Newbie building outdoor kitchen. Looking for advice

[cmer]

Hi guys,

I'm brand new to this world. I'm currently in the process of building a kitchen/bar in my backyard and I thought having a beer tap would be the most epic thing I could do.

I initially started looking at Kegerators and realized that using indoor ones outdoors didn't seem like a good idea. Outdoor ones are very pricey and not great to be built-in. So I figure I could just build one myself, but I need a bit of help since this is all new for me. I live in Toronto, Canada, to give you an idea of climate. My kitchen will be covered.

I am thinking about buying this fridge and installing it under the kitchen counter (building it in):
Danby DAR044A6BSLDBO (https://www.danby.com/products/compact-refrigerators/dar044a6bsldbo/)

Then my understanding is that I need a conversion kit. I'm thinking about this: https://www.beveragefactory.com/draftbeer/kits/utck.shtml

Here's a few questions I have:

- is the fridge I selected appropriate? will it serve freezing cold beer?
- is the conversion kit I found any good? is the price good? perhaps there's something better I should buy? I want to install the tower on a countertop.
- is there anything else I need to buy?
- how do I make sure beer stays cold in the lines? my understanding is that beer will go bad if the lines get warm. Does the "computer fan trick" work (as explained here https://www.popularmechanics.com/ho...13106/diy-draft-step-by-step-kegerator-plans/)
- CO2 tank, inside or outside the fridge for outdoor installations?
- how do I make sure I drill the fridge in the right place for lines?
- should I consider building a keezer instead? how would that perform outdoors under a kitchen counter?

Thanks so much in advance!

 

[harry_the_face]

The first question is do you intend on using the draft system only in the summer when the weather is good or year round? You will have problems with the tower freezing in the winter and then going outside every time you want a beer.

I personally would not put my draft system outside because I want to drink beer from the tap year round. The kitchen is the best location if you can find a place and get agree from your lady.

If you are going to install it outside I would recommend getting a kegerator that is already together. You can get them at Costco in the states for around $300.

You will have difficulty keeping the beer in the tower from getting warm without some kind of glycol system. The computer fan works ok but is definitely not going to keep the first pint ice cold.

 

[cmer]

Thanks Harry. I would definitely not leave the kegorator outside in the winter. This is more a 3 season type of thing... Would a pre-built Kegorator help with the tower temp?

 

[Jako]

harry makes a few good points. i would never want my only keg system outside. its already some work to keep it clean and running properly. as soon as you make a built in system it becomes a lot harder to work with and clean. plus the taps and tower would take a hit from the weather.