It's Kegging time 2022

[stquinto]

22 minutes ago, Itinerant Peasant said:

They are amazing tough good looking hoses @stquinto compared to our pissssant thin things (which do work but do split too)... and those beautiful good qual screw on fittings... they look like the ticket to me mate!  Nice work!

As for drilling holes in boats and fridges - I am averse to such activities - canna you not get some decent double sided tape or some sort of good Euro Qual adhesive tape or other to glue to the fridge rather than more holes anywhere near coolant lines?

I guess if you have done a couple happily already then a few more in a similar area might be ok? 

And well your beeeeyoooodiful neat and tidy set-up is so much neater and tidier than my messy all-over-the-shop bit-of-kit so maybe just stick to your good way of doing things

I guess my messy lot of vessels pipes and guns still does deliver beer too  ...just 

I went straight into the heavy duty gas line IP mate: I lost one gas bottle, and didn't want to lose another

I agree in general about drilling. Several of the beer comrades on the site came up with suggestions of rubbing the side of the fridge with an alcohol-soaked cloth to see if there was something cold on the side of the fridge etc, good advice. I came across a site where a bloke drilled just through the metal of the fridge, then poked a nail into the foam to check there were no lines behind. Worked a treat. I think  the cold working bits tend to be in the back of the fridge.  In the end I drilled through the fridge side for the gas lines. I ended up keeping one English Bitter keg outside the fridge in my winter as the room was 13°C, which is the right temp for bitter during a European winter (I'd obvs have it colder where you are), so I have one gas line and one beer line going through the fridge wall.

My manifold has two gas exits: one I poke though the door of the fridge and it hits the four-way splitter in the photo. The other one I keep to carb a keg outside the fridge. It's getting to spring here so it'll be too warm for a keg outside the fridge soon.

If I had bought the fridge new I wouldn't have drilled it because of the warranty. I only did it because it is about 17 years old  Because the gas line is quite stiff I don't think double-edged tape would cut the mustard. Maybe screwed onto a piece of wood, and the wood forced into the edge of the fridge, vertically. That'd probably hold. But since I've already drilled I don't think it matters now.

I just finished my first keg the other day (a Landlord clone that wasn't hoppy enough, I've whinged about it elsewhere). There's only me on the grog and I reckon a 19l corny is a bit much. I think I'll invest in more 10l kegs -  I'm sure I could get three in the fridge, maybe even 4.

Edited March 29, 2022 by stquinto
typo

[Classic Brewing Co]

2 minutes ago, stquinto said:

There's only me on the grog 

I think you are a Hiss Pead mate, all these kegs & stuff, making me jealous, when I climb over my first hurdle (AG) I will be looking at something. Cheers.

[stquinto]

Just now, Classic Brewing Co said:

I think you are a Hiss Pead mate, all these kegs & stuff, making me jealous, when I climb over my first hurdle (AG) I will be looking at something. Cheers.

TBH Phil mate, if I went back I would sort out one thing at a time. Probably BIAB/AG, then kegging later. I needed to get a new freezer and "retire" this fridge, which is why I jumped on the opportunity to start kegging.

[Malter White]

48 minutes ago, stquinto said:

I got one of these 4 way splitters. Cost me 25€ off ikegger Europe:

 

I need to screw it into the inside of the old fridge I requisitioned. Ideally at the back but I am worried about drilling through a cooling line, so it will have the be the side as I am pretty sure there isn't any important stuff, only foam. I would prefer a right-angled connection for the gas entrance pipe, there's too much of a bend in the hose, and it isn't very flexible 

 

Too complex for ol' Muzz. I think Shamus' T piece suggestion is the go for me.  

[Classic Brewing Co]

5 minutes ago, stquinto said:

TBH Phil mate, if I went back I would sort out one thing at a time. Probably BIAB/AG, then kegging later. I needed to get a new freezer and "retire" this fridge, which is why I jumped on the opportunity to start kegging.

Yeah I understand, slowly slowly catchy the Monkey. All good you have an impressive setup. 

[stquinto]

12 minutes ago, Classic Brewing Co said:

Yeah I understand, slowly slowly catchy the Monkey. All good you have an impressive setup. 

