Is your home “Super Bowl” ready? The party is just around the corner, so now is the time to get that draft beer system in place for the big kickoff. Right now save an extra $10-$25 off with code SAVER at checkout! Shop Kegerators.com for up to 25% off on kegerators + FREE shipping on select items. Offer Ends 1/24 at Midnight MST.
Related post: Super Bowl Kegerator Parties
Prices continue to drop, but this really is one of the lowest we have seen all year. With FREE shipping, this is a great deal for $347.00.
Full Size Keg Fridge – $347.00
No coupon needed for this deal.
Via Kegerators.com
Everyone knows that BBQ goes oh-so-well with beer. Having a kegerator around is sure to bring the two together, and in a major way. But when you are out of beer, and don’t have time to brew, there are a number of options to consider to keep that kegerator working for you. It can be used for canned and bottled beer storage, for sure, but also for brining and curing meats of all sorts.
Brining meat is, of course, also known as marinating meat. Brine is a form of marinade. The process can infuse exceedingly savory and sweet flavors into your steak, chicken, lamb or whatever meat you prefer. Often, a delicious marinade can make all the difference in the resultant taste of the meat, turning a pale slab of meat into a flavor sensation. Brining usually takes a longer time to come to fruition than marinating, but also ends up with a product that lasts longer in storage.
Although many marinades are designed to activate flavors with only a few hours of immersion, that time should, for health reasons, be spent in a slightly chilled environment. This will hibernate any potential bacteria that might be present in the meat that cause spoilage. Often, a marinade will also contain alcohol, spices, or vinegar that will be anti-bacterial in one respect or another, as well, but nothing prevents food spoilage as much as keeping the temperature down. Hence, the kegerator is an ideal place to store your brining and marinating meats, especially when your fridge is exceedingly full with the family goods.
Brining meat also moistens cooked meat. Bringing meat hydrates the cells of the muscle tissue before cooking. The process by which the cells are hydrated is osmosis. The surrounding solution of salt and water (brine) causes salt ions to diffuse into the cell, and then absorb water from the surrounding brine as well. This technique is often used in commercial chicken manufacturing to enhance the flavor and the weight of the fowl in question.
Losing moisture in meat is un-avoidable when any type of muscle is cooked. This is why brining is important to cooking and BBQ-ing meats. One problem, which may not be apparent initially, is that the meat may have already been soaked in brine before you even bought it. Always look for any kind of salt or sodium ingredient on your meat. A second brining can make the meat taste way too salty, and actually can be detrimental to the moisture absorbtion of the meat.
When preparing to brine meat in your kegerator, make sure to check the ratio of salt to meat, but also consider the surface area of the meat. Meat with more surface area needs to be brined for a shorter amount of time, because the salt-ion-water-osmosis happens quicker. For example, a 10-pound turkey must be brined for much longer than 10 pounds of shrimp, which have a relatively larger surface area per pound.
Just to give you an idea of what kind of salt ratios and brining times are suitable for brining meats in your kegerator, here is a simple chart of some commonly brined meats:
- Turkey (12-15 pounds) – 2 cups sea salt; 1 gallon water; 14-22 hours depending on size
- Chicken (2-5 pounds) – ½ cup sea salt; 2 quarts water; 3 ½ hours
- Shrimps (1 pound) – 1 cup sea salt; 2 pints water; 40 minutes
- Beef Ribs (3 pounds) – 1 cup sea salt; 1 gallon water; 1 cup sugar; 3 hours
- Smoked Salmon (4 pounds) – ½ cup sea salt; 1 quart water; ¼ cup evaporated can sugar; ¼ cup maple syrup; 2 bay leaves (crumbled); 1 Tablespoon Dill
- Brisket Brine (8-14 pounds)
2 cup warm water
1/4 cup rock or kosher salt
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 onion, diced
2 Tbs. Rosemary, ground
1 Tsp. Bay leaves, ground
1-2 Tbs. of your favorite exotic herb or flavoring (cardamom, caraway, mocha powder)
Also try coriander, powdered lemonade, coffee, chipolte, etc.
