Beer Tap - Draft Beer On Board

[pateco]

When I was a senior in college home brewing beer for personal use was legalized. That was 1978 or maybe 1977 since I'm rarely the first to learn of something new. We made some pretty awful beers back then. Look how far we've come.

I too started brewing in college at the University of Florida. Being new to brewing, and trying to do it in a small college apartment, without refrigeration for my fermenter, I quickly learned to stick to ales. I also quickly learned that while recycled clear Corona bottles were easy to clean and sanitize since they did not have paper labels, the beer bottled in them went bad (skunky) too quickly due to light exposure. Some great beers were brewed, and also some that were not very good. Mistakes and poor quality results were given to the current pledge class at my fraternity. We came to call it pledge beer. No beer was wasted.

After college I did not brew for a while. Once I got married and had kids, one of my first Father's day gifts from the admiral was a kegerator (I love that woman). I switched to kegging my beer, and brewing became much easier. (I hate sterilizing bottles)

 

[Gunni]

You don’t chill the keg, you chill the beer using a plate or coil. We put one of these together a few years ago using the coil and single line system to a tap. You have to keep the keg under CO2 pressure and stowed out of the sun, but you don't have to keep the keg cold. Put the keg in a stowage area and route the beer line to coil cooler and then on to the tap.

 

[pateco]

You don’t chill the keg, you chill the beer using a plate or coil. We put one of these together a few years ago using the coil and single line system to a tap. You have to keep the keg under CO2 pressure and stowed out of the sun, but you don't have to keep the keg cold. Put the keg in a stowage area and route the beer line to coil cooler and then on to the tap.

I have a two tap jockey box with a solid block cold plate at the bottom

I wonder if I could stick this in the bottom of the standard Icebox on the boat, and route my beer lines appropriately.

I think I now know what is going to replace my dead water heater in the starboard lazarette right behind the ice box. LOL

 

[shemandr]

This is what Clare Rose (Large local beer distributor) told us to do for a party instead of giving us the refrigerated beer trailer. It worked pretty well. You could come up with something smaller for personal use.

 

[jibes138]

Forget all other suggestions. Get a Rocket Man Plus. This is a beer backpack so your beer is with you at all times and it even has a cup dispenser on the backpack. Anyone trying to get your beer with have to go through you first. https://www.rocketman.com/rocket-man-plus.html

 

[Gunni]

I wonder if I could stick this in the bottom of the standard Icebox on the boat, and route my beer lines appropriately.

Did President Kennedy say "I wonder if we could put a man on the moon?". No, no he did not!
The cold plate doesn't hold as much beer as the coil, and the cold transfer is less immediate than the SS coil. But if you are only tapping off one beer at a time the cold plate would work. If you are going for more, you need the coil and an ice water bath (for the beer coil, not you!).

 

[agprice22]

Did President Kennedy say "I wonder if we could put a man on the moon?". No, no he did not!
The cold plate doesn't hold as much beer as the coil, and the cold transfer is less immediate than the SS coil. But if you are only tapping off one beer at a time the cold plate would work. If you are going for more, you need the coil and an ice water bath (for the beer coil, not you!).

Gawd I like this man’s thinking!

I had a double tap jockey box with a 5 lb co2 bottle and 2 five gallon soda kegs. I could pump two types of beer as fast as you wanted!
The trick was to pack the cooler with crushed ice, salted. It melts the ice which refreezes tightly around the coils in the cooler. Lasts for hours!

 

[agprice22]

Finally a topic that I can relate to since coming over to the sailing side of boating.CHEERS

Welcome to the Amber side!

 

[agprice22]

By the way, Copper tubing works well too, and it rolls easily around a 4” pvc tube.

 

[pateco]

By the way, Copper tubing works well too, and it rolls easily around a 4” pvc tube.

Copper tubing can add an off flavor to your beer if left in the tubing for any length of time. SS is the way to go

"The compounds produced when carbonic acid and copper react are toxic, and will induce vomiting, nausea, and a whole host of unpleasantness you don't even want to know about. Seek medical attention immediately if you ingested any such thing. Remember that when CO2 enters water, it becomes carbonic acid. Use stainless steel fittings to be 100% sure. Also remember that brass is an alloy of copper and zinc, and reaction will still take place"

 

[jibes138]

Perhaps beer is not the best beverage for a sailor at sea. This product allows you to brew rum in real time while you are sailing. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B011ZY5284/ref=abs_brd_tag_dp

 

[agprice22]

Copper tubing can add an off flavor to your beer if left in the tubing for any length of time. SS is the way to go

"The compounds produced when carbonic acid and copper react are toxic, and will induce vomiting, nausea, and a whole host of unpleasantness you don't even want to know about. Seek medical attention immediately if you ingested any such thing. Remember that when CO2 enters water, it becomes carbonic acid. Use stainless steel fittings to be 100% sure. Also remember that brass is an alloy of copper and zinc, and reaction will still take place"

Yeah. We always clean the box, taps, and lines after every use. If I recall, we ran TSP through them all followed by fresh water then air. I don’t think it would really store well on a boat anyway. Too much trouble when you can just bring cans.

 

[Gunni]

Beer Line Cleaner (potassium hydroxide). For 3 generations we have built and maintained keggerators in the clan. If I were doing this aboard a boat I would want to consume the entire keg during the cruise...and be >3 miles off-shore with the overboard discharge valve open!

 

[jssailem]

>3 miles off-shore with the overboard discharge valve open!

What happened to hanging it out in the breeze.
Just being sure to be tethered into the cockpit so you don't add to the statistic of why sailors fall off their boats.
You know I think that activity was one of the reasons they designed newer boats without a transom. Reduces the need to stand on the gunnel.

 

[Capricous]

Cellar cold is the temp in Germany

 

[Gunni]

What happened to hanging it out in the breeze.
Just being sure to be tethered into the cockpit so you don't add to the statistic of why sailors fall off their boats.

The ladies don't seem to like hanging it out in the breeze, whether tethered or not!

 

[Will Gilmore]

Beers are like sake, some need to be warm some need to be cold and some can be either. I prefer a quad at about 55F. Get it too cools and it's just beer. Keep it above 50F and it's a meal.

If you use a scuba tank to pressure your beer it will also cool out as the pressurize comes down. In theory

- Will (Dragonfly)

 

[jssailem]

ladies don't seem to like hanging it out in the breeze,

So true. I guess that is one of the differences between the old and new Navy.

 

[Ron20324]

... I proudly told my office assistant that I have yet to sign 2017 on a form...

Uummm... is that to say you screwed up every form last year???

 

[Ron20324]

...Get it too cools and it's just beer. Keep it above 50F and it's a meal... (Dragonfly)

Oh, so THAT'S where the saying comes from : "Beer, the reason I get up for breakfast every afternoon."