Kegerator / Refrigerator Conversion Kits

**Dax** · 02-28-2007, 06:06 PM

I have recently been comparing the pros and cons of kegerators and refrigerator conversion kits. Do any of you party animals or home bar owners have experiences you could share concerning either option?

thanks,

Dax

**Black_Z28** · 02-28-2007, 08:07 PM

This is my converted Sanyo 1492 kegerator.

It holds two corny 5 gallon kegs. I make my own beer, so that's why I use the 5 gallon kegs.

What are you talking about when you say conversion kits? All, you really need is a couple shanks(depends on how many beers you want on tap, but normally one if you're going to have a commercial keg on tap), faucets, some beer line, CO2 line, and a CO2 tank. I'd go with nothing less then a 10lb CO2 tank. It costs me $14 to fill my 5lb tank, while it cost $15 to fill a 10lb tank.

Also, if you use a regular fridge and collect the parts, make sure you buy forward seal faucets. You'll thank me in the end. The regular faucets suck ass.

**Secret Formula** · 02-28-2007, 08:18 PM

oh man, that is sex.

**00redws6** · 02-28-2007, 08:47 PM

I bought the cheapest full size refrigerator i could find and a conversion kit and made my own kegorator. It cost me like $550 all together and i have had no problems so far.
refigerator is a frigidaire, 18.2 cubic feet and i got the kit from kegworks.com.
I can use half or quater kegs.

**third_shift|studios** · 03-01-2007, 07:07 AM

dudes i knew had a kegerator in the basement, and ran lines to 3 rooms/2 floors of the house. it was AWESOME

**Dax** · 03-01-2007, 09:42 AM

Originally Posted by Black_Z28

This is my converted Sanyo 1492 kegerator.

It holds two corny 5 gallon kegs. I make my own beer, so that's why I use the 5 gallon kegs.

What are you talking about when you say conversion kits? All, you really need is a couple shanks(depends on how many beers you want on tap, but normally one if you're going to have a commercial keg on tap), faucets, some beer line, CO2 line, and a CO2 tank. I'd go with nothing less then a 10lb CO2 tank. It costs me $14 to fill my 5lb tank, while it cost $15 to fill a 10lb tank.

Also, if you use a regular fridge and collect the parts, make sure you buy forward seal faucets. You'll thank me in the end. The regular faucets suck ass.

Wow- I have been absorbing information about this stuff from vendors and a forum of enthusiasts for almost a month now, and your setup is impressive.

I have a Sanyo SR-4912M that I could convert. It looks a lot like yours, but I am hesistant to use it because I don't think a wide quarter like Coors would fit in it. Plus, it's already full of beverages and such besides beer.

Right now I am leaning towards a full-size fridge conversion like 00redW6 has, if only for the potential to keep halfs in there as opposed to my current fridge, which might hold a skinny quarter at best. I appreciate the advice on individual parts needed. I don't want to drop over a grand on a Bev-Air, but I'd pay extra where it makes sense to do so, like the bigger CO2 tank and the quality faucet.

Thanks for the advice, guys.

**Black_Z28** · 03-01-2007, 02:27 PM

Originally Posted by Dax

Wow- I have been absorbing information about this stuff from vendors and a forum of enthusiasts for almost a month now, and your setup is impressive.

I have a Sanyo SR-4912M that I could convert. It looks a lot like yours, but I am hesistant to use it because I don't think a wide quarter like Coors would fit in it. Plus, it's already full of beverages and such besides beer.

Right now I am leaning towards a full-size fridge conversion like 00redW6 has, if only for the potential to keep halfs in there as opposed to my current fridge, which might hold a skinny quarter at best. I appreciate the advice on individual parts needed. I don't want to drop over a grand on a Bev-Air, but I'd pay extra where it makes sense to do so, like the bigger CO2 tank and the quality faucet.

Thanks for the advice, guys.

The things I like about my setup over the regular fridge is one, it's smaller. And two I can have a tower on my fridge instead of the faucet just coming through the door of the fridge. I just don't like how that looks.

