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kegerator finally
finally got my kegerator built. 7 cu ft chest freezer, 2x4 collar, 2 taps. got my 60/- ale carbing up now, can't wait to try it. hopefully screwing up when I tried to purge the keg didn't ruin it. I thought I was supposed to hit the keg with the co2, then open the relief. I think I should have opened the relief first, as I just got a beer shower. we'll see how it turns out. next to go in is a cali common, but I'm using Czech Budejovice yeast. brewing that now.
That's awesome! I can't wait to start kegging, and I really can't wait to make a kegerator. I need to start learning as much about kegging as possible, it's not very familiar to me, I think all the equipment is just foreign to me.
We'd probably love to see picture if possible.
http://www.brewingtechniques.com/librar … eming.html
the above is some info on kegging. here's a link to how to build a kegerator:
http://www.mikebeer.net/chestfreezer.htm
it's not real hard to turn a chest freezer into a kegerator. I could fit a 3rd tap in mine, there's room for another keg. I used pin lock kegs, since they are less expensive.
pics here:
http://s1183.photobucket.com/albums/x46 … ge0008.jpg
http://s1183.photobucket.com/albums/x46 … ge0001.jpg
Wow! That's looking nice, exactly what I want to build at some point! Thanks a lot for the info too. I'm going to go read right now. What does it typically cost to start kegging? Minus the cost of making the kegerator. I can figure that out.
the cost depends on how you go about it, and exactly what you buy. I got the Tap-Rite dual gauge regualator and stainless Perlick faucets. If you buy generic chrome faucets you'd save a lot, and even more if you just used picnic taps. I got my equipment from kegconnection.com, most homebrew shops carry kegging set ups as well.
one thing I screwed up was I put the poppet valves on the wrong sides, so I had to go change those. hopefully things get easier next time, so I won't screw up again.
I would like to have a setup like this sometime in the future, I am just afraid it would be way too easy for me to keep my glass full...........
You'll be fine if the beer sprayed through the valve....you did take the valve out and clean it right? Not a big deal if you didn't, I'm just always super clean when dealing with a finished product. If I screw it up during the brew process, that's one thing. But to lose a batch because I was too careless when handling the product, I'd be pissed.
In the future, you'd want to purge the keg with CO2 before you rack the beer in. Just a few seconds and you'll be fine. Once it's racked, I also give the initial CO2 charge into the out connection, to force the gas up and through the beer. I get it up to my mark, then let it sit overnight. It's usually carbed enough, and then I'll kill the gas line, and make the swap to use the correct in/out posts.. If it needs more carb time, I'll just leave it the dispensing pressure, and shake it up a few times that first night. It's never been longer than that to be ready for me..
And as mentioned...pics! We're beer stuff whores, and we need more beer/keg porn!
I have pin lock kegs, so I can't put the gas line on the liquid post. unless I screw up like I did the first time, and put the post on the wrong side, where the other dip tube is.
I put the co2 at 30 psi, let it go till I couldn't hear anything, then sloshed it around. did that a few times, then put it down to 10 psi and let it sit. that was yesterday, so tonight I lowered it to around 5, and pulled a glass. got a lot of foam, but the beer under the foam doesn't seem to really be carbed. so I turned the dial back to 30, let it go till I couldn't hear any gurgling, then lowered to 10. hopefully by tomorrow it'll be good to go. the beer tasted great even with out good carb, so that was a plus.
Just buy an extra liquid side disconnect & temporarily hook it up to the CO2 tank.
I have a separate tank with both gas & liquid disconnects.
You can only plug in one at a time, so no need of a valve for each one.
got a couple questions...
first, I always heard kegging got rid of the yeast, after the first pint.... that doesn't seem to be happening for me. I'm getting more stuff in the glass than when I bottled. is this weird?
second is am I doing everything right? the beer pours out, comes out with a very large amount of head, but there doesn't seem to be any carb actually in the beer. You know when you pour a beer, there will be bubbles coming up from the bottom of the glass, but not on my kegged beer. does it just need more time? do I need to let it sit under higher pressure? or is it a sign that my co2 is leaking? any help would be great.
Sounds like a high pressure problem. What pressure are you running?
when I first hooked it up, I set it to 30 psi. then shook the keg a few times and dropped the pressure to 10. last night I upped the pressure back to 30, hopefully that will force the co2 into the beer.
The beer lines near the taps may be warmer (as they are higher up and heat rises) than the rest of the beer sitting in the keg at the bottom of the keezer. This warm line will cause ecxess co2 to come out of solution as it passes though and goes int the glass. If you notice it "burp" foam at the start of the first pint poured off of it that day then this is likely your issue. It is more commonly seen in kegerators with towers but my buddy had issues in his keezer set up that is very similar to yours. You can purchase a small circulation fan with an affixed hose on it that will circulate colder air from the bottom to the top of your keezer. You can mount the exhaust hose on the tap lines right before the tap and this should help.
Kegging takes a minute to get the hang of and everyones system will be slightly different based on application. RDWHAHB and in no time you'll figure it out and wonder why you ever bottled.
As far as sediment it still takes time to settle so that you can take it off with the first pint or two. If you just move you keg in hook up gas and then the next day try to pull a clean pint off the majority of your sediment will still be in solution. Be patient it will work out.
ok, anyone know how to fix it if all it pours is foam? not just the first glass, either... I thought maybe pouring a big glass of foam would get it cooled down, if the warmth was the problem, so I poured a big glass, then set it down and poured a second glass... all foam. now I'm kinda thinking it has too much gas in it, or too much pressure. I unhooked the gas line and poured a beer, or should I say a foam. so now its sitting with no gas connected, and I'll see what you guys advise.
on a different note, my collar is just 2x4s stuck to the freezer with Liquid Nails. Is there something else I should put on it to add more insulation? that might keep the top of the freezer closer to the temp of the bottom.
one other thought about the foam issue is serving pressure versus beer line length... I think there is supposed to be some way of figuring out what pressure you need based on how long the lines are. my lines are 5 ft. maybe I need more line to balance out the pressure?
Drop your pressure to the point that it just pushes the brew out, like 5#. Then see what you get.
Then, ease the pressure up a pound at a time.
I think you're blowing off all the carbonation due to the high pressure.
I'm running four- 5gal kegs @ 8#. I do get a little more head on the first draw, but the 2nd & after is real good.
Every kegerator is different, just like our brewing styles, you've got to tweak it until it works.
You'll get there, just takes some time & experimentation.
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