Kegerator Advice/Help

[boykin]

right now i am just storing my everyday drinking beer. soon ill add another tap for some nicer beer and my home brew when that time comes!

 

[Budvar]

One thing I noticed is that switching from the normal faucets to the Perlick faucets really improved my pours overall. I run my commercial beer at 6 PSI and have not had any issues. The key with commercial beers; however, is to ask the distributor/brewery what the best PSI is to pour from their kegs.

 

[boykin]

Very nice tip...

I also have a refrigeration tip... I have my stc-1000 set to 3.5 and I watched it get down to3.5 shut off and then within a minute the temperature is at 4.5, after 2 minutes the temperature is at 5.3 degrees and after 3 minutes the temperature is at 5.8, at this point my compressor kicks on, I assume this is the 3 minute compressor delay? Is this bad am I loosing too much cool air and dpi need to adjust some if my settings?

 

[boykin]

Tip=questions sorry had a few beers lol

 

[DrunkleJon]

Very nice tip...

I also have a refrigeration tip... I have my stc-1000 set to 3.5 and I watched it get down to3.5 shut off and then within a minute the temperature is at 4.5, after 2 minutes the temperature is at 5.3 degrees and after 3 minutes the temperature is at 5.8, at this point my compressor kicks on, I assume this is the 3 minute compressor delay? Is this bad am I loosing too much cool air and dpi need to adjust some if my settings?

Where is the temperature probe located in your kegerator? Is it hanging free or is it submerged somewhere or is it taped to a keg? I tape mine to the fullest keg and insulate with an old beach towel and my compressor stays off for an hour/hour and a half easy between cycles. The thermal mass of the beer is a more accurate indication of the temperature in the kegerator (and the one that really matters) and just measuring the ambient air in the kegerator will wildly swing like you are seeing. Also, it being on for only a minute makes me think that the probe may be touching the wall of the kegerator/keezer and as soon as it starts getting cool the probe registers it and shuts off the compressor. You can wear out your kegerator by cycling it so much.

My suggestion, either tape it to a keg and insulate somehow or place the probe in a cup/can/something full of water so that you are getting a better indication of the temperature of the beer.

 

[boykin]

Ya it was in the air after reading this among other post I put the probe in a gallon jar of water and am now just waiting for it to get down to temperature.

 

[boykin]

A million time better in the jar, it is down to 3.5 celcius and will stay between 3.5 c to 4 c since i have my difference at 0.5 and i put my compressor delay at 10 for longevity. it stays at the 3.5-4 for at least an hour if not more.

thanks a bunch

do these settings seem adequate? and if the difference between water and beers temperature worth adjusting for?

 

[DrunkleJon]

Having it in the water rather than the beer actually tightens up the range by a little as the beer will not swing in temperature as quickly as the water will due to its thermal mass (amount of the liquid) Also this makes it so that since the volume does not change that you will not have to worry about measuring the stainless of the keg when there is no beer in it. Additionally your settings sound fine to me. I keep mine at 4-4.5 degrees C with a .5 degree swing, 10 min compressor delay and 0 for the other adjustment. Works great for me.

Edit: Do be sure to seal the water container/put a little bleach or something in it to prevent it from growing hair or spilling. You may consider sealing it to keep condensation down as well.

 

[boykin]

It was actually a old pickle jar I used, I drilled a hole big enough for the probe in the lid of the pickle jar, tried to put the probe as close as I could to the middle (without getting carried away) and then sealed it with a temporary silicone.