Keezer or Kegerator

[PMackie]

Hi All,

Hopefully this is the right place to ask these questions. I having been brewing a bunch since Christmas and already am getting sick of bottling. Who likes bottling anyway? I love the idea of having draft beer on hand but have no idea where to start. I have never kegged beer before but there is enough information online to easily get me through that.

My question is, should I go the kegerator route, or Keezer route. I likely will never need more than 3 taps at once, so either will work. I guess I just would like a little bit of info on each and the pros and cons. I understand a Keezer would be my own build as well, so that would be a little more difficult.

Thank You,
Paul

[Swine]

I have both. My kegerator is a Danby 4.4 fridge with a dual tap tower. 5lb CO2 fits inside, but there is no room for 3. If looking for 3 in a kegerator, prepare to go with either a fuller size fridge or one of the more purpose 'draft' fridges. I think they are generally big enough for 3 Pepsi kegs, possibly coke kegs. Worth mentioning, I fit 2 Pepsi kegs in my 4.4 Danby, wouldn't get 2 Coke.
For the location of my kegertator, I needed something smaller as it sits beside the coach in the TV room in basement.
If I was putting a kegorator in my furness room or garage, or somewhere my wife didn't need it to 'look nice' then I would go a fuller sized fridge, possibly all fridge and taps out the front.

My keezer is a converted 7cubic foot deep freeze and kept in my furness room. I can fit 4 kegs (again Pepsi) and they are super crazy tight. I also have a 20 pound CO2 in there. I used the deep freeze I did because we had it as a deep freeze and my wife decided she didn't want a deep freeze anymore, so I converted it. If I was doing again, would want a bit bigger for 4 kegs. As it is, with the shanks for the taps and hose adapters, to get some kegs out I need to remove different ones.
Down falls with keezers, you need a temp controller, like a STC-1000, to cycle the compressor so you don't freeze the beer. Lifting kegs in and out can be difficult as most install a collar on the keezer, making it a higher lift still.

[PMackie]

Maybe I should just stick with the duel tap kegerator for now, as it will also be sitting int he TV room so it has to look a bit nicer. From what I read on the Danby ones, you need to pretty much replace the tower and all the lines? I heard the ones that come with it are pretty bad.

Down the road I will look into building a keezer.

[Swine]

Here's a picture of each of mine, for reference. Hope the pics attach anyway.
There are others that have really done up their kegerators and they look sharp! Mine is simple.

[Beert]

Here's a picture of each of mine, for reference. Hope the pics attach anyway.
There are others that have really done up their kegerators and they look sharp! Mine is simple.

Looks like a cozy little spot!

[Swine]

Maybe I should just stick with the duel tap kegerator for now, as it will also be sitting int he TV room so it has to look a bit nicer. From what I read on the Danby ones, you need to pretty much replace the tower and all the lines? I heard the ones that come with it are pretty bad.

Down the road I will look into building a keezer.

I bought the fridge at Costco on sale and then bought a dual tap tower (with Perlick) and installed myself. So to install you need some skill and tools as you have to cut a hole in the top.
I found a decent link here:
https://plus.google.com/photos/11441661 ... banner=pwa
I didn't do the corn starch stuff and I had to make sure where my town entered, I had room for the bolts in reference to the light.
Everwood in Sackville has towers and taps at good prices.

I got this advise from a friend when getting into kegging and it was solid advise:
Spend the cash on good taps.
When I got mine, Intertap wasn't out there. So I have Perlick on mine. I do have Intertap on my jockey box and they seem good too.

Good luck!

[PMackie]

Awesome Info, yeah I deal with Everwood for everything so I might pop in there today/tomorrow and ask some questions. They are just down the street.

I will update this when I decide what I am doing.

[nuttle76]

I am new to kegging also, I only kegged one IPA so far but know I will never look back. My goal was to have a fermenting chamber and a keezer all in one. Luckily I found the exact same freezer I already had on kijiji. Here are some pictures of my DIY project that I have been working on for about 3 to 4 weeks. So far I am liking it but I still need to finish some things and pick up 2 more Intertaps and hardware.

