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Kegerator and keezer conversion guide for homebrew kegs

Kegerator and keezer conversion guide: fridge vs chest freezer, collar builds, ball lock kits, controllers, CO2 placement, line length and safety checks.

Updated November 2026 · 7 min read

A homemade keezer with four faucets in a wooden collar
Photo: Wheeler Cowperthwaite, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr
The short version
  • A kegerator conversion turns a fridge into a tap system; a keezer does the same with a chest freezer and a temperature controller.
  • Homebrew kegs are ball lock (or pin lock) corny kegs. Commercial Sankey kegs need a D-system coupler, which homebrew kits often leave out.
  • Never drill a chest freezer’s walls: BYO warns they are full of refrigerant lines. Build a wooden collar instead.
  • Run the freezer through an external controller with its own thermostat set to the lowest setting, so the controller does the work.
  • CO2 cylinders go upright and secured, always behind a regulator, and a CO2 monitor makes sense in a small room or basement.

A kegerator and keezer conversion is the most common upgrade once you get tired of washing bottles. You need a cold box, a CO2 cylinder with a regulator, gas and beer lines, disconnects for your kegs and faucets to pour from. The question is which cold box: a purpose-built homebrew kegerator, a converted fridge or a chest freezer with a collar.

This guide compares the three routes from maker listings and published build guides (BYO, Kegco, the Brewers Association draught manual), lists the parts and walks through a keezer build. We did not build these units; follow your appliance manual and the instructions that come with each kit.

Kegerator, fridge conversion or keezer?

Three ways to get cold beer on tap

Homebrew kegeratorConverted fridgeKeezer (chest freezer + collar)
Work involved✓ Arrives ready; add kegs and gas~ Drill the door or top for shanks or a tower~ Build and seal a collar, add a controller
Keg capacity~ Listing-dependent (Kegco HBK309S-2K: up to three 5 gal kegs)~ Depends on shelf and hump layout✓ Usually the most kegs per dollar of floor space
Temperature control✓ Built in (Kegco lists 32–75°F on the HBK309S-2K)~ Fridge thermostat or an external controller✗ Needs an external controller or it will freeze the beer
Lifting kegs✓ Front door✓ Front door✗ Lift over the collar (lower with a collar on the lid)
Doubles as a fermentation chamber✓ Kegco lists dispense or ferment✓ With a dual-stage controller✓ With a dual-stage controller
Main riskBall lock only out of the boxCooling lines in the cut area: check the manualRefrigerant lines in the freezer walls: never drill them

Source: Kegco listings; BYO keezer collar build

If you want the least work, a homebrew kegerator with ball lock fittings is the plug-and-pour option. If you already own a fridge, a conversion kit with a door-mount or tower faucet is the budget path. If you want four or more taps, a keezer usually wins. The budget builder lets you list each route with your own prices.

Parts list for a kegerator conversion

  • Kegs: 5 gal (19 L) ball lock corny kegs are the homebrew standard; 2.5 gal kegs fit small fridges.
  • CO2 cylinder: 5 lb is the common size. Many ship empty; fill or swap it at a gas supplier.
  • Regulator: dual gauge (tank pressure and output). Taprite lists a safety blow-off at about 55–60 psi on its dual-gauge regulator.
  • Gas and beer lines with ball lock disconnects (gas-in gray, liquid-out black on most kits).
  • Faucets and shanks (door mount) or a tower. Forward-sealing faucets such as Perlick, Intertap or Nukatap are less prone to sticking.
  • Controller for any freezer or for tighter control of a fridge.
  • Coupler only if you will tap commercial kegs: most US commercial kegs use a D-system Sankey coupler, which a ball lock kit does not include.
Close-up of a beer faucet body and shutter seen from the back
Faucets, shanks and lines are the core parts of a conversion.Photo: Cwh, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Faucets

Faucet choice comes down to forward-sealing versus standard rear-sealing designs and whether you want flow control. See the parts in the kegging and draft category.

How to build a keezer, step by step

These steps follow the BYO keezer collar build and the general draught practice in the Brewers Association manual. They are a summary, not a substitute for your freezer’s manual.

