Thanks largely to reading the experiences of others here and a kit from brewkegtap funded by my 40th, I've put together a Kegerator. It's been working really nicely with two kegs, but of course I'm always after the next project!
First a wee bit about where it is already. Skip to the end for my question if you like, but I'm quite pleased with how it's turned out so please indulge a little sharing first...
The fridge is a Hotpoint RFA52 from Freecycle. The freezer part provided some welcome extra freezer space so (in addition to promising one tap for cider) was allowed by my wife a helpful addition to the household :) Here it is with one keg; the second one is out awaiting a fill up of a Festival IPA kit.
Maybe also worth mentioning that as I quite like my gadgets, behind the gas manifold is a small black box holding a thermometer. This is wired to a cheap esp8266 attached to the side of the fridge so I can see the temperature in my Home Assistant dashboard like this:
(I followed this guide on how to do this: HomeAssistant Temperature & Humidity Sensor with ESPHome)
Anyhow, on to the questions...
I reckon I can fit in one more keg - probably just a 9.5l one - but it's desperately close to fitting two. Having more choice on the taps would be great! However, it will probably mean cutting some internal plastic. I wasn't too worried about cutting the holes in the sides as I know the cooling lines are all in the back. BUT: for further kegs I think that I will need to cut at least part on the draining channel in the back - visible in the middle here:
I'll probably also need to trim the lower part of the door:
The depth is really tight. 3 kegs will almost certainly fit in a triangle formation, perhaps raising one 9.5 up a bit to clear the bumps; but four (in a square) will definitely need some cutting.
The questions:
1. As long as I don't go deeper than making the back of the fridge "flat" - will it be safe enough cutting into the plastic here? I don't want to damage the coolant lines and have to start the whole thing again! This will amount to guesswork I know but if anyone has an inkling it'd be good to build up my confidence before jumping in.
2. Does anyone have a good source of plastic sheet I can use to cover up the cut areas? I'd like to protect the foam insulation underneath if I can and was thinking to just glue a thin plastic sheet over the cut away areas. The back does seem some condensation running down it and I'm paranoid about that moisture sneaking into the foam at the back and going a bit smelly. For the door it'd just be about making it tidy.
Any suggestions on this point most welcome!
Thanks
First a wee bit about where it is already. Skip to the end for my question if you like, but I'm quite pleased with how it's turned out so please indulge a little sharing first...
The fridge is a Hotpoint RFA52 from Freecycle. The freezer part provided some welcome extra freezer space so (in addition to promising one tap for cider) was allowed by my wife a helpful addition to the household :) Here it is with one keg; the second one is out awaiting a fill up of a Festival IPA kit.
Maybe also worth mentioning that as I quite like my gadgets, behind the gas manifold is a small black box holding a thermometer. This is wired to a cheap esp8266 attached to the side of the fridge so I can see the temperature in my Home Assistant dashboard like this:
(I followed this guide on how to do this: HomeAssistant Temperature & Humidity Sensor with ESPHome)
Anyhow, on to the questions...
I reckon I can fit in one more keg - probably just a 9.5l one - but it's desperately close to fitting two. Having more choice on the taps would be great! However, it will probably mean cutting some internal plastic. I wasn't too worried about cutting the holes in the sides as I know the cooling lines are all in the back. BUT: for further kegs I think that I will need to cut at least part on the draining channel in the back - visible in the middle here:
I'll probably also need to trim the lower part of the door:
The depth is really tight. 3 kegs will almost certainly fit in a triangle formation, perhaps raising one 9.5 up a bit to clear the bumps; but four (in a square) will definitely need some cutting.
The questions:
1. As long as I don't go deeper than making the back of the fridge "flat" - will it be safe enough cutting into the plastic here? I don't want to damage the coolant lines and have to start the whole thing again! This will amount to guesswork I know but if anyone has an inkling it'd be good to build up my confidence before jumping in.
2. Does anyone have a good source of plastic sheet I can use to cover up the cut areas? I'd like to protect the foam insulation underneath if I can and was thinking to just glue a thin plastic sheet over the cut away areas. The back does seem some condensation running down it and I'm paranoid about that moisture sneaking into the foam at the back and going a bit smelly. For the door it'd just be about making it tidy.
Any suggestions on this point most welcome!
Thanks
