Reviewed: Danby #DKC146SLDB Keg Cooler
At $439.99 CDN (Costco.ca), Danby’s #DKC146SLDB Keg Cooler is well-positioned to compete with do-it-yourself kegerators, sans the drilling and cutting.
Everything needed for a direct connection to a standard keg — lines, keg coupler, single-gauge regulator, CO2 tank (unfilled) and bracket, tower, tap and drip tray — are included.
The build quality is average. The outer shell is composed of plastic, while the door is “stainless steel look”, which looks nice, but dents easily. Castors are supplied to keep the unit mobile.
Assembly takes about an hour. The instructions need improvement – the visual guides are sometimes illegible. Follow the written instructions carefully though, and you shouldn’t have any trouble.
All parts were included and fit precisely.
After completing assembly, you’ll want to get yourself a keg – or two – and fill the CO2 tank.
The guinea pig was a 20 litre keg of Crazy Canuck Pale Ale from Great Lakes Brewery ($75 + $20 deposit).
Carbon dioxide was sourced for the 5lb tank at Dry Ice & Gases Co. in Etobicoke for $23.
Per the instructions, connect the regulator to the CO2 tank, run the hose to the keg coupler, string the second hose from the tap to
the keg coupler and connect. Before tapping the keg it’s recommended to let the keg sit for 24 hours to reach proper temp (you’ll want to do a little research on temperature in relation to beer style).
The target was about 3-4° C. Upon tapping the keg, you’ll want to let it fill completely with CO2. Also note, the CO2 regulator does include a gauge indicating the current charge of the tank.
Since there is no temp. display in the unit, purchasing an inexpensive digital thermometer is a good call. This allows measuring the temperature of the dispensed beer and inside the fridge (fill a glass of water, let sit for an hour, then measure with thermometer).
The instructions recommend setting the CO2 regulator between 8-10 PSI, but 3-4 PSI seems to be best after testing and tweaking.
Initial impressions were worrisome- All of the first pours were mainly foam. This is likely due to the beer being too warm. Make sure you’ve let the keg sit long enough to reach target temperature. There was still too much foam after reaching the desired temperature, so the the pressure was dial down to approximately 3-4 PSI as noted above. This yieled a much better pour with much more controllable foam for a good 1.5″ head.
Since there is no temperature readout in the fridge, I purchased a digital thermometer. This allows me to measure the temperature of the dispensed beer, and also to get an accurate reading on the inside of the fridge (fill a glass of water, let sit, then measure with thermometer).
The fridge itself operates quietly. Both outer sides of the fridge heat up substantially during operation. The tap pours smoothly, but make sure to employ the drip tray beneath as you may get a few drops after closing the tap.
With everything fully tweaked, you should be presented with a good pour with a proper amount of head (1.5″ or so) as long as you follow a recommended pouring procedure.
The #DKC146SLDB easily accepts a dual tower conversion – two 20l kegs easily fit inside . The tap handle is also replaceable with any standard 3/8” threaded handle. Additionally, you can convert this unit to be used solely as a fridge if needed, using the two included metal racks.
A 12-month on-site warranty is provided, with an additional 2 months if you register online.
Pros: All parts provided, quiet operation, good warranty, attractive design, converts to standard mini-fridge.
Cons: Tweaking of temperature and PSI may be needed, poorly illustrated instructions.
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Beer Gear – Vol. 2 Issue 1 – Summer Edition 2013 →
Beer Gear – Vol. 1 Issue 4 →
