Build Your Nitro Coffee Kegerator Today!

If you've followed the high, wild wave of the cold-brew nitro coffee craze, you'll know that a nitro coffee kegerator is key in bringing this creamy beverage to life.

Better yet. How would you like to build your own? Let's get to it. 

You can thank brewers of beer for the brilliant idea, and brewing technology for making this possible. As you've already guessed, a kegerator is a refrigerator that houses a pressurized keg that usually dispenses draft beer. Bars have used them for years, and now they're being used to dispense other nitro products, such as coffee.

Nitro Coffee Kegerator System

You can buy ready-to-assemble nitrogen kegerator conversion kits. You will have to also order a d-system coupler for your nitro coffee kegerator. Here's one I recommend. These will be the parts you need to set up your kegerator.

If you're a DIY enthusiast who wants to build your own, we've listed each of the components normally found in the conversion kit and what you'll need.

A kegerator is a simple system. All kegerators, regardless of size, have the same basic components in common. 

Aside from the refrigerator, you will need:

Gas

• A nitrogen gas (N2) cylinder ( which you can rent from your local gas supplier )
• A N2 primary regulator
• Air tubing
• Otiker clamps or hose clamps to secure the air tubing to the coupler and regulator.

Kegerator Conversion Kit

• A shank
• A stout faucet ( Stainless Steel )
• A tap handle ( black )
• Ball Lock Couplers 
• Air Line low pressure
• Product Line with Beer Nut and Hose Fitting (5 feet)
• A keg( cornelius keg)

In case you're wondering, the gas in draft beer typically contains roughly 75% nitrogen and 25% carbon dioxide (CO2). It has been discovered that carbon dioxide negatively affects the taste of cold-brewed coffee. It makes it slightly bitter, with a slightly sticky mouthfeel.

Using pure nitrogen gas for nitro coffee dispensed under pressure from a stout faucet, however, gives you the desired creamy mouthfeel, and enough gas to create that pleasing frothy head without the bitterness.

A great pour of the best, most flavorful coffee comes from a refrigerated keg at 30-40 PSI for 24-48 hours before serving.  You're probably asking how can the keg be pressurized that much and pour ok? Well the nitro faucet that is used to dispense the coffee has a restriction plate inside, and to get that " cascadian effect " Pressure needs to be between 30-45 PSI.

Cylinder and Regulator

Anyone familiar with gas at home knows that the regulator dispenses gas at a measured paced from the gas contained under pressure in the cylinder.  Nothing unusual there. What you might be less familiar with is the ball lock coupler. These are used on cornelius kegs for nitro coffee dispensing.

Tubing

The coffee tubing you use has to be able to withstand pressure. Food-grade tubing with a 3/16" inside diameter works best and is available from most home-brewing equipment outlets. It is purchased by the foot and has the advantage of being oxidation-resistant, and resistant to chemicals and bacteria.

Stout Faucet

The ideal faucet used for pouring nitro coffee on draft is made from stainless steel components. It is worth paying extra for quality. Cheap chrome-plated alternatives do not last and can alter the flavor of the nitro coffee over time.

Stout faucets are better than ordinary beer faucets because they have what are called restrictor plates. These have the effect of increasing the pressure exerted on the nitrogen and coffee at the moment you pour it, and give it the fine bubbles responsible for that creamy taste.

Refrigerator

Any functioning refrigerator will be fine for housing your keg. Most homemade kegerators simply use an old refrigerator that is large enough to place a keg in.

Some extra room is needed inside for the connections, and you might need to ensure that the insulating tubing around the fridge doors is still intact. If not, it's best to replace it. After all, the idea is to have cold coffee!

Temperature control plays an important role in determining the quality and flavor of the cold-brew coffee, so the refrigerator you use to make your kegerator has to be able to maintain a constant low temperature. Other than that, you don't have to fuss too much about this aspect.