Good luck on the AG mate. I had some beginners' luck with BIAB, a cuppla mis-steps with the GF, but it looks like it's back on track (thanks to @ozdevil) . I'll still make a few KnKs though, and make sure I buy the odd slab of Coopers (gotta go to a wholesale place but that's where I source by decent seafood so I tend to go every now and again).

Although I get stuck into the wine with food, I've pretty much given up on other stuff like gin and tonic. The occasional whisky but not too much. So beer it is !

 

[kmar92]

1 hour ago, stquinto said:

I got one of these 4 way splitters. Cost me 25€ off ikegger Europe:

 

I need to screw it into the inside of the old fridge I requisitioned. Ideally at the back but I am worried about drilling through a cooling line, so it will have the be the side as I am pretty sure there isn't any important stuff, only foam. I would prefer a right-angled connection for the gas entrance pipe, there's too much of a bend in the hose, and it isn't very flexible 

 

I have the same manifold and they are very good, the gas valves have a built in non-return valve so that will save your regulator in case of a mishap with beer going back through the gas lines. I have mounted mine externally for 2 reasons, with it mounted on the outside it is easier to get to the valves and an external mount does not take up any space inside the fridge. As far as drilling a hole in the fridge wall I guess that there are a few things to take into account. I think that you mentioned that it is an old fridge and so depending upon its design there may be no lines in the side walls, most modern fridges utilise the side walls to house the condenser coils and these are hot rather than cold so with the fridge actively cooling you should be able to feel the heat in the exterior side walls to locate the condenser coils. The cold lines from the compressor would usually be in the rear wall going to the evaporator. Easy to check if there are condenser coils in the side walls - if you have coils on the back of the fridge then the coils are external, if no coils visible probably they are in the side walls of the fridge.

@stquinto a warning though, I am not a refrigeration professional so exercise caution with my advice!

[stquinto]

18 minutes ago, kmar92 said:

I have the same manifold and they are very good, the gas valves have a built in non-return valve so that will save your regulator in case of a mishap with beer going back through the gas lines. I have mounted mine externally for 2 reasons, with it mounted on the outside it is easier to get to the valves and an external mount does not take up any space inside the fridge. As far as drilling a hole in the fridge wall I guess that there are a few things to take into account. I think that you mentioned that it is an old fridge and so depending upon its design there may be no lines in the side walls, most modern fridges utilise the side walls to house the condenser coils and these are hot rather than cold so with the fridge actively cooling you should be able to feel the heat in the exterior side walls to locate the condenser coils. The cold lines from the compressor would usually be in the rear wall going to the evaporator. Easy to check if there are condenser coils in the side walls - if you have coils on the back of the fridge then the coils are external, if no coils visible probably they are in the side walls of the fridge.

@stquinto a warning though, I am not a refrigeration professional so exercise caution with my advice!

Cheers mate, good to know. The back of the fridge has a big old coil on it. Useful for hanging stuff off of it.... Now that you mention, I think newer/ more expensive fridges don't have those coils so you wouldn't want to be drilling through any walls.

 

[kmar92]

1 minute ago, stquinto said:

Cheers mate, good to know. The back of the fridge has a big old coil on it. Useful for hanging stuff off of it.... Now that you mention, I think newer/ more expensive fridges don't have those coils so you wouldn't want to be drilling through any walls.

 

If that coil feels hot when the fridge is running you should be OK to drill through the side walls without any catastrophic damage.

[Classic Brewing Co]

44 minutes ago, stquinto said:

Good luck on the AG mate. I had some beginners' luck with BIAB, a cuppla mis-steps with the GF, but it looks like it's back on track (thanks to @ozdevil) . I'll still make a few KnKs though, and make sure I buy the odd slab of Coopers (gotta go to a wholesale place but that's where I source by decent seafood so I tend to go every now and again).

Although I get stuck into the wine with food, I've pretty much given up on other stuff like gin and tonic. The occasional whisky but not too much. So beer it is !

 

Thanks mate, I will work it out & I don't want to bore other members so I will just do it. I love wine before, during & after with food, I love beer too of course but mainly with Pizza or something. There are so many good wines out there & when you are 'beered out' it's the only way to go, I have Scotch /Vodka & stuff in the bar but I only drink it now & again, It is nice to finish with some Port & some chocolate. 

