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After A Day of Service on MLK Day, It's Kegerator Time!

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Martin Luther King Day

Martin Luther King Day, also known as MLK Day, is a federal holiday in the United States dedicated to the remembrance of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It is observed on the third Monday of January, which coincides with the date of Dr. King’s birthday, which is on January 15th. The holiday has come to be observed as a day of service, spurring Americans to spend the day giving back to the community in some way by volunteering their time and effort to make this world a better place.

If you are one of the thousands of Americans that truly honor the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King by getting out within the community to volunteer your services, then you should pat yourself on the back. And when you return home at the end of the day, if you have a home kegerator, you should pour yourself a fresh, draft beer and take a moment to reflect on Dr. King’s vision, as well as the part you have played on this day in bringing that vision closer to reality. Sure, there’s no correlation between the holiday of Martin Luther King Day and kegerators or beer, but the point is this – if you are one of the upstanding citizens of this country that believes in the importance of getting out there and giving back to your community, then you deserve that kegerator, and you certainly deserve that beer at the end of the day.

Better yet, consider bringing out a whole group of people to volunteer with you on this national day of service. Volunteering together as a group is fun, and it brings people closer together. It also motivates people to do more than they would do alone. Then, when your volunteer activity is completed, invite everyone back to your house to gather round your trusty kegerator and share a few drinks, and a few stories of the day. Sure, this isn’t quite the same type of festive holiday as Thanksgiving or Christmas, where you expect to gather with family and friends and give thanks for the blessings of the day. Nevertheless, in the same tradition as holidays such as Veterans Day, Martin Luther King Day is a day to give thanks for the ways that this world has changed in the time since Dr. King’s famous speech. If that happens to get done while gathering around an in home kegerator, so be it. Celebration is celebration.

Of course, you don’t need a kegerator to celebrate the vision of Dr. Martin Luther King. But it is nice to have one (or even a mini kegerator) to come home to at the end of a hard day’s work. On this day, many schools and businesses are closed. This means it is also a good opportunity for family and friends to come together. And anytime that you get an opportunity to get together like that, rather than having to head to the office, it is worth inviting a few friends over to share a few beers straight from your kegerator. It’s better and cheaper than heading to the local bar or tavern, and it gives you a chance to unwind and socialize right in the comfort of your own home.

Remember however, that MLK Day always falls on a Monday. That means that there is still a long week of work ahead for most people. So, while you may want to tap the kegerator so you can have a beer or two, leave it at that, or you’ll be feeling the effects as you head off to work the next morning, knowing that it’s only Tuesday and you have to make it through a long week.

A New Year for Football and Kegerators

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After a night spent celebrating on New Year’s Eve, for many New Year’s Day is a day to sleep late, deal with a hangover from the night before and then spend the day watching college football. For those that enjoy a few beers along with football viewing, or are planning to have a get-together to continue the celebration on this day off (whether to watch football or simply relax), tapping the kegerator is a part of this first day of the year.

Football and Kegerators

If you hosted a party the night before and didn’t own a kegerator, you may also be spending the day cleaning up lots of bottles and cans from the drinks imbibed by your guests during your New Year’s Eve festivities. And you also may be out of beer, which would mean you’d either have to watch football without being able to have a cold beer, or you’d have to run to the store to buy some more.

But if you own a kegerator, chances are that you still have enough beer left to enjoy a drink or two while watching the games, and you also don’t have a lot to clean up, other than maybe a few cups or mugs. So, all that’s left to do on this first day of the new year is to relax and to enjoy.

It is a tradition of many people to spend the day gathered with friends and family to watch football throughout the day and evening. New Year’s Day is one of the biggest football television viewing days of the year, and there is no lack of games to watch. As with many other football “big events”, drinking beer and eating good food are very much a part of the activities of the day. So, if you have a kegerator, hit the tap and pour a few cold ones for your football viewing buddies, take out the chicken wings and pizza, nachos, or whatever your game day food of choice is, and start cheering for your favorite team. The kegerator will supply the beer throughout the day – all you need to do is make sure that you don’t run out of food before the last game ends.

Even if you only have a mini kegerator, or if you got one as a Christmas present this year, New Year’s Day is the perfect time to time to take your new mini kegerator out of the box, pop in a mini keg of beer (that’s about 5 liters of fresh, cold beer to enjoy throughout the day with friends and family!), and enjoy!

Sure, you can get through the day without a kegerator and even without a beer, but one of the best ways to deal with a hangover, as well as to relax and enjoy the game, is to sit back on the couch with a cold beer or two, surrounded by good friends and fattening food. After all, there’s always tomorrow to start focusing on your more serious new year’s resolutions – today is a day for celebrating, relaxing, cheering on your favorite teams and enjoying yourself.

