Brewing Master » Homebrew Beer » ?build portable keg cooler w/tap?
?build portable keg cooler w/tap?
Question:
I am trying to build a portable corny keg cooler with a tap. I am imagining some container about 2 feet wide by 14 inches deep and about 3 feet tall. I am gonna mount a couple of taps on the top of it. I want it to carry two kegs at a time.
Well, I’ve got a couple of ideas, but I’ve never tried it. FWIW. Assuming your kegs are already properly chilled at the outset of each event, it seems that you don’t really need ice and water and all that mess, just a well-insulated place to put them. I think I’d build the box with a hinged/clasped lid, that opens like a jack-in-the-box (or like a chest freezer, not an upright refrigerator). Probably make it out of plywood, with hinged handles on the sides for portability (like speakers for a rock and roll band). Take your two kegs and wrap them tightly with trash can liners, put them in the box, then fill the box with that foam insulation that hardens. Once the stuff cures, pull the kegs out of their holes. Voila! A box of insulation with two perfectly-shaped holes into which kegs can be inserted. Mount your plumbing to the top of the box. Let me know if you try this, as I’d like to see how it goes. Hal Davis
Response:
I would think that a plastic barrrel could be employed, but IMHO a cooling plate is the way to go. That way the kegs could sit warm in an attractive wood box without insulation and the cooling plate can be put in a small prefab cooler with ice. If you can’t find a plate, you can use a coil of copper instead. — Carrick Legrismith Poison Ivy Brewery Clinton, MI "You’ll be itching for another glass"
Response:
Karl Lutzen & Mark Stevens in the book "Brew Ware" describe a simple portable cooler for this. They basically mount a wort cooler in an ice chest with one end of the copper tubing connected to a tap mounted in the side of the ice chest. The other end has a CO2 connector and accessible from the out side. Fill the cooler with ice and use. Refer to pages 193 – 195 in the book. They also credit Teri Fahrendorf for describing the device in the 1992 issue of Zymurgy. Hope this helps Chad – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -I am trying to build a portable corny keg cooler with a tap. I am imagining some container about 2 feet wide by 14 inches deep and about 3 feet tall. I am gonna mount a couple of taps on the top of it. I want it to carry two kegs at a time. I have two options for insulation. Either a cut sheet of faom (white stuff) type and glue it together, or use a lot of that spray stuff that fills in gaps. I will decide based ont eh rest of the design. I don’t think wood will work, since it will leak. This thing will ahve ice in it to keep the beer cool. I have thought about trying tin or some thin metal for the inside but am not sure if it will seal right, or what kinda tools I would need to make it with. Does anybody know if there is a way to make plastic? I would like to make a plastic open topped box that is 18 inches by 10 inches and 28 inches tall. i would drill a hole into the bottom and add a rubber gasketed tap to drain the water when the ice melts. I would then use some foam insulation to keep it cool, and finally surround it with a wood frame with wheels on the bottom. Building a top with some taps on it would be easy since the frame would be wood. Bottom line, what can I use that is "cheap" to make the water/ice holding portion of it? Thanks for you input. — Sysop – Home Brew University BBS Brew City Campus 414-238-9074 Genealogy Search: Brickner, Kane, Kimbro, LaClaire, Snyder|Snider, Seecs|Seetch|Sich, and Thorton. Visit my homepage for more … http://www.execpc.com/~jkane
Response:
Of course, they also sell a "cold plate" version that is aluminum and is a flat plate for only $189 with two faucets. I am not so sure about the ability to cool as fast. Anybody used the plate type before?
Hi Jeff (and all): I purchased a coldplate setup from Rapids (not affiliated, happy customer, etc.) last spring and I could not be happier! I got the two tap version and it works great at cooling ample quantities of 2 beverages (typically I have beer on one & root beer on the other). I decided on the coldplate vs. the coils for the following reasons: – I wanted something durable. I was afraid that someone would cram a bottle of wine into the "cooler" and possibly damage the coils (and in fact that scenario has come to pass — glad I had a coldplate!) If the coils suffer so much as a kink, the beer will foam terribly. – In converstaion with the very knowledgeable & helpful sales person at Rapids, he told me that the coil type is a high volume system vs the lower volume of the coldplate. With the coils if you don’t continue to flow beverage at a high rate there is a potential for the liquid to freeze within the coils. In my experience I have never overwhelmed the coldplate’s capacity for cooling. (FYI you will need some additional fittings coming out of the back of the box so that you can connect it to your hoses with keg disconnects on them. Discuss with the sales person how you wish to connect to your kegs and they should be able to help you.) As far as setting the system up, I got an old directors chair that was headed for the trash and removed the arms. The box sits perfectly on top of this collapsible stand. I then got a little elaborate and attached a PVC pipe to one side of the stand; my beach umbrella fits in there perfectly. All in all it’s quite the party setup, and extremely portable! As you can guess I highly recommend the coldplate system. Email me if you need any further details, etc. Best of luck George
Response:
: Anyway, last fall I bought a pair of kegs and rented what they called an : ‘Event cooler’ (or something to that effect) from a local distributor. : a really simple device which consisted of a rectangular picknick cooler : two tap lines running through coiled stainless steel and out through a [..] Actually, it’s worth $250 as a complete package with two faucets and two coils inside the cooler from Rapids. (1800-4rapid1) I am seriously considering this. The SS coils are $50 each, and the faucets and shanks are about $30 each. After ading a little tubing, and the labor of drilling holes that are the right size (read buying a new drill bit!), you are real close to that cost.