[iBooz2]

2 hours ago, kmar92 said:

I have the same manifold and they are very good, the gas valves have a built in non-return valve so that will save your regulator in case of a mishap with beer going back through the gas lines. I have mounted mine externally for 2 reasons, with it mounted on the outside it is easier to get to the valves and an external mount does not take up any space inside the fridge. As far as drilling a hole in the fridge wall I guess that there are a few things to take into account. I think that you mentioned that it is an old fridge and so depending upon its design there may be no lines in the side walls, most modern fridges utilise the side walls to house the condenser coils and these are hot rather than cold so with the fridge actively cooling you should be able to feel the heat in the exterior side walls to locate the condenser coils. The cold lines from the compressor would usually be in the rear wall going to the evaporator. Easy to check if there are condenser coils in the side walls - if you have coils on the back of the fridge then the coils are external, if no coils visible probably they are in the side walls of the fridge.

@stquinto a warning though, I am not a refrigeration professional so exercise caution with my advice!

All you fridge hole drillers have holes in your head.

DO NOT DRILL HOLES IN YOUR FIDGE UNDER MOST CIRCUMSTANCES.  You can be lucky in some cases.

For god's sake guys and girls get with the times.  Modern day adhesives are stronger than screws.

If you need to mount a gas manifold inside your fridge (in this example) just use a right-angle piece of light gauge SS and glue it to the inside of the fridge using (again for example) SIKKA type products.

There is a marine type Sikka product that would do this job perfectly when properly applied.

Select the right type of adhesive and prepare the bonding surfaces properly and it will be far stronger than any screws.  After all, things like High rise building cladding and the space shuttle are held together using only just adhesives and when it comes to re-entry to the earth's atmosphere (in the shuttles case) you can understand the forces applied to those glues.

Proper preparation would mean the keying of both surfaces by scratching both areas with various grades of emery paper in a crisscross pattern, then thorough cleaning with those with Isopropyl alcohol and again then priming these areas with the appropriate priming fluid to suit the glue and allowing that to dry.  Correct application of the adhesive and proper curing time allowed, and you are good to go.  In fact, you would need a nuclear bomb to break the bond made so it will see you and other generations out.  Long live the fridge!

That way you can drill the crap out of the light SS angle metal and be happy that you are now using screws to fix things to that instead.

 

 

[kmar92]

24 minutes ago, iBooz2 said:

All you fridge hole drillers have holes in your head.

DO NOT DRILL HOLES IN YOUR FIDGE UNDER MOST CIRCUMSTANCES.  You can be lucky in some cases.

For god's sake guys and girls get with the times.  Modern day adhesives are stronger than screws.

If you need to mount a gas manifold inside your fridge (in this example) just use a right-angle piece of light gauge SS and glue it to the inside of the fridge using (again for example) SIKKA type products.

There is a marine type Sikka product that would do this job perfectly when properly applied.

Select the right type of adhesive and prepare the bonding surfaces properly and it will be far stronger than any screws.  After all, things like High rise building cladding and the space shuttle are held together using only just adhesives and when it comes to re-entry to the earth's atmosphere (in the shuttles case) you can understand the forces applied to those glues.

Proper preparation would mean the keying of both surfaces by scratching both areas with various grades of emery paper in a crisscross pattern, then thorough cleaning with those with Isopropyl alcohol and again then priming these areas with the appropriate priming fluid to suit the glue and allowing that to dry.  Correct application of the adhesive and proper curing time allowed, and you are good to go.  In fact, you would need a nuclear bomb to break the bond made so it will see you and other generations out.  Long live the fridge!

That way you can drill the crap out of the light SS angle metal and be happy that you are now using screws to fix things to that instead.

 

 

Excellent rave @iBooz2 on the virtues of good adhesives and not drilling holes in fridges.

But tell me please how to get gas and beer lines in and out of the fridge without any holes?

[Pezzza]

3 hours ago, stquinto said:

a 19l corny is a bit much. I think I'll invest in more 10l kegs -  I'm sure I could get three in the fridge, maybe even 4.

It's a beautiful setup mate... really good stuff.  Great job.