Add the following to the brine:
3 cans of beer
3/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup Worcestershire saucePlace the meat in the brine, turning it once every 8 to 12 hours to insure coverage and penetration.
- Pork Shoulder (6-8 pounds)
1 cup sea salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
2 tbsp grains of paradise
8 cloves garlic (peeled and minced)
5 bay leaves, torn
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, washed and chopped
1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped
5 cups homebrew, dark style preferred
5 cups water
2 quarts ice
Sea salt is always advised for giving the best results in cooking. The industrial nature of other forms of commercial salt production may leave trace chemicals in the salt that can distract from the taste of a finely cooked meal.
Kegerators can also be modified with temperature controllers to chill above or below the suggested temperatures for serving beer. Thusly, you can modify your kegerator to store frozen meat or other foods that require bulk cold storage. Just make sure that you don’t let your beer freeze. If you are looking for more control of the cooling range of your kegerator, you can investigate a great array of temperature controllers from manufacturers such as Johnson Controls and Ranco. Such controllers are available in analog and digital formats, or even as power plug style regulators.
A custom temperature controller can be especially useful if you intend to cure meats in your kegerator, because you can keep the curing meats at an ideal, slightly cool temperature – 40 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. This will help you to cure the meats without as much trouble from food spoiling bacterium, although certain molds are highly desired to add flavor to specific types of salami and other cured meats.
Keep your keg fridge working for you when the beer runs out and enjoy delicious kegerator brined meats on the grill or in a smoker.
There are a variety of beer cocktails existent in the world, from the Guinness and Blackcurrant served in pubs in Ireland to the Michelada of Mexico. A whole new wave of beer cocktails has been developed in recent years. Many of these may prove to be fads, but currently beer cocktails are being developed by many bartenders across the country.
First, let’s get some definitions straight. A beer that is mixed with liquor is a beer cocktail. A drink that consists of beer that is mixed with other non-liquor mixers is technically referred to as a shandy. Let’s start with a list of common beer cocktails that are served today:
Irish Car Bomb – This was probably the first beer cocktail I had ever heard of. The Irish Car Bomb is the classic mixture of Guinness and a shot that consists of either Irish Whiskey, Irish Cream, or a combination of both that is dropped into the pint of Guinness.
Boilermaker – This is more of a drink combo, but one that is often enough ordered that it is considered a type of drink. Boilermakers usually are beers served with a shot of whiskey, vodka, or tequila.
Sake Bomb – This is a beer drink in which a shot of Sake is poured into a pint of beer.
There are a lot of beer and beer combinations that border the line between shandy and beer cocktail. These are sometimes called blended beers.
Black and Tan – a blend of stout or porter with a lighter amber or brown ale (Guinness and Newcastle being the most common blend, in my experience).
Snakebite – an equal part mix of beer and cider.
Diesel or Snakebite and Black, a relative of the snakebite, which is a half pint of beer mixed with a half-pint of cider and then topped off with a dash of blackcurrant cordial.
Shandy – Beer that is mixed with some sort of lemonade or lemon flavored soda.
Shandys are often very sweet, and the type of citrus mixers vary slightly from country to country. For example, a shandy in the UK is mixed with carbonated lemonade, and in Australia, is mixed with citrus-flavored soda, like lemon-lime or 7-UP. This is what such sodas are called in Australia, while lemonade as Untied Staters think of it is called Lemon Squash.
Shandygaff – mixture of beer and ginger ale or ginger beer, coming again from the UK.
The Brass Monkey is one United States beer cocktail that gained some amount of fame from the Beastie Boys song named after it.
Brass Monkey – made by drinking the top off of a fo-tee (40 oz. Malt Liquor), and then filling that with orange juice. This drink could be referred to as the Po’ Man’s Mimosa, or Ghetto Mimosa.
