Converting a Magic Chef 4.4 cubic feet mini fridge into a KEGERATOR!

[pachdaddy]

how do you know there are no heating/cooling lines running through the top before you drill into it? is the shelf you folded back the only cooling unit? how do you know if thats the case?

[terpsichoreankid]

@pachdaddy I didn't drill through anything in this video... If you're looking for tips on that, check some of the homebrew forums--I know there is one method where you make a paste with baking soda and then put it on the fridge where you'd like to drill--the areas with cooling lines will dry faster because they warm up. With this fridge, the shelf is the only cooling area, and I think the lines actually run through the sides rather than the top. I haven't drilled on it, so can't say for sure!

[hkyhead1313]

you should try and get the CO2 tank out of the fridge so it lasts longer

[terpsichoreankid]

@hkyhead1313 I wound up never putting it in the refrigerator when it's on actually... LOL One of these days I'll drill holes for the tubing to go through the sides of the fridge--but that's another project for another day...

[hkyhead1313]

@terpsichoreankid haha gotcha. awesome project! ill be starting mine soon

[TheAlliancehero]

awesome vid. thanks for sharing.

[terpsichoreankid]

@TheAlliancehero You bet!

[hsbc2468]

@TheAlliancehero Joe enjoy your vids but this project IMHO is was a waste of man hours. Just go to a large fridge.

[spillsndebris]

nice job and good info.

[terpsichoreankid]

@spillsndebris Thanks!

[nectarineblue]

saw this video and it got me thinking so i checked craigslist and found the same type of fridge on craigslist in great condition , working for $20.

[terpsichoreankid]

@nectarineblue Nice find!

[ChrisTripp]

Great vid man, I made it work with a 'Sanyo SR-3660S 3.6-Cubic-Foot' fridge doing the same thing. But I had to carve out a bit more insulation than you had to.

So for the record, 2 kegs and a CO2 tank with a dual regulator can fit into a 3.6 cubic foot fridge. (at least the particular model I mentioned above.)

[terpsichoreankid]

@ChrisTripp Wow--very cool to know. Thanks for sharing! And well done!

[skyking1488]

i have not yet done it yet. a full size fridge with taps. thanx again, now i can get this project going. i work so have no time online. i have seen online that can be done make a vid of it. make 1 man. so i can watch it and then i know of diy thing

[terpsichoreankid]

@skyking1488 Haha--when I have some more room! LOL

[skyking1488]

@skyking1488 when or if u have a full size frige do not for gat the could need to go down and get water bottles and keep them there. in the freezer, that what the person who dos a living told me.

[aHalfaMongrel]

I'm doing much the same thing to a old dinged up Lemair mini fridge... just wanted to know if the outside of your fridge gathers condensation in area's you removed some of the insulation from?

[terpsichoreankid]

@aHalfaMongrel Nope--no condensation on the outside at all. I have noticed though that the cooling tray will build up ice on all its surfaces inside the fridge, so a periodic complete thawing/cleaning is definitely a must. Though--for a cheap as hell fridge and two kegs of perfectly cooled beer--it's well worth it!

[moedidimus]

Great video, very helpful, thanks. Are those ball lock or pin lock kegs that you used?

[terpsichoreankid]

@moedidimus Those are ball lock kegs I have. Thanks for watching!

[skyking1488]

ok, i have 2 pepsi 18L and later on a 5lbs tank,, did you get the 2 tap on top?

[terpsichoreankid]

@skyking1488 Nope--I just use two picnic taps I keep coiled on top of the kegs in the fridge. I then use the top of the fridge for a fermenter holder when I've got wine going.

[theHofer1994]

@terpsichoreankid how would you keep this cool? and how did you make it

[acraine]

How did you "carefully" bend down the cooling body without kinking the tubes?

