Coolbox Bar

A forum to discuss the various ways of getting beer into your glass.
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IronBlue

Coolbox Bar

Post by IronBlue » Fri Jun 03, 2016 10:33 am

A few thoughts on portable corny solutions for anyone who may be interested.....

I've been playing, recycling my old mash tun for a summer 9L corny solution. I already have a mini CO2 bulb reg, but 16g cylinders get a bit tedious - I've been looking at the paintball and sodastream CO2 options for a while. I've gone for sodastream, as 425g is a good amount of gas and they are £9 exchange in the supermarket.

Once you have a bigger bottle it seems sensible to use a coolbox, as you can fix the bottle vertically and also mount a tap - and, um, keep it cool too without buckets of water etc.. I had to attack the lid with a Dremel as you need quite a bit of height clearance, especially with the discos, and even this massive (too big) coolbox isn't quite tall enough. A smaller and taller coolbox would be good, but I don't think they exist...

The existing super-portable rig:

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Hacking a coolbox (I will fill the lid with expanding foam when I've finished):

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Sodastream bottle and reg:

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Cheers:

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Don't need it at home! :oops:

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Jocky
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Re: Coolbox Bar

Post by Jocky » Fri Jun 03, 2016 10:42 am

Looks ace!

Wish I had the space for a chest freezer...
Ingredients: Water, Barley, Hops, Yeast, Seaweed, Blood, Sweat, The swim bladder of a sturgeon, My enemies tears, Scenes of mild peril, An otter's handbag and Riboflavin.

Mcbrewer
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Re: Coolbox Bar

Post by Mcbrewer » Sat Jun 04, 2016 5:33 pm

I like the gas set up using the soda stream bottle do you need a special adaptor for the regulator or does it fit straight in.
This is what I use using the same 16g bottle regulator as yourself.I half fill the cool box with water and use frozen 500ml water bottles to chill it down.I put 3 in an hour before I start drinking and it is nicely chilled.
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IronBlue

Re: Coolbox Bar

Post by IronBlue » Sat Jun 04, 2016 6:31 pm

That's a much better size cool box, mine's too big for one corny, I don't have that tun cooler anymore, I used to have the same. (I've still got the Taylor acoustic though. :wink: ) The reg came configured for sodastream (no adapters) - I got it from Hop & Grape, it was quite expensive, but an extra £20 on top of a cheapo reg+adapter seemed worth it for such a well designed compact unit.

I use two 2-litre lemonade bottles full of water and frozen as the chill source. I left it in a hot car for 10 hours as an experiment, and the beer went from 9C to 12C, so that is easily good enough.

The only problem is the weight, I'm already looking for a wheeled coolbox that's a tad wider so I can fit two 9L kegs in it.... Might even fit the gas inside too, although I quite like it on the corner...

Mcbrewer
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Re: Coolbox Bar

Post by Mcbrewer » Sat Jun 04, 2016 6:51 pm

Ha ha great spot on the Taylor guitar =D> Unlike yourself I don't have a keggorator so this is my only way to dispense,I usually only brew to 19 litres and I bottle the other half using a Blichman beer gun.
If you have any joy finding a cooler that fits 2 kegs and dosent cost a fortune give me a shout.
I will go have a look at hop and grape.Cheers.

woblylegs
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Re: Coolbox Bar

Post by woblylegs » Sat Jun 04, 2016 7:02 pm

why not buy a 120 ltr. wheelie bin and insulate it with something on the inside. you could fit full size cornys and gas. plenty room for frozen bottle of water too.
you can buy the in smaller sizes too
lifes what you make it!

IronBlue

Re: Coolbox Bar

Post by IronBlue » Sun Jun 05, 2016 10:23 am

I can just imagine turning up at a BBQ with a wheelie bin. :D

Joking aside, you can squeeze 17.5 pints in a 9L corny if you take it to the blow off valve, that didn't go far last night with a few of us drinking it... :cry: Something that you can just squeeze two 9L cornys in would be perfect. Anything bigger and I just as well take the chest freezer.... :wink:

woblylegs
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Re: Coolbox Bar

Post by woblylegs » Sun Jun 05, 2016 11:45 am

[quote="IronBlue"]I can just imagine turning up at a BBQ with a wheelie bin. :D

Joking aside, you can squeeze 17.5 pints in a 9L corny if you take it to the blow off valve, that didn't go far last night with a few of us drinking it... :cry: Something that you can just squeeze two 9L cornys in would be perfect. Anything bigger and I just as well take the chest freezer.... :wink:[/quote

i wouldn't be bothered as long as it worked :lol:
theres also bottle bins and laundry truck/ bins on ebay. wheeled too and will be ideal id say

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lifes what you make it!

serum

Re: Coolbox Bar

Post by serum » Sun Jun 05, 2016 2:01 pm

That looks great!

IronBlue

Re: Coolbox Bar

Post by IronBlue » Sun Jun 05, 2016 2:44 pm

:D That's great.

I'm not giving that much of my beer away.... :mrgreen:

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alexlark
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Re: Coolbox Bar

Post by alexlark » Sun Jun 05, 2016 3:05 pm

I've seen a pic like that before with a 50l Sankey in it.

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