How essential is it to cool your draft tower?

[kanzimonson]

I've seen a lot of people rig up their kegerators with a little fan that pushes cool air from the main body of the kegerator up to the top of the tower to make sure their beer lines are completely cool. Is this that big of a problem?

With a 3/8" ID dispensing line, let's say that there are a max of 3 feet of line that's not being optimally cooled. That's probably an overestimate but let's play it safe. So here's the math:

3.141 x 3/16"^2 x 36" = ~4 cubic inches of "warm" beer in the line

4 cubic inches equals a little more than 2 fluid ounces. So at worst, let's say I only pour a 4oz sampler... don't you think the temp will equal out to at least a pleasurable drinking temperature?

 

[homebrewer_99]

I've had mine for a couple years...never had a problem. I just run the tap for about 1 second to clear the line (into a glass) and then start pouring into the glass I'm serving.

Nah, the line the beer has been in is also cold. I just do the above to get rid of excess foam and to clean the line if I haven't had anything to drink in like a day or two.

 

[MistyMountainHops]

I dont know if it is "essential" at all. I mean, it comes down to personal preference at the end of the day. I, personally, have never even attempted to use my kegerator w/o a pc fan attached to a tube to cool my tower but that's bc I had the money to do it, and my kegerator is in the garage and I live in Oklahoma. The current temp is 98*. I am sure it gets pretty toasty in NC as I have been there in the summer, so if you think you need it, get it - but I wouldnt panic and run out and get one if you're not pulling overly foamy beers. My first pull typically has more foam than I'd like, but it's not crazy or annoying by any means.

 

[weirdboy]

My recently purchased kegerator came with a fan installed and some tubing which connects to the fan assembly in what I consider a half-assed manner, that you're supposed to shove up into the draft tower to keep it cool. This works fairly well, except the fan occasionally makes a terrible sound that reminds me of a dying moose. I have discovered that when I run the kegerator on my temperature controller instead of letting it run all the time, the noise goes away. Of course, that leaves the fan off most of the time so the draft tower doesn't stay as cool as it was before....but still, I haven't seen any issues with foaming like others have complained about.

 

[whale]

warm beer may be only 4 oz or so but the tap is warm too and I find when i pour a glass, the tap looks very cold, by the time I finish my glass, the tap is warm again....

I am thinking of insulating the tower little more, using copper pipe to conduct the cold into the tower.

 

[Brewineer]

The only concern is the foaming issue mentioned, the beer coming out will be frothy and the beer running through the line (until it is cold) will also be a bit foamy, but maybe you like a lot of head? I've found with my cooled tower, I am sometimes disappointed at the initial head on my beers, but I think it's also a carbonation issue.

I was serving my homebrew at work one Friday, and was having issues with excessive foaming. Trying to find out if anybody would mind, I asked my boss, "how much head do you want?"
He replied with a grin, "as much as I can get."

 

[kegtoe]

i dont have my coffin cooled and have no problems with pours.

 

[bendavanza]

First pull can be foamy. If you can handle that, it's a non issue. Cold beer cools the faucet.
For me, I like a more perfect pull every time, so cooling the tower is, well, cool. Nonetheless mine still has some foam on the first pour compared to subsequent ones.

 

[SweetSounds]

3.141 x 3/16"^2 x 36" = ~4 cubic inches of "warm" beer in the line

It's Pi * R^2 * Length = (((3/16)/2)^2)*Pi)*36 = .9944 cubic inches, or 0.551020 Fl Oz...

My straight 2 faucet tower is 11" tall, so in reality my line volume is 0.30373 Cu In, or .1683 Oz, or 1.4% of a 12 Oz beer. I don't worry about it.

It does take some time for the cold beer to cool the lines, but I've found it to be trivial... The first pour might be a little foamier than the next, but it's never been too bad for me.
Just lat night I was pulling from my kegerator in a 95 degree garage. Maybe a beer every 20 or 30 minutes - The head was perfect, IMO. Maybe just under an inch in a warm 12Oz glass.
The faucets were sweating like a mofo though, it was 95 degrees and really humid - The beer was definitely chilling the faucets.

 

[billc68]

I'd say insulating is probably more effecient than cooling. I haven't done either, but have considered it.
My tower sits right on the lid of my keggerator, I thought, I could make the hole for the lines I wee bit bigger and the cool air form the keggerator would chill the tower, the insulation would just be too prevent wasting the cool air and using more electiricty.

 

[SevenFields]

I noticed a difference in my pours after I installed a little fan and tube.
Without it all the cold air settles to the bottom of your kegerator, so the top area and into your tower is warm, this causes foaming.

 

[camiller]

...

With a 3/8" ID dispensing line, ... So here's the math:

3.141 x 3/16"^2 x 36" = ~4 cubic inches of "warm" beer in the line

It's Pi * R^2 * Length = (((3/16)/2)^2)*Pi)*36 = .9944 cubic inches, or 0.551020 Fl Oz...

In fairness kanzimonson says his lines are 3/8 so his math is correct for his stated line ID.

I would suggest that his lines probably are 3/16" diameter though....

 

[SweetSounds]

In fairness kanzimonson says his lines are 3/8 so his math is correct for his stated line ID.

I would suggest that his lines probably are 3/16" diameter though....

heheh I missed that when I was doi... SQUIRREL!

Math approved

 

[Atl300zx]

i dont use one and first beer is probably 2/3 beer, 1/3 foam and all subsequent pours within a reasonable time are foam free. i have a danby kegerator that i added a brushed stainless steel triple tower to.