Calling All Flooded Font Owners...

[Uncle Fester]

Beer, due to the lovely alcohol contained within, has a lower freezing point than water. Obviously, higher alcohol brew will have lower freezing points. A 5.0% beer will have a freezing point around -2.5C.

Does this freezing temperature also take into account that fact that the beer is under pressure?

I would think that being under pressure might also alter the freezing point ??


M

 

[muga]

All you guys with flooded fonts! Im starting to think that I need one now

Does anyone have pictures of their setups ?

Ben

[post="93926"][/post]​

Here is mine..

 

[Ross]

I'm using a gylcol machine on my font. The supplier told me if I set the temp no lower than -3c, the font will ice up, but not freeze the beer. Personaly I like the condensation on my S/S font, in preference to the ice, so have mine set at 1c...

Posted enough pics already ...


Cheers Ross

 

[T.D.]

This is a very good question, and coincidentally one that has crossed my mind in the past few weeks. I've recently bought a 3 tap flooded font and am considering how I'll hook it up.

There is plenty of information on the AHB site about flooded fonts and how to cool them using glycol solutions and aquarium pumps, and I think that is all pretty well understood. I haven't been able to find too much about iced fonts, though. I'd be very interested if anyone on here is successfully using an iced system.

I have a theory on iced fonts which I'd like to share - please feel free to shoot me down if you think I'm talking crap :unsure:

1. Beer, due to the lovely alcohol contained within, has a lower freezing point than water. Obviously, higher alcohol brew will have lower freezing points. A 5.0% beer will have a freezing point around -2.5C.

2. Grade Four Science told us that water freezes at 0C.

3. Glycol mixes have a significantly lower freezing point dependent upon their concentration.

4. From my extensive research, it appears most commercial glycol systems operate at around -4C at the outlet of the glycol block.

As the glycol leaves the block at -4C, it will warm as it travels towards the font. When it floods the font ,the temperature will rise further as the warmer metal of the font transfers it's heat into the glycol.

So, I see the aim of the glycol system to maintain the temperature below 0C (so that the font ices up with condensation from the air), but above -2.5C to stop the beer freezing in the lines. These are reasonably tight tolerances, which calls for temperature control of the glycol and is why, I believe, an iced system is beyond most home systems - and why I'll probably be content with condensation on my font rather than that schmick ice look.

Very interested in any other input - and if anyone is successfully icing their font.

Cheers :chug:
Peter

[post="93907"][/post]​

Thanks Peter - clears a lot of things up. And judging by some of the more recent posts, it seems you may well be right on the money.

Would pumping fridge temperature water through the font do any good at all? Should keep the font at ~4 degrees, which I guess is better than no cooling at all. Sure would be simpler than having to worry about all that extra temperature control for the font!

 

[GMK]

Beer, due to the lovely alcohol contained within, has a lower freezing point than water. Obviously, higher alcohol brew will have lower freezing points. A 5.0% beer will have a freezing point around -2.5C.

Does this freezing temperature also take into account that fact that the beer is under pressure?

I would think that being under pressure might also alter the freezing point ??


M

[post="93952"][/post]​

Mine is not setup yet - but i will be running my Glycol mix thru a copper coil immersed in salt water container frozen inside the freezer.
This should be close enough to - 3 C and should be ok ...

Will let you guys know when it is all set up...

Nice Looking Font That Muga...Do tell where u got it from...

 

[muga]

Nice Looking Font That Muga...Do tell where u got it from...

[post="93981"][/post]​

Got it for free from a club in the area, the old man knows people high up the director end (got a free 23KG gas bottle too)

 

[Thunderlips]

Here is mine..

[post="93953"][/post]​

I got the same kind of font from Ken last week. Just waiting for a chest freezer now.
Hopefully I'll have one in a few weeks or so.

 

[Batz]

All you guys with flooded fonts! Im starting to think that I need one now

Does anyone have pictures of their setups ?

Ben

[post="93926"][/post]​

Here is mine..

[post="93953"][/post]​

Nice driptray Ben

Where can I get one like that?

Batz

 

[GMK]

All you guys with flooded fonts! Im starting to think that I need one now

Does anyone have pictures of their setups ?

Ben

[post="93926"][/post]​

Here is mine..

[post="93953"][/post]​

Nice driptray Ben

Where can I get one like that?

Batz

[post="94068"][/post]​

Batz,

you had to ask... :super:

GMKenterprises of Course.

Post the width of your Font and i will get a price you...

 

[BennyBrewster]

Batz I think you have the wrong guy, the setup in that pic belongs to muga no me

Unless ofcourse mugas name is Ben aswell :huh:

 

[muga]

nope

..but I got the drip tray from eBay for $40 so it was a nice score, came up looking great after some polish..

