Kegerator Set Up

You are correct...if you want to have two kegs with different pressures, you'll need a Dual-Primary regulator, or a Single Primary regulator split off to at least one Secondary regulator. Also, with a beer gun, you'll need two different pressures...One relatively low pressure to gently push the beer, and a higher pressure to feed the CO2 purging line in the beer gun.

And you didn't ask, but you'll eventually want more than one CO2 tank, at least as a backup.

 

lots of good questions. all of this is covered fairly well in the home bar forum, so be sure to review the past questions.
I can answer your questions briefly. we have a lot to cover here.


I have a great apartment size fridge I got for a screaming deal, and I already have a 5lb CO2 tank. (two from I know are the most expensive pieces to the puzzle).

----be sure the small fridge is big enough. small fridges often have a hump on the bottom for the compressor. this limits the width of the keg. keg sizes are available if you google keg dimensions. corny's and sixtels are the narrowest.
also, you are going to need an outboard temp controller. this is a requirement. the internal t-stat won't hold the temp in a narrow enough range for keg beer. an old school dial model is unbreakable and idiot proof. maybe $50. digitals are about $70 or so.

So would I be better off buying a double regulator to start.
--- Yes. there is only one way to get more than one pressure delivered from a bottle of co2. well, two if you count a single primary and a "pass through" regulator, but about as expensive and cumbersome.

Yes spending more money initially, but this would allow me to run (2) two separate items. IE: a Keg and a bottle gun for example. Or two kegs, and allow me to keep them at two different pressures, correct?
---Yes.

Or would a single regulator with a 2 way distributor be better or easier? Though that would only allow me to regulate one pressure correct?
---- That is certainly easier. you don't need to be fancy, but having two pressures is very helpful. and for that you do need a dual regulator.

My other question is this on kegs? I am very happy and looking to buy a ball lock keg, refurbished most likely as they are cheaper. But my cousin showed me his and he has one of the PET sankey homebrew kegs.
---get some ball lock kegs. spend 5 dollars for a new o-ring kit. buy used from a reputable seller. the PET bottles are for people who kind of sort of maybe think they want to keg. the savings are not worth it imo. bite the bullet, but steel corny kegs and do it right. you don't need new either. used is perfectly fine.

All the help will be appreciative, so when I go to price it out, I want to have the answers before they try to sell me more than I would be comfortable with buying.
---- one word of caution. a big warning. home brew shops are woefully unprepared to offer good advice about kegging and draft beer. well intentioned maybe, but if you are talking to someone who does not actually keg themselves or has experience with draft beer you will regret listening them. it is a fact. trust me on this.

Purchasing the beer gun is down the road, and running the second tap is not a major priority currently.
But I am one not to buy something and then upgrade and have the original part sit and collect dust.
--- buy a good dual body regulator. not the cheapest you can find. Taprite is a very economical and reliable brand. Cornelius is expensive and great. Micromatic standard grade is very good but pricey. the MicroMatic pro series is great and priced so expensive it should be gold plated. Norgren is also a good brand. if you buy a made in China special it will crap out one day for no good reason. most regulators fail eventually, but there are many mysterious value brands out there and they should be avoided.

----lastly, you will have to use a picnic tap if you don't go full out with a tower and faucets. this will require modifications to your fridge. not a big deal if you aren't a ****, but adding the faucets costs money and requires drilling.

ask away.
Cheers.

 

The nice thing with kegging is that you can buy your equipment piecemeal for the most part, so you can upgrade each section as it becomes necessary. That said, a dual-body regulator would probably be a decent investment at the start, since there are a lot of different situations where it can be handy to have different pressure levels readily available. Force-carbing a keg, using CO2 to push beer, filling growlers, keeping different beer styles on tap that require different carbonation levels. My kegging kit came with a very basic single regulator and I know I'll end up upgrading somewhere down the line.