19L portable set up

[Chap]

Hi all,

So Christmas is fast approaching and I’m going visit the families (SWMBO and mine) and looking at some sort of portable setup for 2x 19L kegs. We’ll be away for a week, and power is accessible, so either powered or ice cooling is fine. I can’t seem to get hold of any 300ml pipe, but I do have some 225mm pvc. I’m somewhat handy and a sparky by trade if that’s helps any suggestions.
If anyone can let me know of a decent way to keep the beer cold at a relatively low cost point, and even better post some pics, It’d be very much appreciated by me and the extended family [emoji16][emoji482]

Cheers
Chap

 

[adoom]

I’ve seen a couple of options lately.

First was an icebox made from insulated panel. Sturdy enough that the taps were mounted to the lid and made secure with latches and padlocks. Wasn’t completely water tight, but the ice lasted the entire trip.

Second was just an Eski with the length of line run through the ice slurry. Too much drinking may see your beer get warm, but at least it makes use of the line length to slow the pour and you don’t have to worry about keeping the bulky kegs cold.

 

[laxation]

1. put them in an esky and keep ice in it. Freeze ice in your folks' fridge then smash it up, so it's free

2. buy a chiller plate or SS coil and make a jockey box

3. Buy a cheap fridge off gumtree and bring it with you

What were you planning on doing with the pvc pipe?

 

[Indian Giver]

I'm getting some 6L kegs, which I plan in putting in an esky and filing from my regular 19L ones. Not sure if it helps you, but it'd mean only keeping smaller kegs cold and leaving the biggies at room temp.

 

[Lionman]

I take a 19L keg camping. I have an ice box that fits the keg and a couple of bags of ice and a 400g gas bottle with reg perfectly. I then run a picnic tap out the drain hole of the ice box and stand it on its end with the drain hole pointing up. Its effectively a retractable beer tap and works a treat. We usually have plastic cup over it between pours to keep the dust off the tap.

You never need to open the ice box so it stays cold for a couple of weeks, not that the beer lasts that long. It's a pretty expensive Evakool ice box that someone left at my house, but you could use a polyethylene one to the same effect and you can get them a bit cheaper.

This factory second Evakool is pretty good value. They are normally $400 from BCF. The advantage of this method is that you can also use the ice box as a normal esky too when not needing to dispense beer away from home. Just don't lose the bung for the drain plug.

https://www.evakool.com/icekool-85-litre-polyethelene-icebox-second

Internal Dimensions 785mm x 330mm x 340mm

Corny dimensions, 210mm x 640mm

Evakool are great ice boxes. Australian made and parts are readily available.

 

[Abird89]

Hi all,

So Christmas is fast approaching and I’m going visit the families (SWMBO and mine) and looking at some sort of portable setup for 2x 19L kegs. We’ll be away for a week, and power is accessible, so either powered or ice cooling is fine. I can’t seem to get hold of any 300ml pipe, but I do have some 225mm pvc. I’m somewhat handy and a sparky by trade if that’s helps any suggestions.
If anyone can let me know of a decent way to keep the beer cold at a relatively low cost point, and even better post some pics, It’d be very much appreciated by me and the extended family [emoji16][emoji482]

Cheers
Chap

I’ve got some pipe left over from my project. Located in Western Sydney if that helps

 

[Chap]

Hi all,

Thanks for your suggesitons.

an icebox made from insulated panel.
an Eski with the length of line run through the ice slurry.

I'd love to have a cool room box. I have seen these, but the panels seem harder to find than 300mm pipe. If I ever find some this is what i'll be doing for the long term. Esky with line through the slurry seems like a jockey box set up. Not a bad option, but I'm trying to keep the total footprint to a minimum due to a dual cab ute and Christmas presents up to wazhoo.

I'm getting some 6L kegs, which I plan in putting in an esky and filing from my regular 19L ones. Not sure if it helps you, but it'd mean only keeping smaller kegs cold and leaving the biggies at room temp.

I have a 5L minikeg at the moment and I've tried this method before, but on day 2 after the 10th litre is done, the final 10 takes forever to cool in the fridge.

1. put them in an esky and keep ice in it. Freeze ice in your folks' fridge then smash it up, so it's free
2. buy a chiller plate or SS coil and make a jockey box
3. Buy a cheap fridge off gumtree and bring it with you

What were you planning on doing with the pvc pipe?

option 1 seems to be the best option. 2 and 3, as above, trying to keep the smallest footprint possible.

With the pipe, 300mm will fit a 19L corny with room for ice around it. I have seen either here or another forum some peeps put an end cap on a length with enough room to fit the keg and hose, built a hinged top to go on top and a font with a tap. Pretty sweet little set up with a minimal footprint.

I’ve got some pipe left over from my project. Located in Western Sydney if that helps

Unfortunately I'm in Ipswich QLD

I take a 19L keg camping. I have an ice box that fits the keg and a couple of bags of ice and a 400g gas bottle with reg perfectly. I then run a picnic tap out the drain hole of the ice box and stand it on its end with the drain hole pointing up. Its effectively a retractable beer tap and works a treat. We usually have plastic cup over it between pours to keep the dust off the tap.

