Anyone ever use a Mini Keg Beer Dispenser? Feedback?

[lthj75]

I know I am talking to 'pro' beer drinkers, but I don't want a huge kegerator, thought this concept was neat. Would be cool to have down in the home theater with a small bar.

http://content.costco.com/Images/Content/Product/243051.jpg

Link to details (http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11240004&search=243051&cm_mmc=B2CEmail_236US-_-Appliances-_-38-_-VinoTempTableTopDispenser_B2CEmail_236US)

[Bob E.]

not for that price...but that's just me.

[Robo]

Hmmm . . . 1 post? Marketing maybe?

[lthj75]

Originally posted by Robo
Hmmm . . . 1 post? Marketing maybe?

Nope.....not at all. This came in a costco e-mail I got today. Everyone has to start somewhere - you were at 1 post too one day.

I found this site over a year ago - I hit someone up on this site awhile back through private messages on how he ran his cooled beer line.....never heard back. I wanted to run a kegerator with a 6' cooled beer line - I was amazed that there wasn't an easy answer.

[Mill Rat]

Often the best way to get a response to a question like that is to post it. Lots of folks with a variety of experience will see it. PMs, unless you know that the addressee is a very frequent poster, may not be seen by the addressee for quite a long time. PMs seem to be used more for questions specific to one person or one where the information sent (e.g., street address) is something that you might not want out on the internet for anyone to see. If you still have that chilled draft line question hanging, go ahead and post it under "bottling and kegging." Sometimes you have to wait for that person to post again and jump in with a post reminding them to "check your PMs."

[lthj75]

Originally posted by Mill Rat
If you still have that chilled draft line question hanging, go ahead and post it under "bottling and kegging."

Yeah, I was hitting that guy up as he tried many things and posted many times. I wanted to try and learn from his trials.

It seemed from what I read, alot of work was involved. I would still love to get that set-up, but I also don't want to make it a huge job. Thanks!

[kilted brewer]

Originally posted by Bob E.
not for that price...but that's just me.

I've got to agree with this one. For that price you could find so many other options.

[BrewDog]

Welcome, lthj75-

We see spammers sometimes with a similar posting pattern. They show up with 1 post that's nothing more than a link to another web site hawking stuff. Glad to see you are a 'real person'.

I tend to agree with the others that gadget might seem kinda neat at first, but it's really pricey, and you will have a very limited selection of kegs that will fit in it.

You might do better (cheaper, more fun, more variety) to go the dorm fridge route and build it yourself. There are plenty of sites that are linked to from here on how to build one for yourself.
As far as keeping the lines cool over distance, the only real way is to blow air or other coolant through a conduit, or else you will end up with foam.

I'm wondering if something like this might work:

http://www.west-point.org/users/usma1986/42894/images/AirFlow.png

Maybe the general concept of a counter-flow wort chiller can be built using cpvc pipe and a fan. The fan blows cold air into the outer pipe from inside the kegerator. This outer pipe is big enough to hold an inner pipe with enough space that the cold air can run all the way to the other end and back. At the other end, the outer pipe is sealed, (but the beer line comes out the side and goes to the faucet). The beer line runs through the inner pipe, but also the inner pipe provides space for the cold air to return into the fridge. This is so that the air never goes out of the fridge, it remains a closed system, and the coldest air hits the beer line at the furthest point before it had too much of a chance to warm up....

[lthj75]

Originally posted by BrewDog
[B]Welcome, lthj75-

We see spammers sometimes with a similar posting pattern. They show up with 1 post that's nothing more than a link to another web site hawking stuff. Glad to see you are a 'real person'.

I tend to agree with the others that gadget might seem kinda neat at first, but it's really pricey, and you will have a very limited selection of kegs that will fit in it.

You might do better (cheaper, more fun, more variety) to go the dorm fridge route and build it yourself. There are plenty of sites that are linked to from here on how to build one for yourself.
As far as keeping the lines cool over distance, the only real way is to blow air or other coolant through a conduit, or else you will end up with foam.

I'm wondering if something like this might work:


Wow - thanks for the detailed post. You have my mind thinking again! ;-)

This is what the gentleman I was trying to reach tried and I think there was an issue with the warm air sitting at the top of the kegerator and messing with the thermostat. I'll post over where the other suggested and see....thanks!

[lthj75]

PS - proof I'm no spamming marketer! ;-)

Linky (http://www.realbeer.com/discussions/showthread.php?s=&threadid=16264)

[BrewDog]

We believe ya, dude.