Many people use a half-size bar fridge. Others convert a bottom-mount fridge-freezer (freezer on bottom) so that they can store iced glasses in the freezer compartment. That's a nice-to-have option, especially if you're going to place your nitro coffee kegerator in a social entertainment area in your home.

Choice of Keg Size

Kegs for your nitro coffee setup are available in5.0-gallon sizes. The only limiting factor here is the size of your fridge. The best option is a cornelius keg, which is pictured above.

It comes in a 5 gallon size. You can get used ones that are refurbished or brand new ones. Cornelius kegs are great for Nitro coffee and other products that can be dispensed.

Tools for the Kegerator Conversion

Tool requirements are minimal:

• 7/8-inch metal hole saw
• Power drill
• Slotted (flathead) screwdriver
• Adjustable wrench
• Hex wrench

Let the Nitro Coffee Kegerator Games Begin!

Fit the 7/8 hole saw bit to your power drill.

Measure where, in relation to the position of the keg in your fridge, you would like to locate your faucet.

While many drill the hole for the shank through the front door of the fridge, others fit the shank and the faucet on the side, so that they do not interfere with the freezer door of either a top-mount or bottom-mount fridge freezer. 

If you're using a small bar fridge for your kegerator, you might want to drill the hole in the top of the fridge. It's a matter of personal preference. If you do drill the hole in the top, be sure that the shank is long enough to accommodate a faucet tower to enable easy pouring into a large glass.

The hole should bore right through the outer metal casing of the fridge and the insulation and plastic interior coating.

Before you start drilling, make sure that you are not going to drill through any coils within the fridge wall. These are normally located at the back. It is common sense, really, but worth mentioning all the same!

You're Ready to Connect the Conversion Kit

• Put the shank through the hole and use a hex screw to tighten it.
• Attach the stout faucet to the outside, and tighten it with your adjustable wrench. Your kegerator conversion kit or stout faucet might come with a special faucet wrench. 
• Attach the liquid line hex connections to the back end of the shank, and the other end to the top of the keg coupler. Tighten both with a hex wrench, or monkey wrench.
• Thread the hose clamps on to the gas line.
• Attach the gas line to the keg coupler hose fitting on one end and the regulator on the other.
• Tighten the hose clamps with the slotted screwdriver well. You do not want leakage! 

Before you do all the above, make sure that your stout faucet and your regulator switch are in the OFF position before setting up your N2 (nitrogen).

Connecting the N2 to the Keg and the Keg to the Product Line

The N2 primary regulator needs to be attached to the gas bottle so that the pressure coming out of the gas bottle and into the keg can be adjusted. Do this by inserting the nozzle into the stem of the gas bottle and tighten the nut as much as you can by hand, and then use the adjustable wrench to tighten until very firm.

The regulator should have a range of measurements low enough for you to adjust to between 30 and 40 psi. This is the pressure range that seems to work best for nitro coffee.

Many people store their N2 gas bottle inside their fridge together with the keg if there is space.

Take the gas line ball lock and fit it to the in-post of the keg. You need to pull up the collar while pressing down on the fitting. It should simply lock into place with a firm click. Once clicked in place, test that it is secure by giving it and upwards tug.

Your keg should already have its cold brew coffee in it, and the lid should be firmly shut. Pressurizing the keg is achieved by opening the main shut-off valve on the gas bottle (usually by turning counter-clockwise).

Then, open the N2 regulator shut-off valve so that it is parallel with the gas line. Now you can install the liquid line by attaching the ball lock fitting on the liquid line (the out-post) to the keg. You will see that liquid immediately "runs up the line," as it should.

The last thing to do it pull the pressure release valve on the keg for a couple of seconds to release any air that may still be in there, and then close it. At this point, you can give the keg a shake to "condition" the nitro coffee brew in it, or leave it for a couple of hours to condition further.

Drink To Your Good Work

If you have followed all the steps above, your nitro coffee kegerator should be working fine. By now, you should be sitting down with friends or family enjoying your excellent homemade nitro cold brew coffee.

If that's not the case, please feel free to contact me if you have any questioins.