DIY Kegerator With a Shelf Chiller

byronb · Post by **byronb** » Sun Oct 19, 2014 3:26 am

After seven brews, three kits and four AG, and I'm already fed up with bottles. I got a Maxi 310 chiller a couple of weeks ago and now have a new 19L corny keg, regulator, sodastream bottle and adapter (http://www.co2art.co.uk/collections/ada ... regulators). Probably won't stick with the sodastream bottles long term but they're easy for me to buy/refill at the moment.

I already have a bottle fridge which I might barely be able to fit two corny kegs into but my plan is to stick to a 25L brew length, put most of it into a keg and bottle the rest so I'd prefer to keep the fridge for bottles. For various reason (2nd floor flat, limited space, already have the maxi chiller, etc.) I don't really want to adapt a freezer.

At the moment I'm thinking of getting a kitchen cabinet (http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/produ ... /S39915685) then lining that with 50mm insulation (kingspan/celotex). After fitting the insulation I should be able to fit six kegs into this. To cool down I can add something like http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/404-HAYDEN-Au ... fresh=true, this should allow me to bring the kegs down to 12C or so with the re-circ line of the maxi chiller that will be outside the cabinet. For beers I want to serve cooler they can go through one of the maxi cooling coils.

The maxi chiller would have to sit outside this but a 6-way python (http://a1barstuff.co.uk/beer-python-tube) should let me run everything in/out of the cabinet. I already have a raspberry pi setup monitoring temperatures and would probably use this to turn the chiller on/off to start with. Long term I'd like to add some solenoid valves to allow the chiller/pump to run independently and route the coolant to the cabinet or product coil in a fermenter as needed.

Does this sound sensible? Any tips for the build, particularly around sealing the insulation around the doors?

byronb · Post by **byronb** » Sat Nov 22, 2014 7:18 pm

So I decided to go ahead with this. Got the kitchen unit and worktop setup today. I can easily fit three 19L kegs and two 10L polypins (image shows 20L polypins) with 120mm of space on the front, top and side. I have the four tap beer font mounted to the back of the work surface and I have a beer engine waiting in the office that I'll pick up on Monday, haven't figured out how I'm going to attach that yet.

I'll pick up some 50mm insulation board next week and order a heat exchanger/fan to put inside.

D4nny74 · Post by **D4nny74** » Mon Nov 24, 2014 9:55 pm

Looking Great

oakerspocus · Post by **oakerspocus** » Mon Nov 24, 2014 10:35 pm

Great set up...

Jambo · Post by **Jambo** » Mon Nov 24, 2014 11:52 pm

Looking great, but couldn't you just use the Maxi chiller the way it's designed to be used?

byronb · Post by **byronb** » Tue Nov 25, 2014 1:18 am

If I only used the maxi chiller as is I'd need to keep the co2 pressure very high. At the moment it's at 30psi to keep it at 2.6 vols and in the summer that would need to be closer to 40.

I'd also rather be able to keep them at something like 12C and only run it through one of the maxi coils if it needs to be served a lot colder.

byronb · Post by **byronb** » Wed Dec 10, 2014 12:12 am

Got the 50mm insulation today and fitted five sides, just enough room for six kegs but it'll be five by the time I add the heat exchanger. I've ordered some 25mm width magnetic strip so I can use that to attach the front rather than attempting to fit the insulation to the doors. 2m of beer python is on the way so I can attach that to the maxi chiller and into the cupboard. Still need to work out which fittings I need to connect that to a radiator, 15mm seems to be an unusual size in JG fittings.

Jonnyconga · Post by **Jonnyconga** » Wed Dec 10, 2014 12:21 am

Looks nice! I'm interested to know how you're using the heat exchanger? Cheers.

byronb · Post by **byronb** » Wed Dec 10, 2014 12:33 am

Thanks. I'm interested to know that too

At the cooling side is a maxi chiller with recirc pump. Inside the cupboard I'm thinking of using a PC water cooling radiator, circulating the cold water through that and mounting a fan on it. It only needs to reduce the temperature to around 12C so I'm hoping that will be enough.

D4nny74 · Post by **D4nny74** » Sat Dec 13, 2014 11:06 pm

Where did you get the font ?

byronb · Post by **byronb** » Sat Dec 13, 2014 11:13 pm

Got the font on eBay, I was placing fairly low bids on fonts for a while before I got that one. Couldn't remove the font from the base but managed to rotate the base so I could attach it to the back of the worktop.

Managed to get the beer engine mounted and working tonight.

D4nny74 · Post by **D4nny74** » Sun Dec 14, 2014 10:41 am

Yeah, am after one that comes straight out of the worktop, only seen them in america,

great setup

byronb · Post by **byronb** » Sun Dec 14, 2014 2:49 pm

I was originally thinking of fitting a flush drip tray but had the same problem.

After I setup the font I found another thread where someone did mange to remove the base, it then needed a steel plate to mount properly. I don't really have the tools to do that.

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