Knights of the Mashing Fork



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  • The following article is only to give you an idea of brewing projects you can do on your own. Detailed steps are not included. We are assuming you have a knowledge of materials, tools, and their use. We will not be held responsible for anything you do to yourself, others, or property. If you'd like more advice on the project below, visit our forum and post your questions.
  • By: Bryan Peretto

Beers on Wheels- Portable Kegerator

There’s a lot of ways to make your beer portable. You can get one of those cartridge CO2 blasters and use a picnic tap. Some people even use a standard faucet that attaches directly to the beer out connector.

Most often, people don’t understand pressure when it comes to beer. Do you really want some drunken frat boy playing with your CO2 charger? Talk about a cup of foam.

You could tote along a CO2 tank and regulator. That’s what most people I see doing. Bernie even has one of those keg parkas. That’s pretty cool.

That’s great for portable beer drinking. But where’s the panache?

Rob and Bernie now both have those jockey boxes. Not just the coil type but the plate chiller type. They’re awesome and most people are pretty impressed by them, even though the opposite of the business end is a maze of exposed kegs and CO2 equipment.

Still, where’s that true sense of amazement? Not only the “wow, you have keg beer” but “wow, look at that- beer faucets just like {insert favorite bar name here}!” Shiny things do attract people, and a shiny beer tower will do that and more.

Nothing impresses people more than pulling a good beer off a beer tower, especially is they’re used to pumping a keg of fizzy yellow crap into a red plastic cup.

Enough with the sales pitch, how do you make one cheaply?

First, a large garbage container will be the body of the project. They can usually fit 2 kegs and your CO tank with regulator. The ones with wheels make transport a breeze. However, any large waterproof container will do the trick. You might have to cut the top down if it’s too tall.

Secondly, you need a “counter top”. This can be anything you want; from a piece of plywood or particle board to a piece of granite or marble. We chose to use the fake countertop found at your big home supply store. It’s particle board with a laminate top of faux stone. Usually it’s pretty cheap considering how good it looks.

Third and most expensive… yep, you need a tower. A double tower is best, but you could go with a single if you wanted to for some reason. And you’ll need a drip tray that is sized for your tower.

Cut the appropriate holes in your counter top and install the tower and drip tray.

That’s pretty much it- you know what to do from here. I guarantee this will impress people at the next club brew, department outing, party at your friend’s place, or family reunion.

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