One of the most famous beer cocktails in all the world is the Michelada. I am most familiar with the Micheladas made in Southern and Eastern Mexico, although the drink is made in most Latin-Speaking countries. Like the Shandy, the recipe varies from port to port.
Michelada – Beer, clamato, lime juice, salt, Worcestershire, and hot sauce, chile powder, or peppers.
The drink can end up tasting a lot like a bloody mary, but made with beer instead of vodka. This drink should always be made fresh. Although there are many commercially-produced micheladas these days, they pale in comparison to the flavors and customability of a freshly made michelada. Country by country, there are versions of this drink that also enter into the mix Fanta or other orange sodas, making those micheladas similar in a way to the shandy with its mix of citrus flavors.
Other interesting beer cocktails
Lychela – half a pint of Mexican beer mixed with 6 oz lychee juice, a whole lychee, and 1 oz lime juice with salt on the rim. Truly a taste sensation!
Fruit Stripes – Boulevard Tank 7, Rogers and Winters Apricot, lemon juice, and simple syrup to produce a complicated and sweet beverage.
Beer Fashioned – a play on the old fashioned, but with Avery White Rascal, Bulleit Rye, and orange juice.
Zeus’ Brother – a powerful beer cocktail that includes Great Divide’s Hades Ale, Broker’s gin, Pimms, lavender simple syrup, and lemon juice.
Hop-a-rita or IPA-a-rita – this drink blends a shot of reposado tequila with half a pint of IPA or Pale Ale, an ounce of lime juice, ice, and agave nectar to taste.
Bee Sting – Concoct this beer-cocktail version of the classic Screwdriver by mixing dark beer with orange juice.
Summer Ale – Mix frozen pink lemonade from concentrate with water, vodka, and beer. Serve over ice with a lemon or lime wedge. Pump up the flavor by using lime-infused beer and lemon-infused vodka.
Of course there are many more kinds of beer cocktail in the world, but really there are too many to go over here, such as the Refajo of Colombia, Panache of France, or the Tango of Belgium. Ultimately, the course of experimentation will guide the field of beer cocktails to great heights of flavor, I am assured.
If you’re heading to a retirement party in the near future, you may be at a loss for what to buy as a gift for the retiree. Often people that reach retirement age have most of what they want, or are very particular about what they like and don’t like.
So, if you don’t want to get a gift certificate to a local restaurant because you’re at a loss for something more personal, and if the person who is retiring is someone who enjoys drinking beer, why not consider getting them the rather unique gift of a full sized or portable keg dispenser?
Why a portable kegerator or beer cooler, you might ask? What is your retired friend going to do with that? Well, it’s simple. Many people who are retired love to spend their time traveling and going around doing all the things they might never have had the time to do while they were working the 9 – 5 grind. Once retired, they are free to pick themselves up to go wherever the wind may take them. If the person enjoys activities such as tailgating at sporting events, enjoying a picnic or fishing by the lake, or one of many other outdoor activities that can’t take place right in their own backyard, then they may enjoy having a portable kegerator or a portable beer cooler with them so they can take a bit of their favorite beverage along wherever they are headed.
What’s the difference between a portable kegerator and a portable beer cooler, and how would I know which one to buy? , you might ask. Well, of course, you first want to make sure the person likes beer before you buy them a gift like either one of them, or you’ll be wasting your money. But, if they do, then deciding between the two appliances is simple – it’s the difference between having draft beer or drinking beer from cans or bottles.
Portable kegerators provide the option of putting a small mini keg of beer inside which is kept cold and can be dispensed right from the tap, wherever you may be. This is a rather unique option that the person wouldn’t otherwise have. Portable beer coolers, on the other hand, are coolers that can be plugged into a car or truck to provide cooling space for cans or bottles of beer. They are similar to other types of coolers, except that if you are traveling somewhere far, you can actually keep the inside of the cooler cold for long periods of time because it is plugged into an energy source.
