[Joe Sr.]

I suppose if you are buying it all new, the cost comes out the same.  Certainly, $50 for convenience is not out of hand.  FWIW, however, you can usually find a deal on a mini-fridge on Craigslist and that would save potentially $150 off your cost.  Craigslist can be incredibly inconvenient, however, so I totally understand if you don't go that route.

For me, multiple kegs is less about the quantity you drink than having variety.  For example, I don't necessarily want to drink 5 gallons of wheat beer although I have a keg of wheat on tap.  It's nice to open the fridge and have that second keg as an option.  I will also swap kegs out before they are empty if I get tired of them or just want something else.  But it's a PITA to want variety and then to have to wait 24 hours or so for the new keg to settle and cool to serving temp.

Finally, the keg shouldn't spoil unless you have an infection.  I've got some beers that have been kegged for over a year with no problems.

[jeffy]

My chest freezer fits 8 kegs.  Some of the beers stick around for a while, like the sour ones and the smoked ones, while others go pretty quickly, like a German Pilsner in the summer or a couple of IPA's.  It's nice to have a choice.  Lately I've been hitting the Special Bitter quite a bit, simply because it's a session beer.

[yso191]

Mine will be in my basement where the temperature is a constant 68 degrees year round. I wonder if that will make it stay cool easier. Does yours run 100% of the time to stay at 40 degrees?

No it doesn't run all the time.  I just checked it out in the 50* garage and it was down to 38* after all night set on 33*.  So the only thing it is not good for is cold conditioning--though 38* is getting pretty close.

This may be just this unit.  It also may be related to how easy it is to connect a contoller to it.  With this one I just set the thermostat in the kegerator to the coldest setting, and plug the kegerator into the controller.  With the contoller sensor inside the unit, the contoller turns the unit on or off.  On the Danby I had to wire directly to the compressor--it will get below freezing.

Honestly for $50 I'd go the fridge route; you'll spend that much on a temperature controller.  But either way, *I* don't think I'd buy a Magic Chef kegerator.

Steve

[gymrat]

I am putting my new O rings in today. How tight should I torque the inlet and outlet valves? I know I don't want to bear down on the O rings. But they do need to be firm enough to seal. Do I go like finger tight then a quarter turn with a wrench? Or what?

[Joe Sr.]

Finger tight plus 1/4 sounds about right.  Test them with pressure and star san and if they leak, give them another quarter turn.

I don't think I've ever had a post leak.  Poppets on the other hand...

[gymrat]

Does it make a difference whether the C02 bottle is stored inside or outside of the fridge?

[Joe Sr.]

It shouldn't.  I think the only difference would be the pressure reading on the high side since the gas would be colder, but that may even be insignificant.

I've heard that you can get moisture problems with your regulator, but I don't have experience with that.  My cylinders stay outside the fridge.  More room for beer.

[tygo]

It shouldn't.  I think the only difference would be the pressure reading on the high side since the gas would be colder, but that may even be insignificant.

I've also found that the gauges are a little slower to respond that if they're outside of the freezer.  But I just change my pressures gradually when necessary and it's no big deal.

[Jimmy K]

I don't think this was mentioned - get some keg lube and put it on the keg o-rings and anywhere else two surfaces touch that need to hold pressure. It will really help block CO2 leaks.

[gymrat]

No it wasn't mentioned. I replaced all the O rings yesterday. Would Olive Oil work for this?

[Joe Sr.]

I don't think this was mentioned - get some keg lube and put it on the keg o-rings and anywhere else two surfaces touch that need to hold pressure. It will really help block CO2 leaks.

This is one thing I've never done.  I just find keg lube so hard to clean off anything that I limit what I use it for, which is pretty much only mini-kegs.

[morticaixavier]

No it wasn't mentioned. I replaced all the O rings yesterday. Would Olive Oil work for this?

euge swears by olive oil. I have actually never had a problem with my O-rings seating so I can't speak to it directly

[Jimmy K]

No it wasn't mentioned. I replaced all the O rings yesterday. Would Olive Oil work for this?

euge swears by olive oil. I have actually never had a problem with my O-rings seating so I can't speak to it directly

I would have thought not, but if Euge does it then game on.
 
I had leaks when I first set up the system and keg lube fixed it. I might have tested more strictly than others do. I would pressurize the system, shut the CO2 off and check to see if pressure had decreased 24 hours later. That would detect some pretty slow leaks.

[Joe Sr.]

No it wasn't mentioned. I replaced all the O rings yesterday. Would Olive Oil work for this?

euge swears by olive oil. I have actually never had a problem with my O-rings seating so I can't speak to it directly

I would have thought not, but if Euge does it then game on.
 
I had leaks when I first set up the system and keg lube fixed it. I might have tested more strictly than others do. I would pressurize the system, shut the CO2 off and check to see if pressure had decreased 24 hours later. That would detect some pretty slow leaks.

I like to store my empty kegs under pressure.  That way, if they still have pressure when I fill them I know the seals are all good.  If not, I have a leak to track down.

[Jimmy K]

No it wasn't mentioned. I replaced all the O rings yesterday. Would Olive Oil work for this?

euge swears by olive oil. I have actually never had a problem with my O-rings seating so I can't speak to it directly

I would have thought not, but if Euge does it then game on.
 
I had leaks when I first set up the system and keg lube fixed it. I might have tested more strictly than others do. I would pressurize the system, shut the CO2 off and check to see if pressure had decreased 24 hours later. That would detect some pretty slow leaks.

I like to store my empty kegs under pressure.  That way, if they still have pressure when I fill them I know the seals are all good.  If not, I have a leak to track down.

I had some leaks in the CO2 system to find. I also get leaks in one particular keg that has a slightly narrower post - It leaks between the post and disconnect if the o-ring is not lubed. Neither would be found by pressurizing kegs.
 
And that keg is really annoying.