Hey all, Looking at getting a Kegerator to begin enjoying some draft beer at home as well as to use for some cellaring/aging of beers that I have already. Was looking at 3 tier system model and possible upgrading to the Perlick tower. Model is Kegco K309B-3. I like that it is digital as well to be able to dial in exact temperatures. What do you think?
I can't answer your question because I don't have a kegerator, but I suggest that you check the Homebrewing and the Home Bar forums. Kegerators are sometimes discussed there.
If you are some what decent and making your own things, get a cheap but working chest freezer from a buddy or Craigslist, or ball out and get a bad ass one, and then buy a temp controller. I just did this so I have a place to keep my homebrew in a temp controlled space while it's fermenting. Everyone calls them keezers. I have seen some pretty badass ones that people have made. Can save you a bunch of money and you can get one a lot bigger than the commercial stuff sold as well. Edit: for your tap line(s) you'll have to do a little drilling and stuff but from what I've heard it's still super easy and I think you can find all the supplies easily on line.
Can't give you advice on that unit. Except for the digital thermometer will only give you a rough idea of cabinet temperature. Not beer dispensing temperature. Also If you have three kegs in there don't expect to have much room for bottle storage. And last if your doing craft beer dispensing you will have to upgrade from the three way co2 splitter it comes with.Secondary regulators to dial in exact pressures for the different beers would be the best way to handle that. But not sure about space in the unit to accomplish this.
cellaring beer is not at all the same as dispensing draft beer. cellar temps are best in the 50's. draft beer must be less than 40, 38 is ideal and this is not really negotiable because of the physics involved. and there is usually little room for bottles inside anyway. and heavy stainless barrels do not go well with glass. as zero said, the digital temp controller is pretty but not very useful. they look nice but are not needed. though it is not a deal breaker. digital temp controllers, most, are very reliable. by three tier i am guessing you mean three faucets? that can be expensive. and big. you have to decide what size box you want. 3 half barrels? that is a hell of a lot of beer for a home. not unless you have many thirsty friends will you want to see the same 46 gallons of beer. 3 quarter barrels or sixtels or a mix is more likely. we can provide quite a bit of guidance. draft beer is not hard, but it does require some planning and basic knowledge. Cheers.
You said you were looking to upgrade to a perlick model. Does that mean you already have something? All the above comments are spot on. You can build a setup for pretty cheap. If all you want is a keezer, I would suggest getting a deep freeze off of craigs list if you have the room. It looks like it is easier to work with than a mini fridge. I modified a minifridge to be a keezer. It it doable, just research your model and make sure it is 4.5 - 5 cubic foot. Or get both. and use the mini fridge for cellaring. As far as temp control goes, if you want digital, I suggest you get an STC thermocontroller, and build one yourself. Save your money.
