The Adventure Begins... Home Bar Build

[TheBarkingDog]

I have been considering a keezer conversion for quite some time. This adventure began with an old refrigerator in the basement and two taps in the door. It has worked fine for the first few kegs, but going all the way downstairs for a home brew became a pain and lets face it, it wasn't very "pro".

so began the adventure. It is still not complete but has evolved over time and i have learned a TON from all of you so thought I would share.

I'm not really good with navigating this forum just yet so i apologize in advance if this is hard to follow. The first few pictures are the "before". A standard 2 tap kegerator, that evolved to the keezer conversion that we thought would fit nicely in the closet then moved from the closet to the back of the tv room, it was just dead space anyway, who needs knick knacks and pictures! (the pics attached here are the before, demo and the beginning of the rebuild).

 

[TheBarkingDog]

so the next step was to get the keeper all the way down to the basement (who doesn't need 3 fridges/freezers in the basement right?). The attached pictures detail that build. Then, After some research, realized that i would need to include a glycol chiller along with a trunk line in order to keep beer cold for the 12 foot run up to the bar in the tv room. And the investment began.

 

[TheBarkingDog]

Now the fun began. Running the lines up seemed easy enough, except it wasn't quite a straight shot and the cabinets needed to be raised about 6 inches to ensure a true 42 inch height to the bar top. I came across the "pipe" idea for a bar tap on a thread and was immediately hooked on the theme (note the scone and overhead lighting we also built to match).

 

[TheBarkingDog]

The bar tap is built out of 4" steel pipe that was milled to remove a section that allows for the face place to fit over the opening and the lines to run back out through the wall and down into the basement. The fittings are all WARD fittings, made in the USA (being an Army vet i would have it no other way). 6 total lines and a glycol in and out along with aluminum blocks at the taps to encourage cooling. We are now waiting for the counter top to be delivered, once that is installed i will post some finished pics. We also had a logo drawn up based on the fact that you can't come to our home bar and not hear the "Barking Dog" our stubborn Cairn terrier, who truly believes the world revolves around him (so why not name the bar after him).

 

[hungry4hops]

This is sick! Subscribed!

 

[sdgenxr]

In your last picture, is that valve an electrical switch? If so, I'm dying to know where you got it!

 

[kchomebrew]

Great idea with the space. Looking forward to seeing how it turns out !

 

[sk888smooth]

I really dig this build! Nice work!

 

[joemc33]

You have sick building skills.

 

[TheBarkingDog]

Great question! The lights are actually hard wired to a switch and the handles are only decorative. There are a couple of artists on etsy that do sell them with the valve operational but we were able to bud these for a fraction of the cost. I will say however everyone turns the handles to get the lights on!!

 

[TheBarkingDog]

Thanks for the comments! Countertop delivered tomorrow so hoping to have new posts before the weekend!

 

[nubrewer82]

Build looks fantastic! Love the style and the creativity and can only imagine the awesome atmosphere it's going to create in that part of the house.

That being said, it seems like a pretty large climb for the beer to make from the basement all the way up to another floor. Do you anticipate gravity getting a vote in how the taps perform? Does this affect your CO2 set-up or carb levels?

I was thinking about something like this down the road and i'm just curious if there are any hiccups before I tear up the house.

 

[The_Coathanger]

very cool

 

[Clef051]

It's looking good can't wait to see more!!!

 

[Hello]

This is awesome. I love the lighting too.

 

[paulster2626]

Indeed. Looking for ideas for myself for this exact purpose.

 

[SWFLHOMEBREW]

Awesome!!

 

[insp79]

Very nice work. (Subbed)

 

[texwake]

woah

 

[insp79]

Where is a good place to purchase 4" steel pipe and fittings? Online? How did they cut the access plate for the taps? Water jet? Where did you score the aluminum blocks, or did you have them machined?

Great Build! I am currently designing a similar keezer/bar in a new home construction.
Thanks.

 

[cfrazier77]

Really nice looking build. I really like the heavy pipe.

 

[fujieagle]

Very nice work so far.

 

[TheBarkingDog]

Build looks fantastic! Love the style and the creativity and can only imagine the awesome atmosphere it's going to create in that part of the house.

That being said, it seems like a pretty large climb for the beer to make from the basement all the way up to another floor. Do you anticipate gravity getting a vote in how the taps perform? Does this affect your CO2 set-up or carb levels?

I was thinking about something like this down the road and i'm just curious if there are any hiccups before I tear up the house.

