[Kestrel Brewing]

Hello. After 7 years of home brewing, my wife made the mistake of complaining about the time I "waste" bottling beer so I am taking that as a command to start kegging. I have a small (20" wide) closet with an outlet in the basement which will just hold a mini fridge. My plan is to run the taps out the side of the closet as there's a counter right next to it. The fridge should be able to hold 2 corny kegs (1 saison, 1 American Pale Ale). As I have zero experience with kegs other than consuming the products that come out of them, I have questions …

1. The mini fridge: It seems there is some consensus around the viability of the Sanyo 4912. This will fit in my closet nicely. Is 2 cornies the maximum capacity or can 3 be squeezed in?
2. Does the CO2 canister need to be stored upright or can it be stored on its side?
3. I am used to bottle conditioning beer and plan to do natural carbonation in the keg. What are the potential pitfalls beyond the possibility of a bit of sediment in the first pint or so?
4. My local bar has left over corny kegs from an experiment they did with cocktails on tap and has asked me to take them. Is there any reason I should not do so?
5. What is the best method of sealing around the holes I will need to drill in the fridge?

Thanks in advance!

[allenhuerta]

1. The mini fridge: It seems there is some consensus around the viability of the Sanyo 4912. This will fit in my closet nicely. Is 2 cornies the maximum capacity or can 3 be squeezed in?

No clue. Try it and see what happens.


2. Does the CO2 canister need to be stored upright or can it be stored on its side?

I would keep it upright.


3. I am used to bottle conditioning beer and plan to do natural carbonation in the keg. What are the potential pitfalls beyond the possibility of a bit of sediment in the first pint or so?

Zero issue. Just lack of patience lol


4. My local bar has left over corny kegs from an experiment they did with cocktails on tap and has asked me to take them. Is there any reason I should not do so?

You should not take them. Give them my address and I'll dispose of them properly


5. What is the best method of sealing around the holes I will need to drill in the fridge?

Rubber grommets just make sure you don't hit anything important.

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[purduekenn]

I have a 4.4 co. ft. Magic Chef mini fridge that I have used as a fermentation chamber and as a kegerator. I have used it since 2016 a few times I have had 2 kegs: a 3 gallon and 5 gallon keg. It is hard to keep that much beer cold in my opinion. I think it works better with only 1 keg as it takes awhile to chill 8 gallons of beer. A small chest freezer with a temperature controller may be a better option for 2 or more serving kegs.

[spurviance]

Chest freezer with a temp controller is the way to go IMHO.  They're generally roomier.  The cold air doesn't spill out as easily when lid is opened.  It's easy to build a wooden collar for the taps, which also makes it taller. 

[joe_meadmaker]

Question 2 - Definitely keep it upright.  The CO2 inside the tank is in a liquid form because of the level of compression.

Question 4 - Totally get them.  Just find out if they are Ball or Pin lock and make sure you get disconnects to match.


One other note.  If you're planning to run beer lines outside the kegerator, you will need to have them enclosed in a pipe or conduit (or something like that) and keep them chilled.

[Visor]

   I strongly recommend that you NOT put a fridge in a closet that is barely larger than the fridge, with no way to dissipate the heat you're probably going to work the poor thing to death in short order.

[Kestrel Brewing]

   I strongly recommend that you NOT put a fridge in a closet that is barely larger than the fridge, with no way to dissipate the heat you're probably going to work the poor thing to death in short order.

Good call but there will actually be plenty of room on the sides, the door is slatted, and the closet is open above it for about 3'. I plan on installing a small array of computer fans attached to a thermostat thingy (can't think of the right name at the moment, brain fart) that will blow air outside if the temp gets too high.

The actual limiting factor is the width of the door, not the width of the closet.

[Kestrel Brewing]

Chest freezer with a temp controller is the way to go IMHO.  They're generally roomier.  The cold air doesn't spill out as easily when lid is opened.  It's easy to build a wooden collar for the taps, which also makes it taller.

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find a chest freezer that will fit in the opening of the closet in question. The smallest chest freezer I've seen is a 3.6 cubic foot model and it's width is 21 3/8" which won't fit through the 20" door.

[BrewBama]

Did you try taking the door off the hinges or the door jam off the wall?


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[Kestrel Brewing]

Did you try taking the door off the hinges or the door jam off the wall?

It's a cabinet style closet, not an actual closet. Good idea though.

[Kestrel Brewing]

Pivot …

I have spent the day searching amazon, Costco, Home Depot, Lowe's, etc. and there seems to be nothing that will fit into the space in question. I think I may be resorting to what I had hoped would be my absolute last resort and building a cold box. I have some experience doing this in a boat (actually a couple of boats), but that was all 12V DC … .

Updates to follow … slowly.