National Homebrew Club Ireland

Hey Everyone,
Apologies if this is in the wrong area, my 2017 resolution has been to move into kegging and also all grain. I'm looking at doing the kegerator first and just looking for some advise if anyone can help. I got 3 cornies (ball lock) for xmas so over the next couple of months I'm going to build my own. I'm hoping to get a chest freezer that holds like 6/8 kegs so I won't need to upgrade rather than start with one that holds like 2/3. I know a few things like needing gas and taps and the basic stuff like that.
Just a few questions I was looking on homebrewcompany website at things like: 2/3/4 way distributor, CO2 Dual gauge regulator or a CO2 dual body regulator I have no idea if theres a difference between a dual gauge or a dual body? Is a 4 way distributor much better than a 2 way? Even the beer/gas line is in different diameters, maybe i'm just a bit overwhelmed and thinking I may have gotten in over my head if anyone has any advice it'd be muchly appreciated. Cheers

New to kegging myself so I will try an answer your questions. A dual gauge just has two gauges on it, one for the pressure you are applying to the keg for carbonation and serving, the other is for remaining co2 in the tank.  This gives a single pressure from one co2 tank.

A dual body is really two regulators in one.  This allows you to apply two different pressures from the same co2 tank e.g you can force carb one keg at 20 psi and have another keg at serving pressure. 

A distributer is a splitter. A 2 way will apply the same pressure to 2 kegs from the regulator it is connected to. A 4 way will do 4.

Great guide

http://www.nationalhomebrewclub.ie/wordpress/2013/10/beginners-guide-to-kegging/

If you have the money get a dual body reg, then you can decide how many splitters you need. It's great to have the ability to serve different styles at different pressures. I only have the single head reg with a 3 way splitter and I find it limiting; i have to drink beers with the wrong carb levels, not the end of the world i know but can be annoying if it's a foamy beer. I suppose it depends if you are brewing loads of different styles or just pale ales, that will decide how many CO2 options you require. If you are planning on having 6/8 kegs though the more the merrier i would think.

I'm not sure you can easily get a chest freezer in Ireland that could fit 6-8 kegs. This isn't the US!! I wanted one that would fit in my living room so anything too big would not be allowed by the wife. I got a standard size chest freezer at Harvey Normans on special and it fits 3.5 kegs. I've never used the fourth tap!!

Loving the graphics 8), after a few QC samples? ;)
That can must have been tricky to do?

Quote from: CH on January 16, 2017, 08:45:13 AM
Loving the graphics 8), after a few QC samples? ;)
That can must have been tricky to do?

The pictures were the contribution of the kids! All the handles I bought in the States

Quote from: Pheeel on January 16, 2017, 07:46:05 AM
I'm not sure you can easily get a chest freezer in Ireland that could fit 6-8 kegs.

Have seen the odd commercial freezer come up on donedeal and adverts, you need to be lucky if you don't want to pay through the nose though.

I opted for a new one because I didn't want it to crap out after a couple of months. YMMV!!

Cheers everyone, given me plenty to think about and save towards now  :)

One thing to bear in mind if going the keezer route is whether it's deep enough or not. If it's not you'll need a collar. Mine was just big enough so I didn't need a collar. Still had to drill two bloody great holes for the coffin though  ;D

Nice work on the kegerator Pheel. The metro tiles look great. Do they add a lot of weight to the lid?

You can get freezers in Ireland big enough to hold that amount of kegs. I picked one up on Donedeal nearly a year back now. I added a collar that allows two extra kegs in over the motor. Without the gas canisters in it i think it would hold 9 kegs.  :)

I got a standing fridge and can get 6 kegs into it. Since its just a fridge you just turn it om and it self deices,  which is a big problem with freezers using an stc.

Taps in pic are off center as I left space for a 5th.

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170117/d0c07b57f50e24030ed3ff0d4ea5bad5.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170117/aa11eb30809a9f105266bc66af40c67b.jpg)

Quote from: molc on January 17, 2017, 08:38:56 AM
I got a standing fridge and can get 6 kegs into it. Since its just a fridge you just turn it om and it self deices,  which is a big problem with freezers using an stc.

Taps in pic are off center as I left space for a 5th.

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170117/d0c07b57f50e24030ed3ff0d4ea5bad5.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170117/aa11eb30809a9f105266bc66af40c67b.jpg)

What make/model of fridge is that?

Indesit siaa12

Quote from: molc on January 17, 2017, 09:41:23 AM
Indesit siaa12

Thanks. Must keep an eye out for one.

Colm, I'm surprised you have enough beer to fill it given how much you chuck out!!

Quote from: Pheeel on January 17, 2017, 11:33:22 AM
Colm, I'm surprised you have enough beer to fill it given how much you chuck out!!

Hehehe, I have it full and 3 kegs waiting to go in as well. Rent a mob time! :D

Thats a nice size. If mine craps out on me I might invest in one of those. Is the gas outside?

I've got 3 kegs and the gas in mine at the moment but only 2 taps. Want to upgrade to 4 taps in the next few weeks and put the gas outside.

Quote from: Qs on January 17, 2017, 12:34:02 PM
Thats a nice size. If mine craps out on me I might invest in one of those. Is the gas outside?

I've got 3 kegs and the gas in mine at the moment but only 2 taps. Want to upgrade to 4 taps in the next few weeks and put the gas outside.

Yup, gas is outside by the side. There's space for a small gas bottles inside on the shelf behind the bottom 2 kegs. The compressor gets in the way, otherwise you could fit a full 8. Matter of fact, if you made your own shelf and frame, you could get a full 8 in at a squeeze.

Would you half kegs in? Not that I think I'd ever need 8 taps.