Maxi 10 beer chiller?

[isolation123]

Hi guys,

I have a cornelius keg and i am thinking of getting another one as they are great , However I am going to have trouble keeping the beer cool in warmer months, so i have seen a maxi 10 beer chiller going for around £50 questions:

1. Is is worth it?
2. I am a novice with chillers so how does it actually work and what extra equipment is needed?
3. Is there any better chillers or any other way to keep it very cool?


Thanks I appreciate your help everyone
:)
Isolation123

 

[commsbiff]

Another option might be something like Tubby's Keggerator. Fridges come cheap/free from flea bay / freecycle :thumb:

 

[Parva]

I assume that you mean a Maxi 110? This is a single-line chiller I believe, much like my own. Here's a picture of mine and hopefully the picture will help you understand how it works. :)

Within the chiller is a bath (which you fill with water), this bath is chilled to a very cold temperature. Within this bath sits a stainless steel coil and it is through this that the beer enters and leaves the chiller. Beer in at room temperature (19c in my kitchen mostly) and comes out at around 9c. Some chillers offer temperature control as standard but even if not it is possible to tailor it to suit by other methods, I just happen to like mine as it is. :)

Think of the chiller as an extension of your beerline and not a machine of mystery, you are simply piping your beer in and straight back out and pumping it through with C02 just as you would if you were going straight from cornie to tap. It's simply passing the beer through an ice bath to chill it. I store all of my beer in the kitchen at room temperature, some are near 12 months old and I've never had a problem. I would however suggest that you try to get hold of a chiller that does more than one line as you can then serve multiple chilled beers (or in the case of lager, pass it through two coils to super-chill it). That said, I manage perfectly well with my single line chiller.