• Botzo@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      The list is going to be mostly USA specific (I’ll come back with links), but many of the fittings are from Kegland (Australia), so we get a blend of “freedom” units and metric

      We’ll start with level 1:

      Tools: Depending on what exactly your goals are, you’ll need

      I’ll be specifying push-in fittings because they’re so much nicer to use.

      Kegerator: obviously not a hard requirement. You can build a “keezer” out of a chest freezer, or bore a hole in your fridge for the faucet, or even use a picnic tap on a keg in the fridge (but you’ll also have to get your gas line in the fridge which means also putting the tank in there, or boring a hole for the line anyway)

      CO2 tank: These come in 5, 10, and 20lb sizes commonly available at welding shops, and are almost universally swapped out instead of refilled (so don’t get attached). Check your prices for a new tank on the internet before you go to the welding shop to buy one. They will likely overcharge you for the first tank (by a hundred dollars), but they’ll like it if you bring them a shiny new one and might give you a discount. My 10lb tank lasts us about 6 months and I have a backup 5lb tank.

      CO2 regulator: If you’re planning on beer taps too, go for a dual regulator right away and save yourself the hassle (serving beer is low pressure vs high pressure for water). Try to find one with a threaded output (“flare”) instead of a barbed output (or bonus points for having a push-in fitting already).

      Keg: I use 2.5 or 5 gallon ball-lock cornelius (corny/soda) kegs

      Gas and beer/water tubing: I use evabarrier only. All the fittings will be 8mm push-in (typically “duotight”) so get a length of 8mm x 4mm for liquid, and 8mm x 5mm for gas. These are the conventions for beer, and I just followed them for water.

      Fittings:


      Level 2: This assumes you have completed level 1 Additional tools: none!

      I’m going to assume you have a standard angle stop (like your toilet) for your water line. And I’m going to assume your plumber was nice enough to attach a 3/8" (9.5mm) push-in fitting.

      Tubing:

      • 9.5mm evabarrier to connect to the output that we’ll step down to our “standard” beer dispensing 8mm. I have about 4 inches of it before reducing

      Fittings:

      • SplashJackson
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        2 days ago

        Thanks for the info, I especially like the cheeky note about the novelty tap handle! I’m going to save this into my second brain for 2025 doings

        • Botzo@lemmy.world
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          2 days ago

          You’re welcome! It’s a fun project and journey. Feel free to message if you have questions.