Fill the Kegerator – It's New Year's Eve

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New Year’s Eve has always been a night to celebrate and rejoice – to ring out the old year and ring in the new one. This is one of the biggest nights of the year for parties and get-togethers, and therefore is a night that kegerators get put to good use.

New Years Eve Kegerator

While many people associate champagne with New Year’s Eve, the truth is that most people do not spend the night drinking champagne only. If they did, they’d probably have a wicked hangover the next day, not to mention the expense that the bubbly would wind up setting them back. Instead, most people spend the night enjoying their favorite drinks among friends, possibly making a champagne toast sometime around the stroke of midnight.

So, if you are planning a party for New Year’s Eve and are fortunate enough to own a kegerator, you’re in luck! Kegerators are a great way to provide alcoholic beverages for a crowd easily and economically. Buying a keg, or a half keg of beer as many kegerators hold, is a lot cheaper than buying an equal amount of beer in cans or bottles. And it is certainly a lot less expensive than buying wine or hard liquor for a crowd.

Not only is a kegerator an inexpensive way to provide drinks at a party, but it is fun, too! Most people love the idea of using a real beer keg in someone’s home and a kegerator makes them feel like they are out at a bar, except they can operate the tap on their own – and without having to tip the bartender! The beer dispensed in a kegerator is usually ice cold and super fresh, just like a draft beer would be at the local bar. When you host a party and own a kegerator, the appliance usually becomes the central gathering point of the party and is where all the fun begins.

So, if you are planning on hosting a New Year’s Eve celebration this year, break out the kegerator, make sure it’s full (or that you have a spare keg on hand ready to be tapped) and make your guest list. Then get some munchies or ask everyone to bring their favorite snack and turn on some good music. To really make the evening festive, you can even consider hanging a few decorations or even just a couple of bunches of balloons, and getting some hats and noisemakers. Party stores often have News Year’s Eve party kits, complete with hats, tiaras, noisemakers and even confetti so that everyone can be well-outfitted when the glittering ball starts to drop in Times Square.

Kegerators are a great way to enjoy the celebration of the impending new year, but it is important to make sure that all guests drink responsibility and that they do not head out on the road if they’ve had a few too many. Better to be safe than sorry and either have designated drivers, call cabs to get your friends and loved ones home, or turn your New Year’s Eve celebration into a slumber party, so everyone can crash until the next morning. After all, if you let everyone stay, the celebration can continue into New Year’s Day!

Hopworks Draft Beer Bike: Oregon Bike Culture

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Hopworks Draft Beer Bike

Hopworks is a brewpub based in Portland, Oregon. Oregon is known for good beer and bikes, and Christian Ettinger, Owner & Brewmaster of Hopworks urban brewery, has combined those along with a determined commitment to sustainable brewing in all of his business endeavors with Hopworks. The Hopworks draft beer bike is a prime example of this commitment, a mobile, pedal-powered bar used to promote this business at beer festivals, street fairs, and other special events.

From the state of Oregon comes some of the most highly rated commercially available microbrews in the world. Rogue Brewery is well known as well as scores of smaller operations, such as Deschutes Brewery, Full Sail Brewing, and Captured! by Porches. Perhaps it has something to do with the great amount of fine hops that grow throughout the Cascadia region.

Oregon is also host to quite a few bicycle enthusiasts. Many clubs are operational in Oregon, including mutant bicycle clubs such as a chapter of the Black Label Bike Club, C.H.V.C.K.E.N. 666, and old-school club from Portland, Chunk 666 bike club. These bike clubs build all sorts of mutant bicycles such as tall bikes (made from two bike frames welded together vertically), flame-throwing bikes, and lawn-mower bikes. Here, you can see a mutant tricycle built by Dingo Dizmal, formerly of the Alberta Street Clown House (now gentrified out of existence in Portland, OR):

With such an inspiring beer and bike scene, it is no wonder that Hopworks’ sustainable choice for promoting their beer was a custom bicycle bar. Hopworks Urban Brewery incorporates many aspects of thoughtful, efficient sustainability in their operation, including composting and rain barrels for rain water catchment. According to the Hopworks website, “Hopworks is 100% renewably powered and “cradle to gate” carbon neutral.” Although CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) emissions may contribute to climate change (used to be called global warming, but you must use the current terminology), additional CO2 definitely helps the hops and barley grow. Still, the Hopworks commitment to an ecologically clean operation is admirable as they pump out roughly 6,000 gallons of beer each year.

