At some detail in their lives , many adults have plunk up a red charge card cup , waited in a line in a backyard and attempted to fill the cup withbeerfrom a keg . They bed what it ’s like to detect themselves tip the cup at an slant , kneel down below the keg ’s lid , or feel a admirer to pump the tap while they decant . Regardless of the amount of preparation on the company contriver ’s part , kegful in general tend to be a difficult creature to control . They can be unreliable , tricky to keep at a good temperature and hard to maintain over the track of eventide .
This is where kegerators get into the scene – kept at a perfect temperature , they are able-bodied to dole out beer quickly with trivial trouble . By film apart the Word of God " kegerator , " you ’ll find its definition : a icebox with a tap pop out that is connected to a keg inside . Kegerators come in a variety of shapes and sizes . They can be purchased , rented or work up , and they ’re a good organisation for keeping beer fresh for long length of time , which minimizes wastefulness .
Although an accurate history of the kegerator is difficult to delineate , it is potential kegerators were in macrocosm as ahead of time as the 1900s . However , theProhibitionperiod and World Wars I and II – not to mention costs in the years that followed – kept nursing home brewing at bay until about the 1980s . menage brewing then began to grow in popularity , and so did the kegerator .
As we ’ll see throughout this clause , the kegerator is an indispensible puppet for the home beer maker and beer connoisseur likewise . But up first , we ’ll take a look at the main parts of a kegerator and how they function together to keep beer tonic .
From Keg to Tap
Kegerators are a remarkably simple scheme , and disregardless of soma or size , they should all have the same introductory constituent :
A kegerator works by applying carbon paper dioxide press on the keg so as to agitate the beer upward and out of it . Although carbon dioxide is a born by - Cartesian product of zymosis , thecylinderallows for constant and even pressing to be applied to thekegwhile it ’s pink . This helps maintain body and carbonation . The cylinder filled with atomic number 6 dioxide is link up to aregulator , an official document that allows you to switch the insistence . Thecoupler , or the valve that taps the keg and provide beer to flow from it , uses a separatetubinginput and output . One tube leave from the governor to the " in " part of the coupling , and another thermionic vacuum tube runs from the " out " part of the coupling and ends at thefaucet , out of which the beer is poured into your loving cup . The kegful is usually store inside arefrigerator , which has the faucet on the outside .
One of the chief benefits of the kegerator is its ability to keep beer fresh for farseeing period of time . Beer stored in a kegerator should stay fresh for at least one month , but it can stay put good for up to four calendar month if the keg is kept pressurize and properly cool [ sources : BYO , Kegerators ] . Several components cistron into beer spoiling , but you ’ll learn more about that later in this article .
The most important aspect in dispensing a perfect glass of freshbeeris the temperature . This is where a standard keg in someone ’s backyard falls brusque . But because the keg in a kegerator is kept refrigerate , this is easy to regulate . Most beer that is lay in cold is keep at about 36 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit ( 2.2 to 4.4 Celsius ) , although this change from beer to beer . Storing it at a temperature that is too high or too low can affect the beer ’s flavor [ source : Anheuser - Busch ] . Measuring the temperature can be done in identification number of ways : Some prebuilt kegerators may come with a temperature gauge , but for the thrifty , a glass of water system with a thermometer keep in the kegerator can give an exact reading .
If a kegerator sounds like the kind of thing you ’d care to have in your home , read on to chance upon what choice are useable .
Different Types of Kegerators
There are a few shipway to get a kegerator for plate use , depending how you plan to utilise it and how much you want to spend . If you need beer for a one - fourth dimension consequence , you ’ll likely be able to lease one . If you ’re more interested in the twelvemonth - round consumption of a fresh brewage , you have two options : to buy one or progress it yourself . Much like refrigerator , kegerators amount in a variety of shapes and size . They can control varying keg size , be alter for domicile brewage or retailbeer , and come with side- or top - mounted faucets .
If you are handy with tool , then building your own kegerator may be a good solution for you . Many retailers supplying premade kit for modifying an existingrefrigerator , so build up your own is more price effective if you already have an sometime refrigerator that is n’t getting any usage . If not , you may be capable to purchase a used one that you may alter . The most crucial part of building your own is ensuring that the refrigerator has enough space to hold the size of it of keg you want in accession to the carbon dioxide canister and tubing .
When deciding whether to build your own , you ’ll also want to factor in the type of beer you ’ll be do . home base brewage are often put in in 5 - Imperial gallon ( 19 - liter ) soda kegs ( also call Cornelius kegs ) , whereas those from hard drink stores tend to be turgid [ source : BYO , Kegworks ] . The coupler that attaches to these keg is dissimilar as well , with six variance in all . Your local pot likker store should be capable to supply you with the proper coupling once you tell them what type of beer you ’ll be administer . Most North American lagers apply a " D " system , which is by far the most common of the six types . If home brew beer is more your thing , then you ’ll probably be using the soda kegs , which generally demand a special ball and pin case coupler [ source : Micromatic ] .
