DIY Kegerator from a minifridge

Hey guys!
In today's episode of Jake's Workshop, I use the parts of an old, massive, heavy, no good kegerator that drinks power, to turn a small efficient minifridge into my Kegerator!
Please let me know what you think and be sure to Like/Subscribe if you enjoy the content I'm putting out.
This video involved a lot of learning and uncertainty so I was definitely learning with you guys!
Be sure to check out the parts I used at the following Amazon links if you're interested in doing this project yourself!
Draft Warehouse faucet with 4" shank: amzn.to/2rAaQTy
Kegco tap and coupler: amzn.to/2rAdqcg
Kegco regulator: amzn.to/2r7cz1l
Kegco drip tray kit: amzn.to/2qvpnjx
Kegco faucet wrench: amzn.to/2rAeDR1
Proper Pour beer line: amzn.to/2rAbBvP
Bevlex PVC Co2 line: amzn.to/2qx7L2o
If you don't have a tower, here's a tower and faucet combo that should save you some money: amzn.to/2rAod6o
Parks epoxy super glaze: amzn.to/2s9sScm

[@korykirkegaard1179]

Dude great job documenting this. I have had these parts and pieces in my garage for almost a year. Welcomed our second daughter in our house and never picked up this project until I was in the liquor store yesterday and bought a 1/6th keg of our favorite beer - needed the motivation. This video is awesome - thanks man!

[@emkat1988]

You should do more videos, man. You’ve got a gift. I know, I know... you’ve got oodles and oodles of time for that just now. Lol. But seriously. This was quite an enjoyable viewing.

[@ThePieman1972]

So cool !!!...and tunes are awesome ! !!

[@ThePieman1972]

Love the tunes ! ,and video ! Gonna try and make an all natural chiller. Snow and ice

[@jakesteve5803]

Cool! I've been considering making a 'snow powered' jockey box from a cheap cooler. It would be a fun thing for holidays where we want the keg right on the front porch as opposed to the basement, or I'm trying to keep my pesky family members away from a special brew! :P

[@knuckle47]

I have to agree, you make a great presentation...enjoyed this a lot

[@jakesteve5803]

Thanks! That means a lot. I appreciate the feedback!

[@garydahmer5088]

Make ur beer line nice and long in a coil . This will definitely help with the foaming!!

[@BADD1ONE]

Sweet project

[@alperekler]

thanks for this amazing video...

[@the19thhole61]

I’ve made a few of these as well. I learned that the hole beneath the tower only has to be as big as the beer line or you are just letting more too much air out of the fridge. Call it keeping the tower cold, but I’ve found that some pipe insulation does the trick. No reason for a hole that large -and I’ve even hit a Freon line once and ruined that unit. Keep up the good work.

[@jakesteve5803]

the19thhole hey! That’s great feedback and something I realized as well when I was rewatching this video. I used pipe insulation up the tower, and siliconed it to the inside of the fridge to minimize draft. Ideally I would of thought that part through a bit more, but we all live and learn, and I think I’ve mitigated the mistake pretty well.

[@koreij.rucker7095]

Great job! I'm sorta doing the same thing. I'm making a carbonator. I plan on bending small diameter copper tube and putting that in a portable fridge, to chill it before it is dispensed. Thanks for the pointers. I will be using them.

[@jakesteve5803]

Great!! Let me know how it comes out. I'm always interested in other peoples projects, especially when they are similar and executed differently from mine. I think in one of the other comments I mentioned that I plan on building a jockey box eventually as well so I can have keg fresh beer for outdoor events at home, or the holidays where it's easier to setup upstairs or on a porch, as opposed to having people go up and down the basement stairs all day. (Because let's be honest, the Kegerator is in the basement workshop ;) )

[@koreij.rucker7095]

Alright! Will do. Keep up the good work......SUBSCRIBED!

[@jakesteve5803]

Awesome! I can't tell you how much I appreciate the sub! I've got a million videos in the works but that pesky 'life' and 'work' thing keeps getting in the way!

[@koreij.rucker7095]

Cool! I look forward to seeing more good tips. Thanks for the explanations, and not assuming we know how to do everything.

[@jakesteve5803]

You got it! I try really hard to share my learning process after some critical thinking. My hope is to show or at least mention what didn't work, and focus on sharing what did work.

[@lnr124]

Good instructions on the alcohol flour mix... Could really see where it dried...

[@dustymillar4649]

What size fridge cubic feet ? And what size keg did you use mate ?

[@cannoncolossus2449]

Excellent kegerator conversion. Nothing is ever as easy as you think it's going to be - great job overcoming the challenges!

[@jakesteve5803]

Thanks! I appreciate the positive feedback. I enjoy problem solving while working on projects like this, it's usually much more fun than planning to a T.

