The Best Kegging & Kegerator Equipment For Homebrewers
Thinking about kegging your beer?
Good move.
Kegging is one of the best upgrades you can make as a homebrewer.
Bottling works just fine, especially when you’re starting out, but eventually a lot of brewers get tired of washing bottles, filling bottles, capping bottles, waiting for carbonation, and dealing with bottle sediment.
Kegging makes packaging and serving beer much easier.
This page covers the kegging and draft beer equipment I recommend for homebrewers who want to serve beer on tap at home.
— Big Robb
Why Move From Bottling To Kegging?
Bottling is cheap and beginner friendly.
But kegging has some big advantages.
Kegging can help you:
- package beer faster
- carbonate more easily
- serve beer on draft
- avoid washing a pile of bottles
- dial in carbonation better
- make your homebrew setup feel more like a real draft system
Do you need kegging to make good beer?
No.
You can make great beer and bottle it.
But once you get into kegging, it is hard to go back.
Basic Kegging Equipment You Need
To keg beer at home, you need a few core pieces of equipment.
At minimum, you need:
- Cornelius keg
- CO2 tank
- CO2 regulator
- gas line with disconnect
- beer line, disconnects and picnic tap/faucet
- a way to keep the keg cold
Let’s walk through the setup.
Cornelius Kegs
Cornelius kegs, also called Corny kegs, are the standard keg used by homebrewers.
Most homebrewers use five-gallon ball lock kegs.
They are:
- reusable
- durable
- easy to clean
- easy to carbonate in
- perfect for five-gallon batches
My Recommendation
Cornelius Ball Lock Keg
Why I Recommend It:
- standard homebrew keg size
- easy to clean
- easy to use
- works with most homebrew kegging setups
CO2 Tank
You need CO2 to carbonate and serve your beer.
Most homebrewers start with a five-pound CO2 tank.
A five-pound tank is a good size because it is:
- not too big
- not too small
- easy to move
- enough for most homebrewers
My Recommendation
5 lb CO2 Tank
Why I Recommend It:
- good beginner size
- works for most homebrew setups
- easy to store
- easy to refill or exchange
CO2 Regulator
A regulator controls the pressure coming out of your CO2 tank.
This is not something I would cheap out on.
A bad regulator can make kegging frustrating fast.
You need a regulator so you can:
- carbonate your beer
- serve your beer
- control pressure
- avoid over-carbonation
My Recommendation
CO2 Regulator
Why I Recommend It:
- lets you control serving pressure
- helps dial in carbonation
- important for consistent kegging
Gas Line
Your kegging system needs gas line to carry CO2 from your CO2 tank and regulator to the keg.
You want proper draft beverage tubing that is made for kegging systems.
My Recommendation
Gas Line with Disconnect
Why I Recommend It:
– required for kegging
– carries CO2 to the keg
– simple to install
– works with standard homebrew kegging setups
Beer Line, Disconnect & Picnic Tap
On the beer side, I recommend keeping things simple.
Instead of buying the beer line, liquid disconnect, and picnic tap separately, you can buy them together as one setup.
This makes things easier because you get:
– beer line
– liquid disconnect
– picnic tap / beer faucet
all ready to go together.
Picnic taps are the easiest and cheapest way to serve beer from a keg.
This is what I use with my current chest freezer setup.
They are not fancy.
They are not beautiful.
But they work.
If you are just getting into kegging, this is a great place to start.
My Recommendation
Beer Line, Liquid Disconnect & Picnic Tap Kit
Why I Recommend It:
– simple beginner serving setup
– includes the beer line
– includes the liquid disconnect
– includes the picnic tap / faucet
– cheaper than building a full tap system
– works well with fridge and freezer kegging setups
How To Keep Your Kegs Cold
Once you have your kegging equipment, you need a way to keep the beer cold.
There are three common options.
Option 1: Use A Fridge You Already Own
This is how I got started with kegging.
If you already have an extra fridge, beer fridge, garage fridge, or bar fridge, you may be able to use it as a simple kegging setup.