Yeah I have two 10L fellas up on the shelf which is above the compressor workings... and they work good too.  I have had a few clogging probs with them w big yeast cakes but hey yer can shorten the offtake tube or you can get the floating offtakes so that can be fixed... and they are a shedload lighter for handling.  Got them as the non-alcs for the moment but have used for Brew before including a very lovely Nitro Rye : )

The other thing with a 19 yes big for one.... but consider the positives..... I guess is that if you get a brew that improves over time... then it should just keep on getting better haha!

Not so much the case when you are a Hop King tho as yeah the Hop Fade is the real thing - it exists and there is no doubt the aromas do dwindle.  Tho on my Black Death IPA it was a pleasure as the 250g or howmanyeverstupid amount I put in started to calm down a bit it turned out quite drinkable.

Anyway - it's a nice setup @stquinto Sainter and there are lots of ways to get the best out of your Brewery and Store-n-Pour... you could also I think consider doing a Keg-Hop if things were dwindling.... say in a Hop Sock...  I have heard of some Brewers finding that good... and of course for the complete Hop Nutters amongst us there is the BEHR... BBBBBbbbburrrrrrrr  I'm not quite there yet meself 

[stquinto]

31 minutes ago, iBooz2 said:

and the space shuttle are held together using only just adhesives

D'ya think those b*ggers want to take my keg fridge up there with them ? Whoda known.. 

Thanks for the pointers Boozer, As this was an old fridge I thought I'd risk it.

But Kmar has a point - how do you get the gas line in ?

[iBooz2]

12 minutes ago, kmar92 said:

Excellent rave @iBooz2 on the virtues of good adhesives and not drilling holes in fridges.

But tell me please how to get gas and beer lines in and out of the fridge without any holes?

Through the door seal itself as I mentioned many times in the past (and directly to you re this @stquinto last time I saw this mentioned).  It is easily done with the assistance of some draught stopping closed cell foam self adhesive tape specifically designed for similar situations.  This applied in a step up or ramp fashion will allow the factory fitted door seal rubber to slowly ramp up and over the bulk of the lines and still seal to the air.  Raven make several products that are fit for this purpose.  I can rave on about those too as it makes this a simple exercise (if you pardon my pun).

Edited March 29, 2022 by iBooz2

[stquinto]

7 minutes ago, Itinerant Peasant said:

It's a beautiful setup mate... really good stuff.  Great job.

Yeah I have two 10L fellas up on the shelf which is above the compressor workings... and they work good too.  I have had a few clogging probs with them w big yeast cakes but hey yer can shorten the offtake tube or you can get the floating offtakes so that can be fixed... and they are a shedload lighter for handling.  Got them as the non-alcs for the moment but have used for Brew before including a very lovely Nitro Rye : )

The other thing with a 19 yes big for one.... but consider the positives..... I guess is that if you get a brew that improves over time... then it should just keep on getting better haha!

Not so much the case when you are a Hop King tho as yeah the Hop Fade is the real thing - it exists and there is no doubt the aromas do dwindle.  Tho on my Black Death IPA it was a pleasure as the 250g or howmanyeverstupid amount I put in started to calm down a bit it turned out quite drinkable.

Anyway - it's a nice setup @stquinto Sainter and there are lots of ways to get the best out of your Brewery and Store-n-Pour... you could also I think consider doing a Keg-Hop if things were dwindling.... say in a Hop Sock...  I have heard of some Brewers finding that good... and of course for the complete Hop Nutters amongst us there is the BEHR... BBBBBbbbburrrrrrrr  I'm not quite there yet meself 

Got some good points there IP mate.

My latest brews haven't been dry-hoppped so it's not too much of an issue. The first keg I had (the one I just finished) was so low on hops it was like some malty drink.... yuk ! @Shamus O'Sean suggested dry hopping in the keg, and it did improve, but it didn't last so long.

Of the Graham Wheeler recipes I've posted (I appreciate it's against copyright but the book seems to be out of print), I tried using the hop amount suggested for the 25 litre brew when I was making 19l. Seems about right so far.

I have just got the upgrade kits to have the floating dip tube, and also with a cage-type filter on the end. Hopefully it'll get the clearer beer first.

wont fit in a 10l keg mind...

