Hi, any tried to build a 'kegerator' for home brew lager before? Basically a mini fridge with a beer tap, looking for pointer's.
Thanks
Thanks
kegerator - home brew
- Thread starter Beefpotnoodle
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The STC1000 Temp Sensor seems to be the normal method to control old fridges at temperature required. I have not done it myself but seen many posts about using them.
I did look at the idea of using a peltier device with the idea same unit could heat or cool but when one looks at the efficiency of the peltier unit it leaves a lot to be desired. A 35 litre peltier effect on manufactures data used 3285 kWh/annum where a A+ fridge uses around 100 kWh/annum which puts me off the peltier unit even if it can both heat and cool.
I was rather disappointed with lager experiment. I brewed two Geordie lagers one with supplied yeast and one with lager yeast the former at around the 20°C the latter at around 12°C and the 12°C version was a complete flop. However the 20°C version worked A1 so why play around cooling to 12°C when the 20°C version worked A1?
Not really a lager drinker but after the experiment sorry I will in the future not bother with lager yeast and will just buy kit and follow instructions which are the same as bitter, heavy or mild.
I find around 18°C is ideal and I stop brewing June, July and August as too hot. Just a case of getting enough stock to see one through the summer. Around 200 pints in my case.
I did look at the idea of using a peltier device with the idea same unit could heat or cool but when one looks at the efficiency of the peltier unit it leaves a lot to be desired. A 35 litre peltier effect on manufactures data used 3285 kWh/annum where a A+ fridge uses around 100 kWh/annum which puts me off the peltier unit even if it can both heat and cool.
I was rather disappointed with lager experiment. I brewed two Geordie lagers one with supplied yeast and one with lager yeast the former at around the 20°C the latter at around 12°C and the 12°C version was a complete flop. However the 20°C version worked A1 so why play around cooling to 12°C when the 20°C version worked A1?
Not really a lager drinker but after the experiment sorry I will in the future not bother with lager yeast and will just buy kit and follow instructions which are the same as bitter, heavy or mild.
I find around 18°C is ideal and I stop brewing June, July and August as too hot. Just a case of getting enough stock to see one through the summer. Around 200 pints in my case.
The kegerator is for once you've brewed, put your keg in a Fridge' with a pump installed for all in one, cooling and dispensing!
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I don't brew Larger tried twice first was brewed like a bitter tasted OK second was largered and a failure.
However I had looked at the idea of keeping beer cold either for brewing or drinking and first thought was keep it simple stupid so method one was put the keg on top of the fridge and connect it to the cold water supply for the fridge then I can just put my glass up to the cold water dispenser to get a cold beer. But two problems one is cleaning other is it loses it's head.
So round two was to use a cool box lid simply build an insulated box then fit the peltier effect cool box top however I looked at the efficiency rate of the peltier effect and for a 35 litre fridge looking at 3285 kWh/annum compared with around 150 kWh/annum for a standard motor driven fridge.
Result was I bottle my beer in old pop bottles and use standard domestic fridge set to 4°C. In the main I don't cool my beer but where I have bottled a tad too early they tend to erupt from the bottom of bottle as opened making the pint cloudy. Cooling beer reduces this but also reduces taste so not sure which is best? Well best is when you think ready to bottle leave it another week.
However I had looked at the idea of keeping beer cold either for brewing or drinking and first thought was keep it simple stupid so method one was put the keg on top of the fridge and connect it to the cold water supply for the fridge then I can just put my glass up to the cold water dispenser to get a cold beer. But two problems one is cleaning other is it loses it's head.
So round two was to use a cool box lid simply build an insulated box then fit the peltier effect cool box top however I looked at the efficiency rate of the peltier effect and for a 35 litre fridge looking at 3285 kWh/annum compared with around 150 kWh/annum for a standard motor driven fridge.
Result was I bottle my beer in old pop bottles and use standard domestic fridge set to 4°C. In the main I don't cool my beer but where I have bottled a tad too early they tend to erupt from the bottom of bottle as opened making the pint cloudy. Cooling beer reduces this but also reduces taste so not sure which is best? Well best is when you think ready to bottle leave it another week.
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I have looked further into keeping beer cold. In a fridge it is easy enough to control to other than the standard 5°C a wine cooler should run at 12°C swapping the thermostat for a temperature controller works well. I use this for brewing.
But the other option is to use the lid of a cool box. But the peltier or absorbtion method is not very economical it seems 12 volt DC and non electrical fridges don't have to display energy figures and some are very poor.
The idea of drilling a hole in the top of a fridge does not seem a good idea as you have no idea what is in the top you could drill through wires or pipes I would want something where you know for sure nothing in the lid. I would consider a chest freezer as often you can see the hinge and are therefore sure nothing in the lid. Swapping the thermostat for a temperature controller will allow one to set exactly the temperature required. You could even use an elastic band like I do for brewing and hold the sensor under a sponge against the wall of the beer keg so measuring beer temperature not the air around the beer. But if doing that I would wire temperature controller in series with thermostat not instead so can't drop below -18°C air temperature while cooling the beer down. I find 40 pints takes a lot of cooling or heating. If I forget to plug in heater and brew drops to 18°C it takes a good 12 hours with a 18W heater to get it to 20°C. OK a freezer motor is more like 80W but still looking at hours to cool.
But the other option is to use the lid of a cool box. But the peltier or absorbtion method is not very economical it seems 12 volt DC and non electrical fridges don't have to display energy figures and some are very poor.
The idea of drilling a hole in the top of a fridge does not seem a good idea as you have no idea what is in the top you could drill through wires or pipes I would want something where you know for sure nothing in the lid. I would consider a chest freezer as often you can see the hinge and are therefore sure nothing in the lid. Swapping the thermostat for a temperature controller will allow one to set exactly the temperature required. You could even use an elastic band like I do for brewing and hold the sensor under a sponge against the wall of the beer keg so measuring beer temperature not the air around the beer. But if doing that I would wire temperature controller in series with thermostat not instead so can't drop below -18°C air temperature while cooling the beer down. I find 40 pints takes a lot of cooling or heating. If I forget to plug in heater and brew drops to 18°C it takes a good 12 hours with a 18W heater to get it to 20°C. OK a freezer motor is more like 80W but still looking at hours to cool.
My neighbor built one a few years ago and it worked quite well. They just used a standard fridge and expending foam to seal the hole around tap that was through the side. Not too sure how they did the specifics but it was built during a 6-pack so mustn't have been too complicated!
I've gone the other way, bought a maxi 110 cooler and accessories to make a real pub pump, just need a mancave now!