The Hopworks Beer Bike is a modified cargo bike that holds two kegs, two custom taps, a flat bar, sound system, and a rack that can hold three large pizzas! The bike itself was built by Portland, Oregon based Metrofiets. Mertofiets specializes in the building of custom cargo bikes, based upon Danish and Dutch cargo bikes with aesthetics melded from 1940s through 1960s American Bicycle designs. Their work is artisan quality, and Metrofiets has made more than one brew serving cargo bike – they also made the mobile coffee bike for Trailhead coffee roasters.

The Hopworks Beer Bike has appeared at many festivals and beer events in Portland, and always gets a lot of attention wherever it goes. This can be attested to by this discovery channel link  And from Make Online:

Celebrate a Veteran This Veterans Day With A Mini Kegerator

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Veterans Day, celebrated each year in the United States on November 11th, is a day to honor our nation’s military veterans. While it is not necessarily a gift-giving holiday, like Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day or Father’s Day maybe, there is no reason why you can’t make this year’s Veteran’s Day something extra-special by getting a gift for that special veteran in your life.

Celebrate a Veteran with a mini kegerator
Show a veteran how much you appreciate their dedication and sacrifice for our great nation with an unexpected kegerator gift.

Gift giving on Veteran’s Day is not the norm, and is probably not something you plan on doing every year, but if you want to let a special veteran know how much you appreciate their service and the sacrifice they have made for our country, think about getting them a mini kegerator as a gift. It’s a one-time gift that they can enjoy for years to come.

The nice thing about getting someone a mini kegerator as a gift is that almost everyone can use one, or at least anyone that likes to drink beer. Mini kegerators are basically small, table-top models that are similar in function to full size kegerators, except that they are designed to fit mini kegs. Some models only fit Heineken 5 liter draught kegs, but other models will accept any type of mini beer keg, so check the features of the mini kegerator you are considering buying before you make your purchase. In fact, there are even some models of mini kegerators that will also dispense wine, although this is not the norm, and it is generally not recommended that you buy a mini kegerator for a wine drinker.

A mini kegerator is a great gift for those that like to get together with their buddies to toss down a few cold ones, whether they do that at home or somewhere else. Unlike an under the counter kegerator or another type of large kegerator that needs to stay in one location, mini kegerators are small and portable. This means that your favorite veteran can take their mini beer dispenser with them, whether they are on a boat, going on a camping trip, getting together at a local hangout with their friends, or even tailgating at a ball game. Of course, they’ll have to make sure that they only bring their mini keg with them where it is legal to drink its contents, but having a portable kegerator to take along wherever the party may be is a great way to show your appreciation while ensuring that they have a good time, or at least a few cold, fresh glasses of beer.

Mini kegerator prices are generally in the range of $100 – $300, with most models falling right between the two numbers. Although this can be a somewhat pricy gift for a holiday that is not even one in which gifts are expected, the unexpected gesture is sure to be one that is appreciated and remembered for a long time to come. In addition to the opportunity for the gift recipient to have a beer dispenser that provides, cold, fresh and good tasting beer at the touch of a tap, the mini kegerator will also wind up saving your favorite veteran money, since it is less expensive to buy mini kegs than it is to buy the equivalent amount of beer in cans or bottles. This is just another benefit to this thoughtful and unique gift.

So, as you plan to celebrate the importance of Veteran’s Day, be sure to show your appreciation for your favorite veteran and remember how great it is to be an American thanks to all that veterans have done to make our lives what they are today. Then, head to a local store or go online to buy a mini kegerator to let a veteran know how much you honor their service.

10 Weird Things to Convert into a Kegerator

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Kegerators come in all shapes and sizes, and many beer fans are showing a great degree of creativity in their manufacture and decoration. Here are the top ten weirdest chassis that I have seen for home beer dispensing recently:

The GameratorArcade Game
Available from thegamerator.com for a mere $3,499, the Gamerator comes loaded with approximately 100 classic arcade titles such as Space Invaders, Operation Wolf, Mrs. Pac-Man, Mortal Kombat, and many more. Too bad they don’t include a keg of beer for that price tag.

 

Lake KegeratorLake
A primitive, yet functional solution for a “redneck” kegerator is simply throwing the keg in the lake to keep the beer cooler than “hot summer day”.  Also handy for determining the level of beer in the keg – the higher it starts to float, the closer to empty it is.

 

Steampunk "Brewery" Computer Computer  
I highly doubt this unit dispenses beer, but it is being heralded as such.  Perhaps there is an attachment for a beer in line somewhere around back… from Russia or Poland, I hear.

 

BikeratorBike
This mobile draught beer system looks like a fun ride.  Two taps of high quality beer staged in a very mobile beer cooler.  Looks like it might hold full regulation-sized kegs, too.

