How to Make Your Own Beer Dispenser

Having cold draft beer at home can save a great deal of money.

Converting a refrigerator to a beer dispenser, or "kegerator," requires a bit of research before taking on the task. There are products out there, but as a do-it-yourself project, you can save a good deal of money and use the extra refrigerator taking up space in your garage. By purchasing a few items at your local home-brew store, you can have the refrigerator conversion completed and be pulling cold beer from your own beer dispenser in no time.

Things You'll Need

• Keg
• Faucet assembly
• Knob assembly
• Door spacer
• Beer hose (5 feet long)
• Shank nut
• Drip tray
• Beer hose clamp
• CO2 hose
• Gas hose snap clamps
• CO2 regulator
• 5-lb. CO2 canister
• Key hole mount
• Shank mount
• Pliers
• Power drill
• Auger bit
• Handsaw
• Four 1-inch self-tapping screws

Instructions

1. Drill a hole into the door of the refrigerator using a power drill equipped with a bit the size of the faucet and shank that you have purchased. This would usually be a 1.5-inch auger bit, but check the faucet size to be certain. For a full-size refrigerator, drilling would be measured approximately 43 inches from the bottom of the unit. It is recommended that you not drill all of the way through from the outside, but stop and drill from the inside out to complete.

2. Mount the drip tray to the exterior of the refrigerator according to the instructions supplied with the tray. Attaching the drip tray with 1-inch self-tapping screws is a good choice when drilling into metal or plastic.

3. Using a handsaw, cut the door spacer 1/4 inch shorter than the door, and put the spacer in position inside the drilled hole.

4. Slide the faucet and shank through the door spacer in the refrigerator door and secure firmly with the shank nut to prevent any leakage.

5. Attach the 5-foot-long beer hose to the faucet and affix it securely with the hose clamp.

6. Secure the pressure regulator to the CO2 canister, making certain it is in the "off" position. You will need a pair of pliers to rotate the connector securely and keep it from popping off due to the pressure.

7. Slide the gas hose onto the regulator and secure with a hose clamp.

8. Attach the other end of the gas hose to the keg coupler and secure in the same fashion.

9. Open the CO2 valve and adjust the gas pressure to 12 to 14 psi.

10. Place a keg into the refrigerator.

11. Attach the loose beer line to the keg, using a hose clamp, and pull the keg's unlock lever.

12. Grab a cold mug and pull the faucet to test that the keg and kegerator are operational.

Tips & Warnings

• Test the temperature of your new kegerator. Most beer is best kept a cool 38 degrees F.

References

• Micromatic: How to Build a Kegerator

Resources

• Micromatic: Kegerator Instructions