I got a call from my folks tonight. Among other things, my mother put in a request for a batch of sugar free root beer for the next time they come down to visit their grand-daughter. I explained to her my situation with the carbonating hardware, namely that what I have is broken and didn't do such a good job to begin with, and that I'm saving up money to get the real thing.
She then mentioned that I have a birthday coming up and that I was to add $100 to my budget and that, if possible, I was to have the hardware by then to make her requested batch. :)
So, now, I've got a $285 budget.
I've done a bit of research and have an updated cost list:
- This Fridge converter kit is $150 shipped. Purchased.
- These 3 gallon kegs will work with the above kit, and fit in almost any mini fridge. Purchased. (Although, my friend Dave is probably going to buy one of the two from me.) Also available are the far more common, and therefore cheaper, 5 gallon kegs that are much taller and harder to fit in a fridge. I'm going to stick with the 3 gallon kegs for now.
- Speaking of fridges, I own, but do not currently have posession of, a mini fridge that is big enough to fit the 3 gallon kegs, but not the far cheaper 5 gallon kegs. If I want a fridge that will fit the 5 gallon kegs, Costco has them for $150 but they can be had used for probably less than $100.
Going with the 3 gallon kegs, and the fridge I already own, the total cost is now $270! $210, if I sell one of the kegs to Dave! This is in my budget! Yeah! If I sell the second keg to Dave, I'll have enough money to purchase a second faucet... for the second keg I just sold.. Hmm..
Later, if I decide to, I can get a bigger fridge and move the keggerator parts to it and start using larger kegs without having wasted anything, except a mini fridge that I haven't been otherwise using anyway.
So, yeah. More root beer recipes are coming. This makes me happy. :)