Remote Beer tower - How far is too far?

Looking for suggestions as I am sort of stuck...... I want to duplicate this system only better.....

Dispensing Draft Beer Away From Refrigerator

I bought a air cooled tap in the hopes of mounting the tap in my bar, however the closest I can get my keezer to the tap is about 10 feet.

Tower:
Beer Tower - 3" Column - Polished Stainless Steel - 2 Faucet

The blowers sold on the micromatic website say that they are only good for 5 feet? It is a 15 cfm blower which seems kind of wimpy.

Blower:
Beer System Blower - 12 CFM

They also say on other forums that it gets quite hot and makes the keezer work 2x as hard

So My thoughts are to buy this 60 cfm blower:
Amazon.com: Centrifugal Blower 115 Volts Fasco # 50748-D500: Home Improvement

and put it on a dimmer and adjust the fan speed until I get the desired temp at the tap.

I am also planning on mounting it outside the freezer to avoid the heat? the only other issue is that I will have to make three 90 turns to reach the tap. Should I use 3" pvc pipe to get more circulation to the tower?

Thoughts

 

Could you make your own glycol cooler using a utility pump? Reservoir of glycol in cooler, utility pump to circulate, wrap beer lines and glycol line in some pipe insulation. You may could even put a temperature probe in the tower and switch the pump on/off. Would this work??

 

To avoid the heat issue, and save fridge space, you could mount the blower outside the fridge. Maybe a PVC pipe through the side with a flange mounted on the outside so you could attach the fan to it on the outside of the fridge. Also, the better insulated the duct, the less air movement you need. Finally I'd have the fan blowing into the fridge. That's how I have mine set up. My beer lines run in through the other end of the duct loop so the coolest air is sucked in over them.

You could have the fan blow in over the beer lines, but then you'd have to figure out a way to run the beer lines and the fan at the same end and have it all sealed up so air doesn't leak out and bypass the loop

Another thing to keep in mind is the more air a fan moves, the louder they are. It would be no fun to have your buddies over and have to talk over a loud fan

 

I'd use glycol. Look at some of the computer liquid cooling solutions.

 

that would mean i'd need a new tower since i have an air cooled?

Also is glycol just regular old antifreeze?

 

Yes, most glycol is just antifreeze.

I wouldn't think you'd need a new tower. I think that if you use a small diameter hose and just wrap it around a lot, that will keep it cool.

 

Glycol/coolant with a small pond pump will be a lot better.I went through this exercise and I only have about 6' from taps to freezer.

Use RV/cottage anti-freeze. Not regular anti-freeze.

Kal

 

Kal -

I realize this is an old thread...

Are there any specifics you can provide or pictures showing your setup?

-Thanks

 

I moved a year and a half ago and recently redid my basement bar setup. The taps are all set up but I am still in the process of tweaking temperatures in the keezer/glycol lines to get what I want.

Some pictures of the work in progress are here:

http://www.theelectricbrewery.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=295672#295672

The basic idea is this:

- 15 feet of 1/4" line to the tower.
- Glycol lines are slightly larger 3/8" and are run together with the beer lines.
- A pond pump in a small container the keezer recirculates the RV antifreeze 24/7 through the lines and the tower including through a 50' copper coil in a freezer set to 0F. (Required as otherwise the lines simply do not cool enough).

I intend on documenting more thoroughly once I get everything perfectly balanced. Last week I added a nitro tank for the two stout faucets and am still playing with balancing that (learning the ins/outs of nitro gas which is new to me).

Kal

 

check mine out