How to Build a Keg Fridge

A beer fridge can save money for regular beer drinkers.

The keg refrigerator is the envy of any party room or poker night. Converting a normal refrigerator or freezer to a keg fridge takes only a few hours, some basic power tools and a kegerator conversion kit. Though a few hundred dollars initial investment is required to turn your home appliance into a frothy temple to chilled keg beer, a keg refrigerator saves significant money in the long run for serious beer drinkers.

Things You'll Need

• Refrigerator or chest freezer
• Electric drill with ¼ inch bit
• Screwdrivers, flathead and phillips
• Saw
• Tape measure
• Crescent wrench
• 1/8-inch hole saw
• Kegerator conversion kit
• If no kegerator conversion kit, you need to buy the following individually:
• CO2 tank with regulator
• Keg coupler
• Tubing
• Beer taps
• Drip tray
• Spigot and handle
• Shank

Instructions

1. Buy a refrigerator or a chest freezer. Refurbished refrigerators and freezers are suitable and can be found cheap. Be sure to measure the prospective keg fridge first to be sure that it can fit the size and number of kegs desired.

2. Buy the other components of the keg refrigerator. If you do not want to hassle with buying a CO2 tank, tubing and taps separately, consider investing in a kegerator conversion kit, which comes with all the necessary tools to build a keg refrigerator.

3. Drill the holes. You must drill a hole for each tap and the hole must go all the way through the fridge door. Place the holes high on the keg fridge (in the upper third of the fridge door) to clear the keg and use the hole saw to enlarge the holes enough for beer and CO2 tubes to fit through.

4. Fit the shank and beer spigot to each hole in the door. The shank goes through the keg refrigerator door to connect the beer spigot on the outside and the beer tubing on the inside of the keg fridge. Use the crescent wrench to tighten washers between the shank and the keg fridge door.

5. Connect the beer hose and CO2 line. Affix the end of the beer hose to the coupler and string it through the shank. Connect one end of the CO2 tube to the keg coupler and the other end to the CO2 regulator. Be sure the ends of all tubes are clamped extremely tight to prevent leakage, using an adjustable clamp if necessary.

6. Attach a drip tray. Though a drip tray is not strictly required, it is useful to have on your keg refrigerator. A drip tray is attached by drilling holes in the door of the keg fridge and affixing the drip tray with phillips head screws.

References

• College Kegerator: How to Build a Kegerator
• Home Poker Tourney: How to Build a Kegerator
• Kegerators.com: How to Build a Kegerator