Who owns a Kegerator here?

[LouDiamond 1]

Looking at buying one strictly for Guinness. Any important things to look for/avoid?

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[TrophyHusband 0]

i was going to get on at one time, but i got a wife instead. apparently a can't have both.

"Your scrotum is quite nice" - Skymama
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[LongWayToFall 0]

They are so expensive! Take some measurements and buy a fridge that can take it. Buy a regulator from a welding supply store, and co2 bottle for a paintball gun off of craigslist. Guiness is going to need nitrogen as well, so I am not sure what other fittings you will need. Your local home brew supply should be able to help with whatever you need.
If you do use a welding regulator and paintball bottle, you will need to insert a small piece of something (I used a small flat head phillips screw) so that it depresses the pin on the bottle that releases the gas. I can make one and send it to you if you like, it is very simple. The standard co2 bottle size is good for about 2 full kegs, and is less than 10 bucks to refill. I think the tap assembly is $35 for domestic, and $50 for sankey type D, which is good for european. You might need a special one for the nitrogen, I'm not sure where they add it to the beer.

Good luck!

[cocheese 0]

What if the beer was pressurized with nitrous oxide?

Waa waa waaa

[LongWayToFall 0]

It would work fine, but it won't dissolve into the liquid so the beer would be flat, and you wouldn't get high until the beer is gone. Drunken whippets are bad news! (don't ask)

[lawrocket 3]

I own a kegerator (which I don't use in the summer - cost prohibitive in the heat). But mine is not a nitrogen system. So I cannot comment on it, other than to say a kegerator is one of the best purchases I ever made.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[normiss 882]

Guinness is undrinkable if pushed with CO2.
You'll need nitrogen/CO2 for Guinness, unless you really like beer pudding anyway. There is a reason Guinness needs a 75N / 25CO2 mixed gas.
Read THIS.
I would save a chunk of change by buying a used fridge and plumbing it myself. Kegerators are just silly expensive when set up for Guinness.

[Skydave103 0]

You can pick them up at Sam's club http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/navigate.do?dest=5&item=158307

It will run $500. You can try to make one....it won't look as good and you will spend close to the same amount. Then throw in all the running around fix this fix that etc.

Tell them its for an import keg. American taps are different than European taps. (I know the difference to look at them but awkward to explain.)

Definitely need nitrogen (co2) will "burn" guiness in about 24 hours.

Having a cold pint o' Guiness at home doesn't get any better!!

I was very close to buying one but never got around to it. It will be an acquisition in the near future!

Enjoy!

LifeshouldNOTbeajourneytothegravewithawellpreservedbody,buttskidinsideways,cigarinone hand,martiniintheother,bodythoroughlyused upandscreaming:"WOO HOO!! What a ride!!!"

[LongWayToFall 0]

Ah, good info. I didn't know they push with the mix. Well, everything I said should still apply, paint ball bottles all the way!

[warpedskydiver 0]

I have a Krups Beertender

Works good when it has Newcastle in it

[Rick 67]

I took an old fridge and rigged it for a keg. I have a small CO2 tank I get refilled at the welding supply store for $12 it lasts for months the fridge is on my patio and is a good spot to display skydiving bumper stickers. Just make sure to clean the lines when replacing the keg. I find mine works best with the pressure pretty low around 8-12 lbs,

You can't be drunk all day if you don't start early!

[warpedskydiver 0]

yep and they will refill the tank with the 75/25 mix for you as well.

Around here it is $27 per 25lb tank

[muff528 3]

Used to have one in the house. Never again.

[piisfish 140]

Quote

Having a cold pint o' Guiness at home doesn't get any better!!!

COLD GUINNESS ??

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[JohnMitchell 16]

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COLD GUINNESS ??

I haven't been able to find kegs at a price that really competes with canned/bottled beer. Since one keg = 6.75 cases of beer, it's pretty easy to run the numbers. Last boogie it was cheaper and way easier just to buy assorted beer in cases. No cup, no tubs of ice or having to rent the taps. Much easier.

[normiss 882]

Not to mention having a selection to chose from.
Might suck to get stuck with one flavor for awhile!

[jcd11235 0]

Quote

I haven't been able to find kegs at a price that really competes with canned/bottled beer. Since one keg = 6.75 cases of beer, it's pretty easy to run the numbers.

Wow. What is your price for a case of Guinness Draught?

Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

[normiss 882]

$28.00 a case here, $160 for a half keg.
1/2 keg = 7 cases.
Gas mix = $30
Case wins.

I still say a used fridge is cheaper too ... a plumbing kit with regulator and gas bottle, keg coupler, faucet, door shank, and hoses can be had for just over $100. I see decent refrigerators on Craigslist for $100 too.

[jcd11235 0]

Quote

$28.00 a case here, $160 for a half keg.
1/2 keg = 7 cases.
Gas mix = $30
Case wins.

I still say a used fridge is cheaper too ... a plumbing kit with regulator and gas bottle, keg coupler, faucet, door shank, and hoses can be had for just over $100. I see decent refrigerators on Craigslist for $100 too.

I'll assume those are Guinness Draught bottles, and you mean half barrel keg.

11.2 oz/bottle x 24 bottles/case x 1 gal/(128 oz) = 2.1 gal/case

(15.5 gal/keg) / (2.1 gal/case) = ~7.38 cases/keg

($28/case) x (7.38 cases/keg) = $206.67/keg if purchasing a keg's equivalent of bottles.

$160/keg + $30/gas mix = $190 for the keg and gas mixture, assuming the gas mixture is refilled every time the keg is replaced.

That leaves $16.67 per keg gross savings by buying by the keg instead of by the case (more if a gas refill will last for two or more kegs). Depending on how much Guinness will be drank, that might be enough to justify the Kegerator (or similar solution).

Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

[normiss 882]

15 oz draught cans please.
I came up with $216 for the keg option, half barrel as you stated.
Close enough that it really becomes a personal choice IMO. My daily beer is a deal when I can get it for less than $11.99 a six pack - usually about $38 a case.
But the Kegerator "out of the box" Guinness set up?
Foolish money. Crazy money.

[jcd11235 0]

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Close enough that it really becomes a personal choice IMO.

Agreed.

Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

[LongWayToFall 0]

Yeah but we are talking a KEG here. DRAFT beer. In your HOME!!!!! It is almost always a few bucks cheaper to buy bottles, but man is it nice to bust out the pint glasses or 40oz mugs or Das Booooooooooooooot!!! (over 100oz)

[jcd11235 0]

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Yeah but we are talking a KEG here. DRAFT beer. In your HOME!!!!! It is almost always a few bucks cheaper to buy bottles, but man is it nice to bust out the pint glasses or 40oz mugs or Das Booooooooooooooot!!! (over 100oz)

I agree. If I were the one making the decision (and I thought I would consume a keg of Guinness in a timely manner), I would definitely go for the keg.

Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

[LongWayToFall 0]

I would think that a keg and bottles have about the same shelf life, what, 6+ months? That is less than 1 beer per day.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JVFar-pLxxQ/R4WGPiqy2-I/AAAAAAAAADY/lZZOGL1wYaA/s400/Lovely-Day-for-a-Guinness-Posters.jpg

[warpedskydiver 0]

That is one thing nice about the Krups Beertender.

20 pints no gas needed, $20 bucks.

A dollar a pint for great beer or ale sounds good to me.

Which reminds me to get two more mini pony kegs.