[MacMan]

I bought my kegerator at Best Buy and I can fit 4 Pepsi kegs in it if I put the CO2 tank outside. I bought the single tap one and retrofitted a 3 tap handle on it. No other accessories needed other than a manifold, and fittings for 3 kegs.


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[PMackie]

I am new to kegging also, I only kegged one IPA so far but know I will never look back. My goal was to have a fermenting chamber and a keezer all in one. Luckily I found the exact same freezer I already had on kijiji. Here are some pictures of my DIY project that I have been working on for about 3 to 4 weeks. So far I am liking it but I still need to finish some things and pick up 2 more Intertaps and hardware.

Nice setup and nice work! That is a thing of beauty.

I went into Everwood and they do carry the new Keg King Kegerator Packages, so I am contemplating that at the moment. Its a little pricey, but overall would be cheaper that me buying a different kegerator and retro fitting it.

[MacMan]

I am new to kegging also, I only kegged one IPA so far but know I will never look back. My goal was to have a fermenting chamber and a keezer all in one. Luckily I found the exact same freezer I already had on kijiji. Here are some pictures of my DIY project that I have been working on for about 3 to 4 weeks. So far I am liking it but I still need to finish some things and pick up 2 more Intertaps and hardware.

Very nice setup!!

[Andre]

I am new to kegging also, I only kegged one IPA so far but know I will never look back. My goal was to have a fermenting chamber and a keezer all in one. Luckily I found the exact same freezer I already had on kijiji. Here are some pictures of my DIY project that I have been working on for about 3 to 4 weeks. So far I am liking it but I still need to finish some things and pick up 2 more Intertaps and hardware.

Wow very nice, I just finished converting what seems to be the exact same freezer into a keezer.

It's not as nice as what you just built but it's something.


I still need to paint the lid into a chalk board and move it into the basement living room.

[Thirsty]

Don't forget to check kijiji. Last time I looked there were 2 for sale.

We have tried them all it seems. A small 4.4cf fridge(currently used for cold crashing), old full sized fridge, a full height (no freezer) fridge and an old freezer. They all have some pros and cons. The moisture build up in the old freezer is a draw back for sure.

[nuttle76]

I am new to kegging also, I only kegged one IPA so far but know I will never look back. My goal was to have a fermenting chamber and a keezer all in one. Luckily I found the exact same freezer I already had on kijiji. Here are some pictures of my DIY project that I have been working on for about 3 to 4 weeks. So far I am liking it but I still need to finish some things and pick up 2 more Intertaps and hardware.

Nice setup and nice work! That is a thing of beauty.

I went into Everwood and they do carry the new Keg King Kegerator Packages, so I am contemplating that at the moment. Its a little pricey, but overall would be cheaper that me buying a different kegerator and retro fitting it.

Thanks


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[nuttle76]

Thanks everyone! That does look like the same freezer I own Andre. I was thinking about doing the wood collar thing because they do look cool especially like you said, with the chalk paint, I just didn't want to give up my fermenting chamber. When I found the exact one on kijiji I came up with the dual purpose keezer/fermenter idea.

[nuttle76]

Is that a real (what I think is a Guinness) bottle or something custom because that is really cool?

[Andre]

Is that a real (what I think is a Guinness) bottle or something custom because that is really cool?

It is but it's not mine, I borrowed it from my friend until I can get some nice tap handles (Looking at you mashedin.beer).
I believe you can just buy a insert to make your own with some epoxy or glue of some kind.

[nuttle76]

Is that a real (what I think is a Guinness) bottle or something custom because that is really cool?

It is but it's not mine, I borrowed it from my friend until I can get some nice tap handles (Looking at you mashedin.beer).
I believe you can just buy a insert to make your own with some epoxy or glue of some kind.

Cool thanks!


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[MitchK]

I found with a keezer humidity inside was a constant struggle and I had to add a little project fan to avoid temperature stratification top to bottom as chest freezers don't have the airflow inherent in an upright fridge design.

I've been using a full sized fridge just with picnic taps since moving across the country and will be putting some faucets in the door soon.