I was happy with the overall setup of my mancave, but it was a hassle to keep running up stairs and then back down to get a beer. I started researching into how to setup a kegerator to alleviate this problem. I decided I didn’t want the refrigerator to be visible, so what I decided to do was create a kegerator in a backroom and install the beer taps discretely through a wall.
The project was actually quite easy. The biggest challenge is the various drilling that needs to be done in the refrigerator itself and the dry wall. The project was also very reasonable. The kegerator kit I purchased from Beverage Factory ran about $250 and I got a used refrigerator off of Craigslist.com for $100. With some other various materials and add-ons needed, the entire project ran around $400.
The instructions for setting up the kegerator came with kit and could also be found on the internet. The part I had to research into was how to keep the beer lines cold once they left the refrigerator, all the way to the taps. I got recommendations from several individuals that even a short run of un-insulated beer lines would be a bad idea and would likely lead to bad and foamy initial pours. To address this issue and keep the beer lines cold I decided to use 8″ insulated ducting (see the Photo Gallery for details). At the spot of the taps, I installed a 8″ round duct cap, with the shanks for the taps drilled through. To secure the ducting to duct cap and refrigerator I used air ducting tape, which has a great hold it.
To ensure cold air circulated through the ducting, I purchased a kegerator fan with a flexible tub at the end. I ran the tub through the refrigerator wall and into the ducting. Details on this fan, which is typically used to cool beer towers, can be found on the Required Materials page.
A hole saw drill bit was used to drill through the refrigerator side wall. Four holes total were drilled into the side. Two were for beer lines, one was for the fan duct, and the other was left empty as an air return.
The beer tap shanks were installed into a horizontal stud with PVC spacers to ensure stability.
The kegs I put into the kegerator are 1/6th barrels. Almost all micro-brews I called carried this size. The pressure I’ve found best to keep the regulator at is 9 PSI.
