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Building a DIY glycol system to drop beer to 32F

 
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jered




Joined: 19 Jan 2015
Posts: 4



PostLink    Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2015 8:33 pm    Post subject: Building a DIY glycol system to drop beer to 32F Reply with quote


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Hi All,

I'm building a glycol system to drop the beer from room temp to 32f at the tap.

I'm looking to make something like the CR32 (chillrite). A block that I can cool to 32f and then push the beer through.
I'm not worried about the rest of the system and cooling the beer through the conventional parts but the actual construction of the block.

I'd imagined using an aluminum block that is either immersed in a glycol resevoir or has an external enclosure that the glycol passes over. I'll post a drawing in a few.

If anyone has a good example they can link to or experience I'd like to discuss a few ideas.


Edit adding drawing:


Jered
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kal
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Joined: 12 Dec 2010
Posts: 11116
Location: Ottawa, Canada

Drinking: Pub Ale, Electric Creamsicle, Mild, Pliny the Younger, Belgian Dark Strong, Weizen, Russian Imperial Stout, Black Butte Porter


PostLink    Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2015 9:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I can't offer any help with the chilling system, but I thought I'd mention that 32F is way too cold to serve any beer.
You barely taste anything. Some will say that a light american lager's ok at 32F but even that I find is too cold. My conditioning fridge is at 32F and whenever I try samples, I have to warm them up first or I don't taste anything.

Here's a recommendation (if you have to pick on temp, I'd go with somewhere in the 38-44F range, on the higher end of that range):

Quote:
Very cold (0-4C/32-39F): Any beer you don’t actually want to taste. Pale Lager, Malt Liquor, Canadian-style Golden Ale and Cream Ale, Low Alcohol, Canadian, American or Scandinavian-style Cider.

Cold (4-7C/39-45F): Hefeweizen, Kristalweizen, Kölsch, Premium Lager, Pilsner, Classic German Pilsner, Fruit Beer, brewpub-style Golden Ale, European Strong Lager, Berliner Weisse, Belgian White, American Dark Lager, sweetened Fruit Lambics and Gueuzes, Duvel-types

Cool (8-12C/45-54F): American Pale Ale, Amber Ale, California Common, Dunkelweizen, Sweet Stout, Stout, Dry Stout, Porter, English-style Golden Ale, unsweetened Fruit Lambics and Gueuzes, Faro, Belgian Ale, Bohemian Pilsner, Dunkel, Dortmunder/Helles, Vienna, Schwarzbier, Smoked, Altbier, Tripel, Irish Ale, French or Spanish-style Cider

Cellar (12-14C/54-57F): Bitter, Premium Bitter, Brown Ale, India Pale Ale, English Pale Ale, English Strong Ale, Old Ale, Saison, Unblended Lambic, Flemish Sour Ale, Bière de Garde, Baltic Porter, Abbey Dubbel, Belgian Strong Ale, Weizen Bock, Bock, Foreign Stout, Zwickel/Keller/Landbier, Scottish Ale, Scotch Ale, American Strong Ale, Mild, English-style Cider

Warm (14-16C/57-61F): Barley Wine, Abt/Quadrupel, Imperial Stout, Imperial/Double IPA, Doppelbock, Eisbock, Mead

Hot (70C/158F): Quelque Chose, Liefmans Glühkriek, dark, spiced winter ales like Daleside Morocco Ale.


Source: http://www.ratebeer.com/Story.asp?StoryID=479

Another source: http://craftbeertemple.com/videoblog/serving-beer/

Kal

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jered




Joined: 19 Jan 2015
Posts: 4



PostLink    Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2015 10:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

kal wrote:
I can't offer any help with the chilling system, but I thought I'd mention that 32F is way too cold to serve any beer.
You barely taste anything. Some will say that a light american lager's ok at 32F but even that I find is too cold. My conditioning fridge is at 32F and whenever I try samples, I have to warm them up first or I don't taste anything.

