Purchased A Kegerator

[whitegoose]

How long did it take for them to send you guys the con note/tracking number?

I got an email the day after I ordered from "TNT_Alerts" which said my goods had been dispatched and gave me a link that I could use to check the progress of the delivery

 

[Pennywise]

Thanks for the reply whitegoose, I was getting a bit paranoid there for a second cause the lady on the phone told me I would get the e-mail on Thursday, ended up getting it on Friday night so all is good. Should recieve it on Monday as it's already at the local depo about 5 mins from my work :super:

 

[Burchman82]

Yay, i got a con note last night, and its on the way.
does anyone have any photos of how it came? is it difficult to assemble?
also, i guess ill have to ring them to arrange a pickup time, rather than a drop off during the day.

 

[Pennywise]

Got mine yesterday, haven't opened it yet as it's at work and I still need to get it home (boss is off for a couple of weeks and he's got the ute), mine just came in the box with not really that much padding around it, and strapped to a small pallet.

 

[whitegoose]

Yay, i got a con note last night, and its on the way.
does anyone have any photos of how it came? is it difficult to assemble?
also, i guess ill have to ring them to arrange a pickup time, rather than a drop off during the day.

It just comes as a fridge with all the bits and pieces inside the fridge. The instructions are completely useless - I think the wholesaler put different (better) bits together than what was meant to come with the fridge so the instructions are just wrong. I had to "persuade" some parts to fit together, but in the end it all worked out

 

[camedmeades]

It just comes as a fridge with all the bits and pieces inside the fridge. The instructions are completely useless - I think the wholesaler put different (better) bits together than what was meant to come with the fridge so the instructions are just wrong. I had to "persuade" some parts to fit together, but in the end it all worked out

The instructions are for a crappy single chrome plated font, but the guy includes a nicer stainless steel dual tap font. It's easy enough to work out in the end. At least you guys didn't have to drill your own holes

I still can only tighten the nuts inside the font by hand. Anyone found a spanner that fits in side the font to turn it?

 

[whitegoose]

The instructions are for a crappy single chrome plated font, but the guy includes a nicer stainless steel dual tap font. It's easy enough to work out in the end. At least you guys didn't have to drill your own holes

I still can only tighten the nuts inside the font by hand. Anyone found a spanner that fits in side the font to turn it?

I used a smallish set of pliers to grip the nut on the inside of the font and then turn the tap on the outside of the font!

 

[Burchman82]

I got it today! YAY!
only problem is, i cannot figure out a few things
the long screws to secure the font down dont go in the fridge at all (holes too small)
there are no screws to secure the railing?
i only got 1 coupler
i got no reg.

any hints guys?

 

[whitegoose]

I got it today! YAY!
only problem is, i cannot figure out a few things
the long screws to secure the font down dont go in the fridge at all (holes too small)

If you mean the reeeeeeally long screws (with a nut on one end) you don't use them at all. I can't remember whether I used any of the screws they gave me to screw on the font I may have used my own, but I do remember the holes in the top of the fridge only just lined up with the holes in the font.

there are no screws to secure the railing?

yeah I had to just use some of my own screws... and I had to use a stanley knife to shave some plastic away from the edge of the holes so they lined up properly

i only got 1 coupler

Bummer. I got 2, but I won't ever need them anyway as they can't be used with corny kegs

i got no reg.

That's no good you should definitely have got one. I'd contact the supplier - fro mother posts it seems as though they are quite reasonable.

I was a little disappointed it didn't all magically come together perfectly like an ikea chair, but i got it together and it's well worth it in the end!!

 

[claymen]

Whats the power consumption on these things? I was considering eventually to pickup a cheapish (but economical) fridge and mounting taps etc to that but these seem pretty good value.

 

[camedmeades]

I got it today! YAY!
only problem is, i cannot figure out a few things
the long screws to secure the font down dont go in the fridge at all (holes too small)
there are no screws to secure the railing?
i only got 1 coupler
i got no reg.

any hints guys?

