To Font Or Not?

[benhobbs]

I've just got me a new chest freezer which will fit 4kegs....

I'm not quite sure how I want to set it up though, using a 4way font, or building a box onto the top of the freezer to mount the taps into.

I don't want the taps sticking out the side of the freezer via a collar, hence the choice of the two options above.

My decision boils down to how well the taps are going to work built into a box? It will only be a short length of beer line outside of the freezer, in the box to the back of the tap, around 20cm or so. I'm intending on drilling the top of the freezer for the hoses.

I'm concerned that the hoses will warm up to much, and cause the first glass of the day poured to be all foam?

The main reason I am looking at the "box ontop of the freezer" idea is that I would like to use the Celli's, and I would prefer not to have to spend another several hundred $$ on a 4 way font, adapters, glycol etc...

What are your thoughts???

Cheers
Ben

 

[lokpikn]

I have a 3 tap font and i need to run about 1 meter from each tap outside the fridge. I do get a bit of foam on the first pour i just put it into a schooner glass about 30 to 50 mls or so and then pour my beer. Sure you loose a small amount but its not much and not worth worring about. Go for what you really want as then you wont need to do it agian for ages.

 

[chovain]

I have a 3 tap font and i need to run about 1 meter from each tap outside the fridge. I do get a bit of foam on the first pour i just put it into a schooner glass about 30 to 50 mls or so and then pour my beer. Sure you loose a small amount but its not much and not worth worring about. Go for what you really want as then you wont need to do it agian for ages.

Of course if you're really worried about wasting beer, and are serving more than one round, you can always let the foam glass sit while you knock the first one back, then blend the first glass with the second round. Sacrilege, I know, but so's wasting a few mL of beer! :icon_cheers:

 

[deadly]

You will need to attach the box to the top of the freezer anyway so you can open it.Might as well get a font at least it will look the part.

 

[newguy]

Can't comment regarding the need for a chilled font, but I can comment about minimizing the foam on the first pour. All I do is pour a very small amount (maybe 20-30 ml at most), then turn off the tap. Don't halfway open the tap either. Full on, then off. Then open again. Shutting off the flow seems to restore "all beer" to the line & tap. Doing so minimizes foaming. You always get much more foam when there are bubbles in the line than if there is only beer. The tap doesn't have to be shut off very long either - a fraction of a second.

 

[Juddy]

Hey benhobbs

I had the same concerns when I bought my freezer.
The cost of a font was high, even for a second hand one.
I decided to build a box out of 6mm MDF, and it was cheap as chips, and I think it looks OK!



I placed a hinged Victorian Ash lid on the box, and a silicon seal. Drilled holes for the beer lines and some bigger holes for air circulation (must install a fan)! The pour from the Shirron taps is great. At first I was having huge problems with foaming and started to doubt my decision. But by reading the advice from many on this forum and adding more length to my beer lines the system is now beatifully balanced!
Cheers
Juddy