Building 100% custom keg fridge? Surely someone has done it?

[mattsearle]

Hi,

I'm in the process of building a home bar/ pub shed, and originally my plan was to use an old fridge to keep corny kegs in. Looking at it, however, the nature of the bar area will only allow a standard under counter fridge and with the compressor shelf taking up valuable space at the back I may only be able to get 2 kegs in there.
My idea is to build a timber enclosure elsewhere in the bar where I have available space, insulate it & fit a compressor from and old fridge or freezer to enable it to fit more kegs in. I have seen this done for fermentation chambers so why not for kegs? The space is long but narrow so I could fit approx 6 or 7 kegs in a long line.
Alternatively, has anyone fit 3 or 4 kegs in a standard 600mm (2ft) wide undercounter fridge (the kind with the door on the front), and if so could they put up a picture or two to enable me to get my head round it please?
Thanks

 

[day_trippr]

[...]My idea is to build a timber enclosure elsewhere in the bar where I have available space, insulate it & fit a compressor from and old fridge or freezer to enable it to fit more kegs in. I have seen this done for fermentation chambers so why not for kegs? [...]

Primarily because (1) the interior volume seems to always be larger than the sourced fridge, (2) the insulation is usually not as good as a fridge, and perhaps most important, (3) the desired temperature range is ~30°F lower.

That said, I built a walk-in cooler for holding fresh fish 40-something years ago when I owned a seafood store on the Olympic Peninsula, so everything can be solved/right-sized...

Cheers!

 

[raouliii]

Don't bother trying this with a wimpy refrigeration unit from a mini fridge that simply has a cold plate. Fails of this method are well documented here. Those systems are designed around the interior space of the mini fridge and cannot achieve kegging temperatures with even a modest increase in interior volume or loss of insulation performance. I'd recommend nothing less than a full sized refrigerator, forced air, evaporator and condensor system. Removing a functional system from a refrigerator and reusing its components is not a simple task.

You must also consider that the beer lines will need to be consistently refrigerated their entire length to the tap. Also, not a trivial task.

 

[b-boy]

My biggest problem with these solutions is the moisture. It's tough to get this type of setup sealed properly, which always results in a lot of moisture. That's not good in a basement setting.

I'd go with a freezer unit and temp controller, if you can make that fit. It could slide under the bar. Would that work?

 

[Mabus]

An alternative I've seen on here is to use a room/window air conditioner with a temp controller. Seems like much less work than tearing apart an old fridge or freezer. You'd just need a way to vent the "hot side" of the AC unit unless it's built into an outside-facing wall. A smallish unit would do the job and you can usually find them cheap on Craig's list.

 

[HumulusHead]

I'm in the same bus, trying to design a basement bar. Best thought I've had so far is doing two of those kegerator purposed mini fridges. I've heard they go cheap around Black Friday. Put two under the counter and you'll have room for 4 corny kegs easy.

This is currently the route I'm looking at going. It's kinda gonna be a waste though since I don't plan on using the two towers that come on them, but the size is right and they are designed to fit kegs so you don't have to modify anything on the inside like you would with a normal mini fridge

 

[HumulusHead]

Unless you have money to spare you could buy those under the counter fridges that are purposed for holding kegs under a counter. You've probably seen them at bars before, they are stainless fridges with doors on them. They are super spendy though!

 

[HumulusHead]

I've also always wondered if you could lay a normal chest freezer on its front and put that under the counter. It'd be awkward to load and unload kegs, but it'd be perfect. Just not sure the effect it would have on the freezer

 

[HumulusHead]

http://www.foodservicewarehouse.com...d|s|pcrid|59282095850|pkw||pmt||pdv|m|#panel2

This is my dream unit!

 

[HumulusHead]

Danby DAR044A4BDD Compact All Refrigerator, 4.4 Cubic Feet, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O2MB4AC/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

This I think would be a good unit too. Doesn't have the compressor hump. Wonder if you could fit 3 cornies in this??

 

[Newsman]

http://www.foodservicewarehouse.com...d|s|pcrid|59282095850|pkw||pmt||pdv|m|#panel2

This is my dream unit!

You can find things like that on Craigs List now and again, when businesses are going out of business.

 

[Newsman]

I just looked on CL in my "local" area and found a couple of those for about $650 each -- one two door and one 3 door.

 

[HumulusHead]

I just looked on CL in my "local" area and found a couple of those for about $650 each -- one two door and one 3 door.

I just looked and everything on there was new, so asking 2k+

What's your area?!?!

 

[Newsman]

I just looked and everything on there was new, so asking 2k+

What's your area?!?!

I'm in NW Georgia. I went to the Fargo, ND area and found a used one for $900... unfortunately for you it's in the SW MN area, but it's still a lot cheaper than buying new. Go to the "For Sale" section and search for "Beer Cooler"

 

[Newsman]

Also, I noticed a Restaurant Liquidation company advertising there. PCIAuctions.com. Unfortunately, I'm unable to get to it on my work computer.

 

[MrFoodScientist]

Danby DAR044A4BDD Compact All Refrigerator, 4.4 Cubic Feet, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O2MB4AC/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

This I think would be a good unit too. Doesn't have the compressor hump. Wonder if you could fit 3 cornies in this??

