Ultimate gameroom accesory

[Donkbaca]

For those that want to buy a prefab unit, and also want a kegerator, My buddies from college have started up this company:

www.drinkngame.com

They produce the Arkeg.  Check it out if you have a few minutes

[Mikezilla]

This is glorious. If I had 4 grand lying around, I would totally buy one lol.

[HaRuMaN]

Am I the only one that thinks this is a disaster waiting to happen?

[Donkbaca]

Its solid.  It has a custom designed and built refrigeration unit.  Top notch.  THe only disaster would be the wife constantly being peeved at the drunk men acting like teenagers that are constantly hanging around the house.

[Hurray Banana]

Am I the only one that thinks this is a disaster waiting to happen?

No I've just spent the weekend cleaning up the control panel (especially the trackball) of the bartop I made for my college students because someone spilt coke on it. God knows what a mess beer would make.

[JustMichael]

Am I the only one that thinks this is a disaster waiting to happen?

No I've just spent the weekend cleaning up the control panel (especially the trackball) of the bartop I made for my college students because someone spilt coke on it. God knows what a mess beer would make.

I think coke wouldn't even compare to a sick drunk letting loose!   

[mytymaus007]

Tell your buddies in the option section they should have a fold out mirror to do rails 

[Rick]

That's a slick looking machine.  They could make serious coin with some add-ons.  Like a foam cup distributor, or a chrome ashtray on the opposite side.  The options are ENDLESS!!!

 

[javeryh]

It's a cool idea in theory but I'm OK with walking to the refrigerator to get my beer.  Is there a condensation problem on the inside?  What about cleaning the tubes that feed the nozzle, etc.? 

[HanoiBoi]

I dunno.  I couldn't see much information on the actual refrigeration specs.

Also, what's up with "2.1 surround sound + subwoofer"?  Is 2.1 really 'surround'?  Doesn't the 1 in 2.1 already imply that there's a subwoofer?  I'm assuming there aren't two subs.

Here's my new addition...similar thought, but different implementation.

[javeryh]

I dunno.  I couldn't see much information on the actual refrigeration specs.

Also, what's up with "2.1 surround sound + subwoofer"?  Is 2.1 really 'surround'?  Doesn't the 1 in 2.1 already imply that there's a subwoofer?  I'm assuming there aren't two subs.

Here's my new addition...similar thought, but different implementation.

That thing is awesome - where did you get it and how much did it cost (if you don't mind me asking)?  I'm making all sorts of mental notes for things I want to put in my finished basement and something like this is definitely on the list along with a regular refrigerator - I definitely don't need a kegerator and tap since I'm not a huge drinker but I want to have all sorts of beer available - and cold!

[BadMouth]

Along those lines......

  Last week's project:

1/2 bbl ---> three 1/6 bbl conversion.
Made the tap handles & inserts myself using acrylic picture frames (and of course....wood).  
Also made a tower cooler while I was at it.


HanoiBoi - Awesome cooler (and awesome selection)!  Looks like it was made to go in that spot.

[HanoiBoi]

That thing is awesome - where did you get it and how much did it cost (if you don't mind me asking)?

It wasn't the easiest to find.  Most people I spoke to started the conversation with 'we don't sell residential'.  One company came through for me though.  Feel free to PM me for details.  The unit I got is a little smaller than some because I was limited to the space I wanted it to fit (28"w x 24"d restrictions). The unit itself was about 1K.  Add tax, casters, delivery, etc. and it was a couple hundred more.  Oh...then you've got to fill it.  

Made the tap handles & inserts myself using acrylic picture frames (and of course....wood).  

Nice work on the kegerator.  Mine has a built in shelf for the tank inside, so I could only go with a double tap as it's not worth it to mod.

Your tap markers look great.  I really need to get/do something like that.  Are your labels print outs?  Can you change the labels on each?  

HanoiBoi - Awesome cooler (and awesome selection)!  Looks like it was made to go in that spot.

Thanks!  The space was certainly measured, measured and measured again.  I had to slide a Pachinko machine out of there, but this is definitely an upgrade.  You might be able to tell that I like me some IPA's.  If you've got any favorites that you'd like suggest, I'm all ears.  I only recently discovered that Racer 5... and it's delicious.

[HanoiBoi]

Oops, double post.

Oops, double post.

And I haven't even been in the cooler!

[BadMouth]

Mine has a built in shelf for the tank inside, so I could only go with a double tap as it's not worth it to mod.
Your tap markers look great.  I really need to get/do something like that.  Are your labels print outs?  Can you change the labels on each?  

Mine has the tank inside also, in the back left corner.  It's not really made to hold 3 sixtels, but if something might work, it really motivates me to try it.
The front two kegs are up on a 2x4 to get them to clear the lip at the bottom of the door, otherwise the door wouldn't close (but I knew this before I started since I very professionally worked it all out using paper plates   ).  The door closes solid though and the kegs probably have around 3/4" clearance inside the recess of the front door.

The labels on the tap handles are changeable.  I spent Friday at work making labels using web images and ms paint   ,
then printed them out on photo paper when I got home.
The picture frames are 2.25 x 3.25 fridge magnets from Michael's craft store ($2 each).  Since they are standard wallet size, the stupid "windows photo printing helper" demon thing actually helps more than it hurts in this case.  It allows printing of 9 different labels at once.  To change a label, I just grab the sides of the front edge of the frame and bend it forward until I can reach in and swap labels.  The back of the frame is glued into a recess routed into the tap handle.