If you do decide to hack up your 1492 hit me up with a PM. I have numerous guides on how to drill for a tower. You have to be carefull because there is a line that runs across the top of the fridge.

Also, I know of a place that sells very nice S/S towers that are cheaper then your pre-setup chrome towers like mine. I would like to upgrade my tower to a S/S tower, but I'm going to be upgrading my fridge probably this summer, so I can hold 3 kegs instead of 2.

Good luck with whatever you decide on.

**Dax** · 03-10-2007, 07:49 PM

Update:

I ended up converting a full-size Amana. It's being stored in the basement below my living room and my family are already utilizing the extra freezer and fridge space. It's only about five years old, works fine so far, and was cheap- $ 85 to a local guy advertising on Craigslist. I stuck a glass of water with a thermometer in there for about 8 hours now and it's hovering right at the 38* mark.

I also bought the conversion equipment the other day. I went with a small, local vendor that had a great reputation. I skipped a faucet entirely. I went with the 5 lb. aluminum tank, refills were quoted at $ 8.75. I did get the dual guage regulator, though.

I tapped my first quarter last night and it worked well from almost the first pull. After 24 hours, the CO2 pressure has stabilized and I'm tapping very little foam.

I'd like to thank you guys again for your advice, reputation points have been bumped up FWIW.

If any of you guys who regularly appreciate a good beer at home have the space to do so, I highly recommend considering this option as opposed to buying cases of canned or bottled beer. It is actually quite a bit less expensive, and it even tastes better.

**my5thNewUsernameHere** · 03-10-2007, 07:56 PM

Originally Posted by Dax

If any of you guys who regularly appreciate a good beer at home have the space to do so, I highly recommend considering this option as opposed to buying cases of canned or bottled beer. It is actually quite a bit less expensive, and it even tastes better.

Sounds awesome man....If you tap a keg like that, how long does it stay carbonated and tasting good?

FWIW, I love carbonated water and drink a ton of it. I'm looking to build something like what this guy did: http://www.truetex.com/carbonation.htm

**Dax** · 03-10-2007, 08:11 PM

Originally Posted by my5thNewUsernameHere

Sounds awesome man....If you tap a keg like that, how long does it stay carbonated and tasting good?

FWIW, I love carbonated water and drink a ton of it. I'm looking to build something like what this guy did: http://www.truetex.com/carbonation.htm

According to one of the sites I researched, 45 - 60 days for most American beers. Here's a good beer FAQ for anyone who is interested:

http://www.micromatic.com/draft-keg-...qs-cid-87.html

Now, when it comes to stuff like this, you can't beat real personal experience from actual users, like the guys who posted previously in this thread. The local guy who sold me the equipment spent almost an hour with me giving me advice and pointers, his opinion was that a barrel of either size should last a good 30 days or more before any change in flavor was noticed, provided the coupler and beer line/faucet/party tap/tower was cleaned at every barrel change.

I checked out the link you provided and, no surprise here, I think you should go for it. As the page says, once you set it up you will also wonder why everyone else isn't already doing this. I guess it's because there is an initial investment required and because it involves a gas tank and equipment, things not everyone is comfortable with.

**my5thNewUsernameHere** · 03-10-2007, 08:23 PM

Originally Posted by Dax

According to one of the sites I researched, 45 - 60 days for most American beers. Here's a good beer FAQ for anyone who is interested:

http://www.micromatic.com/draft-keg-...qs-cid-87.html

Now, when it comes to stuff like this, you can't beat real personal experience from actual users, like the guys who posted previously in this thread. The local guy who sold me the equipment spent almost an hour with me giving me advice and pointers, his opinion was that a barrel of either size should last a good 30 days or more before any change in flavor was noticed, provided the coupler and beer line/faucet/party tap/tower was cleaned at every barrel change.