[terpsichoreankid]

@acraine Slowly, checking to make sure there were no kinks in the line as I went. I also tried to bend down sectionally--so I'd try to bend the first quarter, then the next, then the next, etc. until the entire line was bent down. The trick is to bend the entire thing without a kink occurring in that little piece of tubing that comes out of the wall, so I bent in sections gradually until the entire thing was where I wanted it. Just grabbing and pulling the tray down would be disastrous!

[tedizzle45]

Could you fit a 1/2 keg into it?

[terpsichoreankid]

@tedizzle45 No--there's a ledge in there that makes even fitting the two cornelius kegs in there a squeeze. A 1/2 would be way too big for this little fridge. Hope that helps! Cheers!

[djmarkyv]

i was able to keep the door stuff in still i just had to cut off the bottum shelf and i have roon no problem i will be sutting the rack tings off so i can gewt that second keg in there but thanks for the video

[terpsichoreankid]

@djmarkyv Awesome man--you bet! Thanks for watching!

[chaosinhell666]

nice job unfortunatally i got a large frige for like 20 buks bit old but who really cairs lol it gives alot of beer so keeps me happy but if i ever need more kegs running im doing this y did u not do the co2 line splitters and pay more on regulators may i ask

[terpsichoreankid]

@chaosinhell666 In all actuality, I don't keep the CO2 tank in the fridge these days--just the kegs. Once the brew is cold, I've found that force carbing them and then taking the co2 tank out saves fridge space and clutter. Plus it gets really freezing cold next to the chill plate, so it wound up working out better to keep it external. This was also a gift to me--so I have used what I got--no need to buy more expensive stuff if I don't have to! Cheers!

[pcroas]

I just totally just stripped a mini-fridge... My daugher got it from work, and she did not like it in her room. Therefore, I took it off her hands!!! Kegerator here we come!!! Thanks for the instructions.

[terpsichoreankid]

@pcroas NICE! Good luck with your conversion!

[bwomp313]

I ended up going through the top for a tower and where I ended up putting my hole had not one but two lines going parallel from front to back. They were quite hard and my drill didn't go through them. I'm pretty sure they go to the front to warm the door because when I plugged in the fridge they were warm to the touch. Thankfully the kegerator is complete now and in working order. Thanks for the help!

[terpsichoreankid]

@bwomp313 Interesting... I didn't think there would be lines up there--at least, not in my fridge anyway. If I wind up putting in a tower, I'll have to keep my eye out for that. Thanks for the heads up!

[pcroas]

@bwomp313 if you use a paste of water and starch (somewhat on the watery side)... spread on top of the fridge and turn on it will warm up the lines and you will be able to see it through this mixture, then find a place to drill.

[bwomp313]

What sort of temps are you getting with this thing? I've been testing the settings. I put a glass of water in there and the hope was to see what temp the water is. So far it's been completely frozen every time and that was on setting 3 now. I'm going to try 1 to see if it's lower, but do I need to buy a temperature controller for this thing?I was really hoping not to.

[terpsichoreankid]

@bwomp313 I have mine set on about 1.75 and it hits right around the 48F mark. Yeah--when I first turned it on, I had it set right at the middle around 3 or so and it froze everything solid. Because we've essentially opened up the entire interior to the full brunt of the cooling tray, it chills the entire cabinet MUCH faster. Good on energy consumption, I hope! LOL Cheers!

[rawimpact]

@terpsichoreankid I recently picked up a haier mini fridge and its been running 12 hours at setting 7 (coldest) and its still not as cold as i'd like, maybe ~40oF. Question for you is how long did it take for your fridge to actually get cold when turning it on from room temp?

[terpsichoreankid]

@rawimpact My fridge only takes about 10 minutes to get down to about 30F, and I don't event have it on the coldest setting! I know different fridges will get to different "coldest" settings, but 12 hours seems like a long time for it to get to 40F...

[bwomp313]

I'm in the process of converting the same fridge, got it real cheap, only $25! I was wondering if you ever ended up drilling through the top for a tower and how it worked out for you because that's certainly part of my plan.

