With the wide variety of kegerators on the market today choosing the best one can seem difficult at best and almost impossible at worst. A little information and planning can help greatly reduce the chance of making a disappointing purchase. Just knowing a few things will make the choice a much easier one and save possible problems in the future.
A good place to start is size as that can have the greatest impact on which product you eventually purchase. Kegerators come in to basic sizes the mini and the standard size each has its advantages and disadvantages. A major factor in deciding size is volume or in other words how much beer do you plan to use each month. Most systems can keep a keg fresh and usable for about a month so know if you will use a full 15 gallons in a month or perhaps a 5 liter mini will be more like it can help narrow your choices.
Starting with mini's the first thing you notice is the small convenient size. Most Mini's will easily fit on a counter top and usually use the newer 5 liter keg systems many brewers have begun using. One popular line of mini kegerator is the Beertender line from Krups and Heineken. This system is designed to use only the Heineken Draughtkeg system and will not work with any other brewers kegs. There are also mini kegerator systems from Edgestar, Vinotemp and Avanti and these will work with almost any 5 liter keg system so you have many choices in mini kegerators just be sure your favorite brewers product is able to be used in the one you decide to purchase.
Standard size kegerators offer a much wider variety of beer to choose from as they are designed to use the standard keg design which can range from the 1/6 and 1/3 pony kegs to a full 15 gallon keg. Most brewers offer their product in at least one if not all of these sizes. With the smaller 1/6 pony keg close to the same volume as the 5 liter mini kegs the primary difference is size.
Two options in standard size are a Danby Kegerator or a Haier Kegerator both of these manufacturers have many models to choose from and are known for producing good products. The basic parts of a standard Kegerator are the refrigerator body the tap system and the CO2 systems. As most of us are familiar with a refrigerator I will only say these are almost all based on a standard min fridge design and work in the same way. The tap system is also pretty standard and most will work in the same way so taking a little time and learning how to install a tap and the best way to draw draught beer should work the same way for almost any Kegerator you purchase.
Probably the most important part of a kegerator is the CO2 system. This is what actually powers the draught action and does require proper setup to work well. The standard CO2 tank provided by most manufacturers is usually the same and the differences are usually in the gauge systems as there are single and double gauge systems. The type of gauge supplied will vary depending on the manufacturer.
The double gauge type is the better of the two as it will tell you not only the pressure being sent to the keg which is important for a good flow of beer and can vary depending on type of beer you are serving and temperature along with altitude so know the serving pressure is vital to proper operation of your Kegerator. The advantage a double gauge system brings is it will not only tell you the serving pressure but also tell you the remaining pressure in the CO2 tank. This can help avoid running out of CO2 and causing the Kegerator to stop working. This is the primary reason a double gauge system is preferred to the single gauge systems.
Finally if you plan on using one outside primarily then be sure to purchase an outdoor kegerator as they are specially designed to be used in the harsher environment usually found outdoors. Many of the mini models are not cooled with a standard refrigerator and will not function properly in higher temperatures so check with the manufacturers recommendations if you plan on using one outside.
After you have made a final decision and found the best kegerator for you all you have to do is sit back and enjoy a nice cold glass of draught beer from your own home tap whenever you feel the desire.
A good place to start is size as that can have the greatest impact on which product you eventually purchase. Kegerators come in to basic sizes the mini and the standard size each has its advantages and disadvantages. A major factor in deciding size is volume or in other words how much beer do you plan to use each month. Most systems can keep a keg fresh and usable for about a month so know if you will use a full 15 gallons in a month or perhaps a 5 liter mini will be more like it can help narrow your choices.
Starting with mini's the first thing you notice is the small convenient size. Most Mini's will easily fit on a counter top and usually use the newer 5 liter keg systems many brewers have begun using. One popular line of mini kegerator is the Beertender line from Krups and Heineken. This system is designed to use only the Heineken Draughtkeg system and will not work with any other brewers kegs. There are also mini kegerator systems from Edgestar, Vinotemp and Avanti and these will work with almost any 5 liter keg system so you have many choices in mini kegerators just be sure your favorite brewers product is able to be used in the one you decide to purchase.
Standard size kegerators offer a much wider variety of beer to choose from as they are designed to use the standard keg design which can range from the 1/6 and 1/3 pony kegs to a full 15 gallon keg. Most brewers offer their product in at least one if not all of these sizes. With the smaller 1/6 pony keg close to the same volume as the 5 liter mini kegs the primary difference is size.
Two options in standard size are a Danby Kegerator or a Haier Kegerator both of these manufacturers have many models to choose from and are known for producing good products. The basic parts of a standard Kegerator are the refrigerator body the tap system and the CO2 systems. As most of us are familiar with a refrigerator I will only say these are almost all based on a standard min fridge design and work in the same way. The tap system is also pretty standard and most will work in the same way so taking a little time and learning how to install a tap and the best way to draw draught beer should work the same way for almost any Kegerator you purchase.
Probably the most important part of a kegerator is the CO2 system. This is what actually powers the draught action and does require proper setup to work well. The standard CO2 tank provided by most manufacturers is usually the same and the differences are usually in the gauge systems as there are single and double gauge systems. The type of gauge supplied will vary depending on the manufacturer.
The double gauge type is the better of the two as it will tell you not only the pressure being sent to the keg which is important for a good flow of beer and can vary depending on type of beer you are serving and temperature along with altitude so know the serving pressure is vital to proper operation of your Kegerator. The advantage a double gauge system brings is it will not only tell you the serving pressure but also tell you the remaining pressure in the CO2 tank. This can help avoid running out of CO2 and causing the Kegerator to stop working. This is the primary reason a double gauge system is preferred to the single gauge systems.
Finally if you plan on using one outside primarily then be sure to purchase an outdoor kegerator as they are specially designed to be used in the harsher environment usually found outdoors. Many of the mini models are not cooled with a standard refrigerator and will not function properly in higher temperatures so check with the manufacturers recommendations if you plan on using one outside.
After you have made a final decision and found the best kegerator for you all you have to do is sit back and enjoy a nice cold glass of draught beer from your own home tap whenever you feel the desire.
About the Author:
For more info about Beer Tender B95 VISIT SITE. To see Mini Kegerator info VISIT HERE.. This article, How to choose the right Kegerator is available for free reprint.
Comments :
0 comments to “How to choose the right Kegerator”
Post a Comment