building a a kegerator

[oneandonlychaz]

Im currently a college student and want to get a kegerator for my new appt in the fall. I was going to simply buy a cheap kegerator from best buy or something but i was kinda wanting something that could hold more than just 1 keg. I want to have beer to drink when i have friends over and what not but if i want to have a party i want to buy another keg and use co2 to dispense it. I have thought of maybe buying a kegerator and hooking up a splitter to the output of the co2 regulator and possible drilling a hole in the side of the kegerator and being able to hook it up to a keg coupler and than using a picnic syle faucet to dispense with while being able to turn the line off and unhook it when not being used. Another idea i thought of was to get a small chest freezer that will fit a 1/2 keg and a 1/4 keg so i could buy a 1/4 keg of something nicer and use the 1/2 keg as a party keg to dispense some cheap beer for drinking games and such. i was just wondering what idea seemed the most practical or if anyone else had any thoughts of what would be a good solution to the problem. A full sized refrigerator is out of the question because i want this to be in a living room type area behind a bar or something but space is an issue. Thanks

[Scott Zuhse]

If you buy "cheap", expect the same results! Your least expensive option would be to but a used working refrigerator and utilize a conversion kit. Build it with two shanks and faucets and your done. Use the CO2 at all times. This way you can enjoy the cheap beer if there is any left after the "drinking games".

Besides, if you set this up correctly, you will not have to drum up a game for an excuse to drink beer.

Scott Zuhse, Instructor Micro Matic Dispense Institute

[oneandonlychaz]

First off i didnt mean to imply i was looking for the cheapest option possible, I just ment I can't go over the top on a college students budget. Most times when I have people over they just throw down whatever beer we have available in different games so we buy 2 different kinds of beer, one for just games and such and the other to enjoy usually drank by me and my roomates. If i got a kegerator i would want to be able to keep something nicer in it but also have a cheaper beer for parties available. In your experience can commercial kegerators that can hold a 1/2 keg usually hold 2 1/6th kegs? I know it is ultimately going to depend on the kegerator chosen but what is the average? I was thinking maybe putting 2 1/6th kegs in it with the tap on the top for dispensing the nicer beer while a picnic style faucet inside the kegerator for pouring pitchers of the cheaper beer when needed.

Also just a quick question, only imported beers (those that are pausturized) can be left @ room temperature without spoiling correct? I was thinking of just using a kegerator to hold my 1/2 keg and than building a jockey box and being able to just ice down the cooler when i was going to serve that beer. Would this method work is i used a pausturized beer or would it still go bad? Thaks

[Scott Zuhse]

Most commercial single keg kegerators can hold three sometimes four 1/6 barrels. The import pasteurized products can be stored a room temperature.

Scott Zuhse, Instructor Micro Matic Dispense Institute