Which Direction To Take For Kegging?

[Aus_Rider_22]

Hey fellas. Just posting up a thread for opinions and experience regarding the setup for a new kegging system. I made a few calls and researched AHB and this forum but it's hard to guage some of the steps and procedures needed for different setups and what would be best for me.

I was looking at just going out and buying a complete kegorator like Keg Mate or Keg Master simply for the ease of setup and minimal time in the collection of parts as they included with the kegorators. I looked at http://www.kegking.com.au/keg%20fridges.html and http://www.kegmate.com.au/index1.html and both have the options to include acessories required to hook it up.

Now after a phone call to the closest Keg Master Series 3 fridge supplier I am not so sure. He said while they are stockist of these kegorators, they don't have any at the moment and have had some problems with people who have bought them. He said they have found that the provided connections don't always fit and the gas cylinder isn't always Australia standards even though it says in the brochure. Here's what comes in the pack. http://www.kegking.com.au/Downloads/Keg%20...%20Pamphlet.pdf

He said most (like many on here) simply modify there fridges to take fonts and run them from there. I am not in the greatest rush to have a complete setup straight away. I am considering just purchasing a Corny keg, the regulator, connections, gas bottle and just running it from inside my fridge like this kit http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Home-Brew-GET-START...=item3efb3179a6

I was hoping to be drinking kegged beer by the 20th of Jan so just a basic setup would suffice for now. So what would your recommendations be? Could I simply use the fridge to store and chill the kegs and gas and simply open the fridge up and use the plastic "Bronco" tap to pour a beer from the open fridge?

I wouldn't mind just going out and buying this http://www.kegking.com.au/Downloads/Keg%20...%20Pamphlet.pdf but it's so hard to find reviews and opinions on them.

Cheers

 

[Ross]

Ausrider,

Post your locallity & someone may be able to point you in the direction of someone local to you.

cheers Ross

 

[A3k]

Hi Aus Rider,
Not sure if this will help but, i made up a spreadsheet for a mate in your situation. I think it's pretty comprehensive, but doesn't include a fridge.
I've included a cylinder which you can hire, and you can go cheaper and get a bronco tap as you've suggested.
everything's from craftbrewer from memory.

I'd suggest getting John Guest fittings where possible as it makes life easier. Getting them at the start will save you upgrading later and paying twice.

Cheers,
Al

Edit: this is a few months old so prices are likely to have changed

View attachment KegSetupCosting.xls

 

[kuzzy]

Could I simply use the fridge to store and chill the kegs and gas and simply open the fridge up and use the plastic "Bronco" tap to pour a beer from the open fridge?

This is what I have been doing the last few weeks, works well. Well, um, the wife is getting cranky..... She wants the second fridge back....

Until I get fully comfortable with carbing I will stick with this setup, limited to one keg. Instead of buying a ready made setup I am going to get a chest freezer and convert that once one pops up cheaply.

 

[ramu_gupta]

Could I simply use the fridge to store and chill the kegs and gas and simply open the fridge up and use the plastic "Bronco" tap to pour a beer from the open fridge?

Absolutely. This is what I have been doing for several months and is great. Allowed me to learn how to carbonate kegs, care for the beer and kegs and has been working well.

Just beginning to upgrade to a couple of taps through the fridge door but having some issues getting the system balanced so that more beer is poured than foam. :unsure:

 

[muckey]

+1 for bronco taps

they work like a dream.

even though I have a keg fridge with 2 taps in the door I always have a couple of bronco taps for a 3rd keg or if I take a corny somewhere as a party keg.

cheap and reliable - brillant!!

 

[MarkBastard]

Bronco taps are awesome. Their only drawbacks are the obvious ones, ie they don't look that nice and you have to open the fridge / freezer door to use them.

 

[Pete2501]

Bronco taps are awesome. Their only drawbacks are the obvious ones, ie they don't look that nice and you have to open the fridge / freezer door to use them.

Pretty much but I've grown attached to mine.

