Where can I buy a Kegmate?

[Bribie G]

OK I have two KegMates, both from CraftBrewer, #1 is my original, coming up 7 years old this year, with the tower font and 3 taps. The other, #2 is about 5 years old now, is my fermenting fridge.

#1 is starting to make intermittent grinding noises :unsure: - not too bad a bad run considering modern whitegoods - so I'm thinking of retiring it to fermenting duty where it will only have to handle 17 degree ferments, and if it karks it then it will be an excellent dead fridge to run on frozen bottles, if I need extra ferment space for summer, or comps etc.

So I'm looking for a mk. 4 Kegmate as my serving fridge, and the options seem limited. I'm not interested in Ebay, as I don't need all the cheap shit that they pad all their packages out with.

Apart from Keg King, I can't seem to find one. Ross is out of them, for the last few weeks anyway, and Keg King only display systems with fonts and taps, which I have already.

I've emailed both parties to see what they can do, but does anyone have a lead on getting just a base KegMate from a reliable Aussie provider?


edit; one of these of course

 

[TidalPete]

QuoteQuote

[SIZE=9pt]During the 1st year, we will replace free of charge any parts found to be defective & additionally for your peace of mind, we will cover the compressor for a total of 3 years!
The above warrenty is subject to our general provisions, available on request. [/SIZE]​

You can't go pass Ross's product Bribie. :super:

TTBOMK CraftBrewer is the only seller who will give you a 3-year warranty on the compressor subject to their provisions as well as the usual 12-month kegerator warranty.
Add all the excellent service given forever & it's a no-brainer as you well know. B)

Well worth the wait & no affiliation, yadda yadda. Just a happy customer.

Edit --- I am talking about a Kegmate pure & simple & without any of the extras such as ss font, taps, etc, etc.

 

[Grott]

No affiliation but Brewmart in WA sell plain units for $495, -4 to 28 degrees. Delivery charges have been quite reasonable for what I have purchased from them.
Cheers

 

[simmo1972]

Kegking are doing fridge only now or no taps and font.

 

[SBOB]

yep, fridge only is available

http://kegking.com.au/keg-couplers-and-keg-disconnects/kegerators/keg-master-series-4-fridge-only.html

 

[Bribie G]

Ross got some series 4 in so I popped up to C'ba today and picked one up for the same price as the old ones. It's really evolved from my couple of mark 1's that I have.

They seem to sit lower as the base plate is thinner, and the compressor hump is greatly reduced so 3 kegs fit far better without the "keg tetris".

Built in rollers just like your kitchen fridge, no need to fit castors (I never bothered with my castors anyway, who needs a Kegmate shooting across the kitchen floor with a pissed guy in pursuit) :blink:

Font Snake comes as standard, yay, with its own button on the dashboard.

Door is smooth on the inside as opposed to the earlier models that had a funny scalloped out door lining that was obviously meant to accommodate a commercial big keg, but definitely "leaked cold" through when using as a lagering fridge and led to a smear of condensation down the front of the fridge.

Finally the chrome guard rails on the top are excellent heavy quality. They just pop into the top via little pegs, no need to screw in though those ugly tags. The old ones where real crap and pitted / rusted easily.

There's a funny little rack holder thing screwed to the "ceiling", I'm wondering if it's to take a sparklets style CO2 canister? I'll be unscrewing it immediately as it fouls the LH keg.

Getting my font and lines sorted and hope to give it a whirl tomorrow.

Nice smooth job, good value.

 

[Bridges]

I think the funny little rack is supposed to hold your drinking vessels.

 

[pist]

I am definitely buying one of these when my keg fridge dies. Looks like a schmick bit of kit

 

[Bribie G]

Yup the thing about the KegMate is that it's designed for one thing only and that's beer.

Try walking into Hardly Normal or the Good Guys with the same amount of money in your hand looking for a fridge that you can use as a kegerator or a fermenting fridge, hold three kegs or up to a 60L fermenter with diall-able temperatures and controls and ready made orifices for gas lines and a font tower.

They would laugh at you before calling security to put your arse out of the door.
Domestic fridges are meant to be tall and thin so you don't get a hernia looking for the butter but for anything remotely useful for home brew use you need to buy a big model that's going to set you back over a grand, and even then maybe not take 3 kegs. And if you get a second hand monster you're often buying somebody elses' problems.

I now have 3 KegMates, my server and two fermentors in the garage and all up I've only spent about the same as my kitchen Fisher and Paykel (plus fonts, Fridgemate controllers of course).

 

[simmo1972]

Had mine a couple of weeks now and pleased with it. Replaced DIY one in profile picture. I've started switching fan off when not in use or at end of night and if I am going to use I try to stick it on an hour before. I Kept coming out to puddles on top when fan left on.

It is for glasses took mine off to get kegs in. Will use the holes to screw a gas manifold to top at some point.

 

[rass]

Well, this thread has convinced my missus to go and take a look at them on the weekend

 

[Bribie G]

Give Anthony a ring at CraftBrewer to see what they have in stock, they were going quickly apparently.

 

[QldKev]

I'd be checking if that grinding noise is just the internal pc fan, my one about the same age is making occasional fan noises.

 

[Chridech]

Getting my font and lines sorted and hope to give it a whirl tomorrow.

Nice smooth job, good value.

Hi Bribie G

I have just picked up a Kegmate IV too and am in the process of getting the lines sorted. I'm a kegging virgin. How have you split the gas lines? Have you mounted a manifold on the back of the fridge or have you poked one line through the back and split the line inside? Is there are better way to do it other than to use the barbs supplied? I would appreciate your thoughts.

Cheers. Chris

 

[rass]

Dropped in and had a chat to Anthony this morning; really impressed with the keg mate. They had some left in stock, and the missus has decreed that I am to replace my brewing fridge with one, and I can get one for serving. Not only was I impressed with the device, but the guys there were bloody good.

 

[Bribie G]

Sorry missed your post. Out of town will post a pic when I get home.
If your gas line split up is going to be permanent you can just buy a plastic thing with 3 barbs from the likes of Supercheap Auto for a few bucks.
In the hydraulics bits section.
Seals perfectly.

 

[Chridech]

Sorry missed your post. Out of town will post a pic when I get home.
If your gas line split up is going to be permanent you can just buy a plastic thing with 3 barbs from the likes of Supercheap Auto for a few bucks.
In the hydraulics bits section.
Seals perfectly.

Thanks Bribie G, I think I've sorted it. Got pretty enthused about having the capability to serve each tap at different carbonation levels, so have bought a second Reg. (and in the future perhaps a third) so am able to carb each keg independently. I have seen other brewers mount a manifold on the back of the fridge (or inside where the glass rack is supposed to sit), but this is unnecessary if using a separate Reg. with each keg. At the time I posted I was most interested if you spilt the line inside or outside the fridge. Three lines will fit no dramas through the hole in the back of the fridge, less gap to plug up that way. Cheers.

 

[Bribie G]

No problems, yes you can get two lines in as I used to use a nitro reg and a CO2 reg.

For future reference, if you have three kegs and want to, say, run two of them off one reg and one off another reg you can split the gas inside the fridge with this device that I mentioned above:



Just a few dollars and a fraction of the cost of a John Guest splitter. I lost a gas bottle to a leaking JG equal T and got this wee plastic thing from Auto Pro if I remember right.

 

[Chridech]

Thanks Bribie, I will split one of the gas lines inside the fridge when I brew for a third keg. I have some barbed SS T-pieces that came with the KK set-up that I can use. Will reinforce join with a stepless clamp. Cheers