Keg King kegerator series 4

[bradsbrew]

All my previous keezers and keg fridges have been set to 4c and never had problems.
I went with 1c as that is what KK recomended to prevent foaming etc. It is now defrosted and set to 4c and gas hole plugged. I did watch the calibration video the other night, so i have a glass of water in there now and will calibeate tonight. Thanks for the tips peteru.

 

[Batz]

All my previous keezers and keg fridges have been set to 4c and never had problems.
I went with 1c as that is what KK recomended to prevent foaming etc. It is now defrosted and set to 4c and gas hole plugged. I did watch the calibration video the other night, so i have a glass of water in there now and will calibeate tonight. Thanks for the tips peteru.

Mine needs regular defrosting as well. In fact reading this, I checked last night and like I you defrosted mine as well.
I also had mine set to 1C, so this morning changed to 4C and plugged the gas line hole. Really a little surprised it freeze's up at 1C with the only opening the small gas line hole. I had no trouble with my old chest freezer conversions.

Brad could you post a link to the calibration video please?

Batz

 

[HBHB]

Mine needs regular defrosting as well. In fact reading this, I checked last night and like I you defrosted mine as well.
I also had mine set to 1C, so this morning changed to 4C and plugged the gas line hole. Really a little surprised it freeze's up at 1C with the only opening the small gas line hole. I had no trouble with my old chest freezer conversions.

Brad could you post a link to the calibration video please?

Batz

Has worked for most of the guys. Not so much for some and one not at all, so after multiple phone calls to try and help the guy, did the 40 minute drive to check it out. Turns out he opens the door to access a pluto gun on his third keg so the fridge is being opened in 90% humidity in a shed that would be 40+ C in these temps we've had. A keg lasts them less than 2 days. That's a lot of opening and closing of the door to let humidity in and create ice. Got to love a warm beer made on a homebrand tin and 1.5kg of raw sugar fermented at 40+ that's 6 days old. :blink:

 

[bradsbrew]

Has worked for most of the guys. Not so much for some and one not at all, so after multiple phone calls to try and help the guy, did the 40 minute drive to check it out. Turns out he opens the door to access a pluto gun on his third keg so the fridge is being opened in 90% humidity in a shed that would be 40+ C in these temps we've had. A keg lasts them less than 2 days. That's a lot of opening and closing of the door to let humidity in and create ice. Got to love a warm beer made on a homebrand tin and 1.5kg of raw sugar fermented at 40+ that's 6 days old. :blink:

You told him tasted nice too didn't you Martin.
I didn't know you sold them? Not on your website.

 

[bradsbrew]

Mine needs regular defrosting as well. In fact reading this, I checked last night and like I you defrosted mine as well.
I also had mine set to 1C, so this morning changed to 4C and plugged the gas line hole. Really a little surprised it freeze's up at 1C with the only opening the small gas line hole. I had no trouble with my old chest freezer conversions.

Brad could you post a link to the calibration video please?

Batz

Glad i am not the only one. On the keg king site, if you click on the basic kegerator they have "usefull videos" in the description.
Edit- This is a link to all of keg kings youtube vids http://kegking.com.au/brewing-turorials

 

[Batz]

Glad i am not the only one. On the keg king site, if you click on the basic kegerator they have "usefull videos" in the description.
Edit- This is a link to all of keg kings youtube vids http://kegking.com.au/brewing-turorials

Yes watched that, I'll give it overnight for the temperature to settle down.
After 8-9 hours I believe mine is reading around 2-3C lower than the setting. Interesting, I could have had it set to around -2C?

Glad you posted this mate. :beerbang:

Batz

 

[Batz]

You told him tasted nice too didn't you Martin.
I didn't know you sold them? Not on your website.

He's got some in the shop Brad, for those special Hervey Bay folk.

 

[bradsbrew]

Yes watched that, I'll give it overnight for the temperature to settle down.
After 8-9 hours I believe mine is reading around 2-3C lower than the setting. Interesting, I could have had it set to around -2C?

Glad you posted this mate. :beerbang:

Batz

Looks like mine is running 2c less than the temp display as well.

 

[TidalPete]

Looks like mine is running 2c less than the temp display as well.