You can also buy a small bar fridge specifically for this purpose if you want a basic one-keg setup without jumping into a full kegerator or chest freezer conversion.
Personally, I started with a small bar fridge, one Cornelius keg, a five-pound CO2 tank, and a picnic tap.
Depending on the size of the fridge, you may need to remove shelves or door racks to make room for the keg and CO2 tank.
The biggest advantage is cost.
If you already have a fridge, this can be one of the cheapest ways to start kegging.
If you don’t already have one, a bar fridge can still be a simple entry-level option for getting one keg pouring at home.
Recommended Gear For This Setup
Bar Fridge
Cornelius Keg
5 lb CO2 Tank
CO2 Regulator
Picnic Tap, Beer Line, Disconnect
Gas Line with Disconnect
Option 2: Chest Freezer Conversion
This is what I use today.
My current setup uses a chest freezer and picnic taps.
For many homebrewers, this is the sweet spot between cost, flexibility, and performance.
A chest freezer gives you more space than a small fridge, and when you add an Inkbird temperature controller, you can control the serving temperature.
Why I Like This Setup
A freezer conversion gives you:
- room for multiple kegs
- better temperature control
- more room to expand
- a simple draft beer setup
- good value for the money
My Recommendation
Chest Freezer
Inkbird Temperature Controller
Picnic Taps
Why I Recommend It:
- this is similar to what I use
- simple setup
- good capacity
- easy to expand later
- keeps kegging affordable
Option 3: Kegerator
A kegerator is the polished, purpose-built option.
If you want something cleaner looking and ready to go, a kegerator can be a great choice.
A kegerator usually gives you:
- built-in draft tower
- faucet taps
- clean appearance
- easy serving
- dedicated draft beer setup
The downside?
They usually cost more than using a fridge or freezer conversion.
But if you want the cleanest setup, a kegerator is hard to beat.
My Recommendation
Single Tap Kegerator
Dual Tap Kegerator
Why I Recommend Them:
- clean finished look
- purpose-built for draft beer
- easier serving
- great for garage bars and home bars
My Recommended Kegging Path
If I were starting from scratch, this is the path I would follow:
Step 1:
Start with one keg, one CO2 tank, one regulator, and a picnic tap.
Step 2:
Use a fridge you already own if possible.
Step 3:
Upgrade to a chest freezer conversion when you want more space.
Step 4:
Move to a kegerator if you want a polished draft beer setup.
You do not need to buy everything at once.
Start simple.
Upgrade when it makes sense.
Kegging vs Kegerator: What’s The Difference?
Kegging means putting your beer into a keg instead of bottles.
A kegerator is just one way to keep that keg cold and serve it.
You can keg beer without owning a kegerator.
You can use:
- a fridge
- a bar fridge
- a chest freezer
- a purpose-built kegerator
That’s why I usually recommend people start simple first.
What I Would Buy First
If you are tired of bottling and want to get into kegging, this is where I would start:
- Cornelius keg
- 5 lb CO2 tank
- CO2 regulator
- Gas line with disconnect
- Beer line, liquid disconnect & picnic tap kit
- Fridge or freezer to keep the keg cold
– Bar fridge
– Chest freezer & Inkbird - Keggerator
– Single tap
– Dual tap
That setup will get you serving draft beer at home without overcomplicating things.
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Recommended Kegerator & Kegging Products Summary
Cornelius Keg:
Cornelius Ball Lock Keg
CO2 Tank:
5 lb CO2 Tank
CO2 Regulator:
CO2 Regulator
Gas Line:
Gas Line with Disconnect
Beer Line:
Draft Beer Line, Disconnect, Picnic Tap/Beer Faucet
Fridge Setup:
Bar Fridge
Chest Freezer Setup:
Chest Freezer
Temperature Controller:
Inkbird Temperature Controller
Kegerator:
– Single tap
– Dual tap
Final Advice
Kegging does not have to be complicated.
Start with the basics.
Get one keg pouring.
Use a picnic tap.
Use a fridge or freezer if you already have one.
Then upgrade later if you want something more polished.
That’s how I’d do it.
Cheers,
Big Robb
Make Beer Easy
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