Show us your Kegerator

[greenbirds]

+1 on the camshaft handles, Klickmania. That is awesome.

 

[Klickmania]

Thanks man! I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to weld it all together with the cam being cast, but I just cranked the voltage on my mig and it's held so far! My brother is wanting to candy parts of the fridge and put some pinstriping and lettering all over it as well. Should look pretty sweet when it's done.

 

[masonsjax]

Love the camshaft handle and the speed boat metal flake is rad. You need some nice shift knobs for tap handles though.

 

[Klickmania]

Actually thinking of welding the right sized nut into the closed end of a box wrench and bending it up to make a tap handle. I'll definitely post some pictures if I decide to go that route.

 

[Drewski8986]

Decided to go with a new 14 cu ft chest freezer . Started my faucets from the right side so I can add more eventually. It holds four corny kegs and a half barrel keg very comfortably , everything on the front is held on by magnets so I can remove for cleaning and also to fit it through the door when I move . Best investment I have made .

 

[lil' league]

14 cf Kenmore with a ss top and coffin box

 

[Slyko]

Some very creative ideas! I wish I could drink a beer with you guys! :rockin:

 

[c_hris_py]

Inside and outside layers are 1x6's of cedar. The inside is 1" expanded polyurethane foam insulation. We put a 1x4 ceder cover on top with an appx. 3/4" reveal. Everything was done using a regular table saw and chop saw. Four layers of stain did the job. 2.5" screws sandwiched everything together while caulk and additional wood screws secured the collar into the chest freezer. Fits 4 ball locks on the bottom like a glove...but I could very reasonably see just keeping 3 and having some wiggle room for storage. Faucets to come soon! Feel free to e-mail w/ questions!

 

[wubears71]

Well it doesn't compare to the likes of most here but here is mine. It's a GE I think 5cf that I found on Craigslist. I built a collar from birch. It was my first time doing dovetail joints, which came out pretty well for a first attempt. I can fit three ball locks with the co2 cylinder, and yes, a gallon of milk. Currently it has an Irish Red Ale, Dunkelweizen and vanilla cream soda on tap.

Love the dovetails. I was going to miter and reinforce with dominos but I am doing dovetails now.

 

[TheKeg81]

After reading through this thread for a second time, I've got a lot of designs and ideas to mull over. I have a freezer that's just waiting to be turned into a keezer. Keep up the good work and ideas!

Did you live in Wyoming? That is a great license plate.

I say, "Boo!" to Wyoming! My alma mater (and a university in NM) had to change their cowboy emblem due to a suit that was filed!

 

[MrTheKing]

Just wrapped this up for today. Probably needs another coat or two of stain but i'm happy with it for now.

Before:

 

[ingchr1]

Finally finished mine off with tap handles and drip tray. I painted over the tap handle labels with chalkboard paint:

 

[jholder]

Love the dovetails. I was going to miter and reinforce with dominos but I am doing dovetails now.

I used a router jig from Lowes that made it relatively easy. You still need to be very precise lining things up of course, but it's nowhere near as labor intensive as it was when my grandfather learned to do them by hand! And the joints just need a little glue instead of screws or nails.

 

[wubears71]

I used a router jig from Lowes that made it relatively easy. You still need to be very precise lining things up of course, but it's nowhere near as labor intensive as it was when my grandfather learned to do them by hand! And the joints just need a little glue instead of screws or nails.

I have an Akeda jig that I've used for a number of years now to do the dovetails. It is so much quicker than doing them by hand. What I love about the Akeda jig is that I can space them any way I want giving them more of a "custom" touch.

 

[ArcticBear]

teasers...

i have a few from the beginning of the build and it should be done in a week or two... waiting on some metal pieces and stain, then its wiring up the love controller and filling it full of homebrew.


Kegerator-3 by jmw5107, on Flickr


Kegerator-2 by jmw5107, on Flickr


Kegerator by jmw5107, on Flickr

 

[RogueGoose85]

so the perlick 525ss seems to be the icing on the cake for a lot of these guys, whats the deal with perlick? And why should i spend $35 to upgrade from my stock faucet?

They do look nice, but whats the benefits over the stock faucets?

Thanks

 

[copyright1997]

so the perlick 525ss seems to be the icing on the cake for a lot of these guys, whats the deal with perlick? And why should i spend $35 to upgrade from my stock faucet?

They do look nice, but whats the benefits over the stock faucets?

Thanks

If you had them, you'd know.

Forward sealing, non stick. More sanitary.

Actually, I prefer the older 425ss with the removable spout.

 

[j1laskey]

If you had them, you'd know.

Forward sealing, non stick. More sanitary.

Actually, I prefer the older 425ss with the removable spout.

More sanitary???? Really????

Just wipe and clean your taps frequently, solve any "sanitary" issue. Trust me I truly am jealous of the Perlicks, sexy as hell....but "more sanitary"???? Where are you serving your beer? Botswana?

 

[Pappers_]

If you had them, you'd know.

Forward sealing, non stick. More sanitary.

Actually, I prefer the older 425ss with the removable spout.

Anyone care to elaborate? I'd be interested in a fuller explanation.

 

[seedubxj]

From what I understand, the Perlick design doesn't allow much if any air contact compared to standard faucets. They claim there is literary no place for air or bacteria to contact the beer. Plus, they look badass.

 

[user 4295]

With the forward seal faucets, other than the spout itself, no internal part of the faucet that comes in contact with the beer is exposed to the air when the faucet is shut.

 

[jfrizzell]

Stainless steel construction vs chrome plated brass. Forward seal means they don't get sticky, gummy inside if you don't pull a beer for a while.

