How to Build Your Own Keg Cooler

Put those kegs in a kegerator.

With your own keg cooler, or kegerator, you can save money by being able to purchase and store beer in bulk kegs rather than the traditional six-pack. Keg coolers can also help home-brewers store their beer at specific temperatures.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Mini Fridge
• Keg of beer
• Kegerator conversion kit
• CO2 tank
• Hosing/ surgical tubing for CO2
• Beer tap
• Power Drill
• Draft spigot handle
• Shank
• Adjustable clamps

1. Clean and sanitize your mini-refrigerator. Make sure that the floor of the refrigerator is flat and level. If it is not, you will need to fabricate a level floor for the keg and CO2 canister to rest on. Build a fabricated floor out of plywood with some shims to level it out. If your mini-refrigerator has a freezer, then remove it so that you have as much space as possible for the keg and CO2.

2. Drill a 7/8 inch hole for the shank. The hole should be drilled all the way through the door of the refrigerator so that it is elevated above the top of the keg. Screw the shank through the shank hole and tighten the shank nut with a pair of pliers.

3. Attach the tap to the shank by using the shank wrench, which should be part of your conversion kit for the kegerator. Attach a piece of surgical tubing to run from the inside part of the shank and run it to your keg. This will connect the keg to the shank and tap.

   Kegerator conversion kits are available at some brewing supply stores or online at sites like kegworks.com.

4. Insert one end of the CO2 surgical tube over the CO2 canister and the other end of the tube to the keg's CO2 input nipple, which is located on the tap regulator. Use an adjustable clamp to make sure that the connection is secure on both ends. Make sure that the valve on the CO2 canister is in the off position before attaching the hoses.

5. Open the CO2 valve on the CO2 canister to listen for any leaks in the connections or from the tubing.

6. Install a drip tray on the outside of the kegerator. The drip tray should be at least ten inches below the faucet where the beer is coming out from the keg. Drill screw holes and screw the drip tray into the kegerator door.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember to clean your beer lines regularly, especially when installing a new keg of beer.

References

• College Kegerator
• Micromatic
• Keg Booty
• Kegerators.com

Resources

• Homebrew Blog: How to Build a Kegerator FAQ
• Chad Dickerson: Kegerator
• Real Beer: DIY Fridge?