I had this trouble with my Series 3 when it first arrived & fixed it via the pdf below.
Might work with the Series 4 or it might not?
Worth a go I reckon.

View attachment Series_3_Temp_Modification.pdf

 

[bradsbrew]

Thanks Pete, the series 4 has the calibration feature so the display temp can be adjusted + or -.

 

[HBHB]

You told him tasted nice too didn't you Martin.
I didn't know you sold them? Not on your website.

I think I said something akin to " I am in awe " not sure if he thought I was talking about the dead eel mounted in the shed, the beer or the Chad Morgan music.

 

[Brewseph]

Hi Everyone,

Stumbled onto this forum as I have been trolling through the net getting inspiration to make the decision between Keezer and KK4.

I am in a position to do either but want to limit the costing's where possible.

I will be utilizing a 3 Tap flooded Cobra font with Kinglok adaptors which I will mount onto either the KK4 or Keezer. The Taps will be Intertap from KK also.

I am hearing a lot of good arguments for both the Kegerator and Keezer options but nothing that has tweaked my nipples enough to make me run out and order the required equipment just yet.

I will be building a bar inside my garage and where I am living the garage temp can hit the late 30's to mid 40's in summer. I will be putting the bar near a door and was planning on these stupidly hot days to crack the back door and let the heat out that way.

My question is, which option do people think is the better one for someone in my position? I want to do this once and do it right and not have to muck around defrosting regularly and all that. I would love a set and forget option (as much as possible).

The other thing I was contemplating was an additional Controlled Fermentation Chamber/Box set up next to either the Keezer or Kegerator. If I went the Keezer option I was going to get a KK font fan and set it up inside, then run the pipework through the collar and into the Fermentation Chamber, this would be attached to a temp controller to switch the fan on and off at desired temp but also will circulate air inside the keezer when on.

If I went kegerator I was thinking of getting the second plain Jane KK4 (no taps, tubes or anything).

Has anyone done any of these options? which one seems the most likely to succeed or give best results.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Rocker1986]

You must live near Parliament House to have that much hot air near your house

The keezer option sounds a better one in that circumstance; it'll likely have better insulation and ability to chill down inside to combat those types of high ambient temperatures.

I'm not sold on the idea of running a fan pipe for a fermentation chamber... it'd be probably better to just get another fridge cheaply and set it up with its own temp controller and have it as its own separate unit. No use pumping cold air out of your keg fridge, even if it is intermittently.

 

[Brewseph]

Hahahaha yeah pretty close. I'm far enough away from Parliament House that I don't get sprayed with the s%*t but close enough to get the hot wind.

Do you think its worth getting a frost free freezer? I was looking at getting one from good guys brand new to give me longer life and a warrantee.

Good thought though on the fermentation chamber, I never really thought about the adverse affects of drawing that precious air away from the liquid gold filled kegs. the keezer also allows me to attach a pump and bucket on the inside of the unit to be able to circulate the cold water through the flooded font.

I did have another option and that was to install the bar outside on the alfresco, this obviously gets lots more air circulation and is under shelter however there is a considerable dust build up that occurs, due to the dry conditions and all the building around Canberra at the moment, which is why I decided inside the garage. Have you or anyone done an outdoor keezer or kegerator and if yes what were the draw backs and/or advantages. Which position (Garage or Outside) is better suited?

Thanks for the advice too. big help in clearing a narrowed mind.

 

[Rocker1986]

I reckon frost free would make life a lot easier. A small computer fan mounted somewhere inside the keezer to move air around in it is a good idea too.

I have a cobra flooded font and also use a pump and cold water through it. It's not as nice as having below freezing point glycol being pumped through it, but it's better than doing nothing at all. I just use a small bilge pump from Whitworths (no affiliation yadda yadda), and it works really well. The first one died recently and it really made a difference to the amount of beer wasted to foaming on first pours, not having that chilled water running through the font.

My kegerator is set up outside on the back deck as there's no room elsewhere. I actually really like it there now, especially when I have a couple of mates over and the beer is right there on tap near the table and chairs etc. Dust is no problem here but the afternoon sun can be; I've set up a barrier with reflective stuff on the opposite side to block the sun out from hitting the taps and font, and the fridge actually as it shields the whole thing. The sun is probably the only disadvantage really, but reasonably easily fixed.

