Kegging Setups

[earle]

Thanks this is all good to know, I'm not sure weather I want to go with the taps mounted on the collar or put a font on top with a font fan. My fridges sit in my 6x3 tin garden shed which I have lined and transformed into my sin bin (man cave), so I'm a bit governed by width which makes the font more appealing.

You could also look at the coffin top keezer like kneebone's http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/85510-kneebones-coffin-keezer-build/

I'm in the process of building something quite similar. The coffin will be insulated and a computer fan will pump cold air from the freezer into the coffin and back out. Freezer will run on one STC1000 and I'm having a 2nd STC for the coffin fan.

 

[Rocker1986]

While on the subject of fonts and cooling them, I have my triple tap font on top of my kegerator (pretty standard setup), I now have a font fan installed as well. The font itself has some foam insulation inside it. This may be a stupid question, but when using the font fan to cool it down, does it make any real difference whether this insulation is in there? Is it better to leave it in there and run the fan slowly just to circulate cold air, or remove the foam and run the fan faster to blow more air around inside the font?

Just a bit unsure whether the air is being blown over the sides of the foam and ending up between the foam and the font wall, rather than inside the foam where the lines are.

 

[phoenixdigital]

If it is anything like my triple font i think the foam is mainly there to reduce cold escaping through the metal font riser. Ideally you would try to get the foam to stick as close to the sides as possible. I wouldn't glue it down personally.

 

[hooper80]

I'm contemplating making a keezer I'm not sure weather to go a 5-6 tap font or make a coffin. A few questions,

I have two keg king plug in temp control units. Would I be better off with one of these or the stc 1000.

What is the best way to cool the coffin / font? A keg king fan font or a computer fan and would i also need to temp control the coffin/font or would it run all the time?

Cheers[emoji106]. Love this site.

 

[H0U5ECAT]

If you opt for a flooded font, a small aquarium submersible pump can be hard wired to your keezer.
A small makeshift container can be stored inside the keezer and then pumped around the font.
That's what I have on mine. You can also choose to add a switch in to turn it off and on for those days when you decide running the pump isn't required. Eg, when the boys,brothers, in-laws aren't over destroying the kegs.

 

[hooper80]

If you opt for a flooded font, a small aquarium submersible pump can be hard wired to your keezer.
A small makeshift container can be stored inside the keezer and then pumped around the font.
That's what I have on mine. You can also choose to add a switch in to turn it off and on for those days when you decide running the pump isn't required. Eg, when the boys,brothers, in-laws aren't over destroying the kegs.

So there is fonts with the flooded pipes already inside? That's sounds like a good idea. Like ya said, when the 'boys' are around Thursday fri sat and sun I can turn it off.

 

[H0U5ECAT]

You actually run it while you want an ice coldy.
Check out greysonline for ex bar/pub/hipster cafe fitouts.

 

[Tropico]

Well, finally bought another tap and decided it was time to do a better set-up than the temporary arrangement I had with one tap on the door shelf.

Quite happy with the internal taps, apart from always openning the fridge to get beer but that's what you do you drink from bottles anyway. The CO2 cylinder is external.

If I take out the door shelves I can get 4 kegs inside, I guess that will be the next, followed by a third tap.
The shelf on the door that is just below the taps is the drip tray.



Cheers

 

[philmud]

I'm about ready to never bottle again and am considering the best way to get into kegging. Best for me means cost effective, but reliable quality. I'm leaning towards building a kegerator from a 2nd hand fridge.

I saw this kit on eBay and it seems pretty well priced. Anyone know what the quality is like or if there are better options out there?

http://www.ebay.com.au/ulk/itm/291235592431

Would be happy to buy 2nd hand so the other option is just to wait & grab something suitcase it pop up.

 

[Rocker1986]

While on the subject of fonts and cooling them, I have my triple tap font on top of my kegerator (pretty standard setup), I now have a font fan installed as well. The font itself has some foam insulation inside it. This may be a stupid question, but when using the font fan to cool it down, does it make any real difference whether this insulation is in there? Is it better to leave it in there and run the fan slowly just to circulate cold air, or remove the foam and run the fan faster to blow more air around inside the font?