The nice thing about buying any type of portable beer dispenser for someone who is about to retire (assuming they like beer) is that it gives them the flexibility to take the beer with them wherever they want to go. If they like to travel or go camping, they can bring along some cold beer for the trip. If they like to spend the day on the beach or by a lake, there’s still cold beer to be had. If their preference is simply to go spend the afternoon visiting with other retired friends, they can bring along some beer to add to a relaxing afternoon or evening. No matter where the person may want to spend their time, they can bring along beer that will stay good and cold, so they can enjoy drinking it while savoring time with friends and favorite activities.
So, instead of getting stuck for a gift idea next time you know of someone having a retirement party, find out if they like drinking beer, and if so, consider the fun and flexibility that you can offer by giving them the gift of a portable kegerator or portable beer cooler. Even if these small appliances cost more than you’d like to spend, they are the perfect type of gift to split among a few friends or co-workers – and if you wind up with a few extra dollars in the pot, you can even throw in a bit of beer to get their retirement off on the right foot!
Wings. Chips. Hot dogs. Beer. There’s nothing like the fun – and the food – involved in tailgating before the big game. Tailgating parties are not only a prelude to the football frenzy, they are part of the football frenzy. If you love to tailgate, then having a portable beer cooler or a mini beer kegerator is an added bonus that will surely make you one of the most sought after attendees at your next tailgating party.
This is for the professional tailgater – $4,999.99 from Poplin FabricationBeer is almost always a big component of the tailgating tradition. Whether in bottles or cans, football fans want their beer cold and they want their beer fresh – no matter how low the temperature may drop outside. Even when the windchill starts to dip, no one wants to drink warm beer. That’s why having a portable beer cooler can make you lots of friends at your next tailgating extravaganza. Portable beer coolers come in a variety of different sizes to house different quantities of beer. They work by plugging their 12V cord into the car’s cigarette lighter or alternate power source so the interior contents can stay cool. Portable beer coolers are versatile because they not only chill cans and bottles of beer, they can chill snacks as well.
If you really want to be a hit at your next tailgating party, consider bringing a mini kegerator instead. There’s nothing like the taste of genuine draft beer when you’re celebrating before the big game, and no matter how many cans or bottles of beer a portable beer cooler may hold, nothing beats the taste of beer on tap. It’s pretty hard to bring a full keg to the parking lot outside of the football stadium, so bringing a mini kegerator can do the trick instead. Mini beer kegerators fit the mini-sized, 5 liter kegs of beer, such as those sold by Heineken and other brands. The kegerator keeps the beer cold and dispenses the contents of the mini keg from a tap, just like a larger keg of beer. This gives you all the benefits of draft beer taste, in a convenient ‘take-it-with-you’ package.
If you are having a large gathering of people at your football tailgating party, you may need more beer than what is housed in one 5 liter mini keg, so you can simply bring along extra mini kegs to put into your mini kegerator so that you can keep dispensing great tasting draft beer throughout the duration of your tailgating party, rather than running short. That makes it easy to transport the amount of beer necessary to satisfy all participants at the tailgating party, without having to lug a heavy keg or tons of cans and bottles.
The good news about opting for a mini kegerator filled with a 5 liter mini keg of beer for your tailgating party is that it is environmentally responsible way to drink your beer before the big game. Using the mini keg saves on the many cans and bottles that would otherwise wind up in the trash or in the recycling system otherwise. With a mini keg, all you need is a cup for each person, which can be refilled.
So, the next time you’re heading to the field for a tailgating party, don’t forget your mini kegerator or portable beer cooler. You’ll be the hit of the party!
Birthdays. They come around year after year and are always met with celebration – and gifts. The good news is that birthdays deserve to be celebrated. After all, each new birthday means that another year has successfully been completed and the birthday recipient is embarking on a fresh new year in their life. The bad news, however, is that after awhile, people run out of birthday gift ideas for friends and family members, and rather than birthday gift giving being something enjoyable, it can turn into a chore.
