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Author Topic: Home Glycol system  (Read 25831 times)

Offline oscarvan

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Re: Home Glycol system
« Reply #15 on: July 01, 2011, 12:18:27 am »
Have you considered using, say, something like small flexible HVAC ducting and a computer fan? Run a loop, and put the computer fan in the return end creating suction..... Put the beer hoses in the first half. You'd have to put a collar on the freezer, and do some fabrication, maybe not the most energy efficient way, but a lot less hassle.
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Offline phillamb168

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Re: Home Glycol system
« Reply #16 on: July 01, 2011, 02:59:48 am »
Have you considered using, say, something like small flexible HVAC ducting and a computer fan? Run a loop, and put the computer fan in the return end creating suction..... Put the beer hoses in the first half. You'd have to put a collar on the freezer, and do some fabrication, maybe not the most energy efficient way, but a lot less hassle.

The space I'll be running this through would prohibit most HVAC-size duct work (we're talking the 6" + flexible stuff right?). Ideally, the cable diameter would be no more than 3-4 inches. I like the idea, though, because as you said, way less work..

Back to pumping the fluid, can I use a strong aquarium pump submerged in whatever liquid I end up going with?

I'll be measuring the total distance this weekend. The cheaper I can make this, the happier my wife will be, so I think I may try just a water-based system at first, changing it to something else later if need be.

How feasible/efficient would it be to use a thermoelectric element to cool the liquid? Keeping the liquid container out of the keezer would free up valuable space :-)

.... Of course.... now that I think about it... In theory I could rig up jacketed glycol coolers for all the kegs I want to serve, and not have to use a keezer at all, right?
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Offline lupulin5446

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Re: Home Glycol system
« Reply #17 on: July 02, 2011, 12:12:21 am »
Ahh, thermo-electrics...I first became familiar with the technology when it was restricted to military/NASA use.  Thermo-electrics hold great potential for efficient heat exchange, but unfortunately, it is only really practical when the temperature difference is large.  I.E. Thermo-electrics are great at changing a volume from 80c to 10c, but lose efficiency when it comes to maintaining temperatures.  The less the difference between the target volume and the outside temperature, the less efficient it becomes.  The great benefit from thermo-electrics is that the coolant system requires no moving parts other than fans that circulate the air.  Thermo-electric systems often cost more than standard refrigerators, even though they are more efficient over time.  You will lose a bit of heat in the python, so you may want the coolant to be a bit colder.  What you do not want is an 'open system'.  If your head pressure in your kegs does not overcome friction and gravity with a positive value, than you are losing carbonation as you pour.  If you only pour 1 glass at a time, with a reasonable time between pours to build up pressure, than everything will be fine, if not you will lose carbonation on the total volume, and with each beer poured, the foaming will get worse.  BTW, the cool thing about thermo-electrics is that if things are reversed...Heat on 1 side and cool on the other...electricity is generated.

Offline phillamb168

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Re: Home Glycol system
« Reply #18 on: July 04, 2011, 08:39:50 am »
Does anyone have experience with this:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BEER-COOLER-SCOTSMAN-INTERCOOL-30-10-COIL-INTEGRAL-/250581087702?pt=UK_BOI_Restaurant_RL&hash=item3a57cbf5d6

Is this something I could use instead of jerrying something?
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Offline oscarvan

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Re: Home Glycol system
« Reply #19 on: July 04, 2011, 08:48:52 am »
You sure ten lines is enough?  ;D I suspect the energy bill on that can be substantial.....and it's large.
Wooden Shoe Brew Works (not a commercial operation) Bethlehem, PA
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I brew WITH style..... not necessarily TO style.....

Offline phillamb168

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Re: Home Glycol system
« Reply #20 on: July 04, 2011, 09:03:49 am »
Was posted as an example  ;)

They have smaller systems available, it's more just to see what people think.

What I'm leaning towards now is the following:

No fridge. Take a glycol/water pump with the reservoir in a fridge and the johnson temp control probe shoved into the return tube for the glycol. Two pumps would control the following:

1. pump for circulating coolant upstairs for line cooling

and then, the second pump (the idea here is to avoid buying a fridge)

EITHER:

2.A.) glycol out to copper lines wrapping around the outside of each corny, then wrap that whole thing in a jacket of insulation (or perhaps neoprene + insulation? I can get these: http://shop.humle.se/se/art/forty-below-fatstrumpa-stor-till-1819-litersfat-gul.php?grp=295209).

