Keg Bar

[dtmorris]

I have used a kegerator conversion kit for the past several years, but am now looking to dump it and build a bar that will also store my kegs cold. Being in college I only drink from Full size kegs, anything else will be a waste of money. There are not very many options on keeping full size kegs cold within a wood bar, other then purchasing a small kegerator to fit inside, or a commercial refrigeration unit.

With that said I was wondering some ideas on a way to build an insulated keg box, that i can run my tower from. This will need to be big enough to store two full size kegs at 40 degrees. With this idea I found there are two major schools of thought. One, use a small refrigerator/freezer with the door removed, and a temperature controller to keep the box cold. I have also seen ideas of people using an altered window mounted air conditioning unit to get the job done.

The air conditioning unit looks to be a better situation for me, but there are problems. How many BTU's will I need? How do I remove the original Thermostat and replace it?

I would appreciate any ideas or thoughts on this project.

David Morris
Mechanical Engineering
University of Arizona