Inside a keezer: a keg, CO2 cylinder and regulator in a chest freezer with a wooden collar
Inside: keg, CO2 cylinder and regulator under the collar.Photo: Matybsas, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  1. Choose and measure the freezer

    Measure the floor and the compressor hump. Corny kegs are about 8.5 in. (22 cm) across; sketch how many fit, with room for the CO2 cylinder or plan to mount it outside.

  2. Lock the hinges before removing the lid

    BYO warns that spring-assisted lid hinges must be locked before you remove them, to avoid injury.

  3. Build the collar

    BYO’s build used thinned 2×8 lumber sealed with polyurethane and insulated with 1.5 in. foam board; the author’s first pine collar warped and was rebuilt in cedar. Attach it to the freezer body (easier) or to the lid (less lifting over the collar).

  4. Seal it

    Set the collar on caulk, secure it with cleats and caulk the inside seam so condensation cannot wick underneath.

  5. Drill only the collar

    Mount shanks through the wood. BYO: “Do not attempt to drill holes in the freezer wall because it is riddled with refrigerant lines.” Use mounting tape or brackets inside instead. BYO found 3 in. shanks fit better than 4 in. ones.

  6. Add a controller

    Plug the freezer into an external controller and set the freezer’s own thermostat to its lowest setting so the controller governs temperature. A plug-in controller avoids new wiring; BYO says to consult an electrician if you are not comfortable with electrical work.

    Inkbird ITC-308 Dual-Stage Temperature Controller, 110VInkbird ITC-308 Wi-Fi Dual-Stage Temperature Controller, 110V
  7. Plan gas and beer lines

    BYO plans about 10 ft of 3/16 in. beverage line per tap at 10–12 psi. Too short a line pours foam at carbonation pressure; see line cleaning and balancing.

    Kegco 5 ft 3/16 in. Beer Line with Hex Nut
  8. Secure the CO2 cylinder

    Keep it upright and strapped, inside or on the back of the unit, always connected through the regulator. Leak-check every fitting with soapy water before filling kegs.

  9. Pressure-test, then carbonate

    Pressurize an empty keg, spray the fittings and watch for bubbles. Then set pressure from the keg carbonation chart and give it time.

Carbonation and serving pressure

Once the box holds temperature, carbonation is a pressure setting. The chart below gives sea-level psi by beer temperature and target volumes, using the formula checked against BYO. Read more in how to keg homebrew and carbonation explained.

Keg pressure (psi, sea level) by beer temperature and target CO2 volumes

Beer temp1.8 vol2.0 vol2.2 vol2.4 vol2.6 vol2.8 vol3.0 vol3.2 vol
32°F 0°C1.63.55.47.39.211.012.914.8
34°F 1.1°C2.34.36.38.210.212.114.116.0
36°F 2.2°C3.15.17.29.211.213.315.317.3
38°F 3.3°C3.96.08.110.212.314.416.518.6
40°F 4.4°C4.76.89.011.213.415.517.719.8
42°F 5.6°C5.57.710.012.214.416.718.921.1
44°F 6.7°C6.38.610.913.215.517.820.122.4
46°F 7.8°C7.19.511.814.216.619.021.323.7
48°F 8.9°C7.910.412.815.317.720.122.625.0
50°F 10°C8.711.313.816.318.821.323.826.3
52°F 11.1°C9.612.214.817.319.922.525.127.6
54°F 12.2°C10.413.115.718.421.123.726.329.0
56°F 13.3°C11.314.016.719.522.224.927.630.3

Formula: PSI = −16.6999 − 0.0101059·T + 0.00116512·T² + 0.173354·T·V + 4.24267·V − 0.0684226·V². Checked against the BYO grid (40°F and 2.4 vol: 11.19 psi by formula, 11.2 psi on the chart). Regulator gauges read relative to local air pressure. BYO notes that Denver needs about 3 psi over the sea-level chart; add roughly 0.5 psi per 1,000 ft. Sources: BYO: Carbonation priming chart; Brewer's Friend: Force carbonation chart; Brewers Association: Draught Beer Quality Manual.

CO2 and electrical safety in a home kegerator

Kegco’s CO2 guidance: keep the cylinder upright and fastened, store it in a cool spot (around 70°F) away from heat, never connect a cylinder straight to a keg without a regulator, and check the DOT test date stamped on the neck. Kegco says not to use a cylinder whose test date is more than five years old and to return it to the gas supplier. If you get a headache and feel short of breath near the unit, close the cylinder valve and leave the room.