Superior (1-800-328-9800) has a similar product (2 50′ SS coils, 2 faucets, in a 10gal Coleman water cooler for $170. Given that the coils are $50 each and the taps w/ shank are $21 each, that leaves you with $28 left to buy a cooler and pay yourself for the time required to build it. They also sell the cooler separately for $40. Not affiliated with Superior, but I do recommend them highly. Cheers, Greg
Response:
writes: – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -I am trying to build a portable corny keg cooler with a tap. I am imagining some container about 2 feet wide by 14 inches deep and about 3 feet tall. I am gonna mount a couple of taps on the top of it. I want it to carry two kegs at a time. I have two options for insulation. Either a cut sheet of faom (white stuff) type and glue it together, or use a lot of that spray stuff that fills in gaps. I will decide based ont eh rest of the design. I don’t think wood will work, since it will leak. This thing will ahve ice in it to keep the beer cool. I have thought about trying tin or some thin metal for the inside but am not sure if it will seal right, or what kinda tools I would need to make it with. Does anybody know if there is a way to make plastic? I would like to make a plastic open topped box that is 18 inches by 10 inches and 28 inches tall. i would drill a hole into the bottom and add a rubber gasketed tap to drain the water when the ice melts. I would then use some foam insulation to keep it cool, and finally surround it with a wood frame with wheels on the bottom. Building a top with some taps on it would be easy since the frame would be wood. Bottom line, what can I use that is "cheap" to make the water/ice holding portion of it? Thanks for you input. — Sysop – Home Brew University BBS Brew City Campus 414-238-9074 Genealogy Search: Brickner, Kane, Kimbro, LaClaire, Snyder|Snider, Seecs|Seetch|Sich, and Thorton. Visit my homepage for more … http://www.execpc.com/~jkane
Try a plastic garbage can. You can get them with wheels at restaurant supply places. Fox equipment makes one that also has a hook for the CO2 tank to hang from. This set up could be easily insulated inside or outside with foil backed bubble wrap (24" wide at Fred Meyer for $1.19 per ft. U.S.). Mark Hafterson Don’t let your beer be a stranger. HOMEBREW! http://www.jcave.com/~dejabru/
Response:
I missed the first part of this thread so I may be off the mark a little bit.. Anyway, last fall I bought a pair of kegs and rented what they called an ‘Event cooler’ (or something to that effect) from a local distributor. It was a really simple device which consisted of a rectangular picknick cooler with two tap lines running through coiled stainless steel and out through a pair of taps. All you had to do was hook up the lines and fill the cooler with ice. The kegs themselves didn’t need to be iced down (in hot weather it wouldn’t hurt) if they were pre-chilled. Something like that wouldn’t be too difficult to make…. hope that’s worth$.02 -mats – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – writes: I don’t think wood will work, since it will leak. This thing will ahve ice in it to keep the beer cool. I have thought about trying tin or some thin metal for the inside but am not sure if it will seal right, or what kinda tools I would need to make it with. Maybe wood would work if you gave it a thick coat of sealant or something. In hydroponics, they use a kind of fiberglass shelack sealant that works very well at making wook leakproof. Im not sure that wood is a good insulator though. Does anyone know what materials insulate best? Christopher
Happy brewing.
Response:
: I missed the first part of this thread so I may be off the mark a little bit.. : Anyway, last fall I bought a pair of kegs and rented what they called an : ‘Event cooler’ (or something to that effect) from a local distributor. It was : a really simple device which consisted of a rectangular picknick cooler with : two tap lines running through coiled stainless steel and out through a pair of : taps. All you had to do was hook up the lines and fill the cooler with ice. : The kegs themselves didn’t need to be iced down (in hot weather it wouldn’t : hurt) if they were pre-chilled. Something like that wouldn’t be too difficult : to make…. : hope that’s worth$.02 Actually, it’s worth $250 as a complete package with two faucets and two coils inside the cooler from Rapids. (1800-4rapid1) I am seriously considering this. The SS coils are $50 each, and the faucets and shanks are about $30 each. After ading a little tubing, and the labor of drilling holes that are the right size (read buying a new drill bit!), you are real close to that cost. i have been thinking for the multiple usability of this configuration, I may splurge and get it. Of course, they also sell a "cold plate" version that is aluminum and is a flat plate for only $189 with two faucets. I am not so sure about the ability to cool as fast. Anybody used the plate type before? When all is done, I still need to build a wheeled cart for the whole thing to sit on. — Sysop – Home Brew University BBS Brew City Campus 414-238-9074 Genealogy Search: Brickner, Kane, Kimbro, LaClaire, Snyder|Snider, Seecs|Seetch|Sich, and Thorton. Visit my homepage for more … http://www.execpc.com/~jkane
Response:
I am trying to build a portable corny keg cooler with a tap. I am imagining some container about 2 feet wide by 14 inches deep and about 3 feet tall. I am gonna mount a couple of taps on the top of it. I want it to carry two kegs at a time.
