Questions about building a Draft(box)tower???

[firefly765]

I'm planning on building a "draftbox" which sits on top of may bar, directly above my keggerator. Some obsticles which i face are:

1. I can't (don't want to/wife won't let me)drill through the bartop (granite).
2. It needs to be cooled.
3. I'm running 4, 3/16" beer lines to 4 taps in the "draft box".
4. It needs insulated.
5. Probably many more will pop up!


My basic plan of attack is to build a wooden box approx 12"(H) X 24"(L) X 4" (D). The draftbox will be insulated with styrofoam & have a hinged lid on top for access to taps. Run a large (2"?) piece of tubing with a smaller(1 1/2"?) piece of tubing for the beerlines from top of keggerator to side of draftbox. This run is 6'-8' total from keg top to taps, max. Rig a computer fan to blow cold air through the smaller, beer line, tubing to the box; which returns through the larger tubing to the keggerator.

Sounds pretty simple. Right?
Questions:

1. What should i use for the tubing?
2. How do i insulate the tubing?
3. What size fan do i need/ how to install?
4. Will i be able to move enough air to cool the box?
5. Should i not run the beerlines through the air tubing & just run a smaller (1/2"?) airline next to the beerlines in the large tubing?
6. Any other suggestions / comments are welcome.

I've seen similar builds, mostly involving a simple draft tower on top, though. Not a draft box that runs outside the refrigerator for a couple feet.

Thanks for any help i can get.

 

[KCBrewer]

Here's link to a post with some pictures of what I did. man cave pics I did run mine through the bar top, but the inside of the draft box may give you an idea of how to circulate the air.

I used 2 - 40mm computer fans and a 9v power supply, from a cordless phone I believe, to power them. Just find a power adapter, cut the end off, and splice the wires to the fan wires. With the freezer set at 35*, it will stay about 50* inside the box. I plan to up the flow with some better fans in the future though, and I have yet to insualte the pvc lines running up to the draft box, so I believe this can be improved on greatly.

Hope this helps some.

 

[IrregularPulse]

I gotta say, I'd be tentative to ruin a nice counter top like that as well

 

[firefly765]

Nice looking setup, KC Brewer! And nice looking racks of ribs in your profile pic. I have a BBQ problem as well. BBQ & Beer go hand in hand, don't they?

I had a thought. What if i mount the fan in the Coffin & blow warm air into the keggerator, thus forcing cold ait back up to the box? Would this be the same result? I think I'd rather go this route to keep the clutter down in the keggerator.

Any thoughts?

 

[KCBrewer]

Thanks, I still have some fine tuning to do on the man cave. And BBQ is something I do at any chance I get. The ribs I usually only do 1 time a year for our Memorial Day party. That pic is only half of them, there is a second smoker full too. As well as burgers and dogs on the grill.

Mounting the fan in the coffin will work, that's what I did. It would be easiest with two lines from the kegerator to circulate the air through the box though. Trying to fit 4 beer lines plus a return air line inside another pipe is going to take a rather large pipe for decent circulation.

Do you have any pics of the area it will be going? It would be easier to offer tips with a better visual idea of what the final setup should look like.

 

[firefly765]

Thanks, I still have some fine tuning to do on the man cave. And BBQ is something I do at any chance I get. The ribs I usually only do 1 time a year for our Memorial Day party. That pic is only half of them, there is a second smoker full too. As well as burgers and dogs on the grill.

Mounting the fan in the coffin will work, that's what I did. It would be easiest with two lines from the kegerator to circulate the air through the box though. Trying to fit 4 beer lines plus a return air line inside another pipe is going to take a rather large pipe for decent circulation.

Do you have any pics of the area it will be going? It would be easier to offer tips with a better visual idea of what the final setup should look like.

I don't have any pics, I'll try to get some. What i have is a standard keggerator wit a 2"ish hole for the old tap in the top. I have to go from that hole bend around the side of my bar into the coffin box. I'd say 2' max run exposed. I've seen people use shop vac hose. I was thinking something like that and run 1/2" vinyl tubing with fan in the coffin box. What are the dimentions if a common size fan? I'd really like to keep it up in the coffin box.

PS I'll be doing about 5 racks of BB's on my Big Green Egg this coming Saturday....yummmm!

 

[KCBrewer]

Here are some numbers to get you started.

