kegging advice

[Centiweasel]

Hi all, i have been brewing for around 6 months doing BIAB i am planning to do brew number 6 on friday, loving the hobby. got some citra, galaxy, chinook and cascade to play with.

the first time i brewed i came here to ask for advice and one thing i was told was to start kegging as soon as practicable, i dont really have a problem with bottling i just love a gadget and also i have an ulterior motive.
my fiance has given her permission to build a kegerator in preperation for our wedding in 2020, would like to have a self serve home brew as arrival drinks.
and therefore i need to get to grips with kegging and perfecting a recipe.
im not sure if this is possible but i would really like to be able to fit in 2 kegs so i can drink one and carb one up in rotation,
so i dont know what equipment i would need for the kegs, if any one can help me out with the list of parts and where is best to buy,
im thinking i will buy a single keg to start but with the regulator or whatever necessary for two kegs then i dont have parts for no reason if u know what i mean,

thanks for reading
chris

 

[foxbat]

If you don't mind the CO2 cylinder being outside then Currys do a chest freezer that takes two corny kegs with a snug fit. I used one for my build.

You can read about it starting here. There are more posts about the build on the next 2 pages.

 

[Centiweasel]

hi, i have read through your thread and through a few guides online and it does all seem alot more straight forward than i first imagined.
i have a few specific questions regarding your kegerator, hope you dont mind.
what is with the heater does it double as a ferment chamber?
do you think a gas bottle could fit in that space if it was laid down?
and i read online that when using the tower style taps the first pour is foamy due to it been warm so you would need a tower cooler or somthing, do u get that problem with the taps you have? i image they conduct the cold from the inside?

i was thinking that maybe i could strip down an old freeer and carefully remove all of the coolant lines intact, then put them into a box made of kingspan that way it would be the perfect size, but i dont know what they are made of so possibly it would bend or snap the lines and i dont want to bust em and let the gas out,
probably a stupid idea

few last questions, where is the best place to buy the kegs and other keg related stuff?
am i right in thinking that all the regulators are the same and it goes c02 - regulator - manifold - 2 kegs - 2 taps
and that all the c02 regulators are the same?

cheers
chris

 

[foxbat]

what is with the heater does it double as a ferment chamber?

In the winter when it's cold in my garage and I'm keeping ales then the heater keeps the temperature at my preferred level of 11 degrees.

do you think a gas bottle could fit in that space if it was laid down?

No. You'd need a bigger freezer. With the bottle outside so are the regulator gauges and controls. I can see and adjust pressures without opening the lid.

and i read online that when using the tower style taps the first pour is foamy due to it been warm so you would need a tower cooler or somthing, do u get that problem with the taps you have? i image they conduct the cold from the inside?

Taps fixed to the side don't have that problem. When I first open the tap after a few days I get a burp and a cough of about an inch of foam then it's all normal.

i was thinking that maybe i could strip down an old freeer and carefully remove all of the coolant lines intact, then put them into a box made of kingspan that way it would be the perfect size, but i dont know what they are made of so possibly it would bend or snap the lines and i dont want to bust em and let the gas out,
probably a stupid idea

That sounds like a very difficult job.

Building the keezer has been totally worth it. After a brew fridge, this, in my opinion, is what everyone should look at building next if they think they can do it.