Posted: 11/14/2015 4:26:34 PM EDT
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Can anybody recommend a decent quality and priced kegerator? Reading the reviews of the ones offered by homedepot and the reviews are all over the place from this unit is great to this unit is junk |
| DIY is the way to go. It's cheaper and you can build it with better components. The biggest criticism of the tower style kegerators sold at Lowe's and Home Depot is that warm air gets trapped in the poorly insulated tower. You don't have this problem with a through-the-door style. |
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I bought an Edgestar KC2000TWIN dual tapper for my homebrews six years ago. It has been plugged in and running everyday since I got it without a single problem. |
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My grandfather's brother in law has one he built with a two way tap. One comes out the side of the fridge in the garage, the other goes through the wall and outside the garage so he can drive up to it on his lawnmower for a refill.
That said, I have seen some pretty nice ones built on the cheap out of an older fridge and some easy to find parts. |
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hop on amazon or where ever and search kegerator temp controls. I got an old style with an adjustment knob, new ones come with digital numbers. I turned a small chest freezer into a refrigerator but it could be used for a kegerator. You can buy a cheap freezer or pick one up and the control should keep on working if the freezer eventually dies. It is not hard to install the rest of the stuff and you get to pick the quality of the components. Chest freezer is better insulated than a small fridge, my chest freezer is maybe 5.5 cubic ft I think and I have another chest freezer for freezer duty. |
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Step 1: Buy an old chest freezer off CL.
Step 2: Clean this hell out of it. Step 3: Buy a keg 'kit' of whatever design you desire. Step 4: Build and assemble. Step 5: Enjoy better kegarator than you can buy. Look up 'keezer' builds. Get as large of freezer as you want to hold multiple kegs. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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Quoted:
Step 1: Buy an old chest freezer off CL. Step 2: Clean this hell out of it. Step 3: Buy a keg 'kit' of whatever design you desire. Step 4: Build and assemble. Step 5: Enjoy better kegarator than you can buy. Look up 'keezer' builds. Get as large of freezer as you want to hold multiple kegs. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile If interested I'll snap pics of mine when I get home. I have a 27 cubic foot unit with 4 taps, I can fit 10 Corny still kegs but use mine for lager'ing. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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Quoted: If interested I'll snap pics of mine when I get home. I have a 27 cubic foot unit with 4 taps, I can fit 10 Corny still kegs but use mine for lager'ing. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile Quoted: Quoted: Step 1: Buy an old chest freezer off CL. Step 2: Clean this hell out of it. Step 3: Buy a keg 'kit' of whatever design you desire. Step 4: Build and assemble. Step 5: Enjoy better kegarator than you can buy. Look up 'keezer' builds. Get as large of freezer as you want to hold multiple kegs. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile If interested I'll snap pics of mine when I get home. I have a 27 cubic foot unit with 4 taps, I can fit 10 Corny still kegs but use mine for lager'ing. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile If you have the room and money (a keezer build costs more than a small commercial kegerator) then building a keezer is the "A" option. |
| like has been said already buy a used topmount fridge and get a keg kit for it. you can get multiple taps for it and also use the freezer for hard alcohol and for keeping the mugs cold. If the fridge dies you can move all of it over to another cheap topmount. http://www.beveragefactory.com/draftbeer/kits/ekk.shtml?CAWELAID=1372128775&CAGPSPN=pla&catargetid=320012430000210436&cadevice=c&gclid=CjwKEAiA1JuyBRCogJLz4J71kj0SJADsd6QRFkAf4NEVcGzA2I9f6rY0BeF9rlO5FwRpRvE10kYq3RoCknrw_wcB |
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Quoted:
Step 1: Buy an old chest freezer off CL. Step 2: Clean this hell out of it. Step 3: Buy a keg 'kit' of whatever design you desire. Step 4: Build and assemble. Step 5: Enjoy better kegarator than you can buy. Look up 'keezer' builds. Get as large of freezer as you want to hold multiple kegs. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile +1 I was going to do that (and still might) but I got this one below from my BIL. It holds a Guinness 1/2 barrel. The fridge to the left holds my home-brew kegs. (converted to a nitrogen system w/stout faucet ) 
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Quoted:
Can anybody recommend a decent quality and priced kegerator?Reading the reviews of the ones offered by homedepot and the reviews are all over the place from this unit is great to this unit is junk Keezer made from a freezer is the best bang for the buck. More tap options, better quality. |
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Those of you with CO2 systems...where do you get yours filled? How long will a 1/4 or 1/2 keg keep (assuming you're not a heavy drinker and finish it in a couple of nights...)? local gas distributor. Dont buy a CO2 bottle online, just get one local and exchange it. beer will keep a long time. It will change flavor but wont "go bad" as long as you use CO2 and not air. |
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Quoted:
I bought an Edgestar KC2000TWIN dual tapper for my homebrews six years ago. It has been plugged in and running everyday since I got it without a single problem.http://www.amazon.com/EdgeStar-Full-Kegerator-Draft-Dispenser/dp/B0170O0D82/ref=sr_1_23?s=appliances&ie=UTF8&qid=1447533766&sr=1-23&keywords=edgestar&pebp=1447533772950&perid=1FVQZRDX4E8XX5H6RR5W http://m9.i.pbase.com/o2/72/325172/1/120545909.MbuylMmj.KegeratorUP1.jpg Very nice. What do you have in your soda kegs? |
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Quoted: Very nice. What do you have in your soda kegs? Quoted: Quoted: I bought an Edgestar KC2000TWIN dual tapper for my homebrews six years ago. It has been plugged in and running everyday since I got it without a single problem.http://www.amazon.com/EdgeStar-Full-Kegerator-Draft-Dispenser/dp/B0170O0D82/ref=sr_1_23?s=appliances&ie=UTF8&qid=1447533766&sr=1-23&keywords=edgestar&pebp=1447533772950&perid=1FVQZRDX4E8XX5H6RR5W http://m9.i.pbase.com/o2/72/325172/1/120545909.MbuylMmj.KegeratorUP1.jpg Very nice. What do you have in your soda kegs? Home brews. Left tap is a nice summer lawnmower beer called Kölsch, right side is Oatmeal Stout.  |
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Quoted: Those of you with CO2 systems...where do you get yours filled? How long will a 1/4 or 1/2 keg keep (assuming you're not a heavy drinker and finish it in a couple of nights...)? I have a 5# CO2 tank feeding my kegerator. I do a tank swap at one of our local welding supply companies "Praxair", they are a national/global company. I just swapped mine out last week, a 5# tank swap cost me $21. Hard to say how long a tank will last, it depends on the tank size and how much beer you drink. Here's a guide: http://www.micromatic.com/beer-questions/how-many-beer-kegs-dispensed-out-co2-tank-aid-89.html A pressurized and chilled keg will last quite a while, months actually. http://www.micromatic.com/beer-questions/how-long-keg-beer-remain-fresh-aid-44.html |
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Quoted:
I have a 5# CO2 tank feeding my kegerator. I do a tank swap at one of our local welding supply companies "Praxair", they are a national/global company. I just swapped mine out last week, a 5# tank swap cost me $21. Hard to say how long a tank will last, it depends on the tank size and how much beer you drink. Here's a guide: http://www.micromatic.com/beer-questions/how-many-beer-kegs-dispensed-out-co2-tank-aid-89.html A pressurized and chilled keg will last quite a while, months actually. Quoted:
Quoted:
Those of you with CO2 systems...where do you get yours filled? How long will a 1/4 or 1/2 keg keep (assuming you're not a heavy drinker and finish it in a couple of nights...)? I have a 5# CO2 tank feeding my kegerator. I do a tank swap at one of our local welding supply companies "Praxair", they are a national/global company. I just swapped mine out last week, a 5# tank swap cost me $21. Hard to say how long a tank will last, it depends on the tank size and how much beer you drink. Here's a guide: http://www.micromatic.com/beer-questions/how-many-beer-kegs-dispensed-out-co2-tank-aid-89.html A pressurized and chilled keg will last quite a while, months actually. Thanks for the link....helps some. (I've been considering one for the basement...was concerned because I'll sometimes go weeks without wanting a beer, then have a one or two a day over a couple of days...want to make sure it will not go bad with fairly infrequent use...and I've got a couple of distributors nearby....for the beer...but no close gas suppliers that are convenient).... |
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beer will keep a long time. It will change flavor but wont "go bad" as long as you use CO2 and not air. most non-pasteurized beer is going to get pretty nasty within about 90 days. 3 months sounds like a long time, but we're talking about 7.75 gal of beer for a pony, or 15.5 for a half-bbl (standard keg). granted it doesn't 'go bad' like milk, but it's not going to be as good. rule of thumb in bars is to start running specials on any keg that has hung around for 6 weeks. |
