max vertical difference between tap and keg?

[capn]

So I think I talked my swimbo into setting up a keg and tap system in the house. She had a good buzz on at the time, but I have witnesses. Here's the deal, there is no room in the family room/kitchen to put a keggarator, so I was thinking of putting a keggarator in the garrage (Directly below family room) and running a line that would have a vertical rise of about 10' to the tap in said family room. In theory can this be done (easily)? What extra stuff will I need, some kind of insulated line to keep the beer in cool coming out of the tap, pump to run coolant.
Thanks in advance.
cheers

 

[A4J]

read this link (particularly example #2) for pointers on how long the line should be and what your co2 pressure should be.

 

[MgMt_Home_Brew]

That link pretty much says it all..

But for insulation and cooling of your lines I had an idea of putting a pump in a bucket of water that sits in the fridge and pumping the water through a tube that runs with or maybe coils around your beer line. Im not sure how it would work but that seems like the best way to keep long lines cold. Maybe someone else has done it or has another solution.

 

[conpewter]

the 2.7 PSI per foot used in that link is probably only for one particular sort of tubing. If you are using something else it will be different. I am going to do a similar thing with my kegorator in the basement and taps upstairs in the kitchen. I plan on setting up one line once I get the holes drilled, assemble it and see how the pour goes.

I do plan on running a pump from inside the kegorator through lines and back down to the fridge again, I'll wrap pipe insulation around all the lines (will be about 4 product lines, 2 cooling lines).

 

[capn]

A4J- Thanks for the link. That helps. I'll have to check out the resitance of the hose that I use. Another noob question, if you use 1/4 or 5/16 can you still use normal taps with 3/8 connections and the appropriate addapters?
As for the coolant tube, my original thought was to use a pump with a hose that weaves between the beer lines, running up and then returning to a resivoir back in the keggerator (closed system). Originally I was thinking on using something like a potable coolant (thought it might stay cooler longer- keep lines cooler) but I guess water would work as well. I wonder if the pump would need to run continuously or intermittently.

 

[TrojanMan]

That link is good.

I'm getting ready to put a keezer in the basement with a tap line running upstairs to the kitchen.

My plan is the following:

* Use insulated and jacketed lines from the keezer to the tap. Use 1" PVC with a beverage hose inside of it. Beer goes through the beverage tubing, coolant goes in the PVC jacket. Two dispensing lines, so one jacket will be supply and the other return. Pipe lagging/insulation around the outside to reduce condensation and heat transfer.

* Simple sump and low-power water pump to circulate coolant. I have a 12-volt sump unit laying around that I'll power from a rectifier. Power coupled with keezer temp. control unit so that when the compressor kicks on, the fluid will circulate as well. Requires check valves on the pump ends to prevent fluid from draining when not circulating.

* 2-tap tower unit, insulated and internally cooled by a small bypass coil. Requires orifice piece in main line to shunt flow to the aux. coil.


Should be happening in the next few months, I'll try to post a full how-to.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

So I think I talked my swimbo into setting up a keg and tap system in the house. She had a good buzz on at the time, but I have witnesses. Here's the deal, there is no room in the family room/kitchen to put a keggarator, so I was thinking of putting a keggarator in the garrage (Directly below family room) and running a line that would have a vertical rise of about 10' to the tap in said family room. In theory can this be done (easily)? What extra stuff will I need, some kind of insulated line to keep the beer in cool coming out of the tap, pump to run coolant.
Thanks in advance.
cheers

swimbo? = She who irritantly must be obeyed.

 

[wildwest450]

* Simple sump and low-power water pump to circulate coolant. I have a 12-volt sump unit laying around that I'll power from a rectifier. Power coupled with keezer temp. control unit so that when the compressor kicks on, the fluid will circulate as well.

I know my keezer only comes on every 40 minutes or so and only runs for 10 minutes, may not be enough time to keep beer lines cool.

 

[conpewter]

If your freezer has a light on the inside just wire your 12 volt pump to that and disable the switch that turns off the light.

I'm still not sure where I want to put the cooling water tub in my fridge as it fits 6 cornies with no room to spare. I wonder how it would be to use glycol and have the tub in the freezer. Would need a temp control to turn the pump on and off though...