You just read the post on pro’s and con’s of kegerators. You might have been left with some questions. on the details of kegerators. Here are some of the most Frequently Asked Questions about kegerators.
Still deciding if you need a kegerator? Here are the pro’s and con’s.
Table of Contents
1. What are the different types of kegerator?
Built in/ free standing
Like with normal fridges, you can divide kegerators up into free standing and suitable for building into a cabinet. Kegerators suitable for building in, have different ventilation solutions than free standing versions. Builing in a free standing kegerator will likely lead to overheating and the keg not being at the right temperature.
Commercial
The name makes pretty clear what this type of kegerator is meant for. They can be used for pubs, bars, clubs, restaurants, ect. They work really well and most of them are great products. They often also look a bit “industrial” and might not look too great in a man cave. They are also quite expensive. Unless you’re serving hundreds of beers night after night, you don’t need one of these at home.
Small sizes
Another type of kegerator is the small or mini version. These are made to cool the smaller kegs. Mainly the 5 liter kegs. Many of these kegerators are quite small tabletop versions.
Outdoor
The last type is the outdoor kegerator. These are made to work well in outdoor conditions. Indoor the temperature range is more moderate than outside. That’s what the thermostat and the cooling system of an indoor version is geared towards.
Outside the temperature range is much wider. The moments when you want your kegerator outside, the temperature is likely higher. A summer party or BBQ is likely to see higher ambient temperatures. Of course you can use them outside in the winter too but that’s much less likely to happen.
Another difference is that outdoor kegerators are often meant to be mobile. They have wheels to be able to move them around easily. Even though they are outdoor minded, leaving them outside year round will degrade them quickly.
2. What’s better? An air pump or CO2?
There are two ways to get your beer out of a keg. 1. By air hand pump. 2. With the help of CO2.
What’s the difference? You need to pressurize a keg to get whatever is inside, out. Why not use a cheap party pump? Well, it’s hard to use one of those while it’s inside a kegerator for one, but the most important reason is that beer goes stale very quickly when exposed to oxygen. After at most 12 hours your beer has gone bad. That’s fine if you’re having a big party and it will be finished in that time.
If you’re looking into kegerators for your man cave, finishing in one night might not be happening very often. That’s why CO2 is a much better option. This will keep your beer fresh way longer.
CO2 bottles are shipped empty. You’ll have to find a place that can (re)fill it locally.
3. What’s the expiration date of a keg?
How long does it take before your beer expires in the keg? I’ll assume you’re using CO2 to pressurize as explained above.
There are two types of beer to be aware of.
- Non-Pasteurized (Usually domestic). These beers are filtered and packed in a sterile environment. Some of the naturally occurring bacteria in beer are still kept alive though. The beer is cooled to a point (under 50F/10c) where the bacteria become dormant. That means the keg has to be kept cool during storage and transport. Non-Pasteurized beers last about two months from the date of filling.
- Pasteurized (Usually imported). These kinds of beers are pasteurized through a heat treatment. This kills off all the bacteria that can spoil the beer. This means it can be stored and transported at ambient temperatures and stays fresh for much longer. Pasteurized beers can last from 3 up to 6 months.
Both of these have to be kept at the right temperature and pressure to keep them fresh the longest.
Brewers will put either a production or best by date on the cap of a keg. Check carefully to see which one is on yours.
4. Does a kegerator need any maintenance?
Yes, a kegerator needs a bit more maintenance than a bottle/can and a glass. After you finish a keg, you need to clean. The most important is to clean the lines before you place a new keg. A line cleaning kit is necessary to make cleaning more convenient. Read this article to find out what to do exactly.
5. Are there different keg sizes?
There are tons of different keg sizes. Different sizes are used in different locations and for different purposes. Of course, different sized kegs contain a different amount of liquid.A 1/2 barrel keg is the best option for most man cave kegerators. A 1/2 barrel keg contains 165 12oz servings. Check out the chart in this link to find more keg sizes. It lists the dimensions and volume.
6. What’s the best keg size for a man cave?
Most standard size kegerators can fit a ½ barrel keg. Of course you don’t have to get the biggest size that will fit. If you don’t drink that much and are worried about the expiry date, you can get a smaller sized keg.
Think about how much you drink, how many people you’ll have over and how long your favorite beer lasts.
For example;
- You regularly have about 4 friends over. You + 4=5 people.
- All people drink 4 beers a night on average.
- You get together once a week.
- That’s 20 beers a week.
- A 7.75 gallon keg contains 82x 12fl.oz. servings.
- 82/20=4.1 weeks
- A 15.5 gallon keg contains 165x 12fl.oz. servings.
- 165/20=8.25 weeks
Now take into account the expiration date of your favorite beer. A non-pasteurized beer will last about 40 days at home after storage and transportation. In this example a 7.75 gallon keg would be perfect for that beer.
A pasteurized beer can last up to six months. In that case a bigger 15.5 gallon version is a better option.
In short; It depends on how much you consume and how long your beer stays fresh.
7. Where can I buy kegs?
Most supermarkets don’t just sell kegs. Some might but not around where I live. The easiest and cheapest way to get them is to find a local online shop that stocks your favorite beer. A quick Google search for “Buy keg in (my location)” should yield some good results. Since kegs are quite big and have to be kept cool, you don’t want to ship them across the country.
