Your keg setup, chilled?

[Steve]

I'm working towards getting a keg setup in the garage at the moment. In our current weather the bottled beer in my garage has been almost perfect temperature however being the first year in our house I don't know what the temperature is like come summer. This raises a question, I don't have space for a fridge as I want the garage to remain useable for car storage. I am going to go for the approach of concrete floor cooling and see how the temperature goes but what does anyone else do that doesn't have a kegerator? Under counter chiller? Or just ambient of a cool space e.g. garage? I know the lack of accurate temperature control will make getting carbonation levels right a bit more difficult but I'm up for the challenge.

It will probably be next winter by the time I'm kegging by I can still hope for sooner.

 

[Fil]

my kegs sit in what was the coalshed and now houses a w/machine, ive insulated it as much as possible as it catches the sun come summer. 1/2 the year i pour beer at ambient temp, generally needing to vent a keg prior to each pour to ensure temp fluctuations havn't let any condition out of the beer, then when its too warm i use a shelf chiller, not ideal but i dont have the room for a keg fridge .

 

[Steve]

Sounds like I'll be able to get away with it then. If not I've already got a few ideas for different keg cooling ideas that even if not perfect would be good for dropping the beer a few degrees Friday ready for a weekend session.

 

[Fil]

without keg temp control as the temps rise thru the weeks the beer will loose condition and need venting off and perhaps dropping back of gas pressure with bouts of higher pressure to recondition due to condition loss if needed ( its a gradual change n ive not bothered reconditioning) then as tyhe temps drop, u may wanna back off the gas pressure when not serving as the beer starts absorbing more co2 and can start getting too fizzy.

its a bit more faf but u soon get into the swing of it.

come late spring summer and perhaps the beginning of autumn however some control is best unless u like warm flat beer ( warmer and flatter than southern cask ale) keep your eyes open for a local bargain shelf chiller
for 20 -£30 and perhaps the same again on JG fittings if none supplied and running 4 product lines and a python u can have control at the flick of a switch.. tho i u do go chiller dont enclose it in a cupboard, it will overheat..

 

[danb]

I've got a single product line chiller for sale atm, im in Mansfield too so not far. Cheers

 

[back_to_brewing]

In the winter (now) the garage is about 7C - which is fine for serving unless there's a chill haze on the beer (some do, some don't).

In the summer, temp upto 15/20C, I got an ice bucket and filled it with ice from the freezer and some water - put a pint/bottle in there for a few mins and soon down to a better temp.

I do have an ice machine also in the garage (£100 off t'internet) which keeps my tub-o-ice in the freezer topped up.