Great questions! I actually considered this when building below the floor. Its about a 12 foot run to the tap from the keeper so i had to break down and purchase a glycol chiller to keep the lines cold. As for the lift/pressure, keep in mind beer should only be dispensed at about 1 LB (PSI) at the tap so to determine the amount of line and the diameter of the beer line as well as the height it needs to travel is crucial. I used the following calculations to determine the best fit - http://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/0...our-kegged-beer-co2-line-length-and-pressure/ I went with 1/4 in ID tubing for the beer lines since i needed the additional resistance to (1) allow only the pressure from the CO2 tank to "push" the beer through the line and (2) create enough resistance to keep the CO2 in solution as it traveled to the tap.

I will post a few more pictures in a bit but i was able to get everything running - my patience was a little thin so i didn't allow the lines to chill but i can tell you the pressure is great, the beer is cold, and (minus a little extra foam due to temperature variance) tasty!

 

[TheBarkingDog]

Where is a good place to purchase 4" steel pipe and fittings? Online? How did they cut the access plate for the taps? Water jet? Where did you score the aluminum blocks, or did you have them machined?

Great Build! I am currently designing a similar keezer/bar in a new home construction.
Thanks.

I was able to use a local distributor for the pipe but built the lights and railing through a company called MSC direct ( they have a website to order) they have steel and galvanized depending on your preference. My advice: Map out the tap on paper first so you determine exactly what size fittings and nipples you will need. I went with 4 inch pipe for 6 lines because the trunk line (with glycol lines) is a little more than 3 inches around. I do think you could use 3 inch pipe as well and the fittings are much cheaper. MSC direct also features a search option that allows you to select only made in USA parts, a nice option. All the big box hardware store fittings are made in china - didn't seem fitting in an all american bar!

As for the plate - A local machine shop built the plate and drilled the holes for the taps along with "tapping" the screw holes to hold the plate in place. I painted the whole thing in hammered black spray paint so that the plate and the pipe were the same color. Honestly, i simply took the 4in pipe to them along with a tap shank, told him i wanted the holes in the plate 3 inches on center and he built it - looks like it was cut out since the edges appear to have been ground. The plate is stock that was heated to fit the curve of the pipe then drilled and tapped.

All in all it took about a week and i had the tap fabricated and back at the house to paint. The machinist was pretty happy to work on such a unique project and only charged a couple hundred bucks (well worth it when you start shopping for beer taps commercially they are very expensive!).

good luck on your build! Please don't hesitate to send any questions - I'm happy to post pictures, share any lessons from my build and answer any question i can!

 

[TheBarkingDog]

So here are some more pictures of the build- I included some of the tap in the final stages of assembly since there were a few questions about construction- hopefully the detail pictures help to clear up my ramblings

Someone also asked about the aluminum chill blocks on the shanks - I actually ordered them from a great business in rochester NY - the guys were very helpful and got me exactly what i needed! here is their web address : http://www.rochesterstorefixture.com

their website is simply a PDF catalog so you do need to call them but they have glycol chiller solutions, beer trunk lines, drip trays - everything you would need.

You will note the extra foam on the IPA draw (it isn't as dark as the picture makes it appear) I do think this was impatience. The glycol chiller was not functional for 24 hours before drawing and i think it was simply the temperature differential between the keg and tap. Once it gets to a more reasonable hour this morning i will try another pour

 

[TheBarkingDog]

In this next series i included a photo of the complete bar - still needs some finishing touches but for the most part it is complete. The bar tap: The trunk line comes through the wall although i have seen these with the beer lines coming up through the stanchion - then the beer line connections can be below the counter if you ever need to service the connections - mine i will have to remove the plate (no biggie).

I included a very small sink simply to rinse glasses before drawing a different beer - no garbage disposal or anything like that - the sink still needs to be plumbed and the drip tray has a drain that will drain into the p-trap of the sink. The faucet I selected will reach to the drip tray which will allow me to flush some hot water through it every couple of days or so.

The drawer fridge was an expensive add but allows for chilled glasses in the freezer section and a variety of bottled beer for those who -- dare i say it- don't like any of the home brews as well as soda for those who don't drink. It really was a necessary add.

Under the tap is a pull out garbage can - that will be for recycling - makes for easy clean up to rinse the bottle/can in the sink and then toss it in the can.

Lastly a few notes on the keezer:

You will note the temperature of the glycol bath - that was after 5 hours of running - it is now down to 28 degrees (recommended to maintain 36 degrees at the tap). I do run both the out and the return lines through the keezer since it is right there - but i don't think that is necessary, just lessens some of the load on the chiller. You can see the lines coming in (and out) in the picture the blue is the cold line and the red is the return line - this allowed me to use the insulated trunk lines all the way to the kegs.

