

| Subject: | Re: chilling westy draft (beer) |
| From: | Mark Tuovinen |
| Date: | Fri, 14 Feb 2014 22:23:39 -0900 |
When I was younger and messing around with muscle cars and jeep CJ's I bought a car for its engine and it came with a beer tap installed in the glove box. The former owner used to go out with his buddies and a keg sitting on the front floor board hooked up to the tap. Takes drinking and driving to a new and higher level. As a local comedian has said many times "any time someone does something dumb an Alaskan does something dumber"! Mark in AK On Fri, Feb 14, 2014 at 10:35 AM, Marc Perdue <mcperdue@gmail.com> wrote: > Tom, > > A friend of mine who makes beer ran a copper line through iced water to > chill the beer. It didn't foam that much as I recall. > > I don't know what the laws might be with regard to having something like > that on board, I'm sure no different than carrying a cooler full of beer or > a keg, but without the environmental waste of bottles and cans. :) However, > my mind went immediately to a tap mounted on the outside of the van, where > the other three outlets are (Westy, non-Syncro). Think Kegerator on wheels! > :D > > So, baffle the keg somehow to prevent sloshing/foaming, build a dry ice > container for the coil in the cabinet in front of the wardrobe, and run a > tap to the outside, and inside, in case it's raining. I'd put the inside > one next to the sink for easy cleanup. > > Sounds like fun! > Marc in snowy Va., where my van has been plowed in to non-moving state. :( > > > On Fri, Feb 14, 2014 at 1:22 PM, Tom Carchrae <tom@carchrae.net> wrote: > > > Thanks Jason. If I do try it, I'll report back. It would be pretty easy > > to the gear I have on a trip before doing any serious plumbing. It > sounds > > like chilling the keg before departure would be the most sensible > solution, > > then trying to insulate it. I've used this kind of thing once at an > event: > > http://brewerymall.com/draft-beer-supplies/build-a-keg-cooler > > > > I think I get what you are saying about foaming, ie, CO2 is less soluble > in > > warm beer. > > > > Tom > > > > > > > > On Fri, Feb 14, 2014 at 10:05 AM, Jason Ellsmere <jasonellsmere@me.com > > >wrote: > > > > > I am in the beer business so I can help you out a bit. > > > > > > First point - it's not worth the effort. Too messy and complicated for > > > not much gain. > > > > > > The keg needs to be cold or you will end up with a foaming problem > using > > a > > > basic draught system. You can ice it but that water will need to drain > > and > > > re-icing is a pain. Refrigerating a coil is beyond my expertise, cool > if > > > you could do it. > > > > > > Driving with a partially full keg will cause foaming issues, again > with a > > > basic draught system. You can spend money on a system that will help > > with > > > that but it will take more space...and money. > > > > > > Wow that all sounds pretty negative. > > > > > > I can help trouble shoot if you do decide to take a crack at it. > > > > > > Jason > > > Toronto > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Feb 14, 2014, at 12:56 PM, Tom Carchrae <tom@CARCHRAE.NET> wrote: > > > > > > > > So I have ended up with a small (5lb) CO2 canister. It seems it > would > > be > > > > pretty easy to install in the van. A 20L keg is pretty compact and > > would > > > > fit nicely at the back of the 'wardrobe'. > > > > > > > > This seems like a practical way to carry an adequate supply of beer. > > > > However, how would I chill it? Has anyone looked at ice bucket > > immersion > > > > chillers, series of peltier coolers ($3 a pop on ebay), or any other > > > things > > > > that might make sense for a tight space. Perhaps a copper line > wrapped > > > > around the fridge cooling elements? Doubtful I think. I had > > previously > > > > dreamed about using heat from the engine coolant to drive the westy > > > fridge, > > > > but that started to get way too far out. > > > > > > > > Or just stuff it and enjoy it english style (aka warm). > > > > > > > > Just dreaming of other work to do on the van while I slowly > reassemble > > > the > > > > engine. > > > > > > > > Tom > > > > > > > > ps, if you recall the off-with-her-heads thread, I > out-with-her-engine, > > > and > > > > then off-with-her-pistons, and now I am making good progress putting > it > > > > back together. doing it with the engine the van was hell, glad to be > > on > > > > the 'other side' of vw owners now. > > > > > >
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