Just a bit unsure whether the air is being blown over the sides of the foam and ending up between the foam and the font wall, rather than inside the foam where the lines are.

Tested this out again yesterday, left the foam in. Switched the font fan on low speed when I went back to work for my second half, when I got home the font, tap mounts and taps all had condensation on them. Poured a beer, no foam at all was poured. The beer hasn't fully carbonated yet but it is carbonated enough for warm lines/taps etc. to cause foaming. Pretty happy with that! Next time I'll try the fan on full blast and see if there's any difference just for the hell of it, but at least I know the speed that does work well.

 

[Mardoo]

I'm about ready to never bottle again and am considering the best way to get into kegging. Best for me means cost effective, but reliable quality. I'm leaning towards building a kegerator from a 2nd hand fridge.

I saw this kit on eBay and it seems pretty well priced. Anyone know what the quality is like or if there are better options out there?

http://www.ebay.com.au/ulk/itm/291235592431

Would be happy to buy 2nd hand so the other option is just to wait & grab something suitcase it pop up.

I've been in the same process myself. Go for it. Suddenly now that I have kegs, gas and a pluto gun I want to brew all the time. I just hated bottling. The kegerator build is underway, albeit slowly.

I myself decided to go 2nd hand. If you want an easy, no-search solution you could go with that one you linked. Going 2nd hand you'll get much better quality equipment and probably more kegs, but you'll have to wait more and do all the work. Of course you'll still have to build that one up.

I've gone the waiting and being patient route and have gotten what I need for a kegerator with a working 50's fridge, four Andale DA taps and six kegs for about $650 including all the bits. It's taken me about 3 months to collect the bits and will take some time to get the work done. There are days I think it would be nice to just have bought a good 2nd hand kegerator for $600 bucks or so, but then I'm someone who likes to make something in a way that I like AS WELL as being completely functional. I'm not necessarily looking for cheap, just right. To each their own.

FWIW here's a source I ran across the other day (no affiliation) for 2nd hand kegs that have been rebuilt for a pretty good price. However I got mine privately off AHB. I can also absolutely see the logic in going with new kegs, and would have, I just didn't have the $$$ to do so and to have 4 kegs going at once (3 beers, one mead for my wife).

If you decide to go the second-hand route follow the "ebay and gumtree finds" thread and the "Buy and Sell" and "Bulk Buy" forums and set them for immediate notifications. Check email often. Send out an email to your brew club and say you're getting into kegging and looking for parts, or just post on AHB in the Buy and Sell forum. Set up some saved searches on eBay and Gumtree and check them at least every other day. That will shorten your process a bit. I reckon it would have taken me 8 months otherwise.

 

[earle]

I'm about ready to never bottle again and am considering the best way to get into kegging. Best for me means cost effective, but reliable quality. I'm leaning towards building a kegerator from a 2nd hand fridge.

I saw this kit on eBay and it seems pretty well priced. Anyone know what the quality is like or if there are better options out there?

http://www.ebay.com.au/ulk/itm/291235592431

Would be happy to buy 2nd hand so the other option is just to wait & grab something suitcase it pop up.

Not sure if they're the keg king kegs. If so, be aware that the keg posts and disconnects look similar but are marginally different to normal corni ones. If you put a normal corni disconnect on a keg king post beer will leak everywhere. I know of a couple of guys who have been caught out that way.

 

[pist]

Not sure if they're the keg king kegs. If so, be aware that the keg posts and disconnects look similar but are marginally different to normal corni ones. If you put a normal corni disconnect on a keg king post beer will leak everywhere. I know of a couple of guys who have been caught out that way.

I think your thinking of the Firestone or mytton rodd kegs. I have the keg king ones and they are the same as regular cornies and do not leak

 

[earle]

I think your thinking of the Firestone or mytton rodd kegs. I have the keg king ones and they are the same as regular cornies and do not leak

Definitely not thinking of Firestone or mytton rod. Maybe there's different batches but several guys up here tried to use genuine corni disconnects with brand new keg king kegs and had leaking problems. To fix it they had to buy disconnects from keg king, not as good quality as genuine corni but at least they don't leak.