I have 3 beers on tap at the moment - an IPA, Pale Ale and an Amber Ale. In secondary is a American Session Ale, a Honey Ale and a Red is in primary.

I also included a pic of the logo - we will have the tap handles soon with the log on them and have ordered a few t-shirts and ball caps for the "grand opening"

Lastly - Any suggestions for Beer names? keeping with the dog theme of course!

more to come soon!

 

[TheBarkingDog]

Got a question about how "loud" the glycol chiller is. Best thing I can relate it to is a dehumidifier or a decent size fish tank pump. This chiller is good for 25 feet or less and is about 2FT square.

I considered going without, or manufacturing a glycol bath in the keeper with an aquarium pump (like some i have seen on here), but in the end, broke down and made the investment in a commercial unit. It is thermostat regulated so both the pump and condenser only run as needed and it is fully automated. I am quite happy with the performance and -- even as i type this - the taps are frosty!

If i was going to consider budget cuts - I would cut down on the cabinets, stone counter and/or the fridge. In the end, the chiller and the tap were definitely worth the investment - everything else is just "Pretty" and could be modified for a little less of a budget.

Happy brewing!!

 

[rvklein]

Your keezer/glycol set up looks nearly identical to mine.

 

[agreenmartian]

We'll done! Looks awesome!

 

[rvklein]

Here's mine:

 

[TheBarkingDog]

whoa -- it is almost identical! you have a much larger capacity chiller though - how far is the run? what temperature do you set the chiller at?

Love the regulator board - gas management is probably my next investment - looks like you are running a nitrogen mixer as well?

 

[rvklein]

whoa -- it is almost identical! you have a much larger capacity chiller though - how far is the run? what temperature do you set the chiller at?

Love the regulator board - gas management is probably my next investment - looks like you are running a nitrogen mixer as well?

100' run 3/4 hp compressor. Picked it up cheap. I run the glycol around 28F. Dual blend gas blender I piked up for $50 on craigslist believe it or not.

 

[TheBarkingDog]

Tap complete!!

 

[SWFLHOMEBREW]

That's awesome man!! Great job!!

 

[cfrazier77]

I really like how you pulled everything together. Your lighting matches the feel from the draft tower. I am also impressed with your logo. It has a lot of detail for a two color. Very nice.

 

[TheBarkingDog]

Ok guys and gals I need your help-- you can see my setup -- here is my problem. The first tap is too carbonated the second and third are fine but the 4th is not carbonated enough.

Ido have everything from a strong ipa to a session ale so I am thinking I need a regulator for each tap. Any thoughts ?

 

[cpl-america]

A second regulator for the last taps, and maybe a flow control tap for the first One.

 

[glacious]

Ok guys and gals I need your help-- you can see my setup -- here is my problem. The first tap is too carbonated the second and third are fine but the 4th is not carbonated enough.

Ido have everything from a strong ipa to a session ale so I am thinking I need a regulator for each tap. Any thoughts ?

First off - awesome build, it looks great built-in and I love the industrial theme.

I typically have 3 'beverages' on tap, anywhere from porters, ales, lagers, root beer etc, usually one needs a different enough PSI to carbonate correctly for the style.

My setup is a dual primary regulator, with a 2-way valved splitter. This gives me two independent pressures to play with (2 on the splitter, and 1 directly off the 2nd tap in the dual-primary regulator). You can of course get individual regulators or quad primary etc, but I've found I always have two styles that have similar PSI that sharing the same PSI off the splitter has been a non-issue. Just make sure you get a splitter with individual valves if you go this route.

 

[cpl-america]

Also, you could just add line to the first tap. Just a couple more feet rolled up at the start.

 

[TheBarkingDog]

First off - awesome build, it looks great built-in and I love the industrial theme. I typically have 3 'beverages' on tap, anywhere from porters, ales, lagers, root beer etc, usually one needs a different enough PSI to carbonate correctly for the style. My setup is a dual primary regulator, with a 2-way valved splitter. This gives me two independent pressures to play with (2 on the splitter, and 1 directly off the 2nd tap in the dual-primary regulator). You can of course get individual regulators or quad primary etc, but I've found I always have two styles that have similar PSI that sharing the same PSI off the splitter has been a non-issue. Just make sure you get a splitter with individual valves if you go this route.

Went with the individual regulators for each line and adjusted accordingly. Also decreased some line length and brought the temp up a few degrees. What a difference! Thanks for the help!