 

[Bribie G]

I went through a similar exercise about 5 months ago and ended up buying basically the same kegerator that Ausrider posted. I found that:

Modern fridges are tall and thin and to get a fridge that is going to hold 2 kegs, let alone 3, is going to cost over a grand. Yes you can get impressive looking fridge freezers from Good Guys starting at $450 but take an empty keg along with you and you soon get a sobering experience.

Unless you are lucky, most second hand fridges are sold for a reason. I picked up a genuine surplus one that I use for lagering (not serving) that was donated to me by an AHB member. Otherwise I wouldn't venture into the second hand market.

Chest freezers likewise are not cheap. The cheap arse ones starting in the 500s have a big motor 'bump' at the bottom and as with fridges, to get a suitably roomy one you are looking at a grand.


then you still have to manufacture a 'collar', get kegs, taps, gas, regs, line, disconnects, valves, etc.

Basically I bought a Keg Mate package from Ross - although I must admit that I was shouted a nice 3 tap font by another AHB member as the result of a competition win (off topic) and was drinking from it within ten minutes of installation :icon_drunk: I got the gas from the BOC dealer up the road from here.

Warning re kegerator packages on Ebay etc: they often come with cheap Chinese fonts that do not do a good job. It makes the package price look good but I have heard that they often pour foam etc, or leak. Best to bite the bullet and pay for a good set.

Four months later, any money I may have possibly saved elsewhere is more than made up for by this lovely unit. And nothing looks more kick arse in the corner of the lounge room :lol:



edit: Bronco taps are bloody good, nothing wrong with them - I have a couple for my party keg setup as you can't drag a kegmate down to the beach etc

 

[Aus_Rider_22]

Ausrider,

Post your locallity & someone may be able to point you in the direction of someone local to you.

cheers Ross

I am in the Darling Downs area.

Hi Aus Rider,
Not sure if this will help but, i made up a spreadsheet for a mate in your situation. I think it's pretty comprehensive, but doesn't include a fridge.
I've included a cylinder which you can hire, and you can go cheaper and get a bronco tap as you've suggested.
everything's from craftbrewer from memory.

I'd suggest getting John Guest fittings where possible as it makes life easier. Getting them at the start will save you upgrading later and paying twice.

Cheers,
Al

Edit: this is a few months old so prices are likely to have changed

Thanks for the detailed list of prices.

Absolutely. This is what I have been doing for several months and is great. Allowed me to learn how to carbonate kegs, care for the beer and kegs and has been working well.

Just beginning to upgrade to a couple of taps through the fridge door but having some issues getting the system balanced so that more beer is poured than foam. :unsure:

I think I might just pick up a starter kit off eBay with keg, regulator, lines, tap and buy a co2 bottle seperately. This seems very cheap. If only they could deliver to the Brisbane area! http://www.keg2.com.au/prod12.htm

 

[Aus_Rider_22]

LOL, I am an idiot. I didn't realise who Ross was until now.

Ross, I've bought hops, caramunich and yeast from you before. I would have no problem buying from you. I will check out what you have cheers mate.

 

[MarkBastard]

Pretty much but I've grown attached to mine.

Yeah that's what I'm saying. They're a perfectly good long term solution if you don't want / need pretty taps and fonts. They're probably the best tap you can buy over all.

 

[MarkBastard]

Chest freezers likewise are not cheap. The cheap arse ones starting in the 500s have a big motor 'bump' at the bottom and as with fridges, to get a suitably roomy one you are looking at a grand.

Gday Bribie,

I have had good experiences with second hand chest freezers, and recently I bought a brand new factory second chest freezer for $400 that can fit 6 kegs in it without any modifications. The only thing wrong with it was a bashed in corner at the bottom due to someone dropping it. I bashed it back into shape and it's perfect.

That was a 275L one. With chest freezers there are a range of sizes and you can pretty much get one exactly like what you want if you look hard enough. For example my one comes in the next size up at 320L and the only dimension difference is the width. I reckon it'd hold 8 on the floor. The one down from me is 215L and holds 4 kegs on the floor. Again the only difference is the width.

