Pre planning new keg and tap set up

[TechyDork]

So i am getting very very ahead of myself here, but am looking for some advice on how best to accomplish what I want.

We are in the process of selling our current home, and have our eye on a new one. The new one is a total fixer upper and part of that will be a complete gutting and remodel of the kitchen.

My plan is to convince SWMBO to let me put 4 taps in wall in the kitchen. I think she will go for it because she is a big fan of beer, well cider more specifically.

I am thinking of putting a keezer in the crawlspace and then putting a 2"-3" PVC in the wall running from the tap location in the kitchen and into the keezer in the crawlspace. Then running the beer lines through that. I plan to use a 4 tap black iron pipe wall mounted tap tower for this.

I think the total height from the taps to the kegs will be about 8-9'. According to a beer line length calculator if i use 3/16 line i need 7.75', which is shorter than the distance to the taps. If i go with 1/4 line then i need almost 30' per tap. I need new faucets so do I go with 3/16 line and just use flow control faucets, or use the 1/4 line and regular faucets?

I am trying to avoid using a glycol chiller to chill the lines to the tap. My current thinking is to connect the PVC to the top of the keezer and use a small PC fan to push the cool air up the line. Do you think this would cause condensation issues in side of the PVC in the wall or at the taps? This is an interior wall and the crawlspace is conditioned, but is probably 20 degrees cooler than the living space.

Guess the big questions are;

How to cool the lines without causing mold in the wall or in the tower without a glycol chiller and trunk line.

What is the best beer line size to use for the run length? I keep the keezer at 40-42f, and plan to have a secondary regulator for each keg, but typically i serve at 10-12psi.

 

[day_trippr]

- If you go the air-cooled duct route you'll need a return duct.
- As long as the system is reasonably air tight and you don't already have moisture problems inside the keezer I don't think mold inside the ducts would be a major concern.
- You're correct about the 3/16" ID line being too short to reach. You could go with 1/4" and FC faucets, or use 1/4" for the bulk of the run with a length of 3/16" choker with non-FC faucets...

Cheers!

 

[TechyDork]

- If you go the air-cooled duct route you'll need a return duct.
- As long as the system is reasonably air tight and you don't already have moisture problems inside the keezer I don't think mold inside the ducts would be a major concern.
- You're correct about the 3/16" ID line being too short to reach. You could go with 1/4" and FC faucets, or use 1/4" for the bulk of the run with a length of 3/16" choker with non-FC faucets...

Cheers!

Hadn't thought of needing a return duct. How would i go about setting that up? Would I want to have a fan on the return side to push or pull air back into the keezer?

How would i go about determining how much 1/4" line to use when using a 3/16" choker line?

 

[day_trippr]

If you don't use a return you'll quickly pump all the cold out of the keezer as the far end would have to be open for a fan to actually move any air.

Assuming you'd be blowing a hole through keezer lid or collar, whichever, for the duct to the faucets, blow a second hole just like that first one and run the return to it. Stick a T under the faucets to pull the lines out then seal that port up as best as possible.

I don't know if makes a difference pushing or pulling as I've not tried to implement this type of solution.
That said, you should be able to couple a fan to the empty return side tighter than the end with beer lines coming out of it..

For the choker, I've never found a calculator that deals with two line sizes, so I expect you'd need to tune the choker length empirically.
I'd put the choker inside the keezer between the keg connector and the beginning of the 1/4" run then go 1/4" all the way to the tail pieces...

Cheers!