DIY Kegerator

Keep the cheer flowing with frosty pours on demand

- BY SAMUEL ROSENMAYER

Need an easy way to serve plenty of cold topnotch beer or root beer this holiday season? Build your own kegerator! A kegerator is simply a refrigerator modified to hold and dispense kegs. It keeps beer icy cold and uses carbon dioxide (CO2) to push it right into your glass.

Beyond the cool factor, a kegerator is much more affordable and eco-friendly than consistently buying cans or bottles. It also keeps beverages fresher for longer and makes serving a lot more convenient.

To get started, you’ll need a refrigerator, a DIY kegerator conversion kit, a 5-lb. CO2 tank and, of course, a keg. I suggest looking for a reliable used refrigerator on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace, or at used appliance stores. The refrigerator I found was from a used outlet store and was slightly scratched, so I got it for a great price. It also came with a freezer on top—perfect for chilling mugs.

Conversion kits are available online, but all the parts can also be found at brewing supply stores. The kits generally come with a faucet handle, a faucet head, a shank, a hex nut assembly, a black rubber washer, a beer line, a keg (Sankey) coupler, an air line and a double-gauge CO₂ regulator.

You will also need a 5-lb. tank of food-grade CO₂. In my area, Truebrü Homebrew provides full and empty CO₂ tanks, but if you can't find such a place nearby, try contacting a distributor of industrial and medical gases.

With just a little planning and setup, you'll soon be pouring cold pints on demand. Get ready to be the hero of holiday hosting!

1 REMOVE THE SHELVES

Remove the interior shelves from the refrigerator and set them aside in a safe place.

2 TAKE MEASUREMENTS