 

Butt Crack KegeratorButt Crack
This kegerator is a little more creative and a lot scarier – Butt crack kegerator.  Not sure how much beer this ass can hold, but it sure is hilarious.

 

 

 

VW TrunkVW 
This kegerator brings new meaning to a “tailgate party”.  Sure to be a hit in the stadium parking lot.  I hope the owner made the tower modular, or else he might find his trunk has been jimmied while he was in the stadium watching the game.

 

Trash Can KegeratorTrash Can 
This kegerator idea is a perfect mod for trash cans of all types.  The bigger, the better, and more taps available.  Foam board insulation can be easily cut and installed for this style of mobile beer cooler.

 

Wine or Whisky barrelWine or Whisky barrel
Your local wine or whisky maker usually sells used barrels and half barrels to the public.  One of these can then be converted into an antique looking kegerator… and they’re great for renaissance fairs!

 

 

 

Vintage Gas Pump Vintage Gas Pump
For gear heads or race fans, an antique fuel pump makes an awesome kegerator conversion.  I’ve actually never seen one of these in person, but have heard stories that it has been done before. Just make sure that you get rid of that gasoline smell.

 

 

 

Antique RefrigeratorAntique Refrigerator
Although this may not seem that strange, it is one of the harder kegerator projects.  Older units, with the streamlined look usually don’t work – this requires rebuilding or replacing the whole refrigeration machine – running new coolant lines, fixing rusted out spots of the chassis, most likely getting a new compressor, rebuilding the weather-stripping, and a whole laundry list of other potential problems.  The result is fabulous, though.

Columbus Day Revisited: Imagine if Columbus Sailed The Ocean Blue With a Kegerator Onboard

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Columbus Day Revisited

Imagine this. The time is 1492. The place is onboard the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria, sailing across a vast ocean. The person, of course, is Christopher Columbus, one of the most famous explorers of all time, as well as his crew. The journey, a trip from Spain that ultimately resulted in the “official” discovery of the Americas. Imagine the difficult journey it must’ve been – one wrought with disease, doubt, and disbelief.

Now close your eyes and imagine this same journey with a couple of kegerators on board the ships. Rather than there being long grueling days filled with hardship and doubt about where the journey would ultimately land these brave men, there might’ve been relaxation and rejoicing at the end of a hard day’s work. And rather than there being disease and illness, such as scurvy caused by a lack of vitamin C since there were limited fresh fruits and vegetables available, the explorer and his sailors could have been enjoying the benefits of something like Bud Light Lime, spewing from draft beer dispensers and filling their guts. Maybe even supplying enough of the needed vitamin to keep them from developing such a debilitating condition.

Okay, you might say. That’s a bit ridiculous to think of kegerators on board Columbus’s ships. Or Bud Light Lime. But we’re not reinventing history here, we’re just imagining how things might have been different. What if each and every ship had its own kegerator, or even two, onboard? It doesn’t matter what type it was – it could’ve been a single tap kegerator, a double tap kegerator, or even a mini kegerator. The point is that there was a way for the crew to enjoy fresh, cold beer while out on the lonely, dark sea each and every night during a journey that took them far from home.

So, the stage is set. We’ve got three ships filled with weary men that don’t know where they are headed and that are tired, lonely, anxious and bored. Now we turn on the taps of our modern day kegerators transported back to the 1400’s and the whole demeanor of the journey changes. No longer are our men miserable and weary at the end of the day. Instead, they can sit down and relax with a cold, refreshing brew or two. They can have a few laughs, make a few friends, and instead of worrying about where they are headed, they can rejoice in the incredible journey that they have embarked upon. Maybe there will even be a bit of mischief and rowdiness on board the ship. That’s possible, but who cares? It’s not like their ship is going to sail into another one out there. Or that they’re going to miss their intended destination (wait, didn’t that happen even without the kegerators and the beer?).

During Columbus’s actual journey, his crew became apprehensive about the longer than expected route and the fact that a land filled with spices, gold and jewels was nowhere to be found. Despite Columbus trying to ease their fears by forging the ship’s travel logs, things got to a point of near mutiny. Luckily for ol’ Chris, he spotted land just a day before he promised that he would turn the ships around and head home. So, do you think that his crew would’ve gotten to the point of near mutiny if they were enjoying their kegerator-equipped ships filled with delicious, refreshing beer each day? We think not!

….So, this year, when the second Monday in October rolls around and we remember the man and the journey that made Columbus Day a holiday, be sure to grab a glass, pour a cold, frosty one from your in home kegerator, and think about what might have been if kegerators were onboard the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria back in 1492.

