Building a kegerator that fits a full size keg of beer

Published On: Tuesday, December 9, 2008

The Kegerator Guy

The Kegerator Guy, Christian Lavender, is a kegerator expert and answers readers' questions about kegerators and draft beer issues. Ask a question Expert Corner Archives

Dear Kegerator Guy,
I want to build a kegerator from scratch using a kegerator conversion kit and I've got a question about the size compact refrigerator I should start with. What size and also what refrigerator dimensions do you need if you want to build a kegerator that fits a full size keg of beer?
-- Adam

Dear Adam,
I would be happy to help. A United States standard keg is 15.5 Gallons, commonly called a half barrel.  These kegs are usually 23.3 inches tall, with a diameter of 16 to 17.2 inches.  This keg contains enough beer to fill 6.9 cases of 12 ounce beer, or 124 pints.  This is your basic room requirement, but keep in mind that you will need an additional six inches of height at least in order to facilitate room for your keg tap.

You will also want more area, most likely, so that your CO2 tank can be stored inside the kegerator.  The CO2 tank will need about 8-10 inches square if you have a small CO2 tank.  Taking all of this into consideration, I would recommend starting with a unit that had an inside height of 32 inches, and an inside square area of no less than 26 inches.  Keep in mind that if the unit has a top "lid-style" door, you can increase the height by building a wooden collar between the fridge and the lid.  This collar can have beer taps installed into it as well.

Enjoy a cold one and happy hunting!

See related: Build a Kegerator, How to Build a Homemade Kegerator, Good Refrigerator Choices for Kegerator Conversions

Christian Lavender is the CKO (Chief Kegerator Officer) for Kegerators.com in Austin, TX. Kegerators.com has been an online destination for draft beer related information since 1998.

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