Just thought I'd put that out there because I don't think what you said is true.

But that said, In hind site I should have just got a kegmate like you did. I find it hard to have more than 3 kegs going at once, a kegerator would have been FAR less money and effort than what I'm trying to achieve with building a bar!

 

[mxd]

LOL, I am an idiot. I didn't realise who Ross was until now.

Ross, I've bought hops, caramunich and yeast from you before. I would have no problem buying from you. I will check out what you have cheers mate.

if you jump in now you can get 4 kegs (from Ross) for $200, great deal, then you can brew and natural carb in keg, to allow a few weeks to get Gas, reg, tap etc..

 

[gregs]

I went through a similar exercise about 5 months ago and ended up buying basically the same kegerator that Ausrider posted. I found that:

Modern fridges are tall and thin and to get a fridge that is going to hold 2 kegs, let alone 3, is going to cost over a grand. Yes you can get impressive looking fridge freezers from Good Guys starting at $450 but take an empty keg along with you and you soon get a sobering experience.

Unless you are lucky, most second hand fridges are sold for a reason. I picked up a genuine surplus one that I use for lagering (not serving) that was donated to me by an AHB member. Otherwise I wouldn't venture into the second hand market.

Chest freezers likewise are not cheap. The cheap arse ones starting in the 500s have a big motor 'bump' at the bottom and as with fridges, to get a suitably roomy one you are looking at a grand.


then you still have to manufacture a 'collar', get kegs, taps, gas, regs, line, disconnects, valves, etc.

Basically I bought a Keg Mate package from Ross - although I must admit that I was shouted a nice 3 tap font by another AHB member as the result of a competition win (off topic) and was drinking from it within ten minutes of installation :icon_drunk: I got the gas from the BOC dealer up the road from here.

Warning re kegerator packages on Ebay etc: they often come with cheap Chinese fonts that do not do a good job. It makes the package price look good but I have heard that they often pour foam etc, or leak. Best to bite the bullet and pay for a good set.

Four months later, any money I may have possibly saved elsewhere is more than made up for by this lovely unit. And nothing looks more kick arse in the corner of the lounge room :lol:

View attachment 33960

edit: Bronco taps are bloody good, nothing wrong with them - I have a couple for my party keg setup as you can't drag a kegmate down to the beach etc

I found a brand new 500 litre Fischer & Paykel chest freezer for $450. When the recommended retail cost at the time was $1350. There was also a 700 litre going for the same price. The dealer is in Brisbane and deals exclusively with this brand, they all have minor damage dents ECT and come with full factory warranty. But as Bribie says you have to modify them and that negates waranty but you would have to very un lucky to have a problem.

 

[MarkBastard]

You don't have to modify chest freezers.

You can use them as is with bronco taps if you want. You can also build a collar in such a way that is fully reversible for warranty reasons.

Only time you'd mod one is if you were mounting a font or painting / cladding / building a bar around one.

 

[doon]

if you jump in now you can get 4 kegs (from Ross) for $200, great deal, then you can brew and natural carb in keg, to allow a few weeks to get Gas, reg, tap etc..

can you natural carb in kegs without having a gas set up to purge the keg of oxygen?

 

[Pollux]

I currently have a fridge/freezer I picked up for $60.......

It holds 4 kegs, my gas bottle and a freezer load of hops....

I'm currently using two bronco taps to dispense, have been so for months......Although I do have Perlicks under the tree for Xmas.


In total I spent $557 with Ross for the 4 keg deal, reg, lines, fittings etc..... I bought a 6.8kg MKOL gas bottle for $329, and I have my $60 fridge.

 

[Aus_Rider_22]

can you natural carb in kegs without having a gas set up to purge the keg of oxygen?

I am wondering this as well?

 

[mxd]

can you natural carb in kegs without having a gas set up to purge the keg of oxygen?

mmm, I put co2 so I haven't tried it without co2, but if the keg is full enough ?