3 way valve?

[ai4px]

Maybe I'm barking up the wrong tree, but I'm trying to solve a problem. I made a keezer for the patio, and blew cold air up into it with a fan. I had insulated it with fiberglass, but still, had a terrible condensation problem. So this year, I decided to simply fill the whole tower up with expanding foam. Works good as long as we keep the beer flowing, but I worry that in the heat of summer, the beer at the tap handle will sour.

Since we typically only use this on the weekends, I thought about installing a threeway valve in the beer lines that would allow me to switch between beer going to the tap and shutting off beer from the keg and opening a line straight down into a drain pan in the bottom of the keezer. This way when I'm done drinking for hte week, I'll flip the valve and drain the line from the tap that's in the tower. A rubber tap cap will keep the insects out.

So, where can I find such a food grade valve? Or do I need to use a Y and two shut off valves? Or have I missed the boat entirely?

 

[dmcman73]

The only issue I see with that is that you'll introduce bacteria into the lines while keeping the three way valve in the "open" position for the beer line to faucet, also the beer gunk that would form in the lines from spoilage.

You're best bet is to leave it as is and draw off a half glass or more prior to serving or disconnect the beer line from the keg and push water through the line with beer to flush it out and follow with StarSan to keep anything from growing in there.

 

[UndeadFred]

Maybe you can use a 3-way "L" valve down in the cool part of the unit and plumb in CO2 to one side of it, (pressurized) beer to the other. Use the CO2 to blow out the tap, then shut it off, leaving the tap open. Alternatively you could fashion up a small container (think home water filter housing) of sanitizer, line cleaner, or even vodka (likely the best choice) on that CO2 side and push that up through the tap... shut off, leave tap closed...

You'll still need to disassemble it from time to time to clean, threads gunk up... unless you do all sanitary fittings, but at that point it's getting ridiculous...

As for buying "food grade".. the cheapest 3-way is 304 stainless from eBay China.. the American made brass ones I have seen have beee high lead not for potable applications..