Definately get back to them regarding the reg. I thought I didn't get the screws for the railing either but ending up find them after I used my own.

Yep, long screws don't have a purpose... like Babe, according to the house cat.
You should have also got 4 screws for the font (small ones).

 

[Burchman82]

hmm yeah no small screws,
i ended up drilling holes right through to the interior and using the long screws with some big washers.

 

[benno1973]

I bought one of these the other day from Pinnacle Wholesalers. Great product, let down by a few key points I'd say:

1. No instructions. Well, there are instructions but they're next to useless.
2. The inclusion of bogus red herring parts. Like the extra-long screws that don't serve a purpose.
3. The variation in parts included. Some people have small screws, some don't. Some have regs others don't.
4. The omission of clamps and disconnects, which makes it an incomplete system.
5. The line included. Is that a joke? There's 1 meter of 5/16 keg line. By my calculations, I'd need 16-18m of the stuff to balance a kegerator.

And on that last note, what did you guys do? I have some 5mm line which I wanted to use, but it just won't stretch to go over the end of the barbed fitting for the tap. I can easily get it on the disconnect, but have no way of connecting it to the tap. I was thinking of connecting a few cm of the 5/16 and then using some sort of reduction fitting (if it exists) but can't seem to find one...

 

[whitegoose]

Have a look through this thread mate, I've had the same problem - I also started another thread in this forum about how to get a 5mm ID/8mm OD line over an 8mm ID barb. I tried a few things but with no success. I'm waiting for Ross from Craft Brewer to get in a replacement "elbow barb screw bits" (the bit that screws onto the tap with a barb for the beer line) with a 5mm or 6mm barb.

I've considered using a reduction fitting (they do exist - I'm using one on my gas line) but I reckon it will cause too much turbulance and cause frothing as the beer line needs to be smooth as.

Please let me know if you come up with anything!!

 

[benno1973]

Thanks whitegoose. I'll see if the LHBS has anything that can help me. I went there today and they have me a 6mm barb, but it's attached to a full shank, so that doesn't help, because the tap doesn't connect to it. I'll go back and see if they have anything else...

 

[claymen]

Have a look through this thread mate, I've had the same problem - I also started another thread in this forum about how to get a 5mm ID/8mm OD line over an 8mm ID barb. I tried a few things but with no success. I'm waiting for Ross from Craft Brewer to get in a replacement "elbow barb screw bits" (the bit that screws onto the tap with a barb for the beer line) with a 5mm or 6mm barb.

I've considered using a reduction fitting (they do exist - I'm using one on my gas line) but I reckon it will cause too much turbulance and cause frothing as the beer line needs to be smooth as.

Please let me know if you come up with anything!!

Keep me posted as I ordered one today and will need to get the properly lines in by the sounds of things.

 

[Burchman82]

2. The inclusion of bogus red herring parts. Like the extra-long screws that don't serve a purpose.

I used these to attach the font!?!?!? did i do bad????? i had to drill through to the interior and cut the screw length a tad shorter.

 

[whitegoose]

I think they were more for attaching the font to a fridge door if... If you drilled through and used them and they work then good work tho. I just used short screws to screw the font into the outer casing using the pre-drilled holes. I don't think it really matters how you attach the font.

 

[Guest Lurker]

5. The line included. Is that a joke? There's 1 meter of 5/16 keg line. By my calculations, I'd need 16-18m of the stuff to balance a kegerator.

And on that last note, what did you guys do? I have some 5mm line which I wanted to use, but it just won't stretch to go over the end of the barbed fitting for the tap. I can easily get it on the disconnect, but have no way of connecting it to the tap. I was thinking of connecting a few cm of the 5/16 and then using some sort of reduction fitting (if it exists) but can't seem to find one...

Dont these things come with a rip-off Celli type tap with flow control? In that case you can use a short length of large OD Beer line and use the control on the tap to balance surely?

