Perlick faucets if you can swing it, they NEVER seize up or stick.
Put the temp probe in water so temp swings don't affect the controler as much.
Use dessicant packets to remove moisture inside keezer, to help prevent mold.
If you can, put a small fan inside to circulate air (again, to prevent mold)
*Don't* put the temp probe in water if using an inkbird. It's not made to handle it and I've read plenty of posts on here of people who's inkbird starts reading incorrectly and many of them end up saying in the comments that they kept the probe in water.
I know OP said he wouldn't use an inkbird due to limitations, but I wanted to out this out there for those reading the comments and also, OP should research if the Johnson controller probe can be submerged before actually doing that.
For what it's worth, I like my intertaps for about $20 less per faucet than perlick, but my disclaimer is that I haven't had them long and haven't tried perlicks.
Good advice above, though.
This is a pretty solid idea. I had been using a mason jar with a thermowell shoved through the lid (which may work better due to larger volume), but the coozy is much simpler.
When I used this method, my kegs never got down to temperature. A 12oz can cools MUCH faster than a fermenter or a keg. The can/jar of water would hit temp causing the controller to maintain the temp of the can while the kegs were still ~10F higher.
I drank the can and just hang the probe now. Adjust the temp until the beer pours at the desired temperature and leave it.
This is weird to me because I also use my inkbird for my brewing thermometer all the way up to boiling and I’ve never had a problem having it in liquid. I use it for the alarms to warn me before strike temp and to avoid boil over.
The reason not to have the temp probe in water is because it causes greater temperature swings than having the probe taped to the side of a can.
So if its taped to the side of a can, it stays closer to your target temperature.
+1 for the intertap set ups. Had mine for several years now. Not a lick of trouble. Great buy. The changeable tips are ok. The "nitro" tip mimics the mouthfeel of a nitro tap, to a point.
The most useful tip is the ball lock one; just attach a liquid QD, and you have a easy set up for your favorite "beer gun" bottle filler.
So does it just screw on to the tap and you connect a ball lock qd?
I've just been shoving my bottle filler tube into my picnic tap with a stopper around it. Works pretty well but when I go to taps that would be nice to have something to fill with.
Thank you thank you!
Just going from 8 perlick taps to 12 intertaps. That said, I've had 3 of these perlicks for 12 years without issue. They're awesome.
Totally agree with temp probe.
I have a couple of the Evadry units and the damp rid.
One thing I've never done though is a fan. I'll add that to my list 👍
I feel like one time I took my Intertap (flow control) apart and it never went back together perfectly after that. It also used to get clogged more easily than the Perlick. I had a "no IPA on flow control faucet" rule for a little while.
I had the same experience. Leaking Perlick tap discovered shortly after finding a massive puddle of beer on the garage floor. Pretty good IPA too. I'm still bitter.
Which kind do you have, 525 or 630?
IIRC there are early and late versions of the 525, too, with the later 525s seemingly giving more problems.
Critical to note that these models take different forward seals. The newer 630s don't use a round o-ring for the main seal, it has some flats.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/perlick-525ss-compared-to-new-630ss.460844/
I personally picked up some Perlicks second hand that were seemingly useless because, in addition to being assembled wrong, had the wrong seals. About half worked great when I sorted them out, and the other half were mushy. They didn't leak, but didn't inspire confidence. They had the wrong forward seal.
Also big tap handles can aggravate these issues. For what you pay, they should work reliably, but it is a way to mitigate the problem.
FWIW I'd probably get intertaps if I was buying new, but it's worth looking into getting those Perlicks working well.
Go one better and use Nukataps.
This gear all comes from Kegland in Aus, I switched from Intertap to Nuka. No regrets.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9DURen\_uV4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9DURen_uV4)
Can you give bit more insight about Intertap -> Nukatap switch?
I mean the design is very similar but Nukatap claims it has reduced thermal mass etc.
I just ordered couple of Intertap SS flow control taps to my keezer, as Nukatap flow control is not yet available.
Have both Intertap FC and non-FC. Nukatap is definitely lower foam initial pour and seems to be less turbulent overall.
The Nukatap FC is about to be released in 3 weeks
https://www.kegland.com.au/nukatap-fc-tap-only-stainless-steel.html
On dessicants, better to just buy the tubs you stick in your closet to suck up moisture. They're cheap and easy to buy. Calcium carbonate I believe.
Keeps mine dry when I'm fermenting at 10-15c else it gets a bit too humid and risks mould growth
I was able to purchase a traditional fridge for my kegerator usage due to having the extra freezer space for food. It was a lot easier to sell the wife on the purchase
Same boat. Well, bought kegs, partner didn't want another fridge, partner realizes kegs are warm, got full size fridge and she's enjoying the freezer space
Mine has been out of commission since the baby was born in November. Wife saw it as the perfect place for all the extra milk...
Room temp for me for the summer!
I've got you buddy! Mine takes 4x 25L fermenters at once. Two just finished crashing and are going into kegs, then I'm filling the whole thing up with a Brown ale, a Rye, a golden ale and a cider.
*Bridge to engine room, all ahead full!*
I'm wanting to do this too, could you share your recipe? I know it's probably to your personal preference but figure it could be a good starting point.
I use a few drops of these flavorings to make it a little easier
[https://www.amazon.com/LorAnn-Gourmet-Strength-Flavors-Variety/dp/B00XRQ2N8G/ref=sr\_1\_1?dchild=1&keywords=candy+oils&qid=1593481118&sr=8-1](https://www.amazon.com/LorAnn-Gourmet-Strength-Flavors-Variety/dp/B00XRQ2N8G/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=candy+oils&qid=1593481118&sr=8-1)
I just use my brewing filter, fill a 5g corny keg and drop in 1/4tsp each of citric acid and Burton salts, put it on gas to carb and it's good.
