Returning to Brewing/Keg storage question

[jmoney05]

I brewed a few batches of extract a few years ago but stopped because..well we never had anywhere to put all the bottles. Now that I've moved to a bigger house I've been staring at a deep freezer I never use and decided to start brewing again.

I will be using a commercially made three tap kegerator designed for home use, but wanted to use the deep freezer as long term storage for my other kegs. I planned on converting the deep freezer into a refrigerator using a simple temp controller and installing a simple c02 system to hook up to 6 kegs to allow them to carb up and stay in storage. Is there anything else I need to consider in setting this up?

 

[zachattack]

That sounds like a great plan to me!

I think you've got it figured out, but I'd suggest installing a PC fan in the keezer to keep the air moving (it'll really help even out the temperature) and throwing in a portable dehumidifier like the Eva Dry to keep condensation to a minimum. If you're running lines into and out of the keezer, make sure you caulk around them.

 

[jmoney05]

I'll add in a couple pc fans and see if I can track down that dehumidifier.

The only lines going in and out will be temp probe, and then the lines for a pc fan now. If there is something in the keezer that absolutely has to be sampled before there is room in the actual kegerator then I will just attach a simple faucet line instead of modifying my deep freezer.

Storing over a year at 10-12psi should be more than fine as long as all the 02 is purged correct?

 

[johngault007]

It should be fine for storing under pressure. Make sure you check in on it from time to time for gas leaks.

The only issue I see is that the freezer won't have 6 taps installed on it

 

[TheKeg81]

I'll add in a couple pc fans and see if I can track down that dehumidifier.

Here is the dehumidifier he is talking about and here is a pretty cheap price if you know someone that'll split it with you.

They do go on sale for a less from time to time. They've been <$20 here in the last month or two. So, you can probably hold of on getting them until they go on sale if you want.

 

[Hammy71]

I do the same thing sans the freezer. I have a carbing station in the basement. Use a 20# tank with multiple lines coming off of it to 'charge' the kegs. If you have some place relatively cool, why waste money on the electricity? (Picture shows my 7# tank I replaced with the 20#)

 

[jmoney05]

The idea behind keeping them in the keezer is so that they are all cooled and carbed in case me or anyone else feels the need to "sample" anything

I move again in a year or so and at that point I will most definitely be installing 6 taps on the system rather than using a 3 tap kegerator. At the moment though, the keezer is in a room used for storage and there is no room for it in the main areas of the house.