Mini Fridge Kegerator

[Payson]

Has any one made a kegerator similar to the one recently featured in BYO magazine? You essentially drill two large holes in the bottom of the dorm sized fridge and connect it to a larger insulated box below with PVC pipe. The theory is that the cold from the fridge "drops" into the insulated box maintaining a temp of about 40 F. Additionally, you can use the little fridge for bottled beers. It sounds plausible and I just got my hands on a little fridge. Any other suggestions bearing in mind that I already have the fridge?

[Fast_Eddy]

I turned a mini fridge into a kegerator.

Just remove the door shelves and the inside wire shelves. If the door seal is held on by the door shelves then you have to caulk/liquid nail/silicone(choose your favorite adhesive) the seal back into place on the door. Then disconnect the freezer shelf from the top of the fridge and bend it to be against the back wall of the fridge. Finally drill a hole in the top of the fridge and put a tap tower on. Took about 30 minutes and accomodates one corny key or one five gallon carboy.

[Payson]

I tried that route and cut into a freon line:mad: Now the 2nd fridge I'm trying to use is too small in and of itself....

[Fast_Eddy]

Originally posted by Payson
I tried that route and cut into a freon line...

Bummer

[Payson]

Of course (Murphy's Law) it was my girlfriends fridge and it took alot of convincing for her to believe I could successfully cut into it.... $#@%!!

[briandickens]

I am going to be starting my two corny kegerator project very soon. I plan on buying the fridge (http://www.sanyo.com/appliances/refrigerators/index.cfm?productID=234) this weekend. I then want to put a two tap draft tower (http://www.morebeer.com/detail.php3?pid=D1340) on top. I think the fridge is safe. I checked it out at the store. It's big enough inside to fit both cornies. The cooling machanism looks as it it's only on the inside along the back wall so when I drill a hole through the top I shouldn't hit any problems. I'm even going to insulate the hole once the tower is installed to make sure I don't lose any cold to the tower.

Now, I need to figure out how to run CO2 into the fridge. I will have a 5lb tank and I have a regulator. I saw a two keg gas manifold two keg gas manifold (http://www.morebeer.com/detail.php3?pid=D1800) that wasn't too expensive. Should I mount that on the outside of the fridge where the CO2 will be and run the two hoses through the fridge to the kegs? The CO2 won't fit inside the fridge so I'm going to have to run a gas line into the fridge somewhere.

Also, will I need to worry about the length of the hoses? I didn't think I would, but then I read some stuff from Dave Miller's Homebrewing Guide that made me question that. Something about making sure you have the right length of hose for the amount of pressure you're putting in so that it doesn't foam up too much? I'd hate to invest all this money into something like this and then have it not be able to deliver my beer to me in a drinkable form.

[toneyc]

You can adjust the gas pressure with the regulator to tune the carbonation level to match the hose length to the tower. No worries!

:)
Toney.

[sallad]

I'm even going to insulate the hole once the tower is installed to make sure I don't lose any cold to the tower.

i think you want to let the cold get into the tower. there is beer in your hoses there, and you'd want to keep that cold too, yesno? otherwise your first call it half a pint is going to come out warm and stale!

[hopjack13]

Originally posted by Payson
I tried that route and cut into a freon line:mad: Now the 2nd fridge I'm trying to use is too small in and of itself....

i've never built a kegerator ,( i have built 500,000 square foot feezers /cold storage wherehouses, many moons ago) but if i was going to drill in to a fridge i would just barely break the skin with the drill and then use a needle , coathanger, what have you, to poke around in it first before i drilled all the way through, you don't wana drill anything your not suppose to.
my 2cents, can i have my change now?

[briandickens]

Originally posted by sallad
i think you want to let the cold get into the tower. there is beer in your hoses there, and you'd want to keep that cold too, yesno? otherwise your first call it half a pint is going to come out warm and stale!

Well yeah that makes sense too. :) Still need to figure out how exactly to run the CO2 into the fridge. I guess I'll worry about that once I have the CO2. And the fridge. I think once I look at it I'll figure it out. I am an engineer after all.

[toneyc]

Well, you already have the hole for the tower... you could drill a small hole in the base of the tower and feed your co2 line down through that. 6 of one, half dozen of the other, I guess.

:)
Toney.

[briandickens]

that's true. i am going to run the co2 to both kegs, so i'll need to plit it somewhere. i was thinking of using a manifold just to ensure that gas only runs to a tank if i want it to. i will probably have room inside for that. i'll see what happens when i get the fridge tomorrow.

just got news that my co2 tank will be waiting for me tomorrow! looking forward to kegging. :)