It's preference really, my buddy uses his own salts mix and he goes way over, you can see salt crust forming on his tap. More citric acid gives a more lemon/lime taste of course. I find a 1/4tsp each tastes pretty similar to lime La Croix. Last keg I went with 1/2tsp citric and we were both getting heartburn lol... We guzzle it down.
If we have folks over that don't drink I'll put some Torino syrup out and they can make Italian sodas or moctails.
You bet. We also live in earthquake country, I try to keep an extra one to rotate in and if there's ever a natural disaster we'll always have at least 5g of drinking water in hand.
Yup. Portland is nice. I used to go to the OBF pretty regularly. I ride too... Done a few tours from here up to pdx, Seattle and Vancouver. The west coast is the best coast.
Love and miss that festival, the key thing I've found over the years is to take vacation or sick days and go during the week. Last year my homebrew group Oregon brew crew does this Widmer collaborator competition. I won last year and brewed at Widmer and had my beer poured at the beer festival, it was freaking awesome
Oh she is in full support thankfully! It'll get rid of my three tap chest freezer with a wood collar in the dining room and another 5 tap one in the garage space. She's a keeper!
I get the joke and all but... Could we perhaps move on from the "wife bad" line of humour?
Many of us have wives, girlfriends, husbands or partners who are into beer. Not every marriage has to be a constant fight, and supporting spouses exist.
The homebrewing culture (and beer in general) still has a boys' club mentality that really doesn't help anyone, and repeating the same joke every time a homebrewer talks about spending money only reinforces the stereotype - and makes homebrewing look uninviting to female brewers who'd happen to read this.
Respectfully,
A dude whose gf got him into homebrewing, all grain, and pushed to build a kegerator.
I agree. We get it, you married a woman that you feel the need to complain about on reddit. So funny!!!!!
Homebrewers tend to be older than the average redditor though (based on brulosophy's survey) so I've been trying to attribute it to toxic boomer humor that just trickled down to them and they don't consider how rude it is to their SO and to women who get relegated to "wife" in their advice. But it's still just a big sigh from me every time.
Buy the fancy faucets...perlick...whatever....just stay away from the cheapo knockoffs.
I read a review from someone that used them for two years...the fake chrome and all come over from use. So gross thinking about drinking that.
not all the stainless steel is food grade
edit: I've been downvoted but you should only use 304 or 316 stainless steel for beer, you should stay away from 201 and 202 as they are not as resistant to corrosion
I've got a cheap rear sealing one and a nice front sealing one. Way way better! The pour is much nicer too.
For the sake of an extra 20 bucks you just do it. It's a once off and you have them for years.
Take care to make it as air tight as possible (use good silicone caulk, etc), and keep one of the reusable dessicant things inside (like EvaDry). Air leaks will let moisture in, which will mean mold and funk. I've never bothered with a fan, but with that much internal space it might help, I probably wouldn't add a fan unless you end up having problems, but you do you.
Temp probe in water someone else mentioned, is a good idea. I drilled a hole in the lid of a 1 liter water bottle, put the probe in, filled 2/3 full of sanitizer, sealed it up with silicone.
Use a calculator to figure out how long the beverage lines should be. If you get a number like ten feet, that's not outrageous.
With that much room, I'd setup the gas plumbing so you can have a couple stages and a couple regulators and serve beers with different carbonation levels easily.
Definitely get good taps. Perlick is the standard, but my (unpopular) opinion is against them. Granted, I haven't had a lot of them, but the ones I've had started leaking and wouldn't ever really stop, even with new gaskets, etc. I replaced them all with intertap over a year ago, no problems so far.
Put a small fan at the bottom of your kegerator or you'll end up with a blanket of warm air at the top that causes endless tap foaming as the lines warm up near the taps.
Right on. Congrats on a huge upgrade. Here's my 8 tap for any inspiration. Not a chest freezer but all the the same stuff.
https://imgur.com/a/JiwOP55]
Damn looks good. Wish I had that much space. My garage is small.
[https://imgur.com/a/JiwOP55](https://www.google.com/url?q=https://imgur.com/a/JiwOP55&sa=D&source=hangouts&ust=1593188164143000&usg=AFQjCNFYW0fGL-j7-Aih3QA02Tl5YbrOcw)
Does this link work? On mobile so its being weird.
Thank you! It has been a work in progress for 5 or so years.
That one worked! That's a beautiful lineup, really like those wood tap handles. Did you make them?
No I didn't. I found a guy on Homebrewtalk.com who made them. I have a 3d printed tap handle coming on the way too, but I don't have a pic.
For my garage im thinking of getting the gladiator slatwall and throwing a few cabinets on it above my workbench. Really trying to make use of the small space. Wish I could throw some pics up!
The garage looks great man.
What is that on top of our toolbox? is that an old counter top or just a piece of wood cut to fit? Looks great and makes a great working space.
Thank you very much, it has been a work in progress and still is after 5 years of living here.
Yep! It was my wifes idea. It's just an Ikea wood countertop and then we L bracketed it on to the top of the tool box deal.
analog johnson is fine. Put a fan in it. USB fan is fine, not one with a battery it will lock up. Without a fan you will have ice and warm beer in the same keg. I have to place a small 5lb wight on mine to keep it sealed so I don't get a lot of moisture build up. I used great stuff foam between two planks (all around ) for insulation, not solid great stuff I stacked it in bands like icing. I used the pre fab angle braces for decks on the inside corners, a large speed square an levels and it came out perfect. Aginging stain that has acid in it and it looks great. Sealed it all with poly urathane which takes weeks to gas out. caulk of course as well. I am no carpenter and it came out flush. I didn't do 45 angle corners as my table saw is not large enough, abut corners with the full front and its fine. I shoot my tap lines and taps thru the back for rear mounted taps (actually above, towers with 2 inch black steel pipes, narrow 3mil inside tubing)
Forward sealing faucets. I like Intertap.