With all these components need in the beer hive away and do process , you may be wondering whether it comes along with any risks . In the next section , we ’ll appear at how to properly keep up a kegerator as well as foreground some safety concerns that come along with using the system in a domicile .
Maintenance and Safety
Kegerator systems are n’t severe in ecumenical , but because they use pressurized gasolene , they do have to be handle with attention . As a general rule of thumb , all atomic number 6 dioxide canisters must be kept in the upright position once take . C dioxide is not shipped , so canisters must be fill up locally . This can be done at many places , including paintball workshop or welding stores .
Replacing the keg also consists of several significant safety measures . First and foremost , the intake valve of the carbon dioxide tin must be closed before it can be disconnect . Once all pressure level has been released , the keg can be guide out and replaced . Although major injury is unlikely , a room filled with a few pound of carbon dioxide can make you sick and lightheaded . It ’s also important to remember that kegs can weigh up to 160 pounds ( 72 kilo ) when full , so you might require to have a friend around when you ’re replacing an empty one [ source : Micromatic ] .
In social club to have a rightfully great glass of beer every time , the kegerator requires regular maintenance . This means you want to scavenge the line leading from the keg to the faucet in addition to the spigot itself whenever you exchange out the kegful . This is typically done with a extra line dry cleaner to ensure the tube is completely pick of all elements . Be sure not to use water that is very blistering , because it could alter the form of the beer course and lead to incorrect pouring . Once you ’re through cleanup and have full rinsed the system with cold , clean water , it ’s also important to run a few chalk ofbeerthrough the system before drinking , just to ensure all product line have been flushed of the cleaning solution .
right maintenance leads not only to a better savour beer , but to a longer lasting one , too . Cleaning the system aid keep out harmfulbacteria , which would spoil the beer . Maintaining pressing and keeping the carbon copy dioxide system closed prohibits oxygen from entering , which could also break the beer .
Having your own kegerator does n’t require just piece of work and upkeep , though – it also comes with a price . interpret on to find out how much a kegerator will be and whether it might be worth it .
Cost and Benefits
If you ’re design to suffice a large amount ofbeer , then investing in a kegerator may be more cost efficient than constantly purchasing bottleful or prat . A kegerator itself can rank in toll anywhere from $ 200 to more than $ 2,000 . The carbon dioxide canister shot may cost about $ 20 , with refill costing about $ 7 to $ 12 . Full - sized kegs start up around $ 70 , but they are recyclable and refillable , which helps decimate the dissipation of individual rear or bottles .
A full - sizing keg of a cheaper American brewage retails for around $ 68.99 . In Holy Order to purchase a tight equivalent , you would have to bribe about nine 18 - packs at $ 12.99 each , bringing your total to about $ 117 before revenue enhancement . Similar results are discover with various other beer , from local micro - brews to nationally recommend brands .
Although the keg in the kegerator requires constant refrigeration , it should n’t cost any more to run than a normalrefrigeratorwould . In fact , it may have less power consumption , since the door is unfold only when the kegful is replaced or the lines are strip , as play off to every time you would like another beer . Of course , having two refrigerators running is ricochet to influence your electric eyeshade , but the kegerator as a system is rather effective with its power consumption .
at long last , though , the option about whether purchasing a kegerator system come down to how often you serve beer and how much of it is consumed .
We ’ve already verbalize about cleaning and maintaining your kegerator with the ripe pressure and temperature , but you still might come across a few issues when learning to operate on the organisation . learn on to find ways to troubleshoot problems with your kegerator .
Problems and Solutions
possess your ownbeerdispensing system in your home plausibly wo n’t fall without its complications . Many problem can be fixed by simple care and sustentation , but sometimes tricky issues graze up and feign the taste of your beer .
For example , as we discussed earlier , the temperature of the keg is very important in pouring a utter field glass of beer . If your beer is bring forth a sub - par taste or appear too bubbling or cloudy , then temperature may be too high or too low . you could normally fix this by exchange the icebox ’s temperature to better accommodate the type of beer you ’re serving or by merely rent the kegful cool down more . Many American lager may be stored and answer at about 38 grade Fahrenheit ( 3.3 Celsius ) temperature , but imports , stout , ale and others will diverge . It ’s of import to check with the liquor distributor before setting up each kegful to check that you are prepare it decently .
Faulty pouring can also be do by the following :
you may check the association by making certain that the coupling is tight and that line is not leaking in anywhere . If the beer line is what ’s causing the trouble , you might require to replace the job to ensure it is correct length .
An incorrect amount of pressure from the carbon copy dioxide can do problems as well , but you could check off this by observe an eye on the psi ( pounds per square inch , which is the degree of measurement ) . If the psi is too low , the beer will be categoric and pour out too lento , but if it ’s too high , the beer will stream too fast and have excessive head , or foam at the top . These problems are likely to leave if the carbon dioxide regulator is improperly set . The insistency you need will dependant on the type of beer you use , but many beers require about 12 psi to defend a strong and reproducible draught .
For more selective information on kegerators , pouring and brewing beer and other related theme , follow the links on the next page .