 

[coolum brewer]

Beer, due to the lovely alcohol contained within, has a lower freezing point than water. Obviously, higher alcohol brew will have lower freezing points. A 5.0% beer will have a freezing point around -2.5C.

Does this freezing temperature also take into account that fact that the beer is under pressure?

I would think that being under pressure might also alter the freezing point ??


M

[post="93952"][/post]​

I ignored the pressure effect - it takes 135 atmospheres (14,000 kPa) to lower the freezing point of pure water by 1C

Cheers
Peter

 

[coolum brewer]

I'm using a gylcol machine on my font. The supplier told me if I set the temp no lower than -3c, the font will ice up, but not freeze the beer. Personaly I like the condensation on my S/S font, in preference to the ice, so have mine set at 1c...

Posted enough pics already ...


Cheers Ross

[post="93955"][/post]​

Ross, just a quick question - with your glycol machine does it have a temperature sensor which fits into the font, or is the temperature measured at the glycol "reservoir"?

Cheers
Peter

 

[Ross]

I'm using a gylcol machine on my font. The supplier told me if I set the temp no lower than -3c, the font will ice up, but not freeze the beer. Personaly I like the condensation on my S/S font, in preference to the ice, so have mine set at 1c...

Posted enough pics already ...


Cheers Ross

[post="93955"][/post]​

Ross, just a quick question - with your glycol machine does it have a temperature sensor which fits into the font, or is the temperature measured at the glycol "reservoir"?

Cheers
Peter

[post="94106"][/post]​

At the glycol reservior - why do you ask?...

 

[coolum brewer]

At the glycol reservior - why do you ask?...

[post="94244"][/post]​

Thanks, Ross.

Just trying to get my head around iced fonts. If the temperature sensor is in the reservoir, the glycol temperature is being controlled on the way out. This may be the only practical way of doing it if you're using it to cool your lines as well. However, if you're trying to control the temperature of the font so that it ices but your beer doesn't, the sensible place for the temperature sensor is within the font.

Cheers
Peter

 

[GMK]

Just use teh KISS Principle - u are making it too hard.

according to Andale - if it is a short run -2.5 C will ice the font - on very long runs -3.5 will ice the font without freezing the beer.

The glycol runs in 12mm line i think - will need to check - the line has 1.5mm wall thickness with teh beer lines run next to - again the beer lines have a wall thicknes over 1mm - so - it will not freeze in the line out there...

Hope this helps.

 

[Ross]

At the glycol reservior - why do you ask?...

[post="94244"][/post]​

Thanks, Ross.

Just trying to get my head around iced fonts. If the temperature sensor is in the reservoir, the glycol temperature is being controlled on the way out. This may be the only practical way of doing it if you're using it to cool your lines as well. However, if you're trying to control the temperature of the font so that it ices but your beer doesn't, the sensible place for the temperature sensor is within the font.

Cheers
Peter

[post="94367"][/post]​

Beg to differ there... If you don't want your beer lines to freeze, then you should place your sensor at the coldest spot ie at the gycol unit. If the sensor was in the font, the temperatures in your glycol line would drop well below freezing as it worked to bring your font temp down... The same way a fridge ices up, as it drives down the ambient temp...

 

[coolum brewer]

Just use teh KISS Principle - u are making it too hard.

according to Andale - if it is a short run -2.5 C will ice the font - on very long runs -3.5 will ice the font without freezing the beer.

The glycol runs in 12mm line i think - will need to check - the line has 1.5mm wall thickness with teh beer lines run next to - again the beer lines have a wall thicknes over 1mm - so - it will not freeze in the line out there...

Hope this helps.

[post="94373"][/post]​

OK, thanks for that.

 

[bindi]

Just bumped this back to the topLink to pump I was thinking or getting this pump for my [yet to be installed] flooded font what advice can you guys give me on which pump works for you?

 

[bindi]

I intend if and when I complete my setup, to use this pump (Mainly because it is easily adaptable for in-line use)

Pond Pump

I intend to keep a 15 litre reserve of glycol (or glycol/water mix) in the freezer compartment of my keg fridge. Gravity feed this to the pump in the link above, and then I will then interlace the glycol lines with my beer lines, insulate the whole lot in alfoil and lagging. Hopefully this will keep the beer lines at a reasonable temperature, as well as chilling the font.

I expect the beer lines to be 4 metres in length, with at least 2 of those being couled in the fridge. I should be able to get the font within 1.5 metres from the fridge.

When I have something of note, I will post some pix for comment/recomendation.

M

[post="93838"][/post]​

How is this pump working for you mandrakar? I also sent you a pm