CO2 is heavier than air and collects low, as BYO’s safety article notes. In a basement or small room, a CO2 monitor with an alarm is cheap insurance.

CO2 cylinders and pressureKeep cylinders upright and secured, and always use a CO2-rated regulator (US CO2 tanks use the CGA 320 valve fitting); never connect a cylinder straight to a keg. Store tanks cool and away from heat. CO2 displaces oxygen and collects low: ventilate, close the tank valve and leave the room if a tank leaks. Never exceed a fermenter’s or keg’s rated pressure.Source: Kegco: Everything you need to know about CO2; OSHA hazard bulletin on CO2
Electric brewing: GFCI and a licensed electricianPlug 120V and 240V systems only into a GFCI-protected circuit of the type the manual calls for, with no extension cords. A 1600 W system on 120V draws about 13.3 A (W ÷ V), close to a 15 A circuit’s limit. Have a licensed electrician install any new circuit, 120V or 240V.Source: Anvil Foundry manual (GFCI protection for 240V hookups); W ÷ V arithmetic

The freezer itself should plug directly into a grounded outlet, not an extension cord, and any wiring inside a collar should be a plug-in controller or work done by an electrician.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Drilling the freezer walls or lid liner. Refrigerant lines run through them; drill only your wooden collar.
  • Running a freezer without a controller. It will freeze the beer and can split lines.
  • Short beer lines. Foamy pours at the right pressure usually mean the line is too short, not that the pressure is too high.
  • Buying a ball lock kit for commercial kegs. You need a D-system coupler for most US commercial kegs.
  • A loose cylinder. Strap it upright; a falling cylinder can damage the valve.
  • Skipping leak checks. A slow leak empties a tank overnight and fills a small room with CO2.

Who should pick which setup?

Pick a homebrew kegerator if you want two or three taps without tools. Pick a fridge conversion if you have a spare fridge and want one or two taps on the door. Pick a keezer if you want four or more taps, plan to lager in kegs, and do not mind lifting kegs over a collar. All three can double as a fermentation chamber with a dual-stage controller, which is handy for lager brewing. More gear in the switching to kegs hub.

Know what’s in the glassHomebrew is often stronger than commercial beer. One US standard drink is 14 g of alcohol: 12 oz of 5% beer or 5 oz of 12% wine. Brewing and drinking are for adults 21 and over; never drink and drive.Source: NIAAA: What is a standard drink?

Gear picks for this guide: best kegerators for homebrew and best beer faucets.

Keg carbonation chart and PSI calculatorKeg carbonation chart and calculator: regulator PSI by beer temperature and CO2 volumes, with an altitude…Homebrew startup budget builderAdd up what it costs to start homebrewing with your own prices: 1-gallon kit, 5-gallon extract or a 120V or…

Questions

What is the difference between a kegerator and a keezer?
A kegerator is an upright fridge built or converted to hold kegs with faucets on the door or a tower. A keezer is a chest freezer with a wooden collar for the faucets and an external controller that keeps it at serving temperature instead of freezing.
Can I drill into my chest freezer for faucets?
Not into the freezer walls or lid liner: BYO warns they carry refrigerant lines. Build a wooden collar and mount shanks through it.
How long should beer lines be in a kegerator?
BYO’s keezer build plans about 10 ft of 3/16 in. line per tap at 10–12 psi. The right length depends on line type, height and carbonation; the Brewers Association draught manual covers balancing.
Can a homebrew kegerator take commercial kegs?
Only with the right coupler. Ball lock homebrew kits do not include a D-system coupler, which most US commercial kegs use, and the keg must fit the cabinet.
Where should the CO2 tank go?
Upright and secured, inside the unit or strapped to the back, always behind a regulator and away from heat. Ventilate and leave the room if you suspect a leak.
Do I need a temperature controller for a kegerator conversion?
For a chest freezer, yes. For a fridge, the built-in thermostat may hold serving temperature, but a controller gives tighter control and lets the unit work as a fermentation chamber.

Sources

  1. BYO: Chest freezer to kegerator (keezer collar build)
  2. Kegco: Everything you need to know about CO2
  3. Brewers Association: Draught Beer Quality Manual (free PDF)
  4. BYO: Caution, homebrewers at work
  5. BYO: Carbonation priming chart
  6. NIAAA: What is a standard drink?