Home Kegging - Where to start??

I went with one very similar to this: http://www.midwestsupplies.com/homebrew-deluxe-2-tap-system.html. Just keep a shelf inside the fridge and dispense there. Only one keg at a time though so it's a bit cheaper. A jockey box will probably cost you a bit more but here is a good place to start: http://www.kegworks.com/draft-beer-jockey-boxes-831. And for your first time kegging this guide is as simple as it gets, it was the one I used the first time I did it and it worked great: http://drinks.seriouseats.com/2011/10/homebrewing-introduction-to-kegging-how-to-keg-your-beer.html. Hope this helped a bit, good luck!

 

Start by asking yourself how big you want your system. How many pressures you want to serve, and how many kegs you want to have on tap at a time.

 

I don't think a jockey box is a good option for at home for daily use. A jockey box is designed for serving over short periods of time, like a party, as it requires constant ice. I would get him something like standardcherry suggested below, and let him decide what kind of kegerator to get.

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/homebrew-deluxe-2-tap-system.html

 

I would recommend a two tank kit like standardcherry linked. To keep it under budget, skip the nicer taps and use picnic taps. Throw in a second-hand fridge and the setup is quick, easy, and the beer will taste as good as a fancy rig. If (when) he moves on to bigger and better, everything here can still be used.

Don't be afraid to have customer service customize a kit for you (it's easy for them), they really want your business. BTW, more wives should do this.

 

you can certainly do a homebrew kegging system for $300. you won't be able to buy a decent pre-built kegerator for that price, and you'll still need to get equipment for a homebrewer.

do not get a jockey box. us homebrewers tend to avoid absolute statements (after all, its your beer. brew what makes you happy). a jockey box however is for a very specific purpose. it is a solution to a temporary need. and it wont save money anyway. don't get a jockey box. don't get a jockey box.

for a starter set that will get him into kegging, you might want to consider getting a ball lock cornelius keg with a new set of O-rings. expect to pay about $55 for the keg and $2.50 for the O-rings. buy "keg Lube" too, cheap and lasts forever. you need it. Midwest supplies, Williams brewing, northern brewer, MoreBeer! and others will all have the equipment and prices are very competitive for this stuff. you'll never have enough kegs, so that is a no brainer. (you can get pin-lock too, and there is no problems, but ball lock is slightly more popular. you get one style and stick with it.)

next you need a co2 tank and regulator. get a mid grade regulator, the cheapest regulator will fail quickly. the regulator applies the co2 gas to the beer and is required. $40 to $60 is where your at. there are some made in China cheapos, so beware.

with the regulator you need co2 gas. you will buy a 5, 10 or 20 pound cylinder at your local welding supply or fire services store. airgas and welco are two national chains. avoid buying the co2 cylinder online. you'll get a shiny new empty tank and then exchange it for a filled tank. 20# is slightly more to buy initially and get refilled each time, but will last a looong time. 4 times longer than a 5# cylinder in fact. you usually just exchange for a full tank, like bbq gas.

you need ball lock gas and liquid connects. a black and a gray. these go into the keg to 1, put in gas, 2 get out beer. simple. buy both at once, maybe $12. get em with your kegs. one set for each keg.

you need a faucet. a picnic tap is cheap, ugly and effective. get the $5 tap for now. later, nice chrome faucets.

lastly, you need to store this in a cold box. this can get tricky, but craigslist is the place. an upright fridge in a quiet corner of the house will work. or, even better, a chest freezer. but then you will also need a temperature controller (maybe $50 to$80). not too tough, but you need to make some decisions. if you have an older fridge, perfect. be sure to measure. dorm fridges wont work, too short. go to micromatic to view some "kegerator conversions" to see what you need to do to buy

ask questions.
Cheers.

 

I used to have a mini fridge (can't remember the brand, got it for $30 on Craigslist) and I could barely fit one keg + gas tank. I never bothered with modifications, I just used a picnic tap to dispense with the door open. I'm pretty sure you could fine a bigger mini fridge but I recommend checking craigslist for good deals on chest freezers instead. I upgraded to a chest freezer with my 2 kegs (could easily fit up 6 I think). Best purchase ever, converting it to a keezer is my next project!

 

http://www.lowes.com/pd_326299-4722...L=?Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&facetInfo=
I bought this one from lowes and it fits 2 ball locks and a 5 lb co2 tank once you remove the freezer divider which is easy to do on this model since the cooling elements run along the top of the fridge. You also have to unscrew the temp control knob and light (be very careful to not break any of these wires or tubes) and push it back a little bit. You will probably have to cut off some of the molded shelves on the door to get it to close. I know this sounds like a lot of work but I did it all in well under an hour including installing a 2 tap tower on top of mine.

 

most mini fridges, the kind you had in the dorm, are not tall enough for a corny keg. not deep enough either in fact.
many wine fridges however, are tall and wide and will hold a corny keg but not two. a 5# co2 tank and regulator as well. wine fridges are a pricey, even on Craigslist, and you would need to modify the fridge. not a lot of work for someone handy but an afternoon or two none the less (some of us, myself included, have modified dorm fridges to fit the 5 gallon corny, but that is a project you probably don't want to tackle... here honey, I bought you a keg system, it will need 10 hours of work! happy birthday!...) if you see a U-Line wine fridge for sale cheap -get it. we will modify that bad boy in time! don't hold your breath though.

a corny keg measures 23" tall by 9" wide. you need a few more inches on top for the tap and hoses.
if the fridge you want to convert does not have the space then it is not an option. simple.

a smallish used fridge is your best bet. old fridges are energy hogs, but not so bad when only used for beer. CL is the place to go. if you get in good with a ma and pa appliance store you might be able to pick up a used fridge from their dock. all appliance stores have delivery and removal when you buy new, so they usually have more than a few used fridges in stock for disposal. worth a try.

Cheers.