My cheap, protable and tempory system for the occasional picnic etc. A plastic garbage bin lined with a large heavy duty plastic bag. Kegs in the bag in the bin rolled up newspaper stuffed around the sides to absorb mositure, to insulate and to stop rattles around. 15 ft beer line coiled on top of keg Large bag of ice sitting on top of kegs and on top of coiled beer line (Coil is held in shape with cable ties) Top of plastic bag tied around beer line. 18 inches beer line exits from the top with tap on the end. Whole lot along with 10kg Co2 cylinder tied to a two wheeled bag trolley. Simple, cheap, portable works, all dripping moisture contained, looks rough though. Our local garbage collectors are using molded plastic 100lt wheeled bins. I am thinking of obtaining one of these and turning it into a dedicated portable beer serving unit using the above design concepts. It would be a simple matter to mount a beer tap to the side of the bin It would be neat and efficient. A coat of paint would identify the unit as being deditcated to beer. cheers david
Response:
I don’t think wood will work, since it will leak. This thing will ahve ice in it to keep the beer cool. I have thought about trying tin or some thin metal for the inside but am not sure if it will seal right, or what kinda tools I would need to make it with.
Maybe wood would work if you gave it a thick coat of sealant or something. In hydroponics, they use a kind of fiberglass shelack sealant that works very well at making wook leakproof. Im not sure that wood is a good insulator though. Does anyone know what materials insulate best? Christopher
Response:
You might want to try using fiberglass; it can conform to virtually any shape. Build the wood frame – insulate it and go to a boat supply outlet and give the dimensions that you will need. They can supply the cloth and the resin. If you have never worked with fiberglass before you may want to have a boat shop do the work. It will be water tight if done correctly. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I am trying to build a portable corny keg cooler with a tap. I am imagining some container about 2 feet wide by 14 inches deep and about 3 feet tall. I am gonna mount a couple of taps on the top of it. I want it to carry two kegs at a time. I have two options for insulation. Either a cut sheet of faom (white stuff) type and glue it together, or use a lot of that spray stuff that fills in gaps. I will decide based ont eh rest of the design. I don’t think wood will work, since it will leak. This thing will ahve ice in it to keep the beer cool. I have thought about trying tin or some thin metal for the inside but am not sure if it will seal right, or what kinda tools I would need to make it with. Does anybody know if there is a way to make plastic? I would like to make a plastic open topped box that is 18 inches by 10 inches and 28 inches tall. i would drill a hole into the bottom and add a rubber gasketed tap to drain the water when the ice melts. I would then use some foam insulation to keep it cool, and finally surround it with a wood frame with wheels on the bottom. Building a top with some taps on it would be easy since the frame would be wood. Bottom line, what can I use that is "cheap" to make the water/ice holding portion of it? Thanks for you input. — Sysop – Home Brew University BBS Brew City Campus 414-238-9074 Genealogy Search: Brickner, Kane, Kimbro, LaClaire, Snyder|Snider, Seecs|Seetch|Sich, and Thorton. Visit my homepage for more … http://www.execpc.com/~jkane
Response:
I am trying to build a portable corny keg cooler with a tap. I am imagining some container about 2 feet wide by 14 inches deep and about 3 feet tall. I am gonna mount a couple of taps on the top of it. I want it to carry two kegs at a time. I have two options for insulation. Either a cut sheet of faom (white stuff) type and glue it together, or use a lot of that spray stuff that fills in gaps. I will decide based ont eh rest of the design. I don’t think wood will work, since it will leak. This thing will ahve ice in it to keep the beer cool. I have thought about trying tin or some thin metal for the inside but am not sure if it will seal right, or what kinda tools I would need to make it with. Does anybody know if there is a way to make plastic? I would like to make a plastic open topped box that is 18 inches by 10 inches and 28 inches tall. i would drill a hole into the bottom and add a rubber gasketed tap to drain the water when the ice melts. I would then use some foam insulation to keep it cool, and finally surround it with a wood frame with wheels on the bottom. Building a top with some taps on it would be easy since the frame would be wood. Bottom line, what can I use that is "cheap" to make the water/ice holding portion of it? Thanks for you input. — Sysop – Home Brew University BBS Brew City Campus 414-238-9074 Genealogy Search: Brickner, Kane, Kimbro, LaClaire, Snyder|Snider, Seecs|Seetch|Sich, and Thorton. Visit my homepage for more … http://www.execpc.com/~jkane