Picnic Dispensing

[Fammer]

hi guys,

just some more questions about dispensing at a party/picnic....

1. Esky big enough to fit a keg, submerge the whole keg in ice. Gas outside.

2. Keg and gas outside esky, pass liquid through cooling coil submerged in ice within the esky.


Which is the better option and why?

Cheerio

Fammer

 

[Backlane Brewery]

1- need a bloody big esky
2- called a miracle box - have a look at these threads

cheerio


BLB

 

[Snow]

Ummmmm....it depends. I don't think either is better than the other, just different. However, if you want to cool the beer quickly, then the temprite method is the most efficient and fastest. You only need a small esky for the temprite, as well. However, if you already have a large esky for the keg, then you probably wouldn't bother spending the $$ on a temprite.

I have a very simple temprite and it's fantastic.

Cheers - Snow.

 

[roach]

Yes temprite is preferred if you can get your hands on one reasonably, I use a 3 gallon keg for take away to parties and fits perfectly in normal sized esky and can be fully immersed in ice. I only use a short length of beer line and a compensator valves to dial down to serving pressure out of a picnic tap.

 

[quincy]

I agree with snow. Both would work fine.

FWIW when I have parties etc I stand my corny keg upright in an esky and then fill with ice. Connect my gas bottle as usual, and use a beer gun with about 2m of beer line. Although the keg is not fully submerged in ice, when pouring, the beer is drawn from the bottom of the keg so temp is fine.
Tip - leave beer gun and beer line in ice when not in use.
Only prob - not very portable. I set it up near the BBQ on the back deck. Saves the masses from trudging through the garage just for a beer.

Cheers

 

[Jino]

I just use one of the smaller wheelie bins with ice under around and on top of the keg. I got the bin (unused) for free of someone and it works a treat! Have holes for tap and gass line.

 

[Fammer]

Big esky's are a tad expesnive but no more expensive than setting up a 'mircle box' setup.

Just wondering which cools the most effieciently, plus with the 'mircle box' setup when you disconnect you still have a heap of fluid left in the lines no?


edit: I do have a spare wheelie bin...hmm


Cheerio


Fammer

 

[Jino]

Do the wheelie bin!! Mines awesome and not THAT big.

The thick plastic is a good insulator to.

 

[Snow]

... with the 'mircle box' setup when you disconnect you still have a heap of fluid left in the lines no?

Fammer has a point here. It is a pain with my temprite when I change kegs over, I have about 2 pints of beer in the coils that need to be poured before you get to the beer from the new keg. I just manage this by offering a pint around after I've swapped them over. However, at the end of the day, when you disconnect everything, you still have 2 pints of beer in the lines. The last time I used it, I got around this by pressing a slow running hose up to the inlet of the temprite and stopped when the beer turned to water......is that why they call it a "miracle" box? :lol:

pretty dud miracle :angry:

- Snow

 

[warb]

I have done the wheelie bin and keg in esky gig.... the wheelie bin I found too big and bulky, the keg in esky worked REALLY well, with a tap I got from HERE works VERY well, I stick the keg in a bucket of ice, hook up the soda stream adaptor for the gas... all good..

 

[kman]

do you have to use a reallylow pressue with that warb?

 

[warb]

sometimes, depends on how I carbonate the beer (im still working that side of things out) , but yes, generally I have to pour at a piddle... sometimes im lucky and can pour a little faster..

you ask this because you have had experience with this tap, or is there some science in the fact that there is no hose from the keg to a tap??

 

[dicko]

Keg in an esky------kiss theory

 

[warb]

is that your bed next to the tap..

true, i like simple...

some pics, sodastream bottle now pushes the brew out....

dont ask about the VB box :blink:

 

[dicko]

Hi Warb,

Nah! thats not my bed mate,
That bed belongs to the dog. :lol: :lol:

My bed is out in the dog house and there wasn't room for the two of 'em in there. h34r:

Besides, the dog can guard the keg. :lol: :lol:

Cheers

 

[kman]

i just ask because i found the shorter my line is, the lower my serving pressure had to be.

So i guess there is some science to it, but ive never like science, so i wont look further into it.

 

[Fammer]

going to submerge the keg in an esky from www.thermiice.com, they include these free ice packs as well so its not a bad deal.

 

[waggabrewers]

I made my self a miracle box, I never could get the beer cold enough using my big bucket of ice. Here is a cheap way and a long term (last for ever) way.

Cheap way: Go to a plumming supply place a get at least 6 Meters of Aluminim, or Stainless, inside diameter 5 mm outside diameter 8 mm.Dont go larger that 5 mm inside diameter as the CO2 leaves the beer and foams too much out of the tap.
No copper creates bad taste in beer. Put this in your esky and run beerlines to your tap. Fill esky with a LITTLE water not too much, Ice and your away.

Long term way no F%$&ing around Buy a cold plate from Andale, through a HB shop or directly from them, Great Ice cold beer every time, just drop it in your esky add a little water and ice.

 

[Bionic]

Another thing that you could do is put some table salt in the Ice Water.. It drops the temp a little morfor some reason.. I have been to a few Wine tours and thats what they say to chill white wine... If I remember correctly Better Homes and Gardens done this in one of their episodes. They had Just ice, Ice and water, Ice water salt, and one of those electric chillers.. And the Ice water with Salt had a bigger temp drop than the rest

 

[MCWB]

Yup, salt depresses the freezing point of water, so it melts at a much lower temperature. It's the same reason they sprinkle salt on roads that have iced over in order to melt the ice.