Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)This kit is complete and therefore deserves 5 stars. There are a few things you should know about the kit, however. Before you go thinking you're going to just slap it in a fridge and enjoy instant beer on tap, check out the following.
The 20 oz. CO2 canister is not like a conventional gas cylinder that one might recognize from a welding cart, lab, or balloon place. It is a cylinder that is standard for paintball guns, however. After going to two different gas suppliers, one of them finally directed me to the local paint ball shop who gladly filled my tank for just over $2. I have used it to pressure one keg; I first used it to purge beer line cleaner through the lines and tap, and then I ran water through it, and finally beer. But it went from about 60 psi to about 20 psi during this process, so I don't know how long the gas will last, especially when it comes time to fill up the second keg. My recommendation: upgrade to a bigger 5 lb CO2 tank with a standard regulator, or buy one from Keg Connection directly.
There are no instructions included with this kit, or at least none that one might hope for to assemble the kegerator. I converted a Danby DAR440BL because it is one of the few mini refrigerators that does not have a freezer mounted near the top. In a mini fridge, the compressor runs the coolant through a hot and cold cycle and the cold cycle is usually an aluminum tray with embedded lines that simultaneously serves as the containment structure for the freezer compartment. I made the unfortunate mistake of first buying a GE mini fridge thinking I could just remove the freezer or relocate it, later discovering the impossibly integrated and cost-cutting structure of the fridge. Upon discovering this, I searched the web and found that many have made this mistake. The lines are literally molded into the fridge structure, held in place by solidified foam insulation and pressed thermo-welded plastic and metal trim. There is no "disassembling" of a fridge into its constituent parts; it is a totally integrated thing. So since I had already bought the GE fridge, I just tried to bend the freezer tray downward and toward the back of the fridge. As I did so, a tiny micro crack developed at the tube exiting from the rear wall and it blew refrigerant gently across my face, instantly informing me that the GE mini fridge I just bought was now an expensive box. After begrudgingly taking that to the recyclers, I then found the Danby and bought that. With the price of my GE mistake, the new Danby, and this kit, I came in just under the cost of an off-the-shelf kegerator. If you don't make my mistake, you're in a position to build a kegerator for at least $150 less than an off the shelf one. (the Danby fridge I mentioned is the same model the use for their own mini fridge).
The kegs that come with this kit are used but in good condition. It turns out there are lots of supplies for rebuilding and maintaining Cornelius kegs. At first they didn't seem like they would do what I hoped they would, but the beverage industry has been using them for years and their pieces and parts are quite standardized. The lines and connections in the kit are of good quality but I will keep replacement parts in mind.
The draft tower and taps are good stainless pieces that are of good quality and they look pretty nice. Be careful where you drill the hole in your Danby (if you use a Danby). It appears that most mini fridges provide a crude or approximate diagram of the location of the coolant lines. The Danby has a vacant spot in the top of the fridge, centered, close to the back wall. You can drill there and mount your tower with the provided stainless screws and nuts. You will also have to take the front shelves off the door.
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