Thanks for the link! I'll have to read that in detail over the next couple of days. I'm not a huge beer drinker and don't throw enough parties to make it worthwhile for me to invest in a system such as that described. Nonetheless, I'd love to have one just to learn how it all works.

Originally Posted by Dax

I checked out the link you provided and, no surprise here, I think you should go for it. As the page says, once you set it up you will also wonder why everyone else isn't already doing this. I guess it's because there is an initial investment required and because it involves a gas tank and equipment, things not everyone is comfortable with.

Yeah, I've been meaning to do this for quite some time but I just haven't had the time. For as much seltzer as I buy, it's a no-brainer to go and try to implement this solution, but it requires a lot of specialized parts that I haven't had a chance to look for. However, I may make more of effort to do so thanks to your support and encouragement!

**Dax** · 03-10-2007, 08:36 PM

Originally Posted by my5thNewUsernameHere

Thanks for the link! I'll have to read that in detail over the next couple of days. I'm not a huge beer drinker and don't throw enough parties to make it worthwhile for me to invest in a system such as that described. Nonetheless, I'd love to have one just to learn how it all works.

Yeah, I've been meaning to do this for quite some time but I just haven't found the time. For as much seltzer as I buy, it's a no-brainer to go and try to implement this solution, but it requires a lot of specialized parts I haven't bothered to seek out. However, I may make more of effort to do so thanks to your support and encouragement!

I know exactly where you're coming from. The cost savings can be a big factor, but it wasn't a deciding factor in my case since even with friends over on a weekend, I don't go through barrels and barrels of beer.

Here's a good sample analysis of cost, not counting investment of equipment/fridge. All $$ are approximate, there is a factor of CO2 refills and initial keg deposit.

1 case of American beer in bottles = $ 20.00

1 quarter barrel = $ 45.00. 1 quarter barrel = 3.5 cases ($ 70.00). $ 25 savings per barrel

1 half barrel = $ 75.00. 1 half barrel = 7 cases ($ 140.00). $ 65 savings per barrel.

Plus, the potential convenience factor of recycling and extra fridge/freezer space, and of course, the taste of draft beer.

Now, I'll admit right up front my major partying days are over. It's going to be a tossup as to whether I actually empty a keg before it goes bad. But, the savings are still there, and eventually, the equipment should pay for itself, and more.

**86 IROC-Z** · 03-10-2007, 09:29 PM

So I guess this is the next step up from ice in a trash can?

**Black_Z28** · 03-11-2007, 08:55 PM

Dax, just a heads up on the beer. I've read that homebrew will last 6 months without a problem. I'd assume the same for your commercial kegs. I know guys that will keep beer in their kegs for up to a year to let it age. That's typically for high alcohol brews, but I wouldn't worry about beer going bad, unless you get an infection. Also, there really is no need to clean the lines each time you get a new keg. You can get a product called PBW, which works great as a line cleaner. Other good sanitizer can be found here.

So, did you opt just for a cobra/party tap?

**Dax** · 03-12-2007, 12:03 PM

Originally Posted by 86 IROC-Z

So I guess this is the next step up from ice in a trash can?

Ha ha! Yep.

Originally Posted by Black_Z28

Dax, just a heads up on the beer. I've read that homebrew will last 6 months without a problem. I'd assume the same for your commercial kegs. I know guys that will keep beer in their kegs for up to a year to let it age. That's typically for high alcohol brews, but I wouldn't worry about beer going bad, unless you get an infection. Also, there really is no need to clean the lines each time you get a new keg. You can get a product called PBW, which works great as a line cleaner. Other good sanitizer can be found here.

So, did you opt just for a cobra/party tap?

Exactly- looks just like the one on my old beer ball tap.

Thanks again for the advice and link.

**Jeff Jones** · 03-12-2007, 12:24 PM

I use to have a converted fridge for many years, in fact still have all the equipment (minus the fridge), just use if for parties now. The biggest problem I had was when my friends would come over, they would drink the beer like fish thinking that it was way cheaper, and never offer to help pay. Its a little cheaper but, not my that much.