If you’re looking for an interesting gift idea for the people in your life, how about getting them a mini draft beer dispenser or a beer tube? Of course, it would make sense that you would only get this type of gift for those who enjoy drinking beer, but for those that do, mini kegerators can be a great and fun gift that will be met with lots of “ooohs” and “aaahs”.
A mini kegerator is a very small refrigerator that houses a 5 liter size mini keg of beer. The refrigerated portion keeps the beer cold and tasting fresh, and there is a beer tap on the exterior of the appliance that dispenses the beer, much in the same way you would have a draught beer dispensed at a bar. These small appliances are reasonably priced (in the neighborhood of $100 – $300 or so) and are an attractive addition to any home bar, family room, game room or even kitchen counter. Most mini kegerator models come in a sleek stainless steel design and resemble the looks of an upscale coffee maker or espresso machine.
The great thing about buying a mini kegerator as a birthday gift is that unless your friend or family member is a huge beer enthusiast that is always seeking out the newest gadgets, the chances are probably pretty good that they don’t already own a mini kegerator of their own. So, rather than them trying to look appreciative even though the gift you bought them is something they already have or aren’t really interested in, the gift of a mini kegerator is sure to please. If you combine the purchase with a 5 liter mini keg, not only does the kegerator serve as a gift, but it can be part of the birthday celebration as well!
For those that are looking for a birthday gift that is even more unique, a beer tube may fit the bill. Beer tubes are fun and interesting looking “tubes” that can be filled with beer and have a themed or decorative bottom with a small tap on them. They are a great conversation piece on a bar or in a family room and can be filled with up to 100 ounces of beer (or around eight 12oz glasses) to be shared with friends or imbibed alone. Beer tubes come in a selection of popular themes, such as baseball or bowling for sports enthusiasts, or in more subtle designs made of wood or stainless steel. These quirky beer dispensers add a festive mood to any get-together and are truly a conversation starter.
So, the next time you are at a loss for what to get as a birthday gift for friends and family, assuming they enjoy drinking beer, consider buying a mini kegerator or a beer tube for a birthday gift they won’t soon forget.
Your anniversary is approaching – a day representing years of blissful happiness. Whether you’re married just one year, ten years or are coming up on an impressive number such as 40 or 50 years, the day is typically marked by some type of gift or gesture that represents a declaration of your love.
The problem for many people, however, is finding a suitable anniversary gift that will truly be appreciated and enjoyed. For women, it’s a bit easier than for men, since a gift of jewelry or flowers will usually do the trick. But what to buy for the man in your life? If he likes beer, think about buying him the ultimate guy gift for your anniversary.
A kegerator as an anniversary gift? Really? Sure, why not. If your guy loves beer, or simply enjoys to spend time relaxing at home over a drink with you or a few of his buddies, then a kegerator may be the perfect gift to express your love. It is a gift that recognizes the things that make him happy in life (beer), makes him realize that you appreciate all he does and indicates that you think he deserves a little time to kick back and relax, plus it’s a pretty cool gift that he he’ll enjoy.
Kegerators make the perfect anniversary gift for those who are married to beer lovers, because they are the type of gift that your guy probably wouldn’t buy for himself (because he’d think you’d get mad at him!) but that he’ll really appreciate having.
So, if you decide that you’re married to the type of guy that would love a beer refrigerator as an anniversary gift, then your next step is determining what to buy. The first decision you’ll have to make is what kind of kegerator would he like and how much you want to spend. You can get a mini kegerator for as little as $100, give or take a few bucks, or you can spend quite a bit more if you’re instead looking for an under the counter kegerator to fit into your home bar.
Home kegerators can vary in size and finish (such as stainless steel, black, etc.), so you’ll have a number of options to choose from. If your guy prefers bottled or canned beer to the draft beer that is dispensed from a kegerator, you may want to opt instead to buy him a beer refrigerator. A beer fridge is just like a wine cooler or wine fridge in that it is a mini refrigerated unit that is set up to easily store beer bottles or cans.
