Need to go colder!

[mcirish05]

Hi Everyone!
I am new to the forum and just purchased a Summit Kegerator SBC-500J. My problem lies in the fact that my kegerator wont go below 40 degrees. I have a fan in it now and have the tower insulated with foam insulation. I have read on the mm forum about the danby resistor mod to get the temperature down. Has anyone tried this with a Summit? I know very little about wiring and do not want to mess up my kegerator. Thanks so much for the help guys!

 

[Brooklyn-Brewtality]

why do you want it below 40*? That is about the absolute coldest I would want a beer.

 

[Sawdustguy]

why do you want it below 40*? That is about the absolute coldest I would want a beer.

+1 Any colder and it will affect your taste buds and you will not be able to appreciate the full flavor of the brew.

 

[mcirish05]

It's at ~40-42 at the coldest setting. I would like to be able to take the dial off of the coldest setting and still be able to bring the temperature to a nice 38F. I am having foaming issues and lower temp should help a lot so the CO2 isnt trying to escape the beer. Has anyone moded a Summit kegerator?

 

[RScottyL]

I am a newbie.....but.......

I believe that hose length and CO2 pressure could affect that as well.

 

[samc]

Do you have easy access to the thermostat probe inside the kegerator? If so I would wrap it with some insulation and see if that brings down the temperatures. Keep an eye on it so that you don't get too cold if it is capable of it. If that works I would consider wiring in an external controller like Ranco, Love, Johnson, etc. to keep things cool.

 

[AzironaZack]

Have you checked with the manufacturer of the kegerator? I would ask there before modifying it free-style.

 

[PintOfBitter]

first thing to look at with foaming is tubing length. longer tubing equals less foaming. you should probably use around 6 feet if its the small diameter beer line (3/8?) and longer if its larger diameter. 42 degrees sounds plenty cool to me.

 

[dobeluvr]

i believe the above poster meant 3/16 for the beer line

 

[PintOfBitter]

I believe you're right. sorry

 

[mcirish05]

Ive thought about adding extra line but I'm not sure how much of a difference it will make other than slowing down the flow. I've been told mixed things about adding length to the beer line. What is your guys' experience with longer lines. Right now I have 5 ft at 3/16". I think I definitely need to add length (3 ft) after this keg, but I dont know if that will solve my problems with foam. Thanks for the help thus far. Summit's website is poor and the product manual with the unit is only 4 pages, not much help at all. Does anyone have a wiring diagram for a summit sbc-500?

 

[Brooklyn-Brewtality]

at 40* and 10 psi, you will need approximately 8-10 feet of 3/16" line to serve without excessive foam

 

[PintOfBitter]

the length of the line changes the pressure gradient the beer is exposed to as it flows. long lines equal 'gentler' pressure change seen by the beer. you might also consider lowering your dispensing pressure once the keg is carbed.