 

[Pennywise]

I'm pretty sure it does, I had a look at one of my taps and it's got a little dial on the side which looks to me like it's for that purpose. Still haven't set up yet so not 100%

 

[Burchman82]

yes its a flow control job,
ive had some concerns about the carbonation. my beers come out quite frothy at the moment (granted they were carbed up for my prev setup) im just using the supplied line which is the heavy 8mm stuff. i dont have all that much running from the keg to tap (about 50cm max) should i be concerned?

 

[whitegoose]

Yeah they dohave flow control, I wasn't aware that system balancing could be done that way though. I think I'd rather get a smaller barb anyway...

 

[Guest Lurker]

One of the big advantages of a flow control tap is you dont needs long beer lines getting in the way.

 

[benno1973]

One of the big advantages of a flow control tap is you dont needs long beer lines getting in the way.

Thanks GL. Never had a celli-type tap before, so didn't realise what the little controller on the side did. I also didn't realise that these could be used for flow control and negate the need for balancing! Does this mean that I can ignore all the rules about line length and just go with the shortest amount required to reach the keg? Is there any minimum line length? This post seems to indicate not...

My other issue now is that I have disconnects with 6mm barbs, and 8mm ID beer line. Will the clamps hold the line onto the barbs sufficiently? Burchman82, how did you attach yours, or do your disconnects have larger barbs?

 

[Ross]

Dont these things come with a rip-off Celli type tap with flow control? In that case you can use a short length of large OD Beer line and use the control on the tap to balance surely?

Absolutely, & is what I recommended at the beginning of this thread as the easiest solution.

cheers Ross

 

[benno1973]

Absolutely, & is what I recommended at the beginning of this thread as the easiest solution.

cheers Ross

Where? I just re-read the whole thread and can only find your post referring to 3-way JG fittings? Just wondering because I'll feel stupid if the answer was there all along!!

 

[Ross]

Sorry KS,

I thought this was a another thread started by Whitegoose, just looked back to the beginning & seen it's a different thread on the same subject.
Hard to keep track with several different threads running.

apologies... Ross

 

[benno1973]

Sorry KS,

I thought this was a another thread started by Whitegoose, just looked back to the beginning & seen it's a different thread on the same subject.
Hard to keep track with several different threads running.

apologies... Ross

No worries Ross. As I said, I've been reading this thread with interest and I didn't want to think that I'd missed the critical post!! Anyways, I'll try with the 8mm line and see how it goes...

 

[benno1973]

OK, tried the supplied 5/8 ID line and it worked a treat. Thanks to GL, Ross, and those who suggested it. I didn't realise that the flow adjusters worked so effectively, and it really is a beautiful pour. Far better than my previous Andale taps (not that they were bad).

So I guess I should take back 2 of the things I said about this product. Firstly the supplied line length is fine, it's just my ignorance that was the problem. Secondly, the long screws are useful for something. Some people have used them to mount the font. I found that the diameter of the screws was far greater than the holes drilled for the font, but I could be wrong - they may just be useful.

However, now that it's up and running, I've come up against something else. The blurb says that the fridge holds 3 postmix kegs, but there's no way I can squeeze 3 in there! Every combo I try seems to leave the thrid keg sticking out slightly and the door won't close. Anyone been able to do it?

Oh, and BTW - the barbs are *really* difficult to screw on when there's thick 5/8 line attached to them! There's just not enough room in the font to connect everything!

 

[Thunderlips]

However, now that it's up and running, I've come up against something else. The blurb says that the fridge holds 3 postmix kegs, but there's no way I can squeeze 3 in there! Every combo I try seems to leave the thrid keg sticking out slightly and the door won't close. Anyone been able to do it?

Since I'm using an Andale font with mine I can't get a third 19L keg in there because the font goes down into the fridge.
But I can get a 12L keg in there as the third keg and it's as round as the 19L kegs I have.

Are you using 19L Cornelius kegs or something else?

A friend of mine has some kegs that are a fraction shorter than mine but also a bit fatter, so 3 of those might not fit.