keezer vs kegerator (home made)

[Jangles]

Hi all , I have a few decisions to make and just wondering if anyone could give some advice please . Just laid down my two first batches of pale ale and have transferred into cornnies which im stupidly excited about .Totally have skipped the stage of bottling for no real obvious reason , maybe because I think the old man used to have a keg setup using a fridge and to be honest it was love at first sight …. I mean to pour your own freezing cold beer off a tap straight into a freezing cold pot there is nothing better and in my short opinion is pretty ******* cool !! sooooo my next step is to build either a kegerator out of an old fridge or get a freezer and build a keezer . Im having trouble deciding so im asking the brains trust for any major pros and cons of either to help make this decish … cheeeeers

ps , if there is an existing thread let me know as I have tried to find already but also a nooob with computers

 

[altone]

I use a home made kegerator because I had a spare fridge sitting in the garage.

If I was starting again I'd probably buy the Kegland kegerator -they are cheap and you get warranty too!
Cheap freezers plus all the other stuff you need soon starts hitting $300-400 plus
and if you buy a new freezer say goodbye to your warranty once you start drilling holes.

edit: If you can get a dirt cheap fridge/freezer you might be able to use the freezer part to store yeasties etc. while using the fridge part for your beer cooling.

 

[Jangles]

I use a home made kegerator because I had a spare fridge sitting in the garage.

If I was starting again I'd probably buy the Kegland kegerator -they are cheap and you get warranty too!
Cheap freezers plus all the other stuff you need soon starts hitting $300-400 plus
and if you buy a new freezer say goodbye to your warranty once you start drilling holes.

Yeah ...definitely would void the warranty aha , thanks for the reply

 

[Phoney]

and if you buy a new freezer say goodbye to your warranty once you start drilling holes.

Not if you build a collar on a chest freezer.

 

[Bonenose]

I went with a keezer. Mainly as I had a freezer that fitted four kegs almost perfectly and by using a collar did not have to drill any holes in the freezer.

 

[altone]

Not if you build a collar on a chest freezer.

Lol yep you're absolutely right, but knowing me I'd want to make the collar and top from polished redgum and spend a bloody fortune on it

 

[Neil Buttriss]

I had an old fridge and an old freezer, I went with the keezer as I have been told that the cooling is more efficient, but at the moment all I have done is buy a temp controller and put my kegs in as I use a pluto gun so just crack the top and close it on the gun line pour a beer and shut her again. Works a treat but will evetually do something but thinking about a coffin top.

 

[Jangles]

I had an old fridge and an old freezer, I went with the keezer as I have been told that the cooling is more efficient, but at the moment all I have done is buy a temp controller and put my kegs in as I use a pluto gun so just crack the top and close it on the gun line pour a beer and shut her again. Works a treat but will evetually do something but thinking about a coffin top.

Yeah I guess with a fridge you pretty much have to drill holes for taps unless of course we use a pluto gun which would def do as a temporary setup for me but not that keen on opening as you said for every pour but would do the jobbie... and in comparison with a keezer , all it takes is a collar to install fonts/taps etc . That would be definitely an advantage to the keezer . Do you think the keezer may be more efficient due to the compressor size maybe ??

 

[Neil Buttriss]

That and they have cooling coils around the outside also so gotta be careful where you drill. I think they are more insulated also because they are built to run at minus all the time. I have mine set at 2.5 to 2.8 and each pour it loses about 1 degree

 

[Jangles]

That and they have cooling coils around the outside also so gotta be careful where you drill. I think they are more insulated also because they are built to run at minus all the time. I have mine set at 2.5 to 2.8 and each pour it loses about 1 degree

Makes logical sense and sounding more the go for sure thanks mate . BTW whats the capacity of your freezer there and how many kegs could you fit ?

 

[Neil Buttriss]

It's a relativly small freezer about 300 I think, I get 2 19L kegs and a 10L party keg in, still have the basket there I use so my glasses are the same temp as the beer, also can put stubbies or stuff in. It would hold another 19L keg if I wanted

 

[Lorenzo99]

I prefer a home made kegerator from a fridge with a freezer. Gives me room to store my hops as well as my legs. I built a pretty mad keeper and now it just sits in my man cave looking good as you need a freezer to store hops

 

[Clevohead]

I just built my own Keezer from a 200ltr Kelvinator I picked up $60 off Gumtree, as Altone said in the reply You may as well buy a Kegland style kegerator for the $$$ spent. With the Keezer build I have spent upwards of $500, and while we were compiling the order to kegland for taps, fittings, hoses etc... the missus said "why didn't you just buy that and be done with it" *pointing at their kegerator deals If only I had known

The Freezer I picked up could last years, it could die next week, at least with a purchased purpose built unit, you will get warranty. But in saying all that I do love my redneck keezer build as it has character, and I made it

 

[Clevohead]

I just built my own Keezer from a 200ltr Kelvinator I picked up $60 off Gumtree, as Altone said in the reply You may as well buy a Kegland style kegerator for the $$$ spent. With the Keezer build I have spent upwards of $500, and while we were compiling the order to kegland for taps, fittings, hoses etc... the missus said "why didn't you just buy that and be done with it" *pointing at their kegerator deals If only I had known

The Freezer I picked up could last years, it could die next week, at least with a purchased purpose built unit, you will get warranty. But in saying all that I do love my redneck keezer build as it has character, and I made it

Plus in my Keezer I fit 3x 19ltr and 2x 9.5ltr kegs, so there is the space advantage.

 

[Bonenose]

I now have three chest freezers, one used for fermenting one full of hops, frozen water bottles and ice for chilling when I brew and last one is keezer. Can also fit a carton neatly on the side next to the kegs which is also handy.

 

[Wolfman1]

I’d go 2nd hand chest freezer option and build a collar and put the taps into the collar.
Advantages - chest freezers are sealed at the bottom so the cold air is trapped more efficiently.
Taps in the collar keep the beer lines cold unlike the font, especially if it’s outside.
If the freezer dies, then all the expensive hardware of the taps is transferable to something different.
Put the freezer on a dolly or put casters on the bottom of the freezer and it’s mobile. Out of the way for storage, and outside for a party.
The lean on height of a keezer should not be underestimated, much like a bar.
Ultimately it’s a first world issue. Either option is good

 

[Jangles]

I’d go 2nd hand chest freezer option and build a collar and put the taps into the collar.
Advantages - chest freezers are sealed at the bottom so the cold air is trapped more efficiently.
Taps in the collar keep the beer lines cold unlike the font, especially if it’s outside.
If the freezer dies, then all the expensive hardware of the taps is transferable to something different.
Put the freezer on a dolly or put casters on the bottom of the freezer and it’s mobile. Out of the way for storage, and outside for a party.
The lean on height of a keezer should not be underestimated, much like a bar.
Ultimately it’s a first world issue. Either option is good

Good point with the font …definitely something that didn't come to mind at all , thanks there wolfman