 

[j1laskey]

Oh.....So thats why I get hungover. It's the bacteria in my cheap faucets on my kegerator, and at 99.9999% of the bars I drink at. Phew, I just thought I was drinking to much.

 

[copyright1997]

Anyone care to elaborate? I'd be interested in a fuller explanation.

Sorry for the terse response, I was doing it on my iPhone. It's hard to find information, but this is from Perlick's catalog:

The stainless steel Perl faucet is unique in both appearance and function.
It's revolutionary Perl ball and floating O-ring design eliminates the need for
a valve shaft. Internal parts are not exposed to air so the handle lever doesn't
stick and there is no build up of mold and bacteria in the faucet body. The Perl
faucet has fewer internal parts for better reliability and fewer service calls. A
polished interior produces a smooth flow with less foaming.

Here's a link to the catalog, http://www.perlick.com/pdf-files/Tapping-Catalog.pdf in which they also show some pictures/figures of the design.

 

[wubears71]

Finished up my kegerator earlier this month. Just today fixed the first problem (hopefully). The coils on the AC were freezing up. A little damp rid and some continuously running computer fans should do the trick though...I hate that the mirrors don't photograph well though. If anyone has any tips, I'll update this with better pics.

I know old post but dang that is sweet. I know wish I kept my 46807 instead of junking it for parts. Nice work.

 

[Raenon]

Oh.....So thats why I get hungover. It's the bacteria in my cheap faucets on my kegerator, and at 99.9999% of the bars I drink at. Phew, I just thought I was drinking to much.

I sense your sarcasm in saying that "99.9999%" of bars use the same cheap faucets, so let's explain a bit further:

When you leave a faucet off for a long period of time, the beer clinging to all the internal surfaces (and outer, if you're particularly sloppy) stales, then dries, then attracts bacteria and even mold.
For the home user, this is a particular problem, since many leave their taps alone for days at a time, and even pulling just a few a day will cause the same problem.
Properly cleaning them will alleviate this problem, but with the cheaper taps, that means you should really clean them nearly DAILY.
Many bars do exactly that, but not all. Some do it weekly, some do it monthly, and some only do it when the health inspector MAKES THEM.
Forward sealing taps leave much less clinging to the insides, especially on complicated sealing mechanisms where things can really jam up, so they require much less frequent cleaning, and even if the spout itself gets FILTHY, a beer would still pour without a problem.

Plus, they're built better, with closer tolerances, and the most popular ones are the all steel models, versus the weaker brass, which may contribute off-flavors to beer that sits in it for long periods (again, especially for home-based kegerators), or corrode. Chrome plating helps some on the outside finish, but that will also eventually flake or otherwise wear away.

So yes, you are probably drinking a LOT of unwanted crap using cheap faucets unless you're taking excellent care of them, and you will get sticking issues from time to time.
If you don't mind all that, keep using them. More Perlicks for those of us who want them.

 

[j1laskey]

I sense your sarcasm in saying that "99.9999%" of bars use the same cheap faucets, so let's explain a bit further:

When you leave a faucet off for a long period of time, the beer clinging to all the internal surfaces (and outer, if you're particularly sloppy) stales, then dries, then attracts bacteria and even mold.
For the home user, this is a particular problem, since many leave their taps alone for days at a time, and even pulling just a few a day will cause the same problem.
Properly cleaning them will alleviate this problem, but with the cheaper taps, that means you should really clean them nearly DAILY.
Many bars do exactly that, but not all. Some do it weekly, some do it monthly, and some only do it when the health inspector MAKES THEM.
Forward sealing taps leave much less clinging to the insides, especially on complicated sealing mechanisms where things can really jam up, so they require much less frequent cleaning, and even if the spout itself gets FILTHY, a beer would still pour without a problem.

Plus, they're built better, with closer tolerances, and the most popular ones are the all steel models, versus the weaker brass, which may contribute off-flavors to beer that sits in it for long periods (again, especially for home-based kegerators), or corrode. Chrome plating helps some on the outside finish, but that will also eventually flake or otherwise wear away.

So yes, you are probably drinking a LOT of unwanted crap using cheap faucets unless you're taking excellent care of them, and you will get sticking issues from time to time.
If you don't mind all that, keep using them. More Perlicks for those of us who want them.

Totally agree that sticky taps suck, and that is the only advantage to Perlicks. Most bars do not clean their taps daily, if not weekly, if not monthly and MOST BARS are not "craft beer" bars either. No one is getting sick from this "bacteria". So to use the term "sanitary" and "bacteria" is almost a scare tactic to sell a product. Colorox bleach does this daily. I want Perlicks just like I would want a Porche instead of a Corvette, it is more exotic.

Phew....I haven't vented in awhile...must be the bacteria in the beer I am drinking....:rockin:

 

[j1laskey]

Actually.....I like the new Corvettes....sexy as hell...you could score mad chesty beefers in a Corvette.

 

[RipeforYelp22]

My 6 Perlick tap kegerator. Almost done.

Mrrrkva, that's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. Nice work! When I build up the bankroll to afford all the necessary equipment to build something like that, I'm hitting you up!

 

[copyright1997]

Oh.....So thats why I get hungover. It's the bacteria in my cheap faucets on my kegerator, and at 99.9999% of the bars I drink at. Phew, I just thought I was drinking to much.

Dude, the person asked why. I and others pointed out why we do do. No need to be sarcastic or piss on the parade.

For me, I had a non perlick as my first tap, and I've had it stick and be gunked up or numerous occasions. I managed to grab some Perlicks, and have never had a issue with them. I try to spend my money wisely and think they are the right decision. Quite frankly, I think it is more important to focus on ongoing costs, not the one time cost of the faucet.