[@ogmouthpieces]

Hey Jake, very nice work little hesitant on taking on this project because I don't want to screw it up. But I need to finish the project. Do you remember the dimensions for this fridge? I need to place in 29hX20Wx20D cabinet and not sure if your keg setup was for half barrel?

[@jakesteve5803]

Hi Daniel! Sorry for the delay. It's a small weird sized fridge from college, the keg only fit after a TON of clearance, but it made it about the smallest package possible, and it was something I already had sitting in my basement. This was setup for the typical sixtel that the smaller breweries in my state have available for sale and it's worked out great. I noticed this Wormtown sixtel was bigger than other ones I had had, so I used this one to ensure anything else would fit, and it's worked great since.

[@AdventuresofaGeek]

Nice work

[@jakesteve5803]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@paulokinho2005]

Hey, very nice kegerator! How did you secure the wood top on the fridge?

[@jakesteve5803]

Hi Paulo, sorry I missed that! There's actually a ring for the tower that screwed down into the wood so I routed a channel for it to fit, then did the bottle caps and resin over it. It's permanently affixed, but doesn't need to be removed to be serviced.

[@erikw1196]

is this a 3.3cu ft mini fridge?

[@fiogiana7425]

What do you put on top of the fridge before you cut a hole? It looks on the video that you were explaining something while it dried. Thanks!

[@jakesteve5803]

Hi Fio, I used a bit of vodka and flour. The vodka evaporates quicker where it's warm, showing if there are any lines inside the fridge walls! If you puncture a line, you have ruined the fridge which I didn't want to do. It worked perfect in confirming for me that there were no lines I needed to be concerned about.

[@bobbybologna3029]

@@jakesteve5803 very interesting trick, cool

[@jakesteve5803]

@@bobbybologna3029 In hindsight, Isopropyl would of dried quicker, but I was drinking.

[@donnasimoneau5255]

when you started the project the door had stickers on it, the end result does not have stickers...did you have to replace the door?

[@jakesteve5803]

Hi Donna! The cutting room floor has me removing the stickers after a beer or two too many. I managed to not break any components with this project. I'm on my second sixtel since, and have learned quite a bit about my design since then actually. If you take on a project like this, I suggest asking a local beer shop if they have a couple sixtels so you can find out the biggest measurement each sixtel design may have, and clearance accordingly. At a glance, this was the fattest sixtel I had to date. The second one I got had some ridges that weren't on the first one, and made it to close the door. A razor blade clearanced it mostly, and a ratchet strap helped indent them nicely and make the fit juuuuust right!

[@killswitchh]

I'm ready to do my drilling on the top for the tap. How do I know where the schematics are?

[@killswitchh]

I drilled just the metal part of the hole then cleared out the insulation to verify nothing was there.

[@jakesteve5803]

killswitchh nice! How did the project turn out? Did you try alcohol and flour or just go for it? I think the compressor is dying in the mini fridge after a few years of valiant service as a mini fridge, so it might be time to upgrade our kitchen fridge and get a bigger kegerator!

[@martinspkefugl215]

What is the song playing at 22:20?

[@rickycarlyle5261]

I don’t know who you are but you said magpul and I see hoonigan stickers so that’s an instant sub from me

[@jakesteve5803]

Erik Johnson I appreciate that! Haha. Yeah I like low centers of gravity, lots of grip, playing with tools, and building guns. Nice to meet ya! Hoping to make some more videos soon, most likely the projects I’ll be taking on outfitting my new shed.

[@pedromonteiro6492]

Hi Jacke, What is the purpose of that drip drainer going inside the fridge? Pedro

[@jakesteve5803]

Hi Pedro! The drip tray is a feature I decided to add to minimize the mess a beer that spills a bit makes. The tray that is mounted flush with the top collects spills and drips, and runs down into the Kegerator. Inside, is an empty growler with the hole drilled through the cap, and the drain hose runs into the growler. Once a week I empty and rinse the growler out. :) It makes it very simple and easy to keep the mess down with the drain. I like it a lot, and I'm glad I chose to build a drain into it!

[@roddy2hotty108]

Were you able to drill anywhere thru the top? Doin the same thing on the same fridge! Your video has been super helpful!

[@nealoehme5682]

Yea how did u know where to drill

[@jakesteve5803]

In the video you can see I used alcohol and flour to see what areas evaporated, it all evaporated evenly indicating there were no lines running through the fridge cabinet itself. The cooling mechanism was entirely contained to the panel I was able to move to the side.