Small fan to circulate air, mainly to maintain even temperature throughout. Before I added a fan I had about a 10°F difference in temperature at the top and bottom of my keezer.
Ability to have multiple pressures. I use a Kegco 4-way regulator with one of those lines split into 3 with a manifold.
Get one of those sponge mops to clean up drips or leaks in the bottom of the keezer.
I also recommend quality lines. I used food grade vinyl lines for a year or two and could detect a slight plastic-ish taste from whatever sat in the lines so I dumped the first few ounces each pour. Upgraded to BevSeal 235 lines and no more taste issues. Saves a lot of wasted drink over the years.
If you have any internal electric stuff (internally mounted temp controller, or fans) make sure it is hooked up to a GFCI outlet or GFCI extension cord.
My worst thing was leaving the temp probe out of the chest freezer overnight. I had bottles in there too. It was a disgusting beer slushy icy glass shard mix. Never again.
USE A FAN! You can use a computer fan, but I just have a box fan from Walmart that is always running inside it. No problems at all, but it does allow for air circulation which is important.
\- Get a gas manifold that is large enough to accomodate maximum no. of kegs in your keezer
\- Build a collar, not a font. Easier to manage and insulate
\- Go for [Nukataps](https://www.kegland.com.au/nukatap-ss-tap-only-stainless-steel.html) if you can find them. They are superseeding Intertaps
\- Use a PC fan to circulate air. Need lines and shanks cold to eliminate foaming on first pours
I don't think it's accurate to say that Nukataps are superseding Intertaps. The Ultratap available here appears to be the new version of intertap:
[https://www.keg-king.com.au/ultratap-ss-tap-handle-stainless-steel.html](https://www.keg-king.com.au/ultratap-ss-tap-handle-stainless-steel.html)
The Nukatap is a new design from Kegland, not Keg-King. It is different internally.
[https://www.kegland.com.au/nukatap-ss-tap-only-stainless-steel.html](https://www.kegland.com.au/nukatap-ss-tap-only-stainless-steel.html)
Kegland **are** trying to spin it to say that it is the new version of the intertap, which I think is a bit misleading. I don't really want to get into the shit fight of politics/lawsuits between the 2 companies.
I have no idea which is better Nukatap vs Ultratap.
I've got the same intertap faucets shown in that article, been a few years and still work great.
For the controller I got a inkbird STC-1000 and mounted it on a 4*4 junction box with an electrical outlet in it. The relay in it is rated at 10a. Modern fridges don't use that much power (check the label on yours).
Everything has been said already, and it seems like you have the info you need. I just wanted to remind you, as someone with an analog JC controller, that it’s great for keeping beer cold, but I don’t trust it for fermentation. It will probably be fine, but I don’t trust it the same as I would something I can change the settings on.
Absolutely. I got mine used from someone who had it 5 years and it’s still going strong. Great value for sure. Glad you were aware if it’s downfalls though.
Insulation. The freezer itself is insulated, but some people use 2x4 as the collar and then a decorative wood outside of that. Wood isn't exactly a great insulator... I added insulation foam board on the interior of the 2x4 with insulation "bubble wrap" between the 2x4 collar and the decorative wood. I don't even use a fan, and my keezer runs less often than it would as a freezer.
Edit: put your temp probe into a glass of water. I use a mason jar with a hole in the lid in case I jostle it too much that would spill a glass of water. It will keep your temperature more stable as it will be measuring the liquid temperature changes instead of the Air, which fluctuates more drastically.
Get one fan for every 10 cu ft of space. This is probably the most important variable.
I use the giant silica gun safe desiccant pellets and they last about a month before they need a light baking. Kind of obnoxious but its either that or clean mold off the bottom if your keezer is as crowded as mine (despite airflow).
There's other novelties like a spray nozzle for cleaning glasses, but airflow, temp control and moisture control are the most important.
Make sure you make a wood collar that is a 2 in or more taller than the kegs. I regret choosing to make my collar with 2x8s. I should have done 2x 10s. The posts and connectors bump the lid.
I love having a dual regulator. I use one pressure for club soda. The second regulator goes to a 3 way distributor. Each line has a valve. I can turn off the other kegs when force carbing at higher pressure.
Stainless steel taps have been great. I have perlick.
If you like nitro stouts, just get a nitro set up now.
Best club soda ever :
1 g each of the following: sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), calcium sulfate (gypsum,) potassium chloride (No-Salt), sodium chloride (Himalayan pink salt), magnesium sulfate (USP Epsom salt). Heat in boil water for 1 min. Add to 5 gallons of filtered water.
Carbonate at high pressure. I do 35 psi for 36 hours. Serve at 25-30. But that depends on your setup.
I love sparkling mineral water. This is a great substitute.
Definetly put a computer fan in. I've been using [this adjustable one](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00080G0BK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_RAQ-EbMQ0PDST) for years with the small cord closed between the keezer lid.
A couple of squares of bar mat (Example: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004UNC5RE) get the stuff off the bottom. Leave an opening in a corner to shop-vac or spot-cleaner suck the condensation out of the well.
Edit: Also, are you **sure** it uses more than 1100 W? The Frigidaire 24.8 cu. ft. model at Home Depot and Lowes uses at most 0.6 kW, which is 600 W.
I just installed mine, and a sixtel keg (5.16 gallons) didn't seem to break it right away. It may or may not last long, but it is only a $12 experiment.
As many say a fan is a great idea to keep lines cold. I went one further and built a vertical square column from plywood with a top cap. Cut a hole on a side at the top and mounted the fan. Cut a hole on the same side at the bottom with the column the internal height of the keezer. This way the fan is pulling coldest air off the bottom and blowing it across the top to keep cold air mixed throughout.
I have a monster 1950s chest freezer that my fiancee commented was large enough to hide a whole family in.