Here's a recommendation (if you have to pick on temp, I'd go with somewhere in the 38-44F range, on the higher end of that range):

Quote:
Very cold (0-4C/32-39F): Any beer you don’t actually want to taste. Pale Lager, Malt Liquor, Canadian-style Golden Ale and Cream Ale, Low Alcohol, Canadian, American or Scandinavian-style Cider.

Cold (4-7C/39-45F): Hefeweizen, Kristalweizen, Kölsch, Premium Lager, Pilsner, Classic German Pilsner, Fruit Beer, brewpub-style Golden Ale, European Strong Lager, Berliner Weisse, Belgian White, American Dark Lager, sweetened Fruit Lambics and Gueuzes, Duvel-types

Cool (8-12C/45-54F): American Pale Ale, Amber Ale, California Common, Dunkelweizen, Sweet Stout, Stout, Dry Stout, Porter, English-style Golden Ale, unsweetened Fruit Lambics and Gueuzes, Faro, Belgian Ale, Bohemian Pilsner, Dunkel, Dortmunder/Helles, Vienna, Schwarzbier, Smoked, Altbier, Tripel, Irish Ale, French or Spanish-style Cider

Cellar (12-14C/54-57F): Bitter, Premium Bitter, Brown Ale, India Pale Ale, English Pale Ale, English Strong Ale, Old Ale, Saison, Unblended Lambic, Flemish Sour Ale, Bière de Garde, Baltic Porter, Abbey Dubbel, Belgian Strong Ale, Weizen Bock, Bock, Foreign Stout, Zwickel/Keller/Landbier, Scottish Ale, Scotch Ale, American Strong Ale, Mild, English-style Cider

Warm (14-16C/57-61F): Barley Wine, Abt/Quadrupel, Imperial Stout, Imperial/Double IPA, Doppelbock, Eisbock, Mead

Hot (70C/158F): Quelque Chose, Liefmans Glühkriek, dark, spiced winter ales like Daleside Morocco Ale.


Source: http://www.ratebeer.com/Story.asp?StoryID=479

Another source: http://craftbeertemple.com/videoblog/serving-beer/

Kal


Thanks for the feedback and link, I'm also a big fan of yours on here. You've put a lot of good info out.

I totally agree with you on 32f being too cold in general to serve beer.
I doubt I'll serve many beers actually at 32f but it's easier to dial it down if I know I can hit 32.

I do spend a fair amount of time in the Caribbean though and may install this in my friend's outdoor bar.
It's about 95f and 100% humidity all the time. So if you serve at 32f it's 40f pretty quick.
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foomench




Joined: 21 Feb 2012
Posts: 704
Location: Longmont, CO

Drinking: Pinot barrel aged quad

Working on: Flanders oude bruin in barrel, Flanders red fermenting to refill the barrel


PostLink    Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2015 11:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Why do you want to build that aluminum block yourself? I just ask since cold plates are readily available.
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/double-line-cold-plate.html
http://www.micromatic.com/wine/cold-plates-cid-102.html
I think building stuff yourself is pretty neat, but getting that thing sealed up and sanitary seems like a big task. Oh, and here's an interesting discussion of cold plates vs. coils, which isn't exactly applicable since you want to do glycol, but still a worthwhile read IMHO.
http://www.micromatic.com/beer-questions/party-cooler-coil-cold-plate-aid-107.html

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jered




Joined: 19 Jan 2015
Posts: 4



PostLink    Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2015 12:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

foomench wrote:
Why do you want to build that aluminum block yourself? I just ask since cold plates are readily available.
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/double-line-cold-plate.html
http://www.micromatic.com/wine/cold-plates-cid-102.html
I think building stuff yourself is pretty neat, but getting that thing sealed up and sanitary seems like a big task. Oh, and here's an interesting discussion of cold plates vs. coils, which isn't exactly applicable since you want to do glycol, but still a worthwhile read IMHO.
http://www.micromatic.com/beer-questions/party-cooler-coil-cold-plate-aid-107.html


Thanks for the links I may buy one but there's a few reasons I was considering building.

1) It's fun
2) Possibly cheaper
3) Brand new CNC machine to test out

I'll take a solid look at all that stuff though, I appreciate it.

Jered
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