Kegerator build - advice please

[dan125]

Thanks to some help from the forum I've cobbled together the following:-




The reg is from ebay thanks to a link on another thread, and the kegs are from HBC with the 5% members discount.
I'm also in a position, sooner than expected, to get the rest of the kit needed to set up after taking �£160 off my mates at poker last Friday:party:

This leaves me with a few questions that I'd really appreciate some help with please:-

Where can a get co2 without a �£65 deposit on the bottle?

is there a 'best' place to run the gas in lines through the side of the fridge (aiming to run 2 taps on separate lines with co2 bottle outside fridge) ?

How much 3/16" beer line do I need to get a good pour - I've read differing opinions between 4-12 feet?

Do I need to get the beer really clear before transferring into the kegs as the dip tubes for the beer out posts go right to the bottom of the kegs & would potentially suck up any sediment wouldn't they?

Thanks

 

[Smileyr8]

Firstly sorry for the short reply, I am in a bit of a hurry.

I use approximately 5 foot of 3/16", I would suggest you start long and keep shortening until you get what you desire, I force carbonate and deliver at 14psi.
You could try your local hydroponics shop for the CO2 mine did a bottle for ��£30 I think which was ��£15 for the bottle & ��£15 for the gas, hence refills cost ��£15, I have done maybe 8-10 brews and the pressure gauge does not appear to have moved..

 

[McMullan]

Run the gas line through the side without any electrics (left?) about 15-20cm above the top of the kegs. If you keep the regulator outside too, one of the lines could be split into 2 once inside the fridge. When you drill the hole(s) in the metal fridge covering it will probably leave a very sharp edge around the hole. Not good for the gas line. File it or plug it with a hollow cap. I put electrical tape around mine as a temporary measure. It works, so didn't bother changing it.

You will get some sediment collecting at the bottom of the keg, even from bright/clear beer. Don't worry about it. It sticks to the bottom pretty well. The first glass might be a bit cloudy.

 

[dan125]

Firstly sorry for the short reply, I am in a bit of a hurry.

I use approximately 5 foot of 3/16", I would suggest you start long and keep shortening until you get what you desire, I force carbonate and deliver at 14psi.
You could try your local hydroponics shop for the CO2 mine did a bottle for ���£30 I think which was ���£15 for the bottle & ���£15 for the gas, hence refills cost ���£15, I have done maybe 8-10 brews and the pressure gauge does not appear to have moved..

Thanks Smileyr8 - think I'll start with 8' of 3/16 line per keg and shorten from there if need be. Does the beer just come out too slowly if the line's too long?
I've got a local hydroponics shop will give them a try & report back.

 

[dan125]

Run the gas line through the side without any electrics (left?) about 15-20cm above the top of the kegs. If you keep the regulator outside too, one of the lines could be split into 2 once inside the fridge. When you drill the hole(s) in the metal fridge covering it will probably leave a very sharp edge around the hole. Not good for the gas line. File it or plug it with a hollow cap. I put electrical tape around mine as a temporary measure. It works, so didn't bother changing it.

You will get some sediment collecting at the bottom of the keg, even from bright/clear beer. Don't worry about it. It sticks to the bottom pretty well. The first glass might be a bit cloudy.

Thanks McMullan. The left side would also fit in well with my anticipated positioning of the gas & regulator. I wanted to run 2 gas lines in from the reg as I can then have different pressures on each keg. My main concern was if there is any possibility of coolant running through channels in the side of the fridge, but I don't think the fridge is good enough quality for anything like that.
I won't worry too much about the sediment then - thought I might need to cold crash the carboy for a while before transferring into the kegs, but this would interfere with the brewing schedule as it's have to go back in the brew fridge after dry hopping.

 

[Joeyriles]

To echo what's been said already about the beer clarity: I kegged my red ale after three weeks in the FV (though no cold crash) and it originally came out pretty murky (though tasty.)

After just two weeks it was clear as a bell, the rest of it didn't last long and the bottom of the keg was lined with sediment. I just wish I hadn't guzzled it so quickly and waited for it to mature some!

So, cold crashing it might be a wise move if you want crystal clear beer but it probably won't happen overnight.

Make sure you post a picture of your first pint being poured!

 

[dan125]

Make sure you post a picture of your first pint being poured!

Certainly will - I'll try to remember to update with photos as the kegerator progresses.
My usual routine is 2 weeks in FV and 1 week in 2ndry before kegging (plastic)/bottling, so maybe I won't bother changing at first and just cold crash the kegs in the kegerator for as long as I can hold out (probably about 30mins) before hooking up to the tap.

I've had no luck getting CO2 from my local hydroponics shops - they only have small bottles with yeast in that produce CO2 as they ferment something or another, so it looks like a £55 deposit on a cylinder is gonna be the only local source :-(

 

[Smileyr8]

Thanks Smileyr8 - think I'll start with 8' of 3/16 line per keg and shorten from there if need be. Does the beer just come out too slowly if the line's too long?
I've got a local hydroponics shop will give them a try & report back.

Yes the beer just comes out really slow if the length of 3/16" is too long hence filling a pint pot will take an absolute age, I am sure I read when setting mine up that 20 seconds was reasonable for a pint, not sure how long mine takes as I have never timed it but its definitely less than a minute.

+ for tidiness my CO2 is inside the fridge.

 

[dan125]

CO2 sorted - was hoping for a newer shinier cylinder for a 55 quid deposit!



Just the taps, lines & fittings to go.
Hoping for beer on tap for Xmas

 

[Joeyriles]

Looks almost exactly the same as mine: like a nuclear bloody bomb!

Where do you live? The Andover patio centre do the same size ones for £20.

 

[Rogermort]

In order to safely run the lines through the side of the fridge, make the holes by heating up a six inch nail until it's red hot and then push it through the side from the inside. You can feel if any coolant pipes are in the way before committing. Once you've melted the hole in the right place, you can follow up with a suitable drill bit to perforate the metal skin of the fridge.

 

[dan125]

Looks almost exactly the same as mine: like a nuclear bloody bomb!

Where do you live? The Andover patio centre do the same size ones for �£20.

Thanks, but I'm Kent, near Rochester, so Andover's a bit too far.
Now I have the bottle, refills are only £18ish for 6.15kg

 

[dan125]

In order to safely run the lines through the side of the fridge, make the holes by heating up a six inch nail until it's red hot and then push it through the side from the inside. You can feel if any coolant pipes are in the way before committing. Once you've melted the hole in the right place, you can follow up with a suitable drill bit to perforate the metal skin of the fridge.

Thanks Rogermort - I might well give this a go to be on the safe side, but I've noticed on other fridges in the house that its only the back of the fridge that feels like there's coolant running through it when turned on & I'm hoping that the same is true of the kegerator fridge - will test it when I've cleaned up today's brew day mess.

 

[dan125]

Make sure you post a picture of your first pint being poured!

As promised here is the pic of the (nearly) 1st pint out of the kegerator:







The 2nd tap's gonna have to wait until after payday, when I'll also have a full keg ready to attach it to.
Quite pleased that I can get 3 kegs and a shelf of bottles inside:



Still got some fine tuning with the pour, as I've cut back the 3/16 line to about 4ft but its still coming out a bit slow for my liking, and I had to leave the glass on the drip tray when pouring to get a decent head.

Could this be because I didn't carbonate the beer enough before dispensing?