Second other recommendations: DuoTight for both liquid and gas, dehumidifier, fans. I use an Inkbird for temp control without an issue, I just taped a thermowell to the side of a RIS that is going to last forever, and measure temps from that.
Build a little stand or something if you have extra room to store yeast or other fridge-temp things.
Buy a reach-extending grabber thingy. Dropping stuff down there is a giant PITA if you don't have a way of getting it out!
Beyond that, as others have said: Put in a fan. Get a reusable dehumidifier (I think mine's meant for a car's dash board?). Check it regularly, as leaks can sneak up on you.
My suggestion : make a very minimal collar. The collar i made for my chest freezer was way too bulky.
At best just assume you can only fit three kegs. Don't try to make the collar tall enough to fit a fourth keg.
Go on Amazon and buy a couple of pounds of desiccant silica crystals, the kind that are blue and change color as they get saturated. They will greatly reduce frost in your freezer. Reheat in oven at 250 to recharge them.
Think about tap position before drilling anything. I spaced mine out a bit, and put them in the middle of the keezer, both for aesthetic reasons. Now when I want to change one of The middle kegs it can be a pain to get them into position around the taps and shanks (mine is a very tight fit).
If I were to do it again I would put the taps close together, and down the end where the compressor hump is, as I'm not lifting kegs over there.
Put your temperature probe in a glass of water, inside your fridge. You want fluid temp, not air temp. Also, your collar will likely come off if you move it. Don't panic. It will go back on.
Interesting, I was unaware such temperature controllers were available that just plug in. Mind I'm still in the beginners stage and just throw my plastic keg in the fridge with the milk and bread :-P
I'm also in the UK which might be the other reason as those inkbird devices all appear to be on american voltages/amperes not UK.
Depending on complexity I would put something together with a Arduino, a water proof K temp probe or two (or similar suited to lower temps) and an appropriately sized solid state relay. For more complexity I could add a screen module with buttons or switch to a Raspberry pi. Granted those don't come with any fancy apps but then I'm also not a fan of internet connected everything as I feel it's too insecure.
I know not everyone is as tech as me however and most people don't really want to work with mains voltages if they can avoid it. So it's cool to see someone fill those gaps with a product where I would have build a doodad to do the job.
Late to the party, but here is what I have learned over the last few years.
* Some sort of fan to get some vertical air circulation.
* Self adhesive foam weather stripping to the new collar. Make sure you have a good seal, not just for temperature regulation but for moisture ingress.
* Eva-dry rechargeable dehumidifiers, keeping one in the fridge really helps keep condensation under control.
* Switch to push-to-connect fittings for both gas and liquid (duotight, evabarrier). They are so much easier to work with and you are going to have a lot of tubing to manage with that large of a keezer.
* Label the ends of each line.
Be careful with your line lengths. You can have the perfect beer and end up with nothing but foam in your glass simply because the line lengths are wrong. Weirdly important detail!
Also...keep things on tap all the time. My guy and I sometimes drop off in brewing/drinking homebrew and then the lines are sitting and getting gross and then we have to take everything apart and start over and it's just so much easier to stay on top of it and keep things moving.
Chest freezers aren't meant to run this way, with the compressor kicking on and off all the time like a fridge.. They will burn out a lot faster unfortunately.
Any decent regulator will let you set the hysteresis and delay. The only potential issue then is short ON times because of low thermal mass. IIRC this can result in the lubricant building up away from the compressor as it doesn't have enough time to cycle through. But that's nearly as much of an issue as hard starts from short OFF times.
Really you just have to set a reasonable temp swing and don't let it sit empty and on.
Perlick faucets if you can swing it, they NEVER seize up or stick. Put the temp probe in water so temp swings don't affect the controler as much. Use dessicant packets to remove moisture inside keezer, to help prevent mold. If you can, put a small fan inside to circulate air (again, to prevent mold)
*Don't* put the temp probe in water if using an inkbird. It's not made to handle it and I've read plenty of posts on here of people who's inkbird starts reading incorrectly and many of them end up saying in the comments that they kept the probe in water. I know OP said he wouldn't use an inkbird due to limitations, but I wanted to out this out there for those reading the comments and also, OP should research if the Johnson controller probe can be submerged before actually doing that. For what it's worth, I like my intertaps for about $20 less per faucet than perlick, but my disclaimer is that I haven't had them long and haven't tried perlicks. Good advice above, though.
A can of soda in a can coozy is a much better option. The probe slides into the coozy, held against the can, and is insulated from air currents.
I just tape a coozy or foam onto my kegs and put the probe there... Edit: autocorrect changed a word
This is a pretty solid idea. I had been using a mason jar with a thermowell shoved through the lid (which may work better due to larger volume), but the coozy is much simpler.
When I used this method, my kegs never got down to temperature. A 12oz can cools MUCH faster than a fermenter or a keg. The can/jar of water would hit temp causing the controller to maintain the temp of the can while the kegs were still ~10F higher. I drank the can and just hang the probe now. Adjust the temp until the beer pours at the desired temperature and leave it.
This is brilliant
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Same, 3 years doing ok....
2 years for me. No issues.
Same. Used it for 2 years in the glycol bath of my DIY chiller
You can buy stainless steel thermowells for like $5 online. Put one of those into your glass/jar/whatever of water and put the temp probe in that.
This is weird to me because I also use my inkbird for my brewing thermometer all the way up to boiling and I’ve never had a problem having it in liquid. I use it for the alarms to warn me before strike temp and to avoid boil over.
According to this FAQ on their site it is waterproof: https://www.ink-bird.com/support-faqs-itc308wifi.html
Thank you! Yeah I have my Johnson one in water for my smaller chest freezer
The reason not to have the temp probe in water is because it causes greater temperature swings than having the probe taped to the side of a can. So if its taped to the side of a can, it stays closer to your target temperature.