8. How much does a kegerator cost?
Kegerators can set you back anywhere from $150 for a really small one up to many thousands for a commercial appliance. For regular home use, the Edgestar KC2000 is a good choice. This kegerator including a cleaning kit will cost you about $500.
Besides the kegerator, you also need to buy some other things for your home bar. Check out this home bar budget guide.
Built in/ free standing
Like with normal fridges, you can divide kegerators up into free standing and suitable for building into a cabinet. Kegerators suitable for building in, have different ventilation solutions than free standing versions. Builing in a free standing kegerator will likely lead to overheating and the keg not being at the right temperature.
Commercial
The name makes pretty clear what this type of kegerator is meant for. They can be used for pubs, bars, clubs, restaurants, ect. They work really well and most of them are great products. They often also look a bit “industrial” and might not look too great in a man cave. They are also quite expensive. Unless you’re serving hundreds of beers night after night, you don’t need one of these at home.
Small sizes
Another type of kegerator is the small or mini version. These are made to cool the smaller kegs. Mainly the 5 liter kegs. Many of these kegerators are quite small tabletop versions.
Outdoor
The last type is the outdoor kegerator. These are made to work well in outdoor conditions. Indoor the temperature range is more moderate than outside. That’s what the thermostat and the cooling system of an indoor version is geared towards.
Outside the temperature range is much wider. The moments when you want your kegerator outside, the temperature is likely higher. A summer party or BBQ is likely to see higher ambient temperatures. Of course you can use them outside in the winter too but that’s much less likely to happen.
Another difference is that outdoor kegerators are often meant to be mobile. They have wheels to be able to move them around easily. Even though they are outdoor minded, leaving them outside year round will degrade them quickly.
There are two ways to get your beer out of a keg. 1. By air hand pump. 2. With the help of CO2.
What’s the difference? You need to pressurize a keg to get whatever is inside, out. Why not use a cheap party pump? Well, it’s hard to use one of those while it’s inside a kegerator for one, but the most important reason is that beer goes stale very quickly when exposed to oxygen. After at most 12 hours your beer has gone bad. That’s fine if you’re having a big party and it will be finished in that time.
If you’re looking into kegerators for your man cave, finishing in one night might not be happening very often. That’s why CO2 is a much better option. This will keep your beer fresh way longer.
CO2 bottles are shipped empty. You’ll have to find a place that can (re)fill it locally.
How long does it take before your beer expires in the keg? I’ll assume you’re using CO2 to pressurize as explained above.
There are two types of beer to be aware of:
Non-Pasteurized (Usually domestic). These beers are filtered and packed in a sterile environment. Some of the naturally occurring bacteria in beer are still kept alive though. The beer is cooled to a point (under 50F/10c) where the bacteria become dormant. That means the keg has to be kept cool during storage and transport. Non-Pasteurized beers last about two months from the date of filling.
Pasteurized (Usually imported). These kinds of beers are pasteurized through a heat treatment. This kills off all the bacteria that can spoil the beer. This means it can be stored and transported at ambient temperatures and stays fresh for much longer. Pasteurized beers can last from 3 up to 6 months.
Both of these have to be kept at the right temperature and pressure to keep them fresh the longest.
Brewers will put either a production or best by date on the cap of a keg. Check carefully to see which one is on yours.
Yes, a kegerator needs a bit more maintenance than a bottle/can and a glass. After you finish a keg, you need to clean. The most important is to clean the lines before you place a new keg. A line cleaning kit is necessary to make cleaning more convenient. Read this article to find out what to do exactly.
There are tons of different keg sizes. Different sizes are used in different locations and for different purposes. Of course, different sized kegs contain a different amount of liquid.A 1/2 barrel keg is the best option for most man cave kegerators. A 1/2 barrel keg contains 165 12 oz servings. Check out the chart in this link to find more keg sizes. It lists the dimensions and volume.
Most standard size kegerators can fit a ½ barrel keg. Of course you don’t have to get the biggest size that will fit. If you don’t drink that much and are worried about the expiry date, you can get a smaller sized keg.
Think about how much you drink, how many people you’ll have over and how long your favorite beer lasts.
For example;
You regularly have about 4 friends over. You + 4=5 people.
All people drink 4 beers a night on average.
You get together once a week.
That’s 20 beers a week.
A 7.75 gallon keg contains 82x 12fl.oz. servings.
82/20=4.1 weeks
A 15.5 gallon keg contains 165x 12fl.oz. servings.
165/20=8.25 weeks
Now take into account the expiration date of your favorite beer. A non-pasteurized beer will last about 40 days at home after storage and transportation. In this example a 7.75 gallon keg would be perfect for that beer.
A pasteurized beer can last up to six months. In that case a bigger 15.5 gallon version is a better option.
In short; It depends on how much you consume and how long your beer stays fresh.
Most supermarkets don’t sell kegs. Some might but not around where I live. The easiest and cheapest way to get them is to find a local online shop that stocks your favorite beer. A quick Google search for “Buy keg in (my location)” should yield some good results. Since kegs are quite big and have to be kept cool, you don’t want to ship them across the country.
Kegerators can set you back anywhere from $150 for a really small one up to many thousands for a commercial appliance. For regular home use, the Edgestar KC2000 is a good choice. This kegerator including a cleaning kit will cost you about $500.
Hi there. I’m BetterDaily. I’m a man in his early thirties that likes to travel, ride motorcycles, work out and write. Usually I write about men, things related to masculinity and things men like. Teacher by day, blogger by night.
