I just bought a keezer this weekend. I should be able to get 6 kegs in there and I'm curious to hear how some of you guys set your systems. I've got several 10' 1/4'' ID faucets already set up. I think these will work fine for beers over 2 CO2 volumes. I've got some 5' 1/4'' ID faucets already set up and I'll use these for the English styles that are under 2 CO2 volumes. I'm going to set my temp to about 33F and just let the pint warm up if it needs to be served at cellar temp. It seems like a better answer to serve all the beers too cold than too warm. Any thoughts on this?
I have my kegerator set to 38-40F and see no reason to change it. Like you're planning, I usually let any bigger beers warm up before drinking. Other than that, I don't make light lagers or anything else I'd want to serve at 32F so I save some electricity and keep it warmer.
My keezer averages about 39F. I suppose your beer will stay fresh longer at 33F, but how long do you plan to keep it around?
I agree that overchilling is probably a better approach than underchilling. It will also mitigate your oversized beer line issue somewhat - you can keep the pressure lower for a given volume of CO2. That said, I would recommend replacing the lines with the proper size. It's reasonably cheap and it will definitely save you some headaches. FWIW, 3/16" line will fit a 1/4" shank - you just have to finesse it a bit. Softening it in hot water helps. FWIW, I hacked my freezer's thermostat and it now holds my beer at a steady enough 35-ish without an add-on temperature controller. Close enough for me!
Are you planning to use an external controller? Depending on how you are planning to achieve 33 degress may open you up to problems - you will need to make sure you have good circulation so part of the keezer isn't at 30 while it is 34 near the thermostat and calling for cold. 33 should be the lowest temp you go to or you risk freezing the water component of the beer. I would use a set point around 35 as Mike is suggesting to give yourself some margin. There isn't much of a compelling reason for hyper cold beer because the temperature numbs your taste buds and you miss all the flavor. Then again if you are serving something like Bud Light, it might be best to be numb.
I have a dual regulator for 2 pressures and so far a 3 way distributor. I'll need another distributor in the future for all 6 kegs to be going at the same time. I don't know that I'm worried so much about shelf life as I am about getting a good frosty temp on a lager or hybrid style beer. For some reason I always think I'm running 1/4 ID tubing. I switched to 3/16 a while back and try to forget that my life is easier now. It pours a bit slower, but it's not all foam. I tried to set the freezer on the warmest setting and it's still well below 32F. I don't think I'll be trying to hack into my freezer, as it's already kind of noisy and I'll keep an eye on it to make sure it's not a fire hazard as is. It would only get worse if I tried to touch it. I'll use a Ranco instead. I'm still in the process of testing my freezer. It's just frozen water right now, and I'm waiting for an external controller to come in the mail. I'm wondering if I can just put the probe in some star san and seal it up. That would give a more accurate reading than just the air space of the freezer. My only concern would be mositure hurting the probe over time.
If you refrain from opening the door frequently (usually only happens while I'm showing off my setup during the first 5 minutes after people arrive ), ambient temp is fine for the probe. I attached mine to a wire rack about halfway up from the bottom using a wire tie. (obviously, that was when I still used a temp controller)
so far so good. a few things to keep in mind, beer freezes at 28 or so, depending on the abv of course. 33 is really cold but that is preference. you will not freeze beer until 28, in the least. it will begin to slush. and it will wreak havoc on your balance, as you cant make co2 soluble in a solid. not all temp probes can be submerged in liquid. you don't need to anyway. unlike a fridge, a chest freezer will stay very close to the set temp. the "cold" falls out of a fridge everytime you open the door but a chest freezer is very good at keeping cold air in the valley. recall that grocery stores have plenty of open top freezers with food stocked right up to the top. you do want your lines to stay at a steady temp however, so opening the cover frequently is a bad idea. stick with 3/16" beer line. it will make balancing your system much easier. you should not be changing the id of the line to get the beer to pour as you want. 1/4" line is a headache and for a very specific purpose only. commercial bars do not change line diameter. they will adjust the individual regulator if the system is properly designed and cared for, as you should as well. balance everything with the outboard temp controller and make your life easier. good luck, ask as needed.
I could not agree more with billandsuz's comments. The temp probe from my controller just sits on the hump and is programmed for a 8 degree differential. A thermometer in a bomber filled with water always has a rock steady temp, truly set and forget. If you like to fiddle with gadgets, get an aquarium thermometer ($3, Amazon) and route the line through the seal. The probe is waterproof (duh!) so you can dunk it in your bomber bottle and read the temps without opening the lid. I actually use this on my ferm fridge. Sounds like you can set two different pressures which is nice. You can by-pass adding another distributor by using line splitters (all keg suppliers have these, usually a U-shape). Your shutoff valves will then control two tanks, not ideal but it's quick, easy, and cheap. You are gonna like this new toy.
