Temp Control

[mapricha11]

In a few weeks I'm going to try kegging for the first time. What is the cheapest way to control the temp of a keg? I'm looking for something that can chill all the way down to serving temp. Is a cheap mini frige my best option?

 

[boogyman]

If its just temporary for a party or something, then a large bucket with ice is pretty cheap. If you're looking for a more permanent keezer or kegerator setup then a used fridge or chest freezer (with stc-1000 temp controller) on Craigslist is probably the cheapest way to go.

 

[DrunkleJon]

Give us your requirements for a kegerator and we can provide beter opinions.

Is this a one off thing like for a party? The ice bucket or even borrowing a jockey box work well. If it will be a more permanant fixture then a kegorator/keezer will probably be a better bet. Budget? Space considerations? How many kegs do you want to serve at a time? Do you want to use commercial (sankey) kegs too?

 

[TopherM]

I don't know if you live in a decent sized town, but in my town, there are literally about 20-25+ used kegorators for sale on Craigslist at any given time starting around $50 and averaging about $200. As long as the user can demonstrate that the kegorator gets down to fridge temps, no harm in buying used.

Good luck!

 

[mapricha11]

I am just starting to keg. I would like something permanent. I only have one 5 gallon keg, so it doesn't need to be a big setup. I was looking for something that I can regulate the temp with. I want to be able to cold crash, lager, and serve out of the same set-up. Not sure on my budget yet. I was just trying to get some ideas. I need to pull the trigger on something in the next few weeks.

 

[DrunkleJon]

You may want something with a little extra space then if you want to crash/lager and serve at the same time. Look at this link https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/chest-freezer-specs-layouts-377518/ for sizing on common chest freezers and what you can often fit in them for ideas on how big of a fridge/freezer you need. Do realize that height is often an issue (you need extra clearance over the keg height for the quick disconnects).

The STC-1000 (make sure you get a 110 rather than 220 one) is wonderful and cheap for temp control if you arent afraid of a little DIY wiring. There are plenty of wiring diagrams in the DIY section here though for that exact controller.

Something I wish I thought about when I first started kegging is to think about the future. I was able to kludge together an upgrade to mine so I had a spare gas line in my keezer to force carb a spare keg while the others serve. I also wish I got a bigger chest freezer so I had the option of using 1/2 barrel sankeys which just do not quite fit in my current keezer).