 

[stquinto]

14 minutes ago, iBooz2 said:

Through the door seal itself as I mentioned many times in the past (and directly to you re this @stquinto last time I saw this mentioned).  It is easily done with the assistance of some draught stopping closed cell foam self adhesive tape specifically designed for similar situations.  This applied in a step up or ramp fashion will allow the factory fitted door seal rubber to slowly ramp up and over the bulk of the lines and still seal to the air.  Raven make several products that are fit for this purpose.  I can rave on about those too as it makes this a simple exercise (if you pardon my pun).

Worth looking into if I upgrade to a new keg fridge.

I did see a decent video of how to make a keezer online, some Americans (Northern Brewers maybe ?) made it. That looked like a good setup: they unscrewed the lid, made a 4 inch wooden frame around the top of the freezer, and drilled more holes in to re-attach the lid. Then everything was drilled through the wooden frame. 

Talking about keezers, if you use an inkbird to keep the temperature around say, 5°C, does it keep turning it on and off all the time ? Just wondering as someone is offering me an old chest freezer when he moves. Dunno where I'll put it, but I don't want to turn it down.

Just found the link:

 

Edited March 29, 2022 by stquinto

[iBooz2]

14 minutes ago, stquinto said:

Talking about keezers, if you use an inkbird to keep the temperature around say, 5°C, does it keep turning it on and off all the time ? Just wondering as someone is offering me an old chest freezer when he moves. Dunno where I'll put it, but I don't want to turn it down.

I use a big chest freezer and the temp probe is simply sitting in a stubby of water at the bottom and the controller temp is set for 2 C.  I just use pluto guns in this setup, no need for un-insulated home made collars that could let moisture / condensate in.  Just briefly lift the lid to pour a beer and all is good.

Edited March 29, 2022 by iBooz2

[iBooz2]

Raven door seal products for those who do not want to drill holes in fridges.

[ozdevil]

7 hours ago, stquinto said:

Worth looking into if I upgrade to a new keg fridge.

I did see a decent video of how to make a keezer online, some Americans (Northern Brewers maybe ?) made it. That looked like a good setup: they unscrewed the lid, made a 4 inch wooden frame around the top of the freezer, and drilled more holes in to re-attach the lid. Then everything was drilled through the wooden frame. 

Talking about keezers, if you use an inkbird to keep the temperature around say, 5°C, does it keep turning it on and off all the time ? Just wondering as someone is offering me an old chest freezer when he moves. Dunno where I'll put it, but I don't want to turn it down.

Just found the link:

 

i was going to suggest making a collar     and having gas and taps  come through the collar

[Tricky Micky]

And then this happened. 

Boozer, @iBooz2 mate you were spot on - couldn't control myself 1 keg down and the 2nd ones just about to blow.

So much for lagering

Bit sad in the Mickep brewery today - still waiting for the bootmaker to finish fermenting.

 

 

[Classic Brewing Co]

6 minutes ago, Mickep said:

And then this happened. 

Boozer, @iBooz2 mate you were spot on - couldn't control myself 1 keg down and the 2nd ones just about to blow.

So much for lagering

Bit sad in the Mickep brewery today - still waiting for the bootmaker to finish fermenting.

Sad day indeed !! Well you know what means mate, get busy in the brewery 

[ozdevil]

45 minutes ago, Mickep said:

And then this happened. 

Boozer, @iBooz2 mate you were spot on - couldn't control myself 1 keg down and the 2nd ones just about to blow.

So much for lagering

Bit sad in the Mickep brewery today - still waiting for the bootmaker to finish fermenting.

 

 

mate   this is the hassle its very hard to hide a kegerator then to hide bottles.

the kegerator is always calling out you need a beer you need a beer drink what i have in my belly


once you get used to kegs  you wont drink as much,  you will drink more and more lol

plus these was the 1st beers on tap so it was allowed and a given

[Classic Brewing Co]

2 hours ago, ozdevil said:

mate   this is the hassle its very hard to hide a kegerator then to hide bottles.

the kegerator is always calling out you need a beer you need a beer drink what i have in my belly


once you get used to kegs  you wont drink as much,  you will drink more and more lol

plus these was the 1st beers on tap so it was allowed and a given

I am pretty sure I would drink more if I had one, I reckon it would take a while for the novelty to wear off. 

[ozdevil]

17 minutes ago, Classic Brewing Co said:

I am pretty sure I would drink more if I had one, I reckon it would take a while for the novelty to wear off. 

i am saying itnever does wear off