Tower or Collar...Freezer or Mini-fridge

[tennesseean_87]

From the posts I've been reading, collar is the cheaper way to go, but I've been seeing pre-assembled towers that cost less than the price of taps+shanks (are intertap shanks really $30 each on top of the taps?). It seems to be cheaper to get a three-tap tower, and it'll keep the handles farther from toddler hands. It might have a better chance of getting inside this way (swmbo).

Obviously the problem is opening the thing to (un)load kegs. I could solve this with casters.
Second problem: foamy pours. I have read mixed reviews. Some don't need a fan, some do. I'm a 1-2 beers a day drinker, so mostly not consecutive pours. Does this make the tower a no-go?

If I go with a tower, would a mini-fridge with collar be a better option than a 7cf chest freezer? This might be better able to sneak inside the house, and could go up against a wall and if I make the collar look nice, be acceptable to swmbo in the living room. Any thoughts on this option?

 

[kh54s10]

Seems that you have a couple of problems to work together. Toddlers hands and swmbo. You will have to supply a refrigerator or freezer that will house 3 kegs, look good for the swmbo and be toddler friendly. You are then limited to 3 kegs. A 7cf chest freezer could handle 5-6 kegs with a collar. Or if it will hold 6 kegs you could mount two towers.

For me I would prefer the collar on a keezer and maybe the tower on a minifridge or run to a bar counter. Mounting a tower on a freezer means that you have to have clearance for the tower when opening the lid. Plus there is the added weight of the tower on the lid as far as opening it.

Mine is a mid sized refrigerator with a freezer section up top. I ran 3 faucet/shank assemblies through the door. I doubt that it is nice enough that your swmbo would approve. I don't have that problem. But alas, I have moved and am not in a permanent dwelling so my system is in storage......

 

[tennesseean_87]

Well, it's probably not coming inside right now. Maybe in a year when we buy a place. If I'm going to get my car in the garage it needs to fit against a wall. The tower would look nicer and allow the possibility of moving it in when the time comes might be higher. I'll talk more to SWMBO, but maybe a mini-fridge could fit inside the living room.

I've got a 7cf freezer waiting at Best Buy ($120 deal already posted), but if I don't pick it up its refunded and I could go the other direction.

If the whole thing stays in the garage, the tower might get too warm to be much good to me. I don't want to be tossing beer, and it gets toasty there in the summer.

 

[brew703]

I went with the freezer/collar option. Didn't want the mini fridge or a tower unless it was one of those cast iron ones that look killer.

Not everyone has foam issues. I don't. I do have a fan inside and might be adding a second one.

I have the 7cf Insigna from Best Buy. I can fit 3 kegs on the floor easily. If you arrange them tight you could possibly get 4 on the floor and one or two on the hump. I also keep my CO2 tank on the outside, connected to the keezer by 2 bulkhead adaptors, mounted on the back side of the keezer.

I'm running two taps now and about to add a 3rd.

As for the collar you have countless options. I've seen some nice ones on HBT. I went with pine, stained then clear coat. Then foam board around the inside of the collar. Wish I would have taken a torch to the wood first then just go over with clear coat. Next year I may redo the collar and use Cypress or some other wood to make it look a bit nicer.

You don't need to use Intertap Shanks. I use the Intertap SSFC faucets and bought the shanks from either Ritebrew or KegConnection. I also use Bev Seal Ultra tubing with John Guest Fittings. Makes connecting the tubing to shankes and disconnects a breeze.

 

[tennesseean_87]

I went with the freezer/collar option. Didn't want the mini fridge or a tower unless it was one of those cast iron ones that look killer.

Not everyone has foam issues. I don't. I do have a fan inside and might be adding a second one.

I have the 7cf Insigna from Best Buy. I can fit 3 kegs on the floor easily. If you arrange them tight you could possibly get 4 on the floor and one or two on the hump. I also keep my CO2 tank on the outside, connected to the keezer by 2 bulkhead adaptors, mounted on the back side of the keezer.

I'm running two taps now and about to add a 3rd.

As for the collar you have countless options. I've seen some nice ones on HBT. I went with pine, stained then clear coat. Then foam board around the inside of the collar. Wish I would have taken a torch to the wood first then just go over with clear coat. Next year I may redo the collar and use Cypress or some other wood to make it look a bit nicer.

You don't need to use Intertap Shanks. I use the Intertap SSFC faucets and bought the shanks from either Ritebrew or KegConnection. I also use Bev Seal Ultra tubing with John Guest Fittings. Makes connecting the tubing to shankes and disconnects a breeze.

I think the foaming is a tower issue, not so much an issue for those with collars.

I'm guessing you're using ball locks?

 

[FloppyKnockers]

I think the foaming is a tower issue, not so much an issue for those with collars.

I have a three-tap tower that's passively cooled and no foaming. I think towers are more susceptible to foaming, but collars are not immune either. It all comes down to temperature. If you can maintain the temperature of the beer in the line as the same as the beer in the keg, you won't have the C02 come out of solution.

 

[Danny2fresh]

I have a 2 tap kegerator. Its not bad and looks nice in the house. Foaming was an issue on first pours. Bought one of those tower cooler fans. Helped a little, but wouldn’t buy it again.

I use my fermentation chamber to cool my conical via water in a keg and fts. I’m dual purposing it to add 5 kegs as well.

It comes down to kegs on tap for me. I rather have 5 on tap vs 2. I’ll probably get rid of the kegerator once my keezer is done...or I might just keep it and have 7 beers on tap.

 

[brew703]

I think the foaming is a tower issue, not so much an issue for those with collars.

I'm guessing you're using ball locks?

Yes, ball locks.
People do have foaming issues with the collar. Main thing is to get the line the right length with the right carb level.

 

[tennesseean_87]

Yes, ball locks.
People do have foaming issues with the collar. Main thing is to get the line the right length with the right carb level.

The thing with towers is that you can get warm lines at the taps because they're removed from the main part of the keezer. Obviously the other stuff has to be right, but that's a further drawback of towers vs. collars.

 

[tennesseean_87]

I found a mini-fridge for $35 that has exposed coils. I also found a solid wood TV stand that's a great size to incorporate it into ($40). It'll stay inside and have taps away from toddler hands. I just need to decide how to arrange it and if I want to try to remove the coils from the fridge or just put the whole thing in the cabinet.