You never need to open the ice box so it stays cold for a couple of weeks, not that the beer lasts that long. It's a pretty expensive Evakool ice box that someone left at my house, but you could use a polyethylene one to the same effect and you can get them a bit cheaper.

This factory second Evakool is pretty good value. They are normally $400 from BCF. The advantage of this method is that you can also use the ice box as a normal esky too when not needing to dispense beer away from home. Just don't lose the bung for the drain plug.

https://www.evakool.com/icekool-85-litre-polyethelene-icebox-second

Internal Dimensions 785mm x 330mm x 340mm

Corny dimensions, 210mm x 640mm

Evakool are great ice boxes. Australian made and parts are readily available.

This seems to be the best short term option until I can source some 300 pipe or cool room panels. Thanks for the link and dimension details. Unless I get some offers for some pipe, coolroom panels or other ideas soon I think this will be the way to go.

Thanks for your input guys!

Cheers
Chap.

 

[pirateagenda]

here's mine - found the panels on a bowling club demo. you could do it out of eps insulation and glue some ply or other lining material to it. have used it a few times. ran out of beer before it gets warm.

https://aussiehomebrewer.com/threads/budget-porta-keg-setup.96820/

 

[Chap]

here's mine - found the panels on a bowling club demo. you could do it out of eps insulation and glue some ply or other lining material to it. have used it a few times. ran out of beer before it gets warm.

https://aussiehomebrewer.com/threads/budget-porta-keg-setup.96820/

I love this as a portable setup. I’ll be doing this when I can get hold of some panels. Any more pics for future reference?

 

[fdsaasdf]

plenty of 300mm pipe available within an hour's drive of you e.g. https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/springbrook/building-materials/300mm-stormwater-pipe-x-6m/1199087161

 

[Abird89]

Just ask on gumtree or local Facebook groups. You’ll find a builder with some off cuts

 

[pirateagenda]

Yeah just look on gumtree. Youll find some for $20 a m2 or so eventually

 

[Chap]

Thanks guys, I’ll have a look tonight and see what I can find

 

[Abird89]

This is what I did (not my pic though, painted mine blue)

 

[StaubBrewing]

I take a 19L keg camping. I have an ice box that fits the keg and a couple of bags of ice and a 400g gas bottle with reg perfectly. I then run a picnic tap out the drain hole of the ice box and stand it on its end with the drain hole pointing up. Its effectively a retractable beer tap and works a treat. We usually have plastic cup over it between pours to keep the dust off the tap.

You never need to open the ice box so it stays cold for a couple of weeks, not that the beer lasts that long. It's a pretty expensive Evakool ice box that someone left at my house, but you could use a polyethylene one to the same effect and you can get them a bit cheaper.

This factory second Evakool is pretty good value. They are normally $400 from BCF. The advantage of this method is that you can also use the ice box as a normal esky too when not needing to dispense beer away from home. Just don't lose the bung for the drain plug.

https://www.evakool.com/icekool-85-litre-polyethelene-icebox-second

Internal Dimensions 785mm x 330mm x 340mm

Corny dimensions, 210mm x 640mm

Evakool are great ice boxes. Australian made and parts are readily available.

This sounds great for camping. What do you mean by retractable beer tap? And did the tap thread go perfectly into the drain hole thread? Thanks

 

[Chap]

This is what I did (not my pic though, painted mine blue)

These are the ones I’ve seen! I was going to/may still make pending what material I get hold of first (pipe or cool room panels).

How do u keep the kegs gassed in these? Is the bottle on the inside or out?

 

[Abird89]

These are the ones I’ve seen! I was going to/may still make pending what material I get hold of first (pipe or cool room panels).

How do u keep the kegs gassed in these? Is the bottle on the inside or out?

Idea is to use mini bulbs or sodastream cylinder and have it on the inside

 

[Lionman]

What do you mean by retractable beer tap? And did the tap thread go perfectly into the drain hole thread?

Its a plastic picnic tap on a length of beer line. You can pull the line through the hole, pour a beer, then push the line back into the hole, hence 'retractable'. Its super simple solution, nothing fancy.

The 400g bottle I have I don't think is available any more. Keg King used to distribute them but I think the sodastream bottles have made them redundant, even though they are better as they have a normal valved opening, not like the spring valve on sodastream bottle. You can use the sodastream bottle in a similar way with an adapter.

 

[lespaul]

I could never get a sturdy option for handles on my 300mm portable keg dispenser. I had some left over kitchen bench top that I used as the base, so it's quite heavy.
The square panel idea looks like a much better solution, especially if you wanted to dispense multiple kegs at the same time. Makes handles easy and enables you to put a drip tray on it.

 

[Steveo71]

This is what I did (not my pic though, painted mine blue)

I guess there would be about 40mm clearance all round inside for the ice but does this mean the pipe is not insulated ? Seems like the ice might not last too long without insulation ?