[terpsichoreankid]

@bwomp313 No--I never wound up installing a tower. I've tucked the fridge underneath a table, so for right now, I can't get to the top of it. If you have a model like this one, it shouldn't be a problem because I don't think there are any lines of any sort through the top of it... Be careful though--I don't really know for sure. Cheers! And best of luck!

[sbendrake]

Problem solved. My Dad has a buddy that does refrigeration work. I talked to him and he said its nothing for him to fix. He's doing it for a 6pack of my next homebrew. If your on beer advocate I am DrinkingDrake. I'll gladly share the recipe. Calling it Malicious Mallard D.I.P.A

[terpsichoreankid]

@sbendrake Great news! You've got a good friend there!

[sbendrake]

I was bending at room temp. It looks like you were able to pull the coolant pipe out a little to make it bend easier. I tried moving slow I just think it started to kink and I didn't realize it. If anyone in Mass has a Mini fridge they want to sell cheap. Contact me!

[terpsichoreankid]

@sbendrake You know--I actually didn't end up pulling it out , it came with the pipe sticking that far out! Maybe that is how I was able to bend mine so gradually... I'm sorry to hear yours didn't turn out! I used to live in MA--if any of my old friends happen to have a minifridge they're wanting to part with, I'll be sure to email you.

[sbendrake]

Yup definitely started hearing a hiss when I tried bending the tray. I was doing it carefully but it just started to lightly hiss. No more keg for me. I can't afford another one. Any tips for bending this damn thing.

[terpsichoreankid]

@sbendrake Hrmmm--were you bending it cold or warm? I know that metals become more malleable when they're warmer, but again, I'm not a professional at HVAC stuff so warming the tubes might be a terrible idea. Did you notice a crack or did anything snap? Mine was fairly easy to bend, but I went very slowly and tried to bend the entire 1.5 inches or so of the tubing a little bit at a time--moving slowly down the piece. Almost like a U bender machine bends a pipe.

[PiperPilot140]

I was concerned about cutting into the door but it looks really easy. A friend gave me his old mini fridge, and I just got a keg system for my home brew. I'm only going to do a single tap in my 4.4 so seeing all that fit in there makes me feel better about it. I'm excited about converting it!

[terpsichoreankid]

@PiperPilot140 Awesome! Yeah--with the door you don't have too much to worry about--it's the sides where you have to be careful.  If you slice too deep and hit a coolant line, it can ruin the whole fridge. So when you convert yours--take your time and have a homebrew! :-)

[brhoge]

Cool vid...I'm doing the same conversion with the same fridge...when you get as far as adding a beer tower to the top, what were(are) you going to do to locate the freon lines?

[terpsichoreankid]

@brhoge You know, because the fridge has the cooling tray within the fridge, I highly doubt there will be lines running in the very top of the fridge. I'll try to follow that freon line as close as I can, but will probably do the baking soda test to see if anywhere on the top of the fridge is getting heated. But yeah--I'm thinking that because the cooling is occurring with that internal tray, there's probably no lines up at the top... If you wind up chopping away--please let me know!

[philliproe2836]

Hey Man, Good video. Thanks for sharing. I also am debating whether or not to buy a Kegerator ($459) or buy a cheap Mini fridge of some sort and make my own. I only need to store one 1/6 keg though.

Mine will not be seen, it will be behind a wall and I'm going to come through the wall for the tap. I don't believe the CO2 cylinder has to be refrigerated either does it?

So any thoughts or suggestions on my situation?

Thanks.

[terpsichoreankid]

@philliproe2836 I would definitely go with the mini fridge rather than forking out all that money for a pre-built kegerator. You may have a little difficulty finding one to fit a 1/6, but as long as you measure everything out, you should be fine. I've also seen guys who took a mini fridge, removed the door, and then built a chamber outside of the fridge for their kegs--seemed to work out really well for them!

[drew1350]

Would a sixth barrel keg fit in a kegerator like the one you made?

