Budget set up

[Jackofnotrades]

Hi all, I've being brewing kits for a little while now and am rapidly running out of bottle space, so decided that ultimately a kegerator is the way forward.
Only issue is funds are a bit tight atm, I have a chest freezer that is not being used, a budget barrel with co2 injector cap and a Stella beer tap.
I know that ideally u need an stc 1000 and a corny/crusader set up, but is it worth starting with what I have (manually adding co2 when required and controlling the temp via the mains switch) and upgrading slowly when I'm a bit more flush

 

[jonnymorris]

I'd have thought it might be a bit tricky and soon loose its novelty if you regulated the temperature manually. You might also end up with frozen beer. Besides, an STC1000 is only about £15.

 

[Springer]

Like J says and if you are running out of bottle space and short of funds just get some more they are free ..................................or do you just fancy going fancy
S

 

[Fil]

U may get away with topping up co2 as and when but you cant afford to take such a Laissez-faire attitude toward temperature too.

temp and pressure are your 2 controllable inputs to the system, used to set and balance the correct level of condition held in the keg.

a steady temperature for the beer is the foundation for the pressure u set to achieve your target level of condition, without it the beer condition level will fluctuate with the temperature

 

[Jackofnotrades]

Stc1000 currently on its way from china, so that's the temp issue sorted, hopefully using 3/16 pipe will help me balance the flow through the tap, now thinking a flow control fitting would be helpful though

 

[Fil]

Stc1000 currently on its way from china, so that's the temp issue sorted, hopefully using 3/16 pipe will help me balance the flow through the tap, now thinking a flow control fitting would be helpful though

fyi i use flow control taps which are gr8 for lower conditioned beers, but anything served above 6-8psi is a real PITA needing a fiddle every pint never settling at the sweet spot.. while lower conditioned beers are set n pour.

you could try a 2nd device inline to help, but the thin line is a cheaper and easier solution, and as its thin u can coil up excess length quite neatly while 3/8" tube is a bit stiffer and harder to hide..