Kegerator - which way to go

[Bladeca]

Currently i'm bottling and for some brews i will still do so but looking at moving to kegging for a few reasons and fairly obvious the ease of getting beer from fermenter to glass is main but also to get the best from hoppy ales and avoid oxidization.

 

Now the question I have is, what is the better way to go in terms of a kegerator, should i just get one like what kegland sell or should i go down the path of building one from a chest freezer? I'm wanting to keep the size smallish as I have limited room and really only plan to have 3 drinks available at once with 1 tap most likely to be say soda water or something like that for the Mrs.

[Beerlust]

Where do you plan to position the kegerator/temp controlled chest freezer, indoors or outdoors?

[Bladeca]

It will be indoors. 

I'm the only beer drinker in the house and most of the time I do the visiting of family / friends so thats one reason to still bottle but also why I don't need a 10 keg keezer. 

[Titan]

With a 19l keg system you can still bottle a few for take aways if you do 23l batches.

[Norris!]

I have a 2 tap fridge kegerator that was converted using a:

$50 fridge from Gumtree. It has a freezer that I use to store hops, malts and grain.  It is a normal sized one so it fits 3 kegs easily maybe 4 but haven't tried.

2 intertap flow control taps and the extender bits to fit through the fridge door. Depending on which taps you get and where this will be one of the biggest expenses.

Kegs. If you shop around you can get them for 65 to 80 used.

C02 bottle currently I use soda stream c02 bottles but they are not as cost effective as a large bottle would be over the time of use.

I think building one is cheaper and can be a cool thing to do but depending on what you want and time you want to invest, and cost of course, the kegland fridges are easy and look nice but will cost more than a DIY, of course.

I like my kegerator, it can be improved but to me that is the fun part as I slowly make it the best I can.

[Cerveja]

Long, long story but I was given a KL kegerator for my 50th last year. Worked well for 6 months but recently has struggled to either get to temp or stay there. I also have defrosted it twice in the last month. Sad thing is KL don't give a toss. Only remedy is to ship it back to them so they can decide whether something is wrong or not. Given past product failures of theirs and their reluctance to accept fault in any way I will be now starting a keezer build while hoping the shiny KL kegerator lasts a bit longer. Highly recommend you or anyone else do not go down the KL route. You will regret it. Cheers.

[The Captain!!]

@Cerveja I wonder what consumer affairs (if that’s the right word) would think about that. 

[Otto Von Blotto]

I have a kegerator, it wasn't from KL as they didn't exist when I bought it, but they're all pretty much the same anyway. It hasn't had any issues until Friday when it decided it wasn't going to chill down to the temp I always run it at for some reason. It's been really humid here lately with the rain we've been having so I figure maybe it frosted up a bit when I had it open putting cans and bottles in it. There was ice on the plate at the back which is abnormal. I just turned it off and left the door open for about 20 minutes, then turned it back on again and it's fine. 

 

[Empez68]

@Cerveja - IMO you would be covered under Australian Consumer Law to get it fixed even if it was just out of warranty;

Checklist: Top 10 ACL consumer rights tips

1. "No refunds" signs are against the law. If there's a sign that says "no refunds", "no refunds on sale items" or "exchange or credit note only for return of sale items", it's not following the consumer law. You can return something if it doesn't do what you'd reasonably expect it to, or isn't acceptable quality. But stores aren't required to take it back if you simply change your mind or find a better deal somewhere else.
2. If a product isn't acceptable quality, the retailer can't charge you for fixing it.
3. Retailers can't just refer you to the manufacturer – they need to rectify your issue.
4. If the problem is "major", you can ask for a refund or a replacement rather than a repair.
5. If it is a bulky item such as a widescreen TV the retailer should pay for transportation costs.
6. You should be informed if a replacement is second-hand, or if refurbished parts have been used to repair it.
7. Repairs must be made within a reasonable time. Mobile phones and fridges, for example, must be given high priority or you can demand a replacement.
8. You don't have to return a faulty product in its original packaging. 
9. If you've lost your receipt you can use the following as proof of purchase: a credit card statement that itemises the goods; a confirmation or receipt number from a phone or internet transaction; a warranty card showing the date, price and place of purchase; or the serial or production number if it's stored on the retailer's computer.
10. Extended warranties are often not necessary as they may not cover much more than the ACL.

Choice are really hot on this with retailers and frequently assist consumers with their rights in this area - more often than not a nudge to the retailer about their responsibilities under consumer law gets them to act.   They can be fined if they don't.

Hope this helps....

***Sorry OP don't want to hijack the post
 

[Mark D Pirate]

I've built up a few for friends,  I like upright fridges since they're cheap and plentiful. 

Taps straight through the door,  no need for font fans or coolant that way. 

Easy access and a working freezer for glasses and hop storage .

Recently set up a single tap system using commercial kegs for $275 with a 6kg bottle ( minus keg and fridge)  

[Norris!]

So I calculated up my cost it was about $495 for my kegerator.

$75 for the connections, hoses, chalkboard paint and wood for flooring and the like.

$75 ×2 =$150 for 2 intertap flow control taps with shanks.

$50 for the fridge

$30+$70+$120=$220 for 3 kegs. New and old kegs combination.

You could get the kegs cheaper and less expensive taps. I still need a legit c02 bottle so that would be another $75 or so and 1 more tap so about $150 more and I will be about happy with my build. So $645ish for a 3 tap kegerator that I built with help from the kiddos. I say fair deal that could of been done for about $475 to 500ish if I was really trying to control costs. You only get the fridge for a little less than that.

But it is always about opportunity costs. For me it is generally time and money that I am working against. I really wanted the nice fridge and cobra font set up sitting in the family room area with a bar but I couldn't justify the cost overall so I went with a slower DIY method. You pay for convenience and quickness but considering my handyman skills I am happy with the outcome.

Have you decided one way or another, @Bladeca

If it is going to be inside make sure it looks good and not just functional, is my big concern. If my wife said I could bring the kegerator inside I would change my set up and go with a cobra font kegland set up for sure, even if I had to built it myself or even better a bar with real taps that I keep in the freezer until I get home!

Dont mind the mess just bottled and kegged a batch to fill up the taps. I also don't have the brew names written on because my chalk has disappeared! Kids...

[Bladeca]

Thanks everyone for the feedback.

No I haven't made up my mind, been a bit caught up with work. I'm having a bit more of a look around the house for where I can put it, which will mostly influence the size and style. I might just have to relocate the ferment fridge somewhere else and put the beer fridge in its place.

I've certainly been looking at costs for building one, and there are some good prices on the stuff needed and as mentioned by other gumtree has plenty of fridges/freezers, thats where i got my ferment fridge from for stuff all and am very happy with it.