[terpsichoreankid]

@drew1350 You know, I'm not 100% sure on that one as I have never tried it, but just from looking online at a couple sites showing dimensions of various kegs, it doesn't look like a 1/6 keg is too far off at all from the cornelius kegs I use. I would think that it would fit without any troubles.

[Lnoch86]

Awesome Video, I am about to start this whole process. I just picked up a fridge off of cragslist its a magic chef but unfortunately its only 3.6 cft. (18.7x33.1x19.3 ) so I wanted to see if you think that's big enough. Also do you know if its possible to add a tower faucet to a magic chef fridge or are there cooling pipes in the roof. Thanks again for the video, its a huge help. Btw I plan to put a dual regulator with a 5lb tank and have any combination of 2 kegs (torpedo & soda)

[Lnoch86]

Hey man,

Awesome Video, I am about to start this whole process. I just picked up a fridge off of cragslist its a magic chef but unfortunately its only 3.6 cft. (18.7x33.1x19.3 ) so I wanted to see if you think that's big enough. Also do you know if its possible to add a tower faucet to a magic chef fridge or are there cooling pipes in the roof. Thanks again for the video, its a huge help. Btw I plan to put a dual regulator with a 5lb tank and have any combination of 2 kegs (torpedo & soda)

[terpsichoreankid]

@Lnoch86 I would measure out the footprint of the kegs and see if they will fit into your fridge. You may need to do one at a time between the kegs (the footprint of a tornado keg looks to be pretty wide...) For this video, I kind of just fooled around with it until things fit just right. I'm not 100% sure about the top of the Magic Chef fridge, but I would imagine there aren't any cooling lines up there--the coolant is all in the freezer tray, and that line runs down the back of the fridge.

[SGTkiitty]

i think the fome was their for a reason im just saying

[terpsichoreankid]

@SGTkiitty LOL yeah--the foam was to help insulate. Though, I didn't take out too much of it really, and it is still running and keeping quite cold just fine. I think in the best case scenario you wouldn't have to remove so much insulation obviously, but this way saved me a lot of money and didn't really sacrifice much efficiency. Cheers!

[SGTkiitty]

@terpsichoreankid ya i know i was just being funny also i want a mini fridg to stock my goodies but people where saying becareful cause some could use like 3/4 the ammount of electrisity as a normal size fridg so i wanted to know whats a good fridg i need one i can store a 6pack atleast

[terpsichoreankid]

@SGTkiitty Yeah--I'd shop around and check out the energy listings taped onto them at the stores. THEN find one on Craigslist or somewhere else--the stores charge way too much for fridges in my opinion. I'd do the research on the store level but then buy a used model--no need to pay full price for cold pizza! :-) Cheers!

[blarsen2006]

Just bought one of these myself for the same thing and came across this. Very helpful! Thanks!

[terpsichoreankid]

@blarsen2006 Awesome! Good luck with your conversion--it takes a little time, but mine has been working perfectly since I finished, and is well worth it. Cheers!

[yambor44]

Great video as always. Nicely done, very informative.

[terpsichoreankid]

@yambor44 Thanks!

[faroutadventures]

Yoou are an engineering genius.

[terpsichoreankid]

@faroutadventures LOL--I'm not quite sure I'd say that!

[jaygnar]

Well done! There are lesser men who would have settled for lesser results. Yet you persevered and tamed the 4.4 cubic foot monstrosity.

Cheers!

[terpsichoreankid]

@jaygnar Hahaha--thanks! Yes, a 5 cubic foot beast would have been far too easy. And everyone knows, I don't like anything to be easy! :-)

[wolfdog666]

dude, i never new u could fit them in a fridge like that. u have totaly inspired me.

[terpsichoreankid]

@wolfdog666 Where there's a will, there's a way! lol Cheers!

[RetroMick]

nice job

[terpsichoreankid]

@RetroMick Thanks!

[yartp]

You sir are my hero for the day. From what I could see, condensation may be a slight annoyance. Prior to the demolition it collected in the try under the evaporator coils but now it will just run down to the bottom of fridge.