The smallest computer fan that is commonly available, and would move some air, is 40mm (1.575")

The smallest beverage line is 3/16" ID (7/16" OD)

You would need a pipe that could accomodate a line in the center that is 1.5" ID (1.9" OD for schedule 40 pipe) for the fan, and 4 beer lines spaced opposite each other around this, so add 7/16" x 2 = 7/8" or 0.875". Add this to the OD of the center pipe, so 1.9 + .875 = 2.775" needed as an inside diameter of the pipe used to run from the kegerator to the tap.

Looking at PVC pipe sizes (this is a handy chart - Pipe Sizes), the smallest size schedule 40 pvc with an ID of more 2.775" or more is 3".

For a flexible line, you may look at something like this - 3" Flexible tubing.

You may have to drill the hole on your kegerator a little larger to accomodate it.

And consider me jealous of your Big Green Egg. I first saw those in a post on here (Easter day maybe?) and have a new item on the wish list. The ability to leave it overnight at a constant temp without having to add coals/wood would be sooo nice.

I recently smoked a good sized brisket (~14lbs), but I only had time to smoke it low (200-225) for 6hrs, then had to wrap in foil and up the temp for another 3hrs at ~300. It turned out great, but if I could have put it on the night before and let it go for about 18hrs at 225 it would have been better.

 

[firefly765]

Here are some numbers to get you started.

The smallest computer fan that is commonly available, and would move some air, is 40mm (1.575")

And consider me jealous of your Big Green Egg. I first saw those in a post on here (Easter day maybe?) and have a new item on the wish list. The ability to leave it overnight at a constant temp without having to add coals/wood would be sooo nice.

I recently smoked a good sized brisket (~14lbs), but I only had time to smoke it low (200-225) for 6hrs, then had to wrap in foil and up the temp for another 3hrs at ~300. It turned out great, but if I could have put it on the night before and let it go for about 18hrs at 225 it would have been better.

As far as computer fan size, I'll be framing my coffin box out of 2X4 lumber. so, I'll have 3.5" width to mount a fan. I'd like to mount one that moves plenty of air to best cool the taps. What would be a large computer fan? Is there like a CFM rating on them? What is the "discharge" diameter of these fans? How do you hook up the hose to the fan?

Looks like 3" flexible tubing for me.


The BGE is awesome! I have the large. I'd take a look at the Bubba Keg also if i were looking to buy again. It's cheaper, more durable, comes with more accessories, & can be mounted to a trailer hitch for tailgateing. But, the BGE has more "bling" factor! Holds temps very nice & can direct grill also.

 

[KCBrewer]

If you are trying to run all of this in one 3" line, you probably won't be able to go any bigger than a 40mm fan. You will need to seal the fan against a tube in the center of a larger tube. As it pulls air in from the kegerator, air will be forced back down the extra space in the outer tubing. Ideally you want run another section of tubing on the inside of the fan to pump the air to the opposite side, creating circulation across the taps.

Here is a very sloppy, and very disproportional mock up of what you are trying to build. Consider the brown is the wooden side of your coffin.

The ideal way, and probably easier, would be to have two seperate lines. With this you could use an 80mm fan (3.15"). The discharge diameter is nearly the full size of the fan. The framing around the fan blade is very thin, so the fan size itself is pretty much the same size of the tubing you want to use.

As far as CFM, most of them that I deal with (sell/install) don't give that info, only RPM, dBA, voltage & current. You may be able to find more info on them with some searching.

 

[firefly765]

OK, another question: I'm mounting the shanks through a peice of 1 X 12 (3/4" thickness). what length shanks do i need?
My draft box has a depth of 3.5". I was looking for a 90 degree 3/16" nipple so the beer line bend in my box is not too sharp. I'm having trouble finding the 90 degree nipple in stainless. Any idea a good website to buy?

I'll try to post some pics later if i figure out how.

Thanks.

 

[firefly765]

here's a try at pics.

 

[firefly765]

here's a try at pics.
framed out coffin box, 2x4 lumber w/ 1x12 front & back.

have to squeeze beer lins between fridge & countertop.

view from keggerator below

front of box

I will be attaching a piece of 1x12 as a base because the coffin is a little unsteady & i dont want to mount to the wall. 1x6 as a hinged lid, both stained with a mahogony stain. And I will be glueing cherry wood flooring to the exterior shell.