[@nealoehme5682]

@@jakesteve5803 leave it on coldest setting to test?? How long did it take

[@Vormulac1]

You were lucky not to hit any coolant pipes when you cut through the top! Nice result though, like the idea of using bottle caps in resin :)

[@jakesteve5803]

Vormulac1 I actually addressed that! I used alcohol and flour to check for temperature differentiation across the top, and bent the interior cooling element down while drilling. Thanks for the compliments, I enjoyed this project quite a bit. Looking forward to doing a kitchen remodel so I can move this hardware into a full sized fridge.

[@blakewockenfuss4255]

What is the size of this fridge?

[@Just_Putzin_Around]

Why did you move that black cylindrical thing over also what size is the fridge you used ?

[@jakesteve5803]

Hey Andrew, it was all fitment based. That's the compressor. It looks like I just flipped it, moving the obtrusion from one side to the other, but in doing so I was able to move it BACK an inch which meant I could cut much less of the fridge apart...ironic given how much I had to cut out, but here we are. :D

[@Heavyhearted44]

Did your bill drop since this

[@coreyburns1713]

Got my thumbs up when you said "haha, you guys couldn't see anything". Immediately followed by this comment...

[@jakesteve5803]

Honestly is the best policy. :D I need to get back to videoing my endeavors and projects. I'm here to have fun and get things done I want to get done, so never expect a perfectly polished DIY channel, but pretending like I don't make mistakes isn't worth anybody's time.

[@mathewdean3849]

Awesome vid man. What is the music that played at 12:23?

[@archiballz]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/bYuZYaJti5qZsJI

[@scottrobinson8197]

What size holes did you drill for the tower to hold it in .there a self tap

[@311DaveR]

Nice video. Helps make me less nervous. Also, did you disable the freezer or just move it?

[@jakesteve5803]

Hey Dave, the freezer on this unit from the factory is a little...half assed...from the factory. it’s just a smaller insulated chamber at the top of the fridge, it barely kept things frozen, but removing that chamber made room for the keg, and the overall performance/temps of the keg have remained perfect. The compressor has stated to get weak so an upgrade may be in order.

[@311DaveR]

Thanks for the response, and bummer about your fridge. Oh well, version two is on the horizon right LOL

[@jakesteve5803]

Dave Rosenthal dude it happens. My life is a constant state of break it, build it, repeat. Right now my Forester is getting a sleeved closed deck motor. If that’s any consolation of the nonsensical way I choose to live my beautiful life. And heck yeah, V2 will have room for cans next to the keg!! Plus the wife will get a pretty fridge. She will like that.

[@311DaveR]

Jake Steve damn man - that’s costing you some serious coin - but I get it. Being a car guy, I truly get it.

[@jakesteve5803]

Dave Rosenthal it’s been a long term project. Got the block at a junk yard, bought the sleeves, traded work for head cores, friend had an unused STi crank and rods that he needed out of the way, I had a saw I rebuilt he needed. You’re right about the machine time and blueprinting labor, but I like to swap and trade my way into things over time.

[@bray7197]

Could of saved yourself how many hours just get a bigger fridge? And i didn't see the cold control go back in? Hope your beer don't freeze.

[@jakesteve5803]

If I was starting this project from scratch, that would be super valid! I already had this mini fridge and MOST of the parts to do it. This was an exercise in spending as little as possible to have a decent product as an end result. If I was doing this from scratch, the end result would be very different. My cost was about $30 more than what I had spent on keeping my previous kegerator in good shape so I didn’t mind. This was a 2 evening project, that certainly could of been done faster with a bit more planning. I do these for fun, not perfection. All factory functionally of the fridge unit was retained, I ended up adding a thermometer through the door later on, and it stays at a steady 35 degrees f. The first glass is sometimes a little foamy, but the second is always 35f. Cheers man!

[@Just_Putzin_Around]

I see you're using a corny keg 5 gal keg, Would a commercial 5 gal keg fit in a set up like this ?

[@jakesteve5803]

Hi Andrew, sorry I missed this before! I'm not sure, the three local breweries I get kegs from all use corny kegs. This one happened to be the largest so it's what I based this project around!

[@jman1989]

You needed a flush cut tool (oscillating tool) and epoxy for the top 😉

[@bobbybologna3029]

cool build, but that beer pour around 20:25 would've gotten you a smack from grandpa from my household, wtf kinda pour was that?! lol I needed to get some sort of inspiration for a similar project, instead of it dispensing beer I plan to build a smartender on the top of it that pre-mixes cocktails on the fly (I should put a coin-op in for the family members that come over LOL)

[@jakesteve5803]

Your grandpa would of been well within his rights for that one. I like playing with power tools after a couple too many beers on the weekend, and the pours start to get sloppy as the night goes on. :D Good luck with the smartender, those get pretty tricky! I had seen one done with a raspberry pi, but they require a lot of maintenance to ensure things pour consistent amounts.