(the router splintered the edge of the right one in a couple places)

[mytymaus007]

I dunno.  I couldn't see much information on the actual refrigeration specs.

Also, what's up with "2.1 surround sound + subwoofer"?  Is 2.1 really 'surround'?  Doesn't the 1 in 2.1 already imply that there's a subwoofer?  I'm assuming there aren't two subs.

Here's my new addition...similar thought, but different implementation.


Its a thought but can you do this when you pause your game!

[arkegwhat!]

Hey everyone!
We saw that a few links were coming from over here so wanted to see what got everyone so excited. We love the Arkeg and it's nice to see such a positive reaction. Hopefully you get a chance to play one soon!

To address a few questions: Typically, our customers are beer drinkers, but some are just home entertainers. Regardless, the Arkegs can now serve soda, cocktails, beer or anything you'd like, so if beer isn't your thing, we're sure you'll find something that is. One customer serves nothing but RC Cola, and another, nothing but homebrewed rootbeer!

We designed the trackball and buttons to be as spill friendly as possible. With a 3 month national tour, countless beer festivals and even weekend rentals over the past year, all parts on our floor models/demos are moving just fine.

Condensation isn't a problem inside the kegerator part due to active circulation. If some does occur, the inside is fiberglass and can just be wiped down. Pretty easy.

Thanks for the kind words on our invention, and we look forward to seeing more of your projects!

Cheers,
Brant
Owner

[bratwurst]

Mine has a built in shelf for the tank inside, so I could only go with a double tap as it's not worth it to mod.
Your tap markers look great.  I really need to get/do something like that.  Are your labels print outs?  Can you change the labels on each?  

Mine has the tank inside also, in the back left corner.  It's not really made to hold 3 sixtels, but if something might work, it really motivates me to try it.
The front two kegs are up on a 2x4 to get them to clear the lip at the bottom of the door, otherwise the door wouldn't close (but I knew this before I started since I very professionally worked it all out using paper plates   ).  The door closes solid though and the kegs probably have around 3/4" clearance inside the recess of the front door.

The labels on the tap handles are changeable.  I spent Friday at work making labels using web images and ms paint   ,
then printed them out on photo paper when I got home.
The picture frames are 2.25 x 3.25 fridge magnets from Michael's craft store ($2 each).  Since they are standard wallet size, the stupid "windows photo printing helper" demon thing actually helps more than it hurts in this case.  It allows printing of 9 different labels at once.  To change a label, I just grab the sides of the front edge of the frame and bend it forward until I can reach in and swap labels.  The back of the frame is glued into a recess routed into the tap handle.


(the router splintered the edge of the right one in a couple places)

oh snap! dogfishhead on tap... *DROOOOOOOL*

I've got a DogFish Head Alehouse here in town, wife and I go on occasion.  Love their beer.

[VespaGuy]

Sorry to bump such an old thread, but I didn't see anything recent about the Arkeg.

The two owners were on the television show "Shark Tank" last night, looking for an investment (I don't recall the specifics). The "sharks" (investors) were pretty quick to dismiss them without any offers. The negatives that they cited were that it was too expensive, too dated, and the company had lackluster sales. One of the sharks, Robert, claimed to have purchased a bunch of arcade games for his own "man cave" years ago, picturing all of his buddies hanging out and playing games, only to have the room remain unused for years.

[secret80sman]

I saw the same show last night. Very cool idea but its a novelty and their dreams of getting into big box retailers are just not realistic. They should sell these at stores that sell bar and pool table supplies. They could get some sales there I think.

[kuchta]

I think that a lot of the people that end up on Shark Tank are really just trying to get their product in front of people. While an investment may have been nice, getting millions of people to see their product is huge for promotional purposes. Also, I suspect that many people that watch the show have money to spend and may not have even been aware that full arcade cabinets could be purchased, let alone ones with kegs in them. I bet they will see sales skyrocket (relatively) just from their 5 minutes of airtime. They may even get some sympathy sales for not getting any love from the sharks.

I'm very curious how they were able to license a number of these games though:
http://www.drinkngame.com/game.html

[BadMouth]

I'm very curious how they were able to license a number of these games though:
http://www.drinkngame.com/game.html

I imagine they're using commercially released PC collections.
I know with the Midway collections, the games can be launched individually by their .exes, so they are easy to incorporate into a front end.

That wouldn't fly for commercial use, but since it is for home use and doesn't have a coin mech on it, they are probably clear.
X-arcade control panels come packed with similar greatest arcade hits collections.

EDIT: and where has Donk (the OP) been?  He used to be on here constantly.

[Gray_Area]

...and where has Donk (the OP) been?  He used to be on here constantly.

Yeah, I had to re-look at the date of the original post, cos I always liked Donk's sarcasm. I'd related I was an impassioned groupie, but I didn't get a response. He got a tongue lashing over something several months ago, and he didn't like it, and I think he split because of it.

[kuchta]

I'm very curious how they were able to license a number of these games though:
http://www.drinkngame.com/game.html

I imagine they're using commercially released PC collections.
I know with the Midway collections, the games can be launched individually by their .exes, so they are easy to incorporate into a front end.

That wouldn't fly for commercial use, but since it is for home use and doesn't have a coin mech on it, they are probably clear.
X-arcade control panels come packed with similar greatest arcade hits collections.

Gotcha. That makes sense.