New Kegerator

[punkin]

I'm planning on converting this 300l freezer i have to a kegerator instead of running my keg fridge and bar fridge. I already have a mashmaster controller left over from a ferment room i don't use.







I've read a stack of threads on building the collar and reckon i can get a handle on that, but it's the fitout that i don't know enough about.

I do know i'm not interested in having taps just sticking out the side of the collar and need some kind of font to raise the height to a comfortable level away from the hands of toddlers.

So i'm thinkiing of getting a font welded up to come out the side of the collar, turn 90 degrees and rise to a crosspipe with threads for 4 taps facing away from the freezer. I figure on hanging a drip tray off the collar too.

I just don't know how to search for threads with such common terms as font and tap and was hoping for some advice as to where longer standing members have seen some gooduns.
I need to know how to design the font, and which taps and where to get em.

The other thing i'll need to fit is the gas hardware. i'm tossing up (as i know **** all about) the pros and cons of using the splitters from keg king or making some kind of manifold.
I have one bottle that i'm fitting with dual regs, so i can force carbonate and serve at the same time. So i'm thinking i should be able to get up to six kegs in this freezer, so have a 4 way manifold for serving pressure and a two way one for carbing?

All advice appreciatted. B)

 

[stephenkentucky]

Hey there...sounds like a good project. You can fit a font to the top no probs, but would suggest that you put the whole thing on lockable casters (available Bunnings or Blackwoods Tamworth) that way you can wheel the whole unit away from the wall to give enough room to open the lid when changing kegs. There are a few things you have to think about if you do this the first being that you might need a stainless wire from the lid to the body of the freezer to take the added weight of the font + lid when open, also it is worth fitting a small fan to circulate the internal air to stop the cold air pooling and setting up a thermocline which can lead to very uneven temperatures, all in all it is worth doing. The freezer looks like a good option......Another way of solving the kiddie problem is to mount the taps on the timber collar as you normally would and make an easily removable box to cover the taps and keep prying hands away from taps. I can forward a drawing of this idea if it appeals. drop me a PM if I can help in any way, I have done a couple of these over the years
regards
Stephen

P.S. you can also buy locks for the taps if that helps.I can guide you to suitable websites

 

[goomboogo]

If using a font, you won't need the collar. Unless the kegs you have are too tall to fit in the freezer. If they do fit, then you will be able to mount the font to the lid of the freezer. A small hole in the lid to accommodate the beer lines into the font will be required.

This all depends on whether you're prepared to put a hole in the lid.

edit: Beaten to it by stephenkentucky. He makes a very good point about the casters.

 

[Amber Fluid]

In the Kegging Setups thread someone made a font from PVC pipes and it looked great.
Sorry not sure who it was now and which page it was on.

 

[Amber Fluid]

Found the post... it was Puffer555 who made the PVC one. Here is the link and it is post no. 1464.

 

[bconnery]

The other thing i'll need to fit is the gas hardware. i'm tossing up (as i know **** all about) the pros and cons of using the splitters from keg king or making some kind of manifold.
I have one bottle that i'm fitting with dual regs, so i can force carbonate and serve at the same time. So i'm thinking i should be able to get up to six kegs in this freezer, so have a 4 way manifold for serving pressure and a two way one for carbing?

All advice appreciatted. B)

You don't need the gas on all the time to serve. Once carbed you can serve for a while without the gas on, and then turn it on again for a little while.
So, that being the case, if you have a manifold (and I can't recommend one highly enough!) you can just turn the lines on and off depending on whether you are carbing or serving.
You can then turn your reg up for force carbing and back down when serving again.

So for example you could get a 4 way manifold (if you don't want to fork out for a 6) and have 2 lines with splitters on them, so 4 kegs from that, then the other 2 for force carbing, or combinations of this.
I think you need to have the lines that are split on something all the time for ease of mind (at least if you have t pieces like mine) so I'd think about how often you might have kegs on.
I only have one line split, as I can kind of be sure I'll always have 2 kegs on, it is the numbers after that that vary...

I think you'd be fine with a 4 way manifold, and combinations of splitters depending on how you find yourself using things...

 

[punkin]

Thank you people, i want the font to come out the side of the collar as i don't want (not allowed :unsure: ) to damage the freezer, also the lid will be opened often. I will definately be including a fan and will probably just buy a complete unit like the kegking one unless someone can tell me there's reasons besides saving $ for a ghetto one.

Do you guys reckon it would be worthwhile making a stainless U shaped one like the poly one in the link so the air could blow through there, or would that just be a heatsink affecting efficiency of the freezer. I don't really mind if the first 1/6th of the first beer is not cold.

I'll be running two pressures as i already have two regs and i'm not buggerring around altering pressures for the rest of my life just to save twenty bucks on the build now.


So, can anyone reccomend the best place to get 4 taps, the best type of economical tap to buy and where to get all the other hardware including disconnects, manifolds, line and fittings?

I'll probably sell my old fridge complete, so will be looking at all new fittings.

 

[Amber Fluid]

Another idea is something like Doc did with his... check post #82 HERE and also in the Gallery for the build pics


http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...ost&id=3147

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...ost&id=3127

 

[punkin]

Another idea is something like Doc did with his... check post #82 HERE and also in the Gallery for the build pics


http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...ost&id=3147

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...ost&id=3127

Thanks mate, it looks beautiful, but beyond my skill set unfortunately.

i'm making a bit of progress today, got the lid off, and was wondering if people here know if just siliconing the collar to the top of the freezer will be as good as laying a double sided seal?

 

[Bongchitis]

Thanks mate, it looks beautiful, but beyond my skill set unfortunately.

i'm making a bit of progress today, got the lid off, and was wondering if people here know if just siliconing the collar to the top of the freezer will be as good as laying a double sided seal?

Hey man,

I siliconed my collar to the freezer with no problems. My collar is 40mm thick so a silicon seal that wide will not compromise insulation whatsoever, in fact I think it is the easiest and most effective method... thats why i did it! Removing the collar for an upgrade was a bitch though.

Cheers...........Bong

 

[punkin]

Talked to my friendly tig man today. He has some lovely 316 pipe there in 2.5". Will that be ok with the standard adaptors (i think i saw they were for 3" pipe?)

I'm designing my own font system to go on one end (right end while facing) of the freezer coming out of the wooden collar.

I'll be buying 4 perlick taps and the adaptors to suit and possibly putting one adaptor in one end spare for a counter pressure bottle filler.



Question now is what design for the font. I can't get the 316 pipe bent because it's too heavy in the wall and will either crimp or break the benders. So it's welded.

It has to come off a vertical wall, but the question is.. do i make a horseshoe/bikerack style open loop and have the taps coming off the top pipe (upside down U shape) or do i do a traditional T shape?

I will have a small fan circulating the cold air inside the freezer, and i'm thinking that a u shaped font (with two connections to the freezer) will allow the cold air to circulate through and cool the lines in the font better than a t shape.

Opinions?