College. Those were the days. The days when you could go a week without changing clothes, when you could eat pizza every single day, when, if you were lucky enough, your refrigerator had a beer tap on the door. THE KEGERATOR, as it is lovingly called, is a staple of every college campus, however thanks to the growing trend of man-caves and the growing appreciation of beer, the kegerator is popping up in homes all over this great country.

As always, you can go buy a kegerator and be perfectly happy, but as I’ve said before; where’s your sense of adventure? Let’s tap into that ingenuity and pride that makes us who we are…why buy, when you can build?

Alright, I’m not going to sit here and pretend that I put together a kegerator…yet. I only had time and resources for one project this month and that was for a counter-flow chiller, see post on the 24th, but with the help of the internet, I hope to layout the basics steps of converting your refrigerator into a kegerator. Someday I promise to layout the steps from first hand experience.

So here are the basic things you will need to set things up:
(list compiled using kegerator door kit instructions from www.micromatic.com)

• Shank, Faucet, and Knob Assembly (SFKA)
• Door Spacer (PVC tube inserted into hole in door that SFKA goes through)
• Beer Hose (5′ of 3/16″ ID) with Fittings (Fittings depend on style of keg)
• CO2 Hose (4′ of 5/16″ ID)
• Snap Clamps for Hoses
• Co2 Tank
• Co2 Regulator
• Keg Tap (Depends on style of keg)
• Drip Tray (Not necessary, but looks nicer and keeps beer off your floor)

Tools needed:
(again with the help of micromatic)

• Screwdrivers (Flat Head & Phillips)
• Drill & 1/4″ Bit
• 1 1/8″ Hole Saw
• Hack Saw
• Pencil (Needed if Adding a Drip Tray)
• Tape Measure (Needed if Adding a Drip Tray)
• Crescent Wrench

Alright, so basically the process is pretty simple. When it comes down to it, all you have to do is drill one hole in your refrigerator, put the door spacer in, assemble the SFKA through the door spacer, hook up your hoses, tap the keg, and regulate the CO2. BAM! You’ve got yourself a kegerator. If you are adding the drip tray, you’ll have to drill a few more holes and take a few measurements, but ultimately the same process as above.

For some more detailed instructions, again, check out www.micromatic.com.

We are in no way affiliated with micromatic, they just had a nice set of instructions that I came across while researching for this post. There are plenty of other how-to websites on this subject you can choose from.

Now for final touches, I recommend some beer posters, stickers, bottle-cap magnets, etc. stuck to the front and sides of your kegerator to really showcase your love of beer.

Finally, if you are a homebrewer and are looking for a way to serve your beer and do some lagering all in one spot, here is a nice article from Zymurgy, courtesy of American Homebrew Association. Freezer Conversion for Fermenting and Serving Homebrew

If you tackle the kegerator project, please share your experience with us along with some pictures of your final product.

Cheers!