[@dirtcreature3d]

That is actually the proper way to pour most beers, it opens the beer up properly and releases any excess c02 that you would otherwise be ingesting which causes extra bloating. It also gives the beer the proper texture, one that is more similar to draft beer. The tilted pour became popular in america due to our impatient culture and the need to serve more customers at a faster pace.

[@brucekwak2420]

The second song in this video sounds like Van Halen is it. Sounds like the song. Hot for teacher by Van Halen

[@jakesteve5803]

Hi Bruce, it's all royalty free music. No Van Halen, unfortunately. :)

[@throbin2856]

Got to 2.50 and thought that fridge will never work again.....I was wrong... did a similar thing with a fridge that fitted the keg and regulator without mods... sooooo much easier...

[@jakesteve5803]

Throbin 2 it’s hard not to feel that way when you’re trying to take as little as possible lol! Thanks for making it through the whole video. Unfortunately the compressor has since kicked the bucket, so I think when we get a new kitchen fridge this hardware will make its way in our old fridge. Still sixtels but with room for craft cans.

[@throbin2856]

@@jakesteve5803 excellent work... well done for persevering.. home brew and kegging is so satisfying. Excellent production and content too... happy brewing

[@johnmoran4862]

So is that whole inside hump/ledge free of anything you can hit? I think i have that same mini fridge and need some holes in the side/back looks like that big area you cut out was safe, is the top side of it safe also?!?

[@jakesteve5803]

Notice the cooling panel on the INSIDE of the fridge was rotated down to be alongside the keg. Otherwise the cabinet itself IS clear off internally run lines!

[@johnmoran4862]

@@jakesteve5803 wonderful to know. Thank you!

[@mbm460ns9]

Hahaha he’s half in the bag by the end of it

[@jakesteve5803]

And the kegerator still works mint 😎

[@mbm460ns9]

Jake Steve lol great

[@zerobambiro]

What i ask myself is: Is it worth doing all this if you need to buy a fridge anyway? Because you can get a finished kegerator for 650€.

[@jakesteve5803]

Zero that’s something you need to ask yourself! For me, these projects are a lot of fun and a great excuse to play with power tools. I had a lot of the old hardware from a dinosaur of a kegerator already that was inefficient, and a Minifridge from college. I am about $100 out of pocket into this project and am very glad I did it.

[@nickre96988]

So when is your birthday?

[@jakesteve5803]

May. :)

[@Subgunman]

This is fine for the Cornelius five gallon kegs but when one uses a standard pony keg from one of the major beer houses, this unit is useless and it’s not worth transferring beer from one keg to another. If you can find a small chest freezer that allows a pony keg to fit flat on the bottom it worth the money. Just follow other YT's making Keezers.

[@rpgelectroking]

Wonder if you could alleviate most of these problems by simply turning the fridge upside-down.

[@Subgunman]

Upside down = compressor burn out….

[@rpgelectroking]

@@Subgunman Surely you could flip the compressor. seems easy to do.

[@leoszky1659]

Why don’t you just make a keezer instead. First they look better and u don’t destroy it but cutting it up

[@jakesteve5803]

Hi Leonard, I had this fridge already that wasn't being used, and I had most of the hardware from an old Kegerator. It made a lot of sense to reuse what I had since I only had to buy a few things for the project.

[@leoszky1659]

Makes sense

[@jakesteve5803]

@@leoszky1659 I also usually only want a sixtel at a time. In my area I'm spoiled with a LOT of incredible local beer. So I keep a stand by sixtel, and happily grab cans at local breweries. It keeps everything fresh, (and COLD!)

[@leoszky1659]

Right on. Do you make your own. Or just let your local Brewers fill your keg?

[@jakesteve5803]

Leonard Sawatzky I brewed with my friend a few times before he moved so it’s usually one of a couple breweries in my state, (MA. Thankfully, treehouse doesn’t sell kegs or I’d be way to fat...)

[@jamesspinks716]

I know I’m 7years late to the party but longer lines stop foaming.

[@DangerZONEpixel]

why dont you just buy a bigger fridge lol. what a bunch on fuckin round just to put 1 keg into a fridge.

[@jakesteve5803]

I already had the fridge and most of the parts. All in, 2 evenings of futzing around in the basement for fun and learning and less than $100. When small minifridges start around $100, this was a no brainer for me personally given I already had it. It may not be for you.

[@leoszky1659]

Your just better off to make a keezer

[@jakesteve5803]

When life gives you a minifridge, and most of the beer you want comes in sixtels...

[@HankPhillips6565]

Nope 👎

[@jakesteve5803]

Ahhh the illusive helpful comment! Feel free to provide feedback on what you would of done differently with my build criteria laid out in the beginning. Cheers!