Options for cooling keg or serving cold from keg?

[duganderson]

I've considered getting a keg set-up for making soda. I don't really want to use a standard size refrigerator to keep the keg cool.

What are options to cool the keg or serve the contents cold? I'm looking for a set up that is easy to use, inexpensive and does not take up a lot of space.

Also, how much hassle and time does it take to clean and sanitize the keg after use?

Thanks, Doug

 

[KevinM]

Cleaning and sanitizing is pretty quick and easy. See http://www.bodensatz.com/staticpages/index.php?page=Soda-Kegs-Maint as well as the sticky threads in the bottling/kegging forum.
Takes about an hour, most of it just wait time. Just don't let things gunk up or grow after the keg is finished with the last serving and you should be fine.

As for cooling. I'm looking at options there too. It seems that the method I'm looking to use is to use a fair sized mini fridge though some people have talked about certain types of heat exchangers to cool the liquid as it goes through the tubes, but I don't remember how much that costs.

 

[KevinM]

Oh, and as for sanitizer, I hear starsan works great and since it lasts, just have extra kegs on hand so you can transfer the sanitizer from one keg to the other, and just let the sanitizer sit in the cleaned second keg for a while.

 

[Fallon]

A cold plate stuck in cold water/ice/fridge.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130435447404

You can find used ones with only 1 or 2 lines for under a hundred bucks relatively easily if you keep your eyes peeled.