Kegerator Pt. 3 (Final Chapter)

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k5yac

Smoking Fanatic
Original poster
SMF Premier Member
Jan 3, 2008
362
10
Owasso, Oklahoma
Well, the parts arrived today and the wife was nice enough to take my Co2 tank down to get filled before I got off work, so all I had to do was install and drink. The installation was pretty straightforward, especially since I read through the directions several times before the parts even arrived. Here is the finished product...

The shelf seems to be holding up just fine. I added a second support for GP, but I really dont think it needed it. Co2 is strapped to rack mounting rail, which gives me more space on my shelf.
kegandco2.JPG


Tap and tray mounted on the side just fine.
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I've gotta show this off in a little more detail. I was so stoked to find this thing on ebay. HOOAH!
usarmytap.JPG


The end result... AHHHHH! Frotsy!
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To anyone contemplating this type of project, go for it. It is a real simple project, and if you are patient you can probably find a suitable fridge for free somewhere. I need a refill... see you on the meat side <BURP>
 
SWEET! You'll need to send me a map to your house. I need to come do a quality control test!
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Where did she fill the bottle at? There's nitrogen of some type they have that will keep your beer colder longer. I haven't it tried it yet. I first heard of it about a year ago, but I'm still on the same bottle since I heard. 22kegs later.
 
Got the bottle filled at Victor Welding Supply in Tulsa. They charged $8.00... Airgas wanted $10.50 and would have just swapped me bottles.
 
K5YAC, that is a thing of beauty....well done!!
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I have a question....do kegs go bad or stale? How long do they keep fresh?

Thanks.
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Actually, if kept at a proper temp, they are supposed to be good for 120-140 days. Plenty long for even the casual drinker.
 
Thanks glued!
Someone showed up on my porch one night at 3 in the morning saying he needed help drinking a keg before it went bad.......
I got out of bed and drank beer until dawn to help the guy out....sheesh.
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Now I really feel bad!! lol


I might have to make one of these if a keg will last that long...thank you K5YAC.
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Nitrogen is used (usually) in conjuncunction with CO2. It's main purpose is to create a creamier "Guinness style" head. Very thick with a very creamy mouthfeel. It's generally used with a nitro tap although a regular tap will work as well. It's commonly referred to as "Beer Gas". I've never heard anything about it keeping beer colder longer though.
 
I hate that someone had to twist your arm that hard in order to get a little help from you. As long as you keep a keg cold they will stay good for a while. As for the bind that your friend was in, I would guess that the ice was melting fast. Ha Ha!!
 
K5YAC,

Not sure how I missed this thread. Your kegerator looks great! Per the comments on how long draft beer will keep I think the length of times given are pretty accurate if you keep it cold and under pressure. Seems you get a vinegary taste when it starts to go south.

Great Job!


Lou
 
Good job! I broke down and got a dedicated kegerator unit a couple of years ago and I honestly can't see not having one. I know this is a little late, but to anyone else contemplating drilling holes in the side of a fridge the suggested method is to just pierce the skin of the unit with a drill and to poke around in the insulation with the drill bit to check for refrigerant lines. Once you know it's clear, then go to town with the hole saw.
 
This is exactly why I stopped using frosty mugs; too much head! My beer is cold enough, I don't need a sweaty glass mucking things up!! Then again, I don't mind drinking lagers straight off the shelf. And I don't mean the shelf in the fridge...

Last time I filled my tank, it was CO2. I can't imagine trying to get a keg to work proper by pumping nitrogen into it. Call me old fashioned if you must ;)

Oh. My. Goodness.
My wife would hate you if you lived anywhere near me!

About this whole 'keg gone bad' mystery though. It's not so much that they have a short shelf life (they do to an extent, but I guess I drink too much as they never last that long). I suppose it's more the weekend warriors that pay the deposit for a tap when they get their keg. Those tap's are so dang leaky it's not even funny. Not to mention that there's a lack of CO2 going into the tank!

So here you have a cold keg of beer. Being kept in a plastic or aluminum tub with ice. And it's usually on the porch. With a leaky "tap".

By the time anyone is actually able to get a full mug of beer without all the foam the keg has heated to 50+ degrees which is way too warm for most swill that passes for beer lately. And by then, half the party is wasted off of the booze in the kitchen and the other half are designated drivers!

Mmmmmmmmmm, beer
 
Key to keeping the foam down is temp, and to monitor it you can go to RadioShack and get a wireless indoor / outdoor thermometer and put the remote sensor inside, the main unit outside and keep track of your temps. My son's got a kegerator for his Shiner Boch (from Shiner, Tx.) and we did that, he keeps it right at 39 deg. and it works fine. Gets up over 41, 42 deg he starts getting too much head. Without the thermometer you don't know how much to turn it down; one time he froze a keg and had to throw it out, it went flat as could be. We spent one whole Sunday monitoring, testing, playing pool, monitoring, testing, BBQing, testing, swimming, teshting, sthitting, layin' downnn, thethtinggg,.... until we gothit juththththththss righhtt... *thud*.
 
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