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Those of you with CO2 systems...where do you get yours filled? How long will a 1/4 or 1/2 keg keep (assuming you're not a heavy drinker and finish it in a couple of nights...)? A local fire extinguisher supply co. will fill my 5# CO2 tanks for $10. For "Beer Gas" (25% CO2/75% Nitrogen) I go to a medical/industrial gas supply company. |
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Quoted:
most non-pasteurized beer is going to get pretty nasty within about 90 days. 3 months sounds like a long time, but we're talking about 7.75 gal of beer for a pony, or 15.5 for a half-bbl (standard keg). granted it doesn't 'go bad' like milk, but it's not going to be as good. rule of thumb in bars is to start running specials on any keg that has hung around for 6 weeks. Quoted:
Quoted:
beer will keep a long time. It will change flavor but wont "go bad" as long as you use CO2 and not air. most non-pasteurized beer is going to get pretty nasty within about 90 days. 3 months sounds like a long time, but we're talking about 7.75 gal of beer for a pony, or 15.5 for a half-bbl (standard keg). granted it doesn't 'go bad' like milk, but it's not going to be as good. rule of thumb in bars is to start running specials on any keg that has hung around for 6 weeks. I guess my 1.5 yo strong ale and 1yo stout should be bad then. Many people age been longer than 90 days, the people that push for fresh beer also make money off of it. |
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Quoted: I guess my 1.5 yo strong ale and 1yo stout should be bad then. Many people age been longer than 90 days, the people that push for fresh beer also make money off of it. Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: beer will keep a long time. It will change flavor but wont "go bad" as long as you use CO2 and not air. most non-pasteurized beer is going to get pretty nasty within about 90 days. 3 months sounds like a long time, but we're talking about 7.75 gal of beer for a pony, or 15.5 for a half-bbl (standard keg). granted it doesn't 'go bad' like milk, but it's not going to be as good. rule of thumb in bars is to start running specials on any keg that has hung around for 6 weeks. I guess my 1.5 yo strong ale and 1yo stout should be bad then. Many people age been longer than 90 days, the people that push for fresh beer also make money off of it. A couple of years ago I quit drinking for a year so I could drop 15 pounds. I had my homebrew Kolsch and Oatmeal stout in my kegerator for one year pressurized and chilled but untouched. After a year the Kolsch was still very good to excellent, the Oatmeal stout had lost a lot of its freshness and taste but it was still drinkable. |
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Quoted:
I bought an Edgestar KC2000TWIN dual tapper for my homebrews six years ago. It has been plugged in and running everyday since I got it without a single problem.http://www.amazon.com/EdgeStar-Full-Kegerator-Draft-Dispenser/dp/B0170O0D82/ref=sr_1_23?s=appliances&ie=UTF8&qid=1447533766&sr=1-23&keywords=edgestar&pebp=1447533772950&perid=1FVQZRDX4E8XX5H6RR5W http://m9.i.pbase.com/o2/72/325172/1/120545909.MbuylMmj.KegeratorUP1.jpg Mine is just like that, but I added three taps. Paid $150 on craigslist, it came with a full CO2 tank. |
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Quoted:
I guess my 1.5 yo strong ale and 1yo stout should be bad then. Many people age been longer than 90 days, the people that push for fresh beer also make money off of it. Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
beer will keep a long time. It will change flavor but wont "go bad" as long as you use CO2 and not air. most non-pasteurized beer is going to get pretty nasty within about 90 days. 3 months sounds like a long time, but we're talking about 7.75 gal of beer for a pony, or 15.5 for a half-bbl (standard keg). granted it doesn't 'go bad' like milk, but it's not going to be as good. rule of thumb in bars is to start running specials on any keg that has hung around for 6 weeks. I guess my 1.5 yo strong ale and 1yo stout should be bad then. Many people age been longer than 90 days, the people that push for fresh beer also make money off of it. ales and stouts are not everyday beers--they're much more resistant to oxidation, a bit like very tannic red wines. even if you use CO2, the beer is still breaking down, and that breakdown accelerates as the keg empties. this is one thing with exotics and high alcohol beers, but it's not good advice for general beer handling. |
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Gents, (and the occasional lady)
Long time lurker, first time poster. After a few pulls on the kegger tonight I finally decided to join up due to the topic of this thread. Legit dude, no 13er shenanigans. The name RipplePig is a homage to my beloved Chesapeake Bay Retriever who was buried on Easter morning of this year. Gratuitous bar pic attached. (if I can figure this out) http://imgur.com/OGnM4Xy |