 

[pist]

Interesting. Ive got keg king "premium" kegs and have both the keg king disconnects they came with and also a couple of corny ones i bought after i read a few posts on them leaking after a while, and i've not had any issues getting the corny ones to seal. Perhaps they have changed the posts now?

 

[phoenixdigital]

I'm about ready to never bottle again and am considering the best way to get into kegging. Best for me means cost effective, but reliable quality. I'm leaning towards building a kegerator from a 2nd hand fridge.

I saw this kit on eBay and it seems pretty well priced. Anyone know what the quality is like or if there are better options out there?

http://www.ebay.com.au/ulk/itm/291235592431

Would be happy to buy 2nd hand so the other option is just to wait & grab something suitcase it pop up.

Good idea you definitely wont look back.

Not sure of the source of that particular kit or the quality of the components. But speaking from experience when setting up a kegging system don't skimp on price.

I'm not saying get gold standard equipment but just don't buy cheap.

That kit definitely covers what you need but I would advise maybe using that as a template for what parts you need and spend a touch more putting it together yourself from a reputable seller.

I learnt the hard way by being a tight *** and had nothing but trouble from cheap components.

Cheap taps - Foaming issues
Cheap gas fittings - CO2 leaks a plenty which meant I dismantling and putting together all gas lines not to mention having to refill the gas bottle too often.

Ended up getting standard perliks taps (non flow reducing) and proper john guest gas fittings and decent gas and beer lines which were easier to work with.

Long story short : Don't be cheap because you will end up buying the proper gear in the long run after much frustration.

 

[DJ_L3ThAL]

Good idea you definitely wont look back.

Not sure of the source of that particular kit or the quality of the components. But speaking from experience when setting up a kegging system don't skimp on price.

I'm not saying get gold standard equipment but just don't buy cheap.

That kit definitely covers what you need but I would advise maybe using that as a template for what parts you need and spend a touch more putting it together yourself from a reputable seller.

I learnt the hard way by being a tight *** and had nothing but trouble from cheap components.

Cheap taps - Foaming issues
Cheap gas fittings - CO2 leaks a plenty which meant I dismantling and putting together all gas lines not to mention having to refill the gas bottle too often.

Ended up getting standard perliks taps (non flow reducing) and proper john guest gas fittings and decent gas and beer lines which were easier to work with.

Long story short : Don't be cheap because you will end up buying the proper gear in the long run after much frustration.

+2 ive had the kk mkii reg leak from the steam, all disconnects from them eventually leak or fail even with proper TLC and good Skerra lube. The taps are ok but take some fiddling to balance and get a good pour. They do stick if you are not having a beer from them every day or two. I typically dont have a beer monday - thursday so was a problem for me going to pour and wrenching the tap open cos the internals gummed up. Got flow control 650ss perlicks now and they are great.

The plastic CO2 splitters are shocking, near impossible to get absolutely leak free. John guest are good but barbed fittings put together properly with stepless clamps are solid.

Kegging is awesome when setup right, but its also something you rely on to function properly each time you use it, so depends how much you value your time fiddling trying to fix issues. Buy right buy once is certainly the best thing I ever heard and I try to follow it always these days!

 

[Rocker1986]

+3, while I did spend quite a bit setting up my system, I did go the buy once, buy quality approach. Rather than get a kegerator with all the bits included, I researched a bit and bought them all separately. Perlick 650SS FC taps, decent lines, shanks, font, new kegs, Micromatic regulator etc. I do have JG fittings at the moment but may or may not switch depending on their performance. Yes it cost me more, but at least I have peace of mind that I won't be spending more money later on because of some dodgy cheap **** screwing up on me.

Now all I have to do is fill more kegs!

 

[philmud]

Some great advice here, thanks gents. I think I might build a checklist of parts and see what the cost difference would be. I definitely want to buy once, buy right, though at this stage, I don't need bling. Just simple gear that works with minimal fuss.

 

[DJ_L3ThAL]

Good stuff mate! I also forgot to add i bought the metal gas manifold from KK and the valves leak out the barb fitting and valve handle stem. Ended up having it replaced for another brand and that is now leak free as far as i can tell.