I’m currently building some custom cabinets for a guy doing a large whole house renovation. He wants a keg frig. built into one of the cabinets. Not a problem, I’ve seen many different models. Here’s the kicker. He would like a tap directly outside on the covered patio (approx 24″ of straight run), then he would like one directly below the frig in the basement. All of the external taps would have a shut off valve as the use will be limited. He understnds that cleaning the lines after use is a must. Has anyone had any experience with anything like this? The main issue seems to be the external line being warmer than the beer and foam will result, (maybe foam pipe insulation to help).
Thanks for any thoughts!
Phil Powell
Good times, riches and Son of a _itches
I’ve seen more than I can recall.
J. Buffett
Replies
One way this has been done was to pipe refrigerated air within the insulated blanket around the beer lines. The air from the unit the tank is in. For the exterior termination, look for heavy condensation to appear at the head. You would be well advised to contact a beer distributor and / or a beverage dispensing company for the information.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
Phil, after 20 plus years in the beer biz I know a few things about draft beer. It is a very fickle thing and sometimes tough for the best of draft gurus to get consistent good results. Clean lines and equipment are important but the main problem is heat. Even in a single keg system like this one I have seen problems just due to the faucet being warm resulting in foamy/flat beer. Any external lines are kept cold with no hot spots and are typically done via two methods. either with a fan mounted inside the cooler and running external lines thru a small diameter pipe inside another larger pipe for return air or with a glycol refrigeration using the same principal. Either way they have to be balanced to allow return air/glycol to recirculate. My advice would be to get help from a local beer distributor. This work if not done right could cause you a lot of headaches.
Good luck, Joe