Equipment quesiton - kegging

[bits]

Long time reader, thinking of jumping into kegging.

I have an equipment question. I just got an email from Beverage Factory showing a 20% discount on some draft beer items.

I've been playing with the idea of converting a dorm refrigerator into a kegerator but from my research, for a few dollars more I could get a already made kit.

Here are my questions -

• I'm trying to determine the difference between these keggerators http://www.beveragefactory.com/draftbeer/kegerators/triplekegerator/index.shtml
  
  When I compare them, I don't see much and was wondering if there are key items that I should be focusing on for reliability and performance. I'm thinking a triple as I would like to have at least two beers on tap
  

• I notice that kegs are not included in the prices on that website. Is there anything else I will need to get started kegging (I have only bottled in the past)
  

• I plan on doing at least one keg root beer / ginger ale - do I need anything specific for these?

• How long does beer last/stay good in one of these setups?

Thank you!

 

[groove357]

I just bought 4 used ball and lock and replaced the gaskets.

Just to chime in on the root beer / ginger ale
I did a great root beer and keged it. When it was done I reused the keg for 2 beer brews and both tasted like root beer. Everyone that tried it liked it but as a homebrewer that was not my aim.
After the first keg tasted like root beer I used PBW on everything but it was still tainted.
I would strongly suggest using dedicated tubing and dispensers for root beer.

As for how long it lasts I have had mine last a couple months.

 

[btbnl]

Looks like kegs are the only thing missing. Be aware that you'll likely need ball- rather than pin-lock corny kegs to fit 3 into the kegerator (pin-locks are shorter and fatter), and be sure that they're genuine ball-locks, not converted pin-locks (ball-lock couplings on a short fat keg).

On option for sodas is to carb water and add it to syrup in the glass - this avoids the tainting issue (though that's likely more lines and taps than kegs, since they were all used for soda syrup originally).

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f95/two-kegs-im-sold-using-syrups-variety-rocks-198326/

Soda also wants to be carbed at higher pressure than beer, so you'd need multiple regulators rather than a single regulator with a distributor. Higher pressure also requires longer lines to avoid a frothy pour, though some people have worked around that by putting a mixer nozzle in the dip-tube

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/cure-your-short-hose-troubles-100151/

 

[day_trippr]

Can't help with which pre-configured kegerator to buy as I've always built keezers. But if you're planning on keeping soda on tap you will need to upgrade the single body regulators that apparently come with every unit shown on the linked page (even the two-kilobuck model comes with a single pressure primary regulator).

Soda requires much higher carbonation and dispensing pressure than pretty much any style of beer you can name. The easiest way to deal with that is to obtain a dual-body (note "body" - not "gauge") two pressure primary regulator so you can run your beer from one pressure and your soda from the other. The configuration pages for these systems show a single body/single gauge regulator as standard for most of the systems with a single body/dual gauge as an option. That won't work so you'll have to talk to someone in sales to upgrade the regulator.

From the looks of even the entry level systems, you need to pick your three keg types for the couplers and/or disconnects which come with the appropriate swivel nuts and barbs, but the tubing and clamps for those are part of the base system.

And if you do root beer, as quite properly noted already you should plan on dedicating a tap and keg for that purpose...

Cheers!