It don't matter if you're black or white

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MJ said it best and now it’s your turn to choose! Tap Boards, Inc. already has their patented write/erase tap handles in Chalkboard. Coming soon in mid-October there will be a new White board version added to the line. So, now it really doesn’t matter if you’re black or white. Just make sure you keep the moon walking to a minimum. We know how excited you all get about new beer gadgets.

The (dry erase) White board Tap Boards will be available mid-October (just in time for the holidays) on their website TapBoards.com and we will have them on Kegerators.com too. The new White board version comes with one standard black dry erase pen, but the new white surface will allow you to get a little more creative with colored pens.

Tap Boards

Deal Alert: Summer Mini Kegerator Sale

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Temperatures are heating up this weekend and we have been notified of a brand new summer mini kegerator sale starting today and for one day only!

EDGESTAR HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED

Get 64% OFF + FREE Ground Shipping on the EdgeStar Mini Kegerator TBC50S. Thru Friday, 8/20/2010 at 11:59 pm CST use code BEERHUM to take $90 OFF!

Kegerator Modifications: Splitting CO2 Lines

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Splitting CO2 Gas LinesOne of the great benefits of owning a kegerator is tinkering with and modifying it.  One of the most popular modifications is to add an additional tap or two.  To modify your kegerator to dispense additional beers, you will need to split your CO2 lines.  You will probably want more than one tap on hand, so your kegerator can dispense from sanke kegs, soda or Cornelius kegs, or whatever keg may appear at your doorstep.  Splitting your CO2 lines can be as simple as a t-joint or as complicated as a multi-tap regulator for dispensing different beers at different pressures.  We will look here at the kits and equipment currently available on the market and processes for modifying you kegerator for dispensing any kind of beer from commercial to home and craft brew.
Co2 Splitter
For adding a quick extra beer tap onto your kegerator, a stainless steel or plastic t- or cross joint will do the job of splitting the CO2 to the different kegs – but gas leakage may occur if your keg tap isn’t maintained properly.  This is the most inexpensive way of splitting your CO2 line, and all you will need is the appropriate taps for the beer you want to dispense, surgical tubing, hose clamps, and of course the kegs of beer.  Adding an inline valve will even make it so that you can minimize gas wastage when changing kegs.  The T-splitter will cost you less than $5 and the inline valve probably less, and you can find for these items online or at your local hardware store in the plumbing section.  Aquarium supply stores may also have the fittings.  You will still need beer taps – more on that later

A more refined approach to splitting CO2 lines is the use of a gas distributor.  These units have one gas in and multiple gas outs to facilitate multi tap kegerator modifications.  The gas distributor has valves for each of the line-outs, and you can use a gas distributor to split your gas out in multiple directions.  Gas distributors are available in a number of configurations.  Two way gas distributors cost roughly $40, while the larger multi tap distributors with 6-8 line-outs can cost $120 or more.

For a draft beer system that requires dedicated individual pressures for different beers, a secondary regulator panel or a dual body CO2 regulator is necessary.  This is very advanced stuff most people need not go into this much detail, but these units will cost upwards of $150 just for the regulator panel, the price depending on how many regulators you need, or $120 and up for a dual body CO2 regulator.  If you want to force carbonate your beer while dispensing beer from the same unit, a secondary regulator panel or dual body CO2 regulator may be the modification you want to make to your kegerator.

One factor to keep in mind when splitting your kegerator’s CO2 line is that your operating pressure will decrease depending on the length of tubing you use.  When long lengths of tubing are used, the tubing expands and makes it difficult to keep the CO2 pressure at a constant rate.  The same also goes for beer lines.  If you cannot avoid having a long-draw system, you will need to use certain materials for the majority of the draw in order to ensure optimum beer quality and cleanliness.  You should strive to have no longer than six feet of regular surgical tubing from CO2 canister to keg, or 12 feet of beer lines all together from between keg and faucet.

Although there are some exceptions, long-draw systems still push beer from the keg via CO2.  The standard flexible surgical tubing is used, but coupled with a special “barrier tubing” soon after leaving the keg.  Barrier tubing is thicker than regular surgical tubing and has a mesh cover, which keeps the vinyl tubing from expanding and causing CO2 pressure irregularities.  With the use of a tubing flare tool, you can create your own stainless steel tubing for your beer lines as well, which are by far the most durable and cleanest options, although they are harder to build and modify.

See related:
Modification Project: Adding Double or Triple Tap Tower
Placing CO2 Disconnect Couplers
Installing Co2 Lines Efficiently
CO2 Tank, Pressure and Regulator Questions
CO2 Tank Guide