I converted the basement fridge into a kegerator last night. Draft beer, 24-7!
For those of us that might want to try this at home, about how much does it cost?
I was given the air tank, gague, tubing, hoseclamps and connectors. The tap, shank (the part that goes through the fridge wall), and faucet cost $60. The tubing, connectors and clamps would probably have cost me another $10-15 if I bought them. I have no idea about the air tank and gague. $30-40 maybe?
If you’re going to do it, buy half kegs or larger. I bought a 1/4 just to see if I had everything hooked up right, but there really is no great value. I can get three 30pks of High Life for about $45. That’s about what the 1/4 costs, and I get the equivalent of 10 less 12 oz beers. (about 55¢ a 12oz draft)
A half, on the other hand, is about $70, and yields twice as much beer at about 43¢ each.
I’m not much of a beer drinker anymore, but when I used to be, I would wonder about the magazine ads I’d see for home keg refrigeration and tapping equipment. If you’re not having a party and usually drink just couple of beers a day, will the contents of the keg remain fresh and foamy until you finish it?
As long as you’re using CO2 it will keep for several months. Party pumps fill the keg with oxygen which flattens the beer in about 2 days.
What other sources of entertainment do you have going on in your basement?
I have to decided if it’s worth the trip.
You mean besides me? Cable television, a recliner, various power tools.
Be(er) careful my young padawan. When the mystic fount of barleypop is everpresent, temptation is but a short jaunt away. I went from two bottles a day to two pints a day without batting an eye. (that’d be a 150% increase in intake)
It was great for cooking. A pot of beer for the brauts is great when you don’t see the missing holes in the case that were senselessly wasted on 'em.
If you’re like me, you’ll end up with a little flat beer at the end. Not a great loss. What I DID find, however, was a local microbrewery that sold their beer in 3 gallon containers for $35. It was fresher, better beer, for LESS MONEY than getting it at the liquor store, and I could easily get thru 3 gallons before it got funky.
I’ve had mine for a couple of years now and it’s been worth every penny.