Keezer setup Gear

[megs8888]

I am going to start the keezer build over Xmas with my dad.

I am getting a chest freezer which will fit 6 kegs.

I will attach a collar so I'm not drilling into the freezer itself.

I want to have 4 taps on the front.

3 normal taps and
1 for stouts/Milds/ales

Okay so I was looking at 3 x Perlick 650ss taps are these good? as I see there is a 545ss model I think it is what's the difference

Not sure what to go for the stout tap? Was Loki g at a perlick creamer tap?

Is there anything else I would need?

what's the best beer line to get?

Gas line splitter or manifolds are they required?

This is the final part of my setup before the brewing starts I'm a bit excited

Thanks for the advice in advance and merry Xmas to all AHB members.

Wayne

I would like the stout tap to be a nitrogen setup.

Would someone assist me with what I would need for this setup ie regulators how many? Dual or triple?

nitrogen regulator? Dual?

 

[kelbygreen]

wow sounds like it is going to be a great setup. I cant help to much mine is crude setup but it works lol you need to really plan it out first and have a think over everything and build your line and fittings based on that, As it will determine what size line and fittings you buy.

You may want a drip tray if your keezer isnt in a dirty old shed like mine and doesnt matter if it pours all over the floor lol (but this attracts alot of cockroaches I have to spray them when I go out every time). I use perlick taps (forget what ones they 3 years old now) but they are good but have never used different.

For the creamer and nitrogen I dont like stouts so never used either but sounds like you have read up alot if you know that much lol

 

[Ciderman]

I too would be interested in what's needed. I'm building a 4 keg system but want a font on the top rather than taps on the side.

 

[nosco]

Keg King has stout taps on their price lost but I haven't seen them on the website yet. They have the flow tap on side which is supposed to be ok with low serving pressure like 5psi.

I have a dual regulator setup (no taps yet) so I can run 4 taps at normal pressure and 2 at lower pressure for stout taps. Ill also be interested in what others say. Sounds like I have the same setup. Ill be putting the collar on mine next week hopefully.

From what I can tell beer gas (nitro) is pretty hard to get unless you have an abn and can hire the tank which would be pricey I think. Plus if the stout tap work ok woth co2 then alot less muckin around.

 

[DJ_L3ThAL]

A CO2 regulator will work for nitrogen, both are inert gases in fact CO2 is if anything more abrasive/harsh on the regulator especially if moisture get's in there it will form carbonic acid and eat soft metals.

I have heard "Valpar" flexmaster is great stuff. I have both Keg King and "Bevex" in my system and they are both quite stiff, so if you want to route them neatly you'll need tube clamps of some sort.

Perlick 650ss are fantastic, I've got two and plan to get two more asap... have thought about a stout tap and doing nitrogen myself but have heard if you got a pre-mixed 30% CO2 70% nitrogen, otherwise known as Beer Gas it would be the same thing. 100% nitrogen has it's drawbacks like inability to carbonate the stout AFAIK.

 

[Mr Gruff]

I have been serving my stout with nitrogen for about 6 years and it is not rocket science,but I would like to clear up a few myths.
- You cannot fit a CO2 regulator to a nitrogen tank, it will not fit (was changed by legislation some years ago)
- You do not need Beer Gas,but you do need to connect a carbonation stone(available at your LHBS) attached to some tubing which is connected to the gas in line of your keg. Use CO2 first but only shake the keg once, then connect to the nitro and let it gas up by bubbling through the stone.
- Nitro is NOT low pressure, you will need to set it at 200/300 Kpa.
- Nitrogen is not hard to get, you can get it at any BOC gas and gear outlets and probably places as well.
- You will need a proper stout tap which has a small disk with 5 small holes inside, which works by knocking the CO2 out of suspension giving the surge associated with Guinness
Give it a go, it is not as hard to do as some think.

 

[AntonW]

Have a great time with your keezer!

Some things I'd reccommend:

1. John Guest fittings are great. MFL disconnects, hosetails and hoseclamps are also good - possibly more solid.
2. Get a manifold. They have check valves, which are pretty much essential. Get a bigger manifold than you think you'll need (6 outlet manifold, converted to 7 i'm thinking).
3. Double sided tape to hold the drip tray on - that way you won't be drilling into the freezer.
4. Two small gas bottles. So you'll never run out of gas.

 

[danestead]

I have just setup nitro/stout setup on my keg fridge.

To add to what mr gruff said, yes you can use a co2 regulator. The difference is you will need to make sure it comes with a type 50 connection on it as this is the difference to the co2 type 30 fitting. Nitrogen/co2 mix bottles are at about 2000psi when full so you will need a regulator capable of that pressure as its about twice the pressure of a normal co2 bottle. My 2.3sq/m bottle of BOC multimix cost $42 and monthly rental on the bottle is $15. I have calculated that I should expect to carb and dispense approx 13 kegs from this bottle. This was calculated by me and not through experience so it may vary.

As far as I am aware, the nitrogen is mainly there to push the beer at about 30psi so it can go throught the restrictor disc in the faucet at an acceptable rate. If you used straight co2, your beer would be massively over carbed at 30psi and result in a glass of foam. Nitrogen will barely dissolve into beer. I found some great info on nitrogen setups last week but I cant find it anymore now. It basically said that you want your beer carbed to about 1.2 volumes and only 20ppm nitrogen with dissolve into solution (which ks what 30psi on multimix will achieve).