Chiller Fonts

[Crispy]

Spot on Linz,

Thats how the guys at Andale explained it to me when they re-kitted my font.

The inlet tube chanels the glycol to the extremity of the font, where it exits the tube, fills the font and then flows back through the outlet.

I think its probably best to use some form of anti-freeze solution, as this will keep the font colder (freezing point is well below zero) and prevent any corrosion issues later down the track.

Cheers,

Crispy

 

[Linz]

Neat idea on the anti freeze. Not sure on the contamination front though.....should a hose in the font get a pin hole in it....hope there's more pressure in the beer line !

 

[jayse]

Is anyone here using one of these?
The way iam intending on doing it is just with water at the same temp as the beer, reason of course is unless your using a temprite or glycol system you would be using it with a fridge or converted freezer etc with the beer already cold in it. So you would not have a seperate place for anything colder to pump through the font and the freezer for the hops would be too cold, what you would be pumping through the font would be water at the same temp as the beer.
Anyway I don't need freezing cold taps in this instance as the taps are right next to the coolroom and iam serving beer at 12c ussually.
The water won't even be that cold really. My cool room is ussually set at 10c for serving beer and fermenting lager.
Looking at it having a much cooler font for a long beer line would be cool, The way i'd do it is use a temprite so the beer just sits in the keg at ambient temp and passes through the very cold temprite and the fonts are cooled with the temprite also. Basically the easiest way to do it seems however your cooling your beer you use that same cooling for the font.

Just chucking out some ideas.
Cheers Jayse

 

[Gout]

If its a case of flooding the font (making sure its all sealed) i will pump freezing cold glycol to the font then let it return along the beer lines

hopfully giving me a icy cold (no need for ice) font, and keeping the heat away from the beer lines

my lines will run under the house from the fridge (4 kegs) to the bar about 2-3 meters away add 1-2 meters to go under the floor then again up through the floor to the bar

in summer i dont want the hot outsides to warm the lines (and i will also insulate them / the pipe)

 

[Linz]

Im not going to worry about flooding the font at first, as it will sit thru the lid of the freezer, and not be running metres under floors and up to bars

 

[Darren]

Howdy Guys,
Just thought I would post how I have attached my taps to a chest freezer.
I did it this way because drilling through the lid of a freezer or making a collar were too much trouble.
The lines simply run under the seal at the back.
Took about 5 minutes to do. Will take the same amount of time to return it to a freezer if I want.
Also, I don't worry about cooling the font. There is only about 30ml of beer in the line.
I simply have a frothy first beer (I like a bit of head). Who cares when you are not paying for the glass of beer.
Second and subsequent beers always pour fine.
Another point of interest is that when I used to solely use a pluto gun that was always stored in the fridge. The first glass was always frothy too.
I suspect cooled fonts are mainly for aesthetics rather than a necessecity.
anyhow here is the set-up

 

[GOLIATH]

Those who have seen the flooded font at the Goliath "Monster Mash" on the 24th. Saw a three tap font flooded with icy water from the beer chiller (Ice Bank Unit). Ther is a small pump in the ice bank pumping water through the font and the hoses follow the beer lines. In a commercial sense, it means less waste.
If you remember al the GOOD older fonts have a good solid brass block at the top of them and this is meant to be cooled by the beer running through it so that subsequent pours are not frothy (less waste).
Whilst a nice thing to have, it's a bit of an overkill in the home. Sort of like weighing 5 pounds of meat on a weighbridge.

That's my 2 cents.

Regards
Dave

 

[Gout]

But we home brewers (most i know) love to overkill things its part of the fun!

 

[Richo]

Well, I took the Chiller Fonts to down to the local Andale Beverage Systems shop.

As soon as I pulled the fonts out the Sales Manager new exactly of what kind of fonts they are, suggested of what was needed to use them for home brewing.

So what did I do, bought a complete setup, from Co2 Regulator right through to beer lines, including S/S spliters. Even had the reconditioning seal kits for the chiller fonts in stock so I bought them as well.

Very helpful service and Cheap the store I attended was Shop 22, 514 Botany Road, Alexandria. NSW. Ph 9690 0830. Speak with the Sales Manager Dave Mobbs and will help you out with all your Home Brewing needs.

 

[Doc]

I agree Richo.
I was in there last week picking up some John Guest fittings and trunk line. Very helpful and approachable.

Beers,
Doc

 

[Bobby]

yeah the guy at andale is really good, last time i went he was helpful and gave us a freebie tap nozzle (just need the restrictor).

 

[Snow]

Just say I did want to go "overboard" and chill my font, can I do it if the font is not specifically a "flooded" font? I have a standard 3-tap brass font, but there are no chiller lines. The brass tubes are quite wide, so I expect I could insert a small diameter hose in beside the beer lines and hook it up to a pump, as has been discussed previously. Anyone see any problems with this?

- Snow

 

[Batz]

I was thinking this very same thing Snow , I have the older type font too

I am sure there is a way !!!

 

[Doc]

I should have taken some pics of my font when I had it all apart cleaning it.
Mine has a copper pipe running up the centre of the font and around the taps and back down the centre shaft.
If your font has the room you could do something like this also.
I have then connected it up to a small aquarium pump in a bucket of cold water in the fridge that pumps the chilled water through the font.
The beer lines are wrapped around the cooling copper lines to keep them cool, then all the lines are in trunk line insulation to keep everything cool.

Beers,
Doc

 

[Snow]

Does it work well, Doc? Are you getting much frothing from your first beer of the day?

- Snow.

 

[Doc]

Yeah Snow it is working well. Get very little frothing on the very first few mills of beer on the first glass.
Still waiting on the flow restrictors to arrive so I can bump the pressure up on the system though.

Beers,
Doc

 

[GMK]

OK... will post some pics when i can borrow the work digicam again...

But - just got my Andale 6 Tier Flooded Font in the mail....

now - just need to build the coolroom, bar and set it all up.
Just ordered 4 more kegs from E-bay.
Waiting on a couple more Coopers Font flags and tap handles to go with my brand new set of six grundy taps for it.
Will be using one of my 6mm stsinless steel coils in a chest freezer (still need to buy) as the coiling coil and running glycol thru it.
Need to buy another IDRA fountain pump to pump the glycol around.

Pity my brand new drip tray for a three tier font that sits on the bar with a drain hole (recomended retail 405.00 ea from andale) - only fits the three tier non flooded font i was initially going to use (will have to sell it to make way for the font drip tray to fit the six tier)

Trying to get this all set up in the shed by XMAS...

 

[big d]

that will keep you busy for awhile gmk.
if ya not brewing or drinking then ya building/adding to the brewing arsenal.
what a great hobby

cheers
big d B)

 

[Doc]

Pity my brand new drip tray for a three tier font that sits on the bar with a drain hole (recomended retail 405.00 ea from andale) - only fits the three tier non flooded font i was initially going to use (will have to sell it to make way for the font drip tray to fit the six tier)

My drip tray turned up last week.
Have uploaded a few pics to the gallery.
I have a similar problem GMK where the drip tray is a bit small. But it was free from a mate who works for a brewery so I can't complain. He has his eye out for a bigger one for me so will do in the mean time.
Hope you get it all done for Xmas GMK.

Beers,
Doc

 

[Gout]

and to think most start home brew to "save" money

(and then find the world of great "real" beer, followed by "bye bye $$$" )