Cooling a Cornie

[djskinner]

It was may day off today and I found time to keg my first beer - so much easier than bottling!

Now I'm wondering what is a cheap and easy way to cool the beer. Something like this ice jacket would be perfect but there's little chance I'm willing to pay nearly £40 to have one delivered from the states.

Does anyone know a UK distributor or where I might pick up a used one? How else are the forum members cooling their cornies in the absence of a fridge/flash chiller?

Dan

 

[Hawks]

I have heard of people standing them in a bucket of cold / iced water, if you had a tap near the bottom you could easily change the water without moving the keg...

 

[isolation123]

I have had this trouble for a long time and the only way of getting the beer cool enough is either a chiller or a fridge. People say put wet towels around the keg and put a fan on them but thats not very practical. The buckets an ok idea but it would have to be a big bucket and constantly changing the water would get annoying. Beer fridge for me I think.

isolation123

 

[darrenwest1]

get a chiller they work a treat

 

[Halite]

I have an under the counter fridge that I have converted into a keggerator. Its so easy and cool

Also pretty cheap in the long run, especially if you can pick the fridge up second hand.

 

[Sean_Mc]

Another flash chiller user here, but for camping I'm just going to use a rhino bucket filled with water and ice

 

[31bb3]

I leave mine in the garage it drops quite cool in there at night and chill enough for me
id like a keggerator though

 

[prolix]

I have a beer fridge with taps in the door.

Whilst camping I am a towel and bucket man.

 

[Parva]

Another flash chiller advocate if you don't have the space for a dedicated fridge.... Uses little room and chills 20c beer down to 8c no problem. :) (Chiller is to right of pic, under the bin)

 

[Sean_Mc]

Shiney chiller, wonder if I could spray mine

Very interesting herd you have Parva :thumb:

 

[BarnsleyBrewer]

Love the baby kegs, mine keep breeding too
Norm must av made ££££££'s out of us! (money well spent) :thumb:
BB

 

[djskinner]

So no one is using ice jackets then?

It looks like I'll have a go at setting up a MAXI 110 I acquired for my temp controlled FV project I haven't yet started. Anyone have a manual or some basic instruction? I can guess where the water goes, but how full should it be?

 

[prolix]

there is an over flow you can't over fill it well mine you can't, make sure the heat exchange radiator is clear mine was clogged so had to jet hose the **** out after soaking it.

 

[djskinner]

OK. I see the overflow. How do I empty it if I need to move it etc.?

 

[Parva]

OK. I see the overflow. How do I empty it if I need to move it etc.?

Assuming you have the python recirculation line (as seen in my pic by the 2 JG fittings with a small U-bend piece of pipe) then you simply disconnect the return part of it and point it at a bucket. :) That'll get you down to the last dribbles in the chiller, how you finish that I don't know as I haven't had cause to do so. I would either be removing the entire outer casing or fabricating some way to feed copious amount of kitchen roll through the water bath filler hole to soak up any remaining water.