Unfortunately this does have the compressor hump. Take a look at the picture where it's full of stuff and take a close look at the shelf above the fruit. The boxes of orange juice are not sitting on a wire shelf, they're on the hump.

That said, it doesn't mean you can't get a 2.5 or 3 gallon keg on the hump. I don't know what the interior dimensions are, but I have a 3.something CF GE all refrigerator that with some dremelling and removing the shelves tightly fits a C02 tank and 3 gal pin lock on the hump and then a 5 gallon. It's a mighty tight squeeze and I have to use the lock to make sure it stays closed, but it fits.

Don't know if something like this would work with a larger fridge, but it's an interesting thought. Maybe if you found a fridge that fits corny kegs on their side, then modify and turn it on it's side so the kegs are right side up. Not sure how exactly you'd deal with the door, though.

If you're not willing to take the risk on that, chest freezer is likely the way to go.

 

[ss4ivan]

Here is my custom built Ferm Chamber/ Keg Chamber built with a window ac unit. The keg chamber will hold 8 kegs with 20# CO2 tank or 6 kegs with 2 fermentors and the CO2 tank. Holds temps in the 30s but I keep it at 40.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f252/hom...-build-491701/

 

[broadbill]

I've also always wondered if you could lay a normal chest freezer on its front and put that under the counter. It'd be awkward to load and unload kegs, but it'd be perfect. Just not sure the effect it would have on the freezer

Might be something to this. I've seen on the interwebs where people have taken dorm fridges and turned them into "chest refrigerators" where the door faces up. The trick was to rotate the compressor (without kinking the refrigeration line) so it still in the same orientation when the fridge was on its back.

Just a thought.

 

[lewis26]

Might be something to this. I've seen on the interwebs where people have taken dorm fridges and turned them into "chest refrigerators" where the door faces up. The trick was to rotate the compressor (without kinking the refrigeration line) so it still in the same orientation when the fridge was on its back.

Just a thought.

How would you stand the kegs up?

Freezers are nowhere near deep enough (or tall enough when on the front face)

 

[mattsearle]

http://www.foodservicewarehouse.com...d|s|pcrid|59282095850|pkw||pmt||pdv|m|#panel2

This is my dream unit!

That's definitely awesome but somewhat out of my price range ha! Would also probably take up the entire back bar I have available! Just wish the wife had let me build my bar twice as big and I wouldn't have an issue!

 

[mattsearle]

Here is my custom built Ferm Chamber/ Keg Chamber built with a window ac unit. The keg chamber will hold 8 kegs with 20# CO2 tank or 6 kegs with 2 fermentors and the CO2 tank. Holds temps in the 30s but I keep it at 40.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f252/hom...-build-491701/

Now we're talking! That's exactly the kind of thing I need, just in a different size and shape to suit the space I have available!

 

[mattsearle]

Unfortunately this does have the compressor hump. Take a look at the picture where it's full of stuff and take a close look at the shelf above the fruit. The boxes of orange juice are not sitting on a wire shelf, they're on the hump.

That said, it doesn't mean you can't get a 2.5 or 3 gallon keg on the hump. I don't know what the interior dimensions are, but I have a 3.something CF GE all refrigerator that with some dremelling and removing the shelves tightly fits a C02 tank and 3 gal pin lock on the hump and then a 5 gallon. It's a mighty tight squeeze and I have to use the lock to make sure it stays closed, but it fits.

Don't know if something like this would work with a larger fridge, but it's an interesting thought. Maybe if you found a fridge that fits corny kegs on their side, then modify and turn it on it's side so the kegs are right side up. Not sure how exactly you'd deal with the door, though.

If you're not willing to take the risk on that, chest freezer is likely the way to go.

Yeah this is another option for me, to have a smaller keg/ kegs at the back where the hump is?! Not ideal but better that wasted space for sure.

 

[mattsearle]

Just seen this local to me, and am thinking it could work perfectly. has anyone got one at this size and had any luck with fitting 4 kegs in it?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/64-white-...522829?hash=item2ca2c72b8d:g:IjkAAOSwBLlVcFzq

 

[broadbill]

How would you stand the kegs up?

Freezers are nowhere near deep enough (or tall enough when on the front face)

the idea was that you could feasibly run an upright on its back,side, etc by carefully turning the compressor so that is remains in the same orientation.

 

[lewis26]

the idea was that you could feasibly run an upright on its back,side, etc by carefully turning the compressor so that is remains in the same orientation.

Correct, but then your kegs would be on their sides.

Most uprights are not large enough to have the kegs in a different orientation.

 

[hvjackson]

Might be something to this. I've seen on the interwebs where people have taken dorm fridges and turned them into "chest refrigerators" where the door faces up. The trick was to rotate the compressor (without kinking the refrigeration line) so it still in the same orientation when the fridge was on its back.

Just a thought.

I'm skeptical about the idea of rotating a fridge or freezer... I thought the coolant lines relied partly on gravity to drain the refrigerant back to the compressor. If it did work somehow you'd probably want to add some circulation fans since chest freezers and mini fridges rely on passive convection to keep the air a relatively uniform temperature.