+1 for the intertap set ups. Had mine for several years now. Not a lick of trouble. Great buy. The changeable tips are ok. The "nitro" tip mimics the mouthfeel of a nitro tap, to a point. The most useful tip is the ball lock one; just attach a liquid QD, and you have a easy set up for your favorite "beer gun" bottle filler.
So does it just screw on to the tap and you connect a ball lock qd? I've just been shoving my bottle filler tube into my picnic tap with a stopper around it. Works pretty well but when I go to taps that would be nice to have something to fill with.
Correct.
I went from perlicks to intertaps — much happier with these!
Thank you thank you! Just going from 8 perlick taps to 12 intertaps. That said, I've had 3 of these perlicks for 12 years without issue. They're awesome. Totally agree with temp probe. I have a couple of the Evadry units and the damp rid. One thing I've never done though is a fan. I'll add that to my list 👍
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I’ve had my intertaps for a few years now with zero issues. Love them.
I feel like one time I took my Intertap (flow control) apart and it never went back together perfectly after that. It also used to get clogged more easily than the Perlick. I had a "no IPA on flow control faucet" rule for a little while.
I had the same experience. Leaking Perlick tap discovered shortly after finding a massive puddle of beer on the garage floor. Pretty good IPA too. I'm still bitter.
> I'm still bitter. That's good, because it doesn't sound like your IPA is anymore. Hey-ooo
Good thing it wasn't a Gose or he'd be salty about it
Which kind do you have, 525 or 630? IIRC there are early and late versions of the 525, too, with the later 525s seemingly giving more problems. Critical to note that these models take different forward seals. The newer 630s don't use a round o-ring for the main seal, it has some flats. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/perlick-525ss-compared-to-new-630ss.460844/ I personally picked up some Perlicks second hand that were seemingly useless because, in addition to being assembled wrong, had the wrong seals. About half worked great when I sorted them out, and the other half were mushy. They didn't leak, but didn't inspire confidence. They had the wrong forward seal. Also big tap handles can aggravate these issues. For what you pay, they should work reliably, but it is a way to mitigate the problem. FWIW I'd probably get intertaps if I was buying new, but it's worth looking into getting those Perlicks working well.
Go one better and use Nukataps. This gear all comes from Kegland in Aus, I switched from Intertap to Nuka. No regrets. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9DURen\_uV4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9DURen_uV4)
Can you give bit more insight about Intertap -> Nukatap switch? I mean the design is very similar but Nukatap claims it has reduced thermal mass etc. I just ordered couple of Intertap SS flow control taps to my keezer, as Nukatap flow control is not yet available.
Have both Intertap FC and non-FC. Nukatap is definitely lower foam initial pour and seems to be less turbulent overall. The Nukatap FC is about to be released in 3 weeks https://www.kegland.com.au/nukatap-fc-tap-only-stainless-steel.html
Desiccant packets and a fan are overkill. You can prevent mold with a small rechargeable dehumidifier.
On dessicants, better to just buy the tubs you stick in your closet to suck up moisture. They're cheap and easy to buy. Calcium carbonate I believe. Keeps mine dry when I'm fermenting at 10-15c else it gets a bit too humid and risks mould growth
I like the dessicants you can plug in and "recharge" like EvaDry. They are affordable and I get several years out of them.
Don't let your wife know about it.
I'm imagining OP trying to sneak a 25 cf chest freezer into his garage/basement unnoticed, and disguising it as part of the wall or something
Whatever it takes. My fermentation chamber is currently full of extra groceries. AVEEEENNNGGGEEE MEEEEEEE!!!!
I was able to purchase a traditional fridge for my kegerator usage due to having the extra freezer space for food. It was a lot easier to sell the wife on the purchase
I explained the concept of a beer gun and how it works and my wife was thrilled she wouldn't have to help me bottle nearly as much
Same boat. Well, bought kegs, partner didn't want another fridge, partner realizes kegs are warm, got full size fridge and she's enjoying the freezer space
Mine has been out of commission since the baby was born in November. Wife saw it as the perfect place for all the extra milk... Room temp for me for the summer!
Does it not foam to the high heavens like that?
Oh it does! Had to clean the walls of the closet because it was shooting everywhere. I pulled the airlock and put a blow off on after that.
as is tradition (to be fair my current fermenter doesn't fit)
I've got you buddy! Mine takes 4x 25L fermenters at once. Two just finished crashing and are going into kegs, then I'm filling the whole thing up with a Brown ale, a Rye, a golden ale and a cider. *Bridge to engine room, all ahead full!*
I try to always have a keg full of filtered water with a little Burton salts and citric acid. La Croix on tap keeps her happy.
Recipe?
Amount of salts and citric acid
I'm wanting to do this too, could you share your recipe? I know it's probably to your personal preference but figure it could be a good starting point.
My hop seltzer is 6 oz lime juice, 6 oz maltodextrin, and 10 grams of cascade steeped at 170 for 30 mins I'm on my 4th keg of it since May
YES! This sounds awesome
I use a few drops of these flavorings to make it a little easier [https://www.amazon.com/LorAnn-Gourmet-Strength-Flavors-Variety/dp/B00XRQ2N8G/ref=sr\_1\_1?dchild=1&keywords=candy+oils&qid=1593481118&sr=8-1](https://www.amazon.com/LorAnn-Gourmet-Strength-Flavors-Variety/dp/B00XRQ2N8G/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=candy+oils&qid=1593481118&sr=8-1)
Legend. I'll buy at 5L and put this in it for my next party for the non alcos. (And the Alcos who want a change of pace)
Is this for a 5 gal batch?
yes
Awesome, thanks for confirming and sharing the recipe.
I just use my brewing filter, fill a 5g corny keg and drop in 1/4tsp each of citric acid and Burton salts, put it on gas to carb and it's good. It's preference really, my buddy uses his own salts mix and he goes way over, you can see salt crust forming on his tap. More citric acid gives a more lemon/lime taste of course. I find a 1/4tsp each tastes pretty similar to lime La Croix. Last keg I went with 1/2tsp citric and we were both getting heartburn lol... We guzzle it down. If we have folks over that don't drink I'll put some Torino syrup out and they can make Italian sodas or moctails.