Buying your honey a kegerator or beer refrigerator for your anniversary may not seem like the most romantic of gestures, but you can rest assured that if your guy enjoys beer, he’ll enjoy your gift much more than many of the other “gifts for men” that are often marketed by businesses and stores.
A gift of a kegerator lets your man know how much you appreciate him and how much you support his interests. It lets him know that you value his relaxation, want to enjoy quality time spent with him on a quiet night over a cool drink, or that you’re okay with letting him sit back with his buddies over a Sunday football game or a late night of poker while having a few cold, frosty brews. What could express your love better than that?
Saint Arnold Brewing Company is celebrating their 18th Anniversary with a Party on Sunday, June 10 @ the brewery in Houston, TX and what better way to do this?
Events will include a Rock, Paper, Scissor Tournament with a kegerators.com grand prize and a barbecue. All attendees are automatically entered in the tournament, and the winner will receive a kegerator provided by kegerators.com! Go join them as they mark another year in business! Please make your reservation soon as this event always sells out.
Here are the party details:
Where: Saint Arnold Brewing Company
What: 18th Anniversary Party
When: Sunday, June 10
Time: 1 PM to 4 PM
Cost: $35
Includes: Barbecue lunch, special glass and the Rock Paper Scissors Tournament
For reservations, please follow this link.
Please plan on arriving by 1:30 PM to participate in the tournament. Do you have your strategy? The Saint Arnold Crew will post the rules on their website prior to the event, but will also have them posted at the event.
Kegerators.com is a proud supporter of the Saint Arnold Brewing Company
Have you ever wondered if there’s a logical connection between religious celebrations and kegerators? Probably not, but in fact, there are many religious celebrations where having a kegerator on hand can add to the festivities. You see, when a bunch of people get together to celebrate a major event, such as a religious celebration, there is often alcoholic beverages, or at least beer and wine present. And if there’s beer, what better way to dispense it than from a keg, housed in an attractive looking kegerator that does the job of keeping it cold and keeping the keg out of sight?
A church bar/pub that mixes religion and the art of beer making.Some religious celebrations that you may find kegerators at include bar and bat mitzvahs, christenings, baptisms, holy communions and such. It is not the religious part of the celebration that warrants the use of a kegerator, but the fact that most of these religious events are accompanied by large gatherings of family and friends to celebrate the religious milestones. So, if you are throwing a party with adults in attendance for any type of special event, having a kegerator on hand to dispense the beer can be a highlight of the party.
For some, planning a celebration tied to a religious event includes selecting a professional catering venue to hold and coordinate the event. This means that your religious celebration may take place in a catering hall, restaurant, club or hotel ballroom. Often when an event is held at a formal catering facility, the facility takes care of all food and beverages served at the event, and also supplies servers and bartenders. If this is the case and beer is being served, chances are that behind the bar sits a commercial kegerator, which houses one or more kegs of beer that will then be dispensed to guests on request.
Commercial kegerators are the types seen behind bars at restaurants and pubs (actually, they’re usually not seen because they’re under the counter and out of sight, but you know that they’re there). These types of kegerators can have one or two taps or more and can allow the dining establishment to offer multiple types of draught beer on tap to its patrons.
If you are coordinating the planning of the festivities for your own religious celebration and it will not be occurring at a restaurant or formal catering facility, you may have to arrange to have your own tables and chairs on hand and to set up an area for food and beverages. You can rent the items you need from a party rental company, complete with the long tables required to set up a buffet of food (along with the sterno and serving dishes) and a bar (along with a kegerator full of beer). You can hire your own servers and bartenders, or sometimes the rental company can even provide them for you so you can save yourself the extra step of having to hire wait staff separately.
However you choose to celebrate a religious milestone with your family and friends, you will find that having a keg dispenser can be a handy accompaniment to your celebration. You might never have thought before about the connection between religious celebrations and kegerators – and you might never again – but when it comes to planning a party or celebration, you will quickly see the benefits of having a beer dispenser on hand, if you choose to serve alcoholic beverages at the event.
