new bar

[laughingboysbrew]

Bar recently installed. Equipped with 4 taps, dedicated cask fridge and beer engine. The butcher block top under the faucets slides out for full access to my keezer. The front panel also removes completely for access to the liquid/gas lines to the cask fridge...and if the freezer ever needs to be replaced.

In the two supporting keezer cabinet walls, I put thermal controlled fans to prevent any overheating. I don't think the temperature has risen more than a degree or two above room temp...but just in case.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002CMVS6O/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

The tower has built-in glycol lines, however I am not currently cooling with liquid. As an experiment, I rigged up a little hobby box computer fan which blows some cold air into the line. It helps a little, but I still get about 4-6oz of foam waste after the lines warm.
http://www.beveragefactory.com/draftbeer/towers/elbowstyle/PS190-4.shtml

The TV is running RaspberryPints for current On Tap list. https://github.com/RaspberryPints/RaspberryPints

 

[UKJay1971]

Stunning!


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[Rhumbline]

Very nicely done. You put a lot of thought into this.

 

[cfrazier77]

Very well done! Nice addition of the beer engine. I would love to try it sometime.

 

[laughingboysbrew]

Thanks! I had put quite a bit of thought into how I would fit 4 taps and a dedicated cask in a relatively small space. Wanted it to look finished...but be fully accessible for changing kegs or supporting multiple configurations. I can't claim any of the wood craftsmanship, except the general kegging work required. Amazing how many custom cabinetry shops have "one way" of doing things...and aren't willing to work with anything custom.

If anyone is traveling through Minnesota. Let me know

 

[cfrazier77]

If anyone is traveling through Minnesota! Let me know

I always miss the good stuff! I was in your neck of the woods this summer. If you ever at in the St. Louis area you are formally invited to sample the goods.

 

[zdbrown1]

Wow.. Nice work

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[pickles]

Awesome bar! What did you build the tower out of? Looks like tri-clamp pipe and fittings.

 

[Tryon52]

Newby to the forum, first post.
While browsing, saw your home bar/man cave?
Gives me an open door to show mine.
I've been brewing for 2 yrs- all grain, kegging only. I like to do traditional UK ales, bitters, porters, etc.
This is my turn of the century Irish pub, took 3 years to build. I presently have 3 flavors on tap at any one time(as long as I keep brewing!) using a battery of 3 gal corny's. I use a beer engine on the bar, an all brass restored Bishop & Babcock spigot on the side table, circa 1885-1890, and finally, on the wall another restored Bishop & Babcock pump and spigot, circa 1890-1900 The lighting is a lot better then photos show, the camera flash screws it up. I am NOT a handyman or carpenter, just decided to wing the whole project myself regardless. This is my pride and joy and when I'm in front of St. Peter and he asks what positive thing did you do on earth, I'll show him photos!

 

[unionrdr]

Now that's one heck of a man cave!

 

[Darkness]

Both killer! You guys and your room to spread out actual bars. I might be able to if I didn't have 4- full size whiskey Barrels, 3 demijohns, metro rack with mill, 3-3gal oak barrels, 8 bucket fermenters, 100" of grain and my back up boil kettle, mash tun, pump, and hoses taking up two walls. Never enough space.
Would love to have a bar or even taps on the wall one day!

 

[Largus1776]

Thanks for sharing this. Happy St. Pats Day to you! -- Wish I was there.
Do you serve cask condition ale, or have you instead converted the taps to CO2?

 

[Tryon52]

The two antique faucets are CO2 backed and psi keeped under 10 due to the gaskets involved. The beer engine is cask conditioned and mostly dedicated to bitters.
Interesting point on the brass Bishop & Babcock tower tap, when tearing it down for restoring, the main gasket was made of leather(still intact) and the beer line/tube running inside of the brass was made of LEAD! Wonder what the life expectency was for beer drinkers in the 1880's?
Buy the way, the BEST corn beef for this sacred day is Boyle's out of Kansas City. Unfortunately only available for restaurants/foodservice.

 

[Largus1776]

laughingboysbrew, can you share your experience with the beer engine too please, and how you handle the beer (cask conditioned?). Beer engines are fairly rare in these united states; and doubly so that there would be two in one thread, (obviously because these are two of the best bars!)

 

[Cyclman]

Damn, both are super sweet bars!

 

[Tryon52]

well, I cheat a bit by using an asperator. It lays a carpet of CO2 in the keg to prevent the beer being exposed to oxidation. I prime all my beers as opposed to force carbonation. The asperator uses roughly 1 psi coming off the regulator and does not work against the engine henceforth having the best of both worlds- cast conditioned ale that doesn't need to be consumed quickly.
Now, for those that want the fun of a beer engine but don't want to mess with cask conditioning, look up the Harry Mason engines on the web and check out the "Shakespeare" model. Its a fake beer engine that uses CO2.

 

[kcmobrewer]

Love them both!