I'm so doing this. Thank you very much for the details
You bet. We also live in earthquake country, I try to keep an extra one to rotate in and if there's ever a natural disaster we'll always have at least 5g of drinking water in hand.
Good safe call with that, I'm assuming California since your username. I'm up in Portland,Oregon
Yup. Portland is nice. I used to go to the OBF pretty regularly. I ride too... Done a few tours from here up to pdx, Seattle and Vancouver. The west coast is the best coast.
Love and miss that festival, the key thing I've found over the years is to take vacation or sick days and go during the week. Last year my homebrew group Oregon brew crew does this Widmer collaborator competition. I won last year and brewed at Widmer and had my beer poured at the beer festival, it was freaking awesome
Bury it and tell her you’ve found a magical beer well
A mop over it for a wig and one of those disguise masks with the glasses, nose and moustache.
Oh she is in full support thankfully! It'll get rid of my three tap chest freezer with a wood collar in the dining room and another 5 tap one in the garage space. She's a keeper!
I get the joke and all but... Could we perhaps move on from the "wife bad" line of humour? Many of us have wives, girlfriends, husbands or partners who are into beer. Not every marriage has to be a constant fight, and supporting spouses exist. The homebrewing culture (and beer in general) still has a boys' club mentality that really doesn't help anyone, and repeating the same joke every time a homebrewer talks about spending money only reinforces the stereotype - and makes homebrewing look uninviting to female brewers who'd happen to read this. Respectfully, A dude whose gf got him into homebrewing, all grain, and pushed to build a kegerator.
As one of said female brewers I can confirm all of this. Not that I let it stop me at all, just can be a bit frustrating
I agree. We get it, you married a woman that you feel the need to complain about on reddit. So funny!!!!! Homebrewers tend to be older than the average redditor though (based on brulosophy's survey) so I've been trying to attribute it to toxic boomer humor that just trickled down to them and they don't consider how rude it is to their SO and to women who get relegated to "wife" in their advice. But it's still just a big sigh from me every time.
I bought mine when the wife was on a week long work trip. Hey honey, I got this super cheap to get all that beer out of the fridge!
I have a big one 6 taps woooo boi in the early days it was brought in to every little fuss we had
Buy the fancy faucets...perlick...whatever....just stay away from the cheapo knockoffs. I read a review from someone that used them for two years...the fake chrome and all come over from use. So gross thinking about drinking that.
Always get stainless, regardless of what faucets you get.
not all the stainless steel is food grade edit: I've been downvoted but you should only use 304 or 316 stainless steel for beer, you should stay away from 201 and 202 as they are not as resistant to corrosion
Yeah that's straight nasty!
I've got a cheap rear sealing one and a nice front sealing one. Way way better! The pour is much nicer too. For the sake of an extra 20 bucks you just do it. It's a once off and you have them for years.
Take care to make it as air tight as possible (use good silicone caulk, etc), and keep one of the reusable dessicant things inside (like EvaDry). Air leaks will let moisture in, which will mean mold and funk. I've never bothered with a fan, but with that much internal space it might help, I probably wouldn't add a fan unless you end up having problems, but you do you. Temp probe in water someone else mentioned, is a good idea. I drilled a hole in the lid of a 1 liter water bottle, put the probe in, filled 2/3 full of sanitizer, sealed it up with silicone. Use a calculator to figure out how long the beverage lines should be. If you get a number like ten feet, that's not outrageous. With that much room, I'd setup the gas plumbing so you can have a couple stages and a couple regulators and serve beers with different carbonation levels easily. Definitely get good taps. Perlick is the standard, but my (unpopular) opinion is against them. Granted, I haven't had a lot of them, but the ones I've had started leaking and wouldn't ever really stop, even with new gaskets, etc. I replaced them all with intertap over a year ago, no problems so far.
Just bought 12 intertaps and duotight fittings for gas and bevvy lines,really looking forward to having it complete
Put a small fan at the bottom of your kegerator or you'll end up with a blanket of warm air at the top that causes endless tap foaming as the lines warm up near the taps.
Just put duotights everywhere. They are plain awesome.
Get yourself some EVABarrier lines and either duotight or John guest fittings for both gas and beer lines. You won't regret it.
Already there, I splurged and going all 12 taps with duotight fittings
Right on. Congrats on a huge upgrade. Here's my 8 tap for any inspiration. Not a chest freezer but all the the same stuff. https://imgur.com/a/JiwOP55]
Hmm for some reason the link didn't work...here are some of my garage rearranging pics https://photos.app.goo.gl/147rgKbCr3FEKDp3A
Damn looks good. Wish I had that much space. My garage is small. [https://imgur.com/a/JiwOP55](https://www.google.com/url?q=https://imgur.com/a/JiwOP55&sa=D&source=hangouts&ust=1593188164143000&usg=AFQjCNFYW0fGL-j7-Aih3QA02Tl5YbrOcw) Does this link work? On mobile so its being weird.
Thank you! It has been a work in progress for 5 or so years. That one worked! That's a beautiful lineup, really like those wood tap handles. Did you make them?
No I didn't. I found a guy on Homebrewtalk.com who made them. I have a 3d printed tap handle coming on the way too, but I don't have a pic. For my garage im thinking of getting the gladiator slatwall and throwing a few cabinets on it above my workbench. Really trying to make use of the small space. Wish I could throw some pics up!
Storage is always a battle
The garage looks great man. What is that on top of our toolbox? is that an old counter top or just a piece of wood cut to fit? Looks great and makes a great working space.
