Chest Freezer And Foaming Help

[103681]

I have a problem here is my setup any suggestions.

I have a chest frezzer which is currently at 1 degree nice and cool inside i have a pvc pipe filled with rocks to weigh it down then i have approx 7 metres of beerline which goes from a cub keg outside at room temprature into the freezer and is then wrapped around the pipe which is submerged in a mix of approx 20 litres of water to 4 litres of glycol, from here the beer line goes up to the lid of the freezer and then out through the font. in order to assist in keeping the beer cool in the line i have a pond pump which also pumps the glycol solution out of the bottom of the chest freezer to the top of the tap font and then cascade back to the bottom and finds it way back to the liquid in the bottom of the freezer.

With all this when i pour a pot of beer i get nearly an entire glass of foam !!!
Anybody got a similar/same setup i think some of the below options may be what wrong let me know your thoughts.

1. the beer is not cooling in the beerline as it is not in contact with the glycol mix for long enough.

2. pressure may be wrong (what would be the best pressure to store a warm commercial keg at and serve at?)

I am going to change the beer line wrapped around the pvc pipe over to a coil of stainless steel or copper as long as i can afford and mabye this will transfer the heat alot better anybody know whats best to use /where to buy?

Also i am thinking o lowering the fridge temprature lower but how low do you think so the beer in the lines does not freezer ??

You r help would be awsome.

matt

 

[Adamt]

My bet is its not cold enough... PVC isn't the most heat-conductable. How cold is it when you dispense? The spout temperature may be a better reference point than a glass of foam.

What pressure have you set it at?

 

[103681]

the fridge temp is saying 1 degree and the tap top i dont know the pressure i was pouring at was 20 psi to i dropped it to 10 psi and not much difference except was like slow old man taking a leak.

 

[LethalCorpse]

Can you replace the coil of line with a coil of copper, and just clamp the line on at either side? You wouldn't need the PVC and rocks anymore, though it may present difficulties for line cleaning

 

[103681]

thanks for that i will do this do you whink it will make a difference i assumng yes as the coil would get much colder what dimension copper should i use hoiw long do you suggest the length should be also should i run the copper up the font as well as close as i can ?? i have just dropped the temp of the freezer to minus 3 and i will get a coil tommoro and hook it up and i guess se what happens

thanks for your help if the first beer i have is icy cold then i will be thanking you as i am getting quite thirsty and need a beer but oh well gues ill have a few when its cold and yes the hang over i will think of you also

cheers and beers

 

[cdbrown]

Where are you measuring the temp from - just in the airspace of the freezer or in the glycol/water mix?

What is the internal diameter of the beer line? Need this to know the length and pressure needed.

Shouldn't you have just added to your existing thread on this matter?
http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...showtopic=21636

 

[kevnlis]

Pretty sure this has been covered here:

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...showtopic=21636

 

[LethalCorpse]

Yeah, try not to start a new thread on a topic if you've already got one running, it tends to piss people off. Your tubing should be whatever size allows you to squeeze your beer line over it - as said in your other thread, stainless is better than copper. Wouldn't it be easier to keep the keg in the freezer?
Have a look at this article. It tells you most of what you need to know to balance your system

 

[103681]

thanks forthat letal corpse got it only one thread per topic i post no probs, unfortunately the kegs misses my like 1.5cm from fitting in the freezer so thats not an option.

Ill try all the suggestions and let you know of the result

 

[RobW]

Matt, can you fit a collar to your freezer so the kegs fit?
Do a search, there's plenty of info here on how to do it.

 

[LethalCorpse]

Definitely fit a collar to it. It's an easy thing to do, and gets the job done, making the whole setup a lot neater and more attractive without having different temperatures to screw with your calculations

 

[Andyd]

I currently use the same sort of setup, except that the beer come into the freezer in beerline, then passes through copper submerged in the glycol, and then back out in beerline. This cools everything down nicely, although I'm certainly at least considering installing a coolroom under the house to keep the kegs at a lower temp.

Andy

 

[103681]

hi guys similar post but new post to last sorry to piss anybody off,
i have got my copper coil in chest freezer working ace i have used 12.7x.91mm copper tubing not sure of the size i need a fitting to join the end of the copper to beer line i think it is 6mm od do the john guest fittings accomodate a few different sizes automatically if u know what i mean cause i improvised with tape and hose clamps and is sprang a l;eak pressur i guess, what is the best way to join the beer line and copper together any suggstions sorry for bad spelling but got a few icy cold bevos in before writing post

 

[LethalCorpse]

First, make sure there's no way the glycol can come in contact with the beer - that would really put a damper on your buzz.

Now, sounds like you've got 1/2in copper tube and 1/4in beer line, correct? You need a reducing coupler, should be able to get it from bunnings, though 1/4in is fairly rare in copper tube.