2.B.) build a 'walk-in' that's basically a big box with a lid to fit all the cornys inside, line the box sides and bottom with copper and insulation, have a couple CPU fans to blow things around a bit.

This way I only have to buy a couple new pumps, and therefore avoid having to pay for a new freezer.

Thoughts?
« Last Edit: July 04, 2011, 09:15:20 am by phillamb168 »
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Offline tschmidlin

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Re: Home Glycol system
« Reply #21 on: July 04, 2011, 12:17:12 pm »
I think you should price out both options - by the time you buy the extra pump, copper line, glycol, insulation, etc and all of the materials to build your 'walk-in', it might turn out to be cheaper to just buy a freezer and go with the original plan.

For me the freezer makes more sense in terms of simplicity, but that's me.  I know it's 350+ euros, but those keg parkas are over 40 euros each.  That will all add up pretty quickly.

Thanks for the link though, I hadn't seen those keg parkas - I might need to get one or two. :)
Tom Schmidlin

Offline phillamb168

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Re: Home Glycol system
« Reply #22 on: July 05, 2011, 06:00:39 am »
Waiting to hear back from a guy in the UK about a "mini remote cooler" which is the little brother of the guy I posted up top. Apparently you don't have to cool the kegs themselves, as long as they're around cellar temp. The beer lines get hooked up to john guest fittings and the get pushed through stainless steel coil which is immersed in glycol, then pushed through an insulated sleeve with the glycol feed and return. Super, super, super to install, just drill yer holes and bracket the python to the wall so it doesn't fall.

The cost is most likely going to be cheaper than doing it myself by building a keezer, etc - probably around 500-600 euros... We'll see.
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Offline oscarvan

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Re: Home Glycol system
« Reply #23 on: July 05, 2011, 09:12:35 am »
Basically a permanent jockey box.....
Wooden Shoe Brew Works (not a commercial operation) Bethlehem, PA
http://www.woodenshoemusic.com/WSBW/WSBW_All_grain_Setup.html
I brew WITH style..... not necessarily TO style.....

Offline phillamb168

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Re: Home Glycol system
« Reply #24 on: July 05, 2011, 09:36:19 am »
Basically a permanent jockey box.....

Exactly... It seems super simple, which means less chance for failure.
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Offline phillamb168

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Re: Home Glycol system
« Reply #25 on: July 07, 2011, 03:41:31 am »
Heard back from the guy yesterday. A 5-line system with everything I need save the regulators is ~£500 including shipping. Not too bad, considering a fridge large enough for 5 kegs would run me about 400 euros.

Pic:

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Offline oscarvan

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Re: Home Glycol system
« Reply #26 on: July 08, 2011, 03:33:15 pm »
Well, it would indeed be the schnitz if you installed a professional bar system in your house...... ;D
Wooden Shoe Brew Works (not a commercial operation) Bethlehem, PA
http://www.woodenshoemusic.com/WSBW/WSBW_All_grain_Setup.html
I brew WITH style..... not necessarily TO style.....

Offline Thirsty_Monk

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Re: Home Glycol system
« Reply #27 on: July 17, 2011, 10:52:32 am »
I know conversation moved on but you could use a beer pump to deliver beer longer distances without overcarbonating beer.
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Offline phillamb168

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Re: Home Glycol system
« Reply #28 on: July 18, 2011, 05:51:43 am »
I know conversation moved on but you could use a beer pump to deliver beer longer distances without overcarbonating beer.

Beer pump meaning beer engine?
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Offline jeffy

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Re: Home Glycol system
« Reply #29 on: July 18, 2011, 06:28:55 am »
I know conversation moved on but you could use a beer pump to deliver beer longer distances without overcarbonating beer.

Beer pump meaning beer engine?
He's talking about an electric pump.  Some brewpubs use them instead of CO2 to push beer when the serving tank is a good distance from the tap.
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