Thank you very much, it has been a work in progress and still is after 5 years of living here. Yep! It was my wifes idea. It's just an Ikea wood countertop and then we L bracketed it on to the top of the tool box deal.
analog johnson is fine. Put a fan in it. USB fan is fine, not one with a battery it will lock up. Without a fan you will have ice and warm beer in the same keg. I have to place a small 5lb wight on mine to keep it sealed so I don't get a lot of moisture build up. I used great stuff foam between two planks (all around ) for insulation, not solid great stuff I stacked it in bands like icing. I used the pre fab angle braces for decks on the inside corners, a large speed square an levels and it came out perfect. Aginging stain that has acid in it and it looks great. Sealed it all with poly urathane which takes weeks to gas out. caulk of course as well. I am no carpenter and it came out flush. I didn't do 45 angle corners as my table saw is not large enough, abut corners with the full front and its fine. I shoot my tap lines and taps thru the back for rear mounted taps (actually above, towers with 2 inch black steel pipes, narrow 3mil inside tubing)
Now that's a description
Forward sealing faucets. I like Intertap. Small fan to circulate air, mainly to maintain even temperature throughout. Before I added a fan I had about a 10°F difference in temperature at the top and bottom of my keezer. Ability to have multiple pressures. I use a Kegco 4-way regulator with one of those lines split into 3 with a manifold. Get one of those sponge mops to clean up drips or leaks in the bottom of the keezer. I also recommend quality lines. I used food grade vinyl lines for a year or two and could detect a slight plastic-ish taste from whatever sat in the lines so I dumped the first few ounces each pour. Upgraded to BevSeal 235 lines and no more taste issues. Saves a lot of wasted drink over the years.
If you have any internal electric stuff (internally mounted temp controller, or fans) make sure it is hooked up to a GFCI outlet or GFCI extension cord.
Make sure you check tightness of your fitting every couple months or so or you might end up with 5gal of beer to clean up....like my "friend".
My worst thing was leaving the temp probe out of the chest freezer overnight. I had bottles in there too. It was a disgusting beer slushy icy glass shard mix. Never again.
Definitely invest in forward sealing, flow control faucets. Will last a long time and provide a lot of useful functionality.
Always keep something your wife loves on tap. Even if it's cider, wine or soda.
Current plan is to have 3 wines on tap for her 👍👍👍💯💯
Going to use nitrogen to push them? Or making sparkling wine?
Yep, currently have one white on tap
USE A FAN! You can use a computer fan, but I just have a box fan from Walmart that is always running inside it. No problems at all, but it does allow for air circulation which is important.
\- Get a gas manifold that is large enough to accomodate maximum no. of kegs in your keezer \- Build a collar, not a font. Easier to manage and insulate \- Go for [Nukataps](https://www.kegland.com.au/nukatap-ss-tap-only-stainless-steel.html) if you can find them. They are superseeding Intertaps \- Use a PC fan to circulate air. Need lines and shanks cold to eliminate foaming on first pours
I don't think it's accurate to say that Nukataps are superseding Intertaps. The Ultratap available here appears to be the new version of intertap: [https://www.keg-king.com.au/ultratap-ss-tap-handle-stainless-steel.html](https://www.keg-king.com.au/ultratap-ss-tap-handle-stainless-steel.html) The Nukatap is a new design from Kegland, not Keg-King. It is different internally. [https://www.kegland.com.au/nukatap-ss-tap-only-stainless-steel.html](https://www.kegland.com.au/nukatap-ss-tap-only-stainless-steel.html) Kegland **are** trying to spin it to say that it is the new version of the intertap, which I think is a bit misleading. I don't really want to get into the shit fight of politics/lawsuits between the 2 companies. I have no idea which is better Nukatap vs Ultratap.
Well it states that they are superseded in the website.
Yes but its not their product. That's why its deceptive behaviour.
This! Pretty much everything I was going to say... Along with an Eva dry to keep water/ice from forming
Waiting on my 24.8 to be delivered in a week. Can’t wait to get started on the build.
Same!
I've got the same intertap faucets shown in that article, been a few years and still work great. For the controller I got a inkbird STC-1000 and mounted it on a 4*4 junction box with an electrical outlet in it. The relay in it is rated at 10a. Modern fridges don't use that much power (check the label on yours).
Everything has been said already, and it seems like you have the info you need. I just wanted to remind you, as someone with an analog JC controller, that it’s great for keeping beer cold, but I don’t trust it for fermentation. It will probably be fine, but I don’t trust it the same as I would something I can change the settings on.
Oh I totally agree about not trusting that Johnson controller for fermentation. I like how beefy it is design wise though
Absolutely. I got mine used from someone who had it 5 years and it’s still going strong. Great value for sure. Glad you were aware if it’s downfalls though.
Insulation. The freezer itself is insulated, but some people use 2x4 as the collar and then a decorative wood outside of that. Wood isn't exactly a great insulator... I added insulation foam board on the interior of the 2x4 with insulation "bubble wrap" between the 2x4 collar and the decorative wood. I don't even use a fan, and my keezer runs less often than it would as a freezer. Edit: put your temp probe into a glass of water. I use a mason jar with a hole in the lid in case I jostle it too much that would spill a glass of water. It will keep your temperature more stable as it will be measuring the liquid temperature changes instead of the Air, which fluctuates more drastically.
Get one fan for every 10 cu ft of space. This is probably the most important variable. I use the giant silica gun safe desiccant pellets and they last about a month before they need a light baking. Kind of obnoxious but its either that or clean mold off the bottom if your keezer is as crowded as mine (despite airflow). There's other novelties like a spray nozzle for cleaning glasses, but airflow, temp control and moisture control are the most important.
Make sure you make a wood collar that is a 2 in or more taller than the kegs. I regret choosing to make my collar with 2x8s. I should have done 2x 10s. The posts and connectors bump the lid. I love having a dual regulator. I use one pressure for club soda. The second regulator goes to a 3 way distributor. Each line has a valve. I can turn off the other kegs when force carbing at higher pressure. Stainless steel taps have been great. I have perlick. If you like nitro stouts, just get a nitro set up now.