[terpsichoreankid]

@yartp Why thank ya! Yeah, I will need to keep that one in mind. Last mini fridge I had would always build up ice and whatnot on the coils--so I'll keep my eye on it regularly. Plus, I don't mind pulling it all out and wiping it down every once in a while. I'm kind of a neat freak like that (you would guess by what I did to this poor fridge though... LOL)

[steeljan]

Great work there!! I'm using a similar frig for my kegerator but so far I'm chicken to mess with the freezer part, instead I got 3 gal kegs which are exp and frustrating. Seeing you do it, maybe I'll get brave. Not sure you want your CO2 up against the freezer, cold drops CO2 pressure, besides you need to be able to get to it easily to turn it off and on and adjusting. I may drill a hole to put mine totally outside the frig. Love how you did that first part, such great comic editing!! Tks!

[terpsichoreankid]

@steeljan I saw that in your vid (love how you pronounce my YT handle as well! haha) But yeah, I only did this because I got the fridge for so cheap. I don't have a lot of money, so I wasn't willing to buy a new fridge and tear it to shreds like this. I'm quite happy with how it turned out, and will be breaking it in this weekend. I'm very excited! Do you have any tips for force carbing?

[steeljan]

@terpsichoreankid PT1 I'm still trying to get forced carb perfected. This is for my 3 gal kegs, not 5gal kegs. Rack to keg, leaving room beneath the IN tube, lid up. Purge with several hits of CO2 to get the O out, bleed off each hit. Raise to 20-30psi, chill overnight (5gal may be longer) to 40F or lower. Turn off CO2 and shake keg (guess with heavy 5gal you have to roll it) for abt 30 min. Here's where it gets tricky for me and I've tried a dozen or so experiments and still perfecting.

[steeljan]

@terpsichoreankid PT2 There's 2 variables I want to change before serving, the temp and the carb level (I like 46F at 8-10psi). If you bleed off the pressure while the beer's still shaken up inside, you'll get sprayed with beer foam, LOL! I've let it sit overnight again at this point, at the proper temp, and bled off the pressure the next day and then hook up the CO2 and set it at 8-10psi. Instead, I've also let people go ahead and drink it cold and over-carbed until the pressure goes down.

[steeljan]

@terpsichoreankid PT3 The key here is that I don't reconnect my CO2 until I'm sure the pressure has gone down inside the keg, 'cause I don't want beer to go backwards into my CO2 line. Yet you want to crank down the CO2 pressure to be low when you reconnect and turn it back on. So, yeah, if no one is standing there waiting for beer ;-) I like to shake it and leave it overnight, bleed off the pressure, turn down my regulator, hook it back up, and adjust the CO2 regulator back up to my 8-10psi.

[steeljan]

@terpsichoreankid PT4 In my PT1 response, I meant disconnect the CO2, not just turn it off, before shaking. Some guys leave the CO2 connected at 20-30psi while they are shaking, but here again, I want to avoid beer getting back up into my regulator. Finally, once you get your carb exactly right, turn off your little CO2 valve after each drinking session, otherwise, the beer will continue to absorb CO2 and come out too foamy.

[terpsichoreankid]

@steeljan Very cool--thanks for this! I have read to chill the brew in the keg, then attach the CO2 and let it sit overnight at 30 or so psi, left on all night long. Then in the morning or next afternoon, pour a glass (you don't have to shake it at all because it was left on all night long). Bleed off, then pour obviously (don't want 30psi pours!) I like your method though because it is quick--esp. if you want a quick force carbed beer... Hrmmm... Decisions, decisions...

[steeljan]

@terpsichoreankid Well, hang on. Just leaving it overnight to chill at 30psi will not carbonate the beer. It'll come out fast and with a foamy head, but the body of it will not have CO2 in it. You have to shake it up to get the CO2 into the beer that fast. Remember, don't get beer back in your CO2 line, which happens when the keg pressure is higher than your line pressure. The alternative is setting the CO2 at the pressure and temp you want in the first place and leave it for a week.