 

[Brewseph]

I have just spoken to Keg King and they said out on the Alfresco is the best option in my case for the Kegerator and also said they are getting ready to release Kegerator Covers, which I thought was a great idea.

They did mention that there has been some issues of Kegerators frosting in hot temperatures but these instances are isolated, so I am torn again now.

The lazy part of me thinks, "Just get the Kegerator and have all the work done already," the brewer and beer drinker says do the Keezer.

If I drill through the lid of the freezer, I am not in any danger of hitting coils or coolant lines am I?

Back to the drawing boards

 

[Rocker1986]

Not sure about lids of chest freezers, but if I was building a keezer I'd just go the collar route and stick the taps on that. It keeps the beer lines and shanks and whatever colder all the way to the tap a lot easier than an external font does.

 

[Jack of all biers]

They did mention that there has been some issues of Kegerators frosting in hot temperatures but these instances are isolated, so I am torn again now.

The lazy part of me thinks, "Just get the Kegerator and have all the work done already," the brewer and beer drinker says do the Keezer.

If I drill through the lid of the freezer, I am not in any danger of hitting coils or coolant lines am I?

Back to the drawing boards

From what I have read, the people that have posted about issues with kegerators frosting live in tropical regions like Qld with higher humidity issues. These tend to be solved (from my reading of others posts) by ensuring gaps like the gas line hole are sealed up.

I just went through the same decision process as you (build keezer/buy KK Kegerator). I did the figures, I looked and nearly bought a chest freezer (until they doubled the price upon my inquiry. F**ing rude b*stards). I then re-did the figures, based on SS taps and shanks and realised that for about the same money (or only slightly more depending on the cost of the second hand freezer), I wouldn't have to stuff around with a build, second hand freezer (with worries on how long would it last etc, etc..), so I bit the bullet and bought the SS 3 tap Kegerator 4. It arrived yesterday, so can't comment on its abilities, but the taps/drip tray on top, font fan, and inbuilt temp control were another selling point for me My decision was based on the quantity of beer I was going to brew/drink and I future proofed by getting the third tap (for only $34 more, I couldn't justify not getting it really). If you plan on having 4 or more taps then the decision is easy really. Food for thought.

Question for kegerator users: I have gone with the 4mm beer line and KK recommend 1.5-2m for flow control. I have put the tap height, pressure etc through a couple of beer line calculators (this one and the spreadsheet linked to this AHB article) that come up with about 1.1-1.2 metres of 4mm line for 2.5 V/CO2 in 19L corny. Should I just go for 1.5 m to be on the safe side? or do others have the experience that 2 m is the best compromise for when one uses higher carbed beers of 3.5 V/CO2 or more.

 

[dammag]

.

Question for kegerator users: I have gone with the 4mm beer line and KK recommend 1.5-2m for flow control. I have put the tap height, pressure etc through a couple of beer line calculators (this one and the spreadsheet linked to this AHB article) that come up with about 1.1-1.2 metres of 4mm line for 2.5 V/CO2 in 19L corny. Should I just go for 1.5 m to be on the safe side? or do others have the experience that 2 m is the best compromise for when one uses higher carbed beers of 3.5 V/CO2 or more.




What type of fittings are you going to use with the 4mm line?

I bought some 4mm ID line from KK and tried to use it with John Guest fittings. The OD of the line is around 7.7mm and on my beer line I found that if the line wasn't dead straight into the fitting it would leak. Like when I closed the fridge door and the coil of line puts some pressure on the fitting.

Haven't had this problem with John Guest or Valpar line. Both of which measure in at 8mm OD.

 

[Jack of all biers]

Mostly barbed disconnects, though I am going to use a couple of push on fittings (from Keg King). I was hoping that the OD would be 8mm as advertised, but will check. Thanks for the heads up, as I will keep an eye on these connections especially.

Any advice re beer line length? Go for the calculated 1.1-1.3 m or be conservative and go 1.5 or 2 m?