on ebay). This one, I hate to tell you, was free. I work for a refrigeration and commercial A/C company, and my boss took this as payment from one of his customers who was behind. Sat in the shop for a couple years. He asked if I wanted it......Hell Yeah!!!

http://www.howlinowl.com/photos/kegerator/kegerator.jpg

Allan

 

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

Allan

I linked them for you.

 

[howlinowl]

Thanks. The second image was a bit on the large size. Made the forum a bit screwy. I resized it to help.

Allan

 

[BlindLemonLars]

Today was the first Saturday I've had off in two months, and I made good use of it. My refrigerator won't feel lonely any more! :rockin:

Sanyo 4911, chrome tower with Ventmatic faucets. Buford, you may notice a slight resemblance to your setup...well OK, it's nearly a direct copy! Remember, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Your pictorial was a huge help in getting this thing together.

I still need to install the Ranco controller, and I'm not yet sure if I'll need tower cooling. I keep my house pretty cool, so maybe not.

Now I just need to summon up another few weeks of patience, to let my Red Hook clone condition a bit longer.

 

[BierMuncher]

Sweet set up BLL. You're gonna love it, trust me.

Let me know how your Red hook ESB turns out. I have 10 gallons on tap now and I love it...though I should have worked harder at clarifying the beer.

 

[Southwood]

My craigslist score, picked it up for a song! :rockin:

My plan is a two-tap chrome tower, but so far all I've done is replace the standard faucet with a ventmatic, they rock! The unit has an exterior digital temp control, so I'm set there.

And here's my first draft pour, my Orange Blossom Special.

And my two best customers at the keg tapping!

Cheers!

 

[Buford]

Sanyo 3911, chrome tower with Ventmatic faucets. Buford, you may notice a slight resemblance to your setup...well OK, it's nearly a direct copy! Remember, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Your pictorial was a huge help in getting this thing together.

I can't really say much, as my mod was in turn based on someone else's mod (a combo of two writeups I had seen, actually). The originator of the Sanyo 4912 mod is probably one of the beer gods that passed down this knowledge to the prophets who then felt fit to write it into scripture

 

[Brew-boy]

I just finished my project 3 kegs of beauty.

 

[Drunkensatyr]

Man I love my wife! 14.8 cubic feet of beer chilling goodness! Draft towers are in the mail, so no pic yet... but 6 cornies and 2 fermenters all at the same time.... Ahhhh

Looks a bit funny holding a Perlick faucet up to your glass to get a drink, but it works till the towers are here. Kinda glad the old kegerator bit the dust now *grin*

 

[sphericalcamel]

I finally finished the cosmetic parts of my kegerator last night. Still have to figure out how to replace the wire (to ground it). Then I need to buy the kegs to go into it. It does look much better than when I got it.

Before:

After:

 

[LoneOakDesign]

here is mine, still in the process of being completed. i want at least one more shirron and possibly a guiness tap.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v168/jasonthigpen/fridge001.jpg
here are the taps up close. you can see the two spots that i marked for the other two taps.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v168/jasonthigpen/fridge002.jpg
the fridge used to be white but i painted it with appliance srpay paint. i highly recommend this. instead of painting the handle black, i wrapped it in some leather for more of a southern touch i guess.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v168/jasonthigpen/fridge003.jpg
i set up a quick connect through the side so the co2 tank won't take away important space on the inside. i also put a shut off valve on it that has a built in check valve.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v168/jasonthigpen/fridge004.jpg
this is the inside. there is barely room for five cornies. i plan on having a spare at all times that is cold and carbonated so i can make a quick change if needed.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v168/jasonthigpen/fridge005.jpg
i removed the shelving and put up some dry erase board for notetaking purposes. i also want to add some type of hose clamp assembly for the door that will keep all of the hoses nice and tight together, just cause i think it will look nice.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v168/jasonthigpen/fridge006.jpg

 

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

here is mine, still in the process of being completed. i want at least one more shirron and possibly a guiness tap.

here are the taps up close. you can see the two spots that i marked for the other two taps.

the fridge used to be white but i painted it with appliance srpay paint. i highly recommend this. instead of painting the handle black, i wrapped it in some leather for more of a southern touch i guess.

If you want images to show in the post you have to use the image tag thing in "advanced". You can obly use 4 images per post so I split these up.

 

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

i set up a quick connect through the side so the co2 tank won't take away important space on the inside. i also put a shut off valve on it that has a built in check valve.

this is the inside. there is barely room for five cornies. i plan on having a spare at all times that is cold and carbonated so i can make a quick change if needed.

i removed the shelving and put up some dry erase board for notetaking purposes. i also want to add some type of hose clamp assembly for the door that will keep all of the hoses nice and tight together, just cause i think it will look nice.

Part 2......