[terpsichoreankid]

@steeljan AH! Ok--this is starting to make a lot more sense now. If I were to chill the keg, and then hit it with 30psi, disconnect, shake it , and then repeat it a couple of times until carbonation is where I want it--that would do the trick, right? Or would that be too much? In pt1 of your reply, you mention chilling it overnight at 30psi--do you leave the tank connected and on the entire time, or disconnect it before letting it set all night?

[steeljan]

@terpsichoreankid I set it to 20-30psi while chilling overnight. Disconnect the CO2 the next day (or when it's chilled, you have a 5gal, mine is 3gal) and shake it. The theory is that as you shake it, the CO2 gets absorbed by the beer. Some guys do not disconnect, they might shut it off and let the pressure bleed back down by serving the beer at the high carb pressure, then crank back down the serving pressure and open the valve to let the CO2 flow again. Depends on your bravery. :-) 

[terpsichoreankid]

@steeljan Ah--I see. I like your plan--I think that will be the method I use this weekend. I'll be sure to give a shout out! :-)

[steeljan]

@terpsichoreankid Or, they are counting on the pressure going lower due to the shaking, so they bravely turn back on the CO2 and shake some more until it's at the carb they want. The very fine trick is when you get to the carb you want. You want to then get it to the temp and serving psi you want, but not to let a higher pressure in the beer push back into the CO2 tank. Bit terpischorean there, lol.

[terpsichoreankid]

@steeljan Haha--good word play! Yeah, i do understand that fine line. I used a Carbonator cap on some sarsaparilla I made for my girlfriend and at first, the carbing was spot on--but I left the bottle sitting at like 20 or so overnight in the fridge. The next day the sarsaparilla was so fizzy, it made everyone burp like in Willy Wonka! :-) Not that I don't mind fizzy lifting drink, but 5 gallons of it might be a bit much...

[TakeSomeAdvice]

WOW NICE! I was trying to do the very same thing but so many people said it couldn't be done so I didn't try. Great work!

[terpsichoreankid]

@TakeSomeAdvice Thanks! As I got further into chipping the foam out, I was starting to wonder myself. I have a few more things I'd like to do to it, but for now, it will do!

[jakecpunut]

Nice conversion dude! Small or large, kegerators are the bomb!

[terpsichoreankid]

@jakecpunut Why thank you! I'm definitely excited about it--I've wanted one for quite a long time, so it's cool to finally sit down and rip a fridge to shreads... haha

[conduct623]

You'll be upgrading before you know it. LOL

[terpsichoreankid]

@conduct623 Haha--quite possibly, maybe. If the price is right! lol Or if this one blows up... Whichever comes first I guess... :-) Hopefully though this one will last a while. At least until I get everything down pat.

[Tsalts]

Are you going to drill a hole to put taps in? that would make the fridge a complete kegerator.

[terpsichoreankid]

@Tsalts I am actually planning on it when I have the funds for a nice tower. When I plugged the fridge in, I noticed that the sides got warm but not the top--so I know there are lines running in the side of the fridge--so the top is totally fair game! You can bet I'll make a vid and link it with this one so the whole 'kegerator experience' will be complete. Cheers!

[chris95069]

Aright when is the party! Have fun!!

[terpsichoreankid]

@chris95069 LOL--soon, friend! I'm sure I'll shoot video of the first pouring from the kegs (I've had them now for about a month and haven't yet used them...) So needless to say, I'm excited. First pour, second pour, third pour, fourth....pour... Oh dear--that video might get a little rough around the edges... haha

[mackinnon182]

loving the improvisation!

Good work and good effort :)

you got your priorities right... Cheap! (Y) way to go my friend

[terpsichoreankid]

@mackinnon182 Hahaha--it's true! I wish I had the cashflow to fork out $180 for the nice one that I'd just have to plug in, fill it up, and let it be. But until then, I've got my trusty Dremel by my side and a lot of spare time... LOL Cheers!