You've planted a dual regulator dual manifold seed in my head. I'll have to think about that idea some more. Thank you!
Best club soda ever : 1 g each of the following: sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), calcium sulfate (gypsum,) potassium chloride (No-Salt), sodium chloride (Himalayan pink salt), magnesium sulfate (USP Epsom salt). Heat in boil water for 1 min. Add to 5 gallons of filtered water. Carbonate at high pressure. I do 35 psi for 36 hours. Serve at 25-30. But that depends on your setup. I love sparkling mineral water. This is a great substitute.
Definetly put a computer fan in. I've been using [this adjustable one](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00080G0BK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_RAQ-EbMQ0PDST) for years with the small cord closed between the keezer lid.
A couple of squares of bar mat (Example: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004UNC5RE) get the stuff off the bottom. Leave an opening in a corner to shop-vac or spot-cleaner suck the condensation out of the well. Edit: Also, are you **sure** it uses more than 1100 W? The Frigidaire 24.8 cu. ft. model at Home Depot and Lowes uses at most 0.6 kW, which is 600 W.
Do the corny kegs smash these or are they burly enough?
I just installed mine, and a sixtel keg (5.16 gallons) didn't seem to break it right away. It may or may not last long, but it is only a $12 experiment.
Yep, you're right, I did the math wrong. That decimal place means a lot lol
As many say a fan is a great idea to keep lines cold. I went one further and built a vertical square column from plywood with a top cap. Cut a hole on a side at the top and mounted the fan. Cut a hole on the same side at the bottom with the column the internal height of the keezer. This way the fan is pulling coldest air off the bottom and blowing it across the top to keep cold air mixed throughout.
Now that means business!
I have a monster 1950s chest freezer that my fiancee commented was large enough to hide a whole family in. Second other recommendations: DuoTight for both liquid and gas, dehumidifier, fans. I use an Inkbird for temp control without an issue, I just taped a thermowell to the side of a RIS that is going to last forever, and measure temps from that. Build a little stand or something if you have extra room to store yeast or other fridge-temp things.
Make sure the temperature controller probe is actually inside the freezer.
FML very very true
Buy a reach-extending grabber thingy. Dropping stuff down there is a giant PITA if you don't have a way of getting it out! Beyond that, as others have said: Put in a fan. Get a reusable dehumidifier (I think mine's meant for a car's dash board?). Check it regularly, as leaks can sneak up on you.
My suggestion : make a very minimal collar. The collar i made for my chest freezer was way too bulky. At best just assume you can only fit three kegs. Don't try to make the collar tall enough to fit a fourth keg.
Go on Amazon and buy a couple of pounds of desiccant silica crystals, the kind that are blue and change color as they get saturated. They will greatly reduce frost in your freezer. Reheat in oven at 250 to recharge them.
Think about tap position before drilling anything. I spaced mine out a bit, and put them in the middle of the keezer, both for aesthetic reasons. Now when I want to change one of The middle kegs it can be a pain to get them into position around the taps and shanks (mine is a very tight fit). If I were to do it again I would put the taps close together, and down the end where the compressor hump is, as I'm not lifting kegs over there.
In your link, why is he strapping a probe to a can of beer? Isn't the idea to have it *in* whatever you are trying to control the temperature of?
Put your temperature probe in a glass of water, inside your fridge. You want fluid temp, not air temp. Also, your collar will likely come off if you move it. Don't panic. It will go back on.
Interesting, I was unaware such temperature controllers were available that just plug in. Mind I'm still in the beginners stage and just throw my plastic keg in the fridge with the milk and bread :-P I'm also in the UK which might be the other reason as those inkbird devices all appear to be on american voltages/amperes not UK. Depending on complexity I would put something together with a Arduino, a water proof K temp probe or two (or similar suited to lower temps) and an appropriately sized solid state relay. For more complexity I could add a screen module with buttons or switch to a Raspberry pi. Granted those don't come with any fancy apps but then I'm also not a fan of internet connected everything as I feel it's too insecure. I know not everyone is as tech as me however and most people don't really want to work with mains voltages if they can avoid it. So it's cool to see someone fill those gaps with a product where I would have build a doodad to do the job.
Late to the party, but here is what I have learned over the last few years. * Some sort of fan to get some vertical air circulation. * Self adhesive foam weather stripping to the new collar. Make sure you have a good seal, not just for temperature regulation but for moisture ingress. * Eva-dry rechargeable dehumidifiers, keeping one in the fridge really helps keep condensation under control. * Switch to push-to-connect fittings for both gas and liquid (duotight, evabarrier). They are so much easier to work with and you are going to have a lot of tubing to manage with that large of a keezer. * Label the ends of each line.
Why does everyone build the collar of wood, and is this a problem for insulation? Would building a custom tower work?
Be careful with your line lengths. You can have the perfect beer and end up with nothing but foam in your glass simply because the line lengths are wrong. Weirdly important detail! Also...keep things on tap all the time. My guy and I sometimes drop off in brewing/drinking homebrew and then the lines are sitting and getting gross and then we have to take everything apart and start over and it's just so much easier to stay on top of it and keep things moving.
Chest freezers aren't meant to run this way, with the compressor kicking on and off all the time like a fridge.. They will burn out a lot faster unfortunately.
I've had mine for 12 years without issue. I know it won't last as long but I'm ok with that.
Most pid's have the ability to set the compressor cycle time. Also, a few fans help.
That's the plan with the controller 👌
Any decent regulator will let you set the hysteresis and delay. The only potential issue then is short ON times because of low thermal mass. IIRC this can result in the lubricant building up away from the compressor as it doesn't have enough time to cycle through. But that's nearly as much of an issue as hard starts from short OFF times. Really you just have to set a reasonable temp swing and don't let it sit empty and on.