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Home brew / kegerator / food science geeks

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    Home brew / kegerator / food science geeks

    Looking for some insight into measuring the internal temp of beer in a kegerator I just purchased. The temp dial is remedial (off - min - max) so I'm trying to dial it in as accurately as I do my cookers.

    Best ive got going now is a Maverick dangled thru the door, punched thru a piece of cardboard and inserted into a glass of water sitting next to the keg (so it doesn't touch the sides of the glass).

    I started around 9 PM yesterday measuring the poured temp with a Thermapen and it has dropped from 52 degrees (gross!) to 41 now. Internal rig just went up so its at 62 inside the glass so I don't have a baseline when I loaded the keg... The idea dawned on me at work today.

    Any better suggestions or accessories to ensuring my kegerator is serving ice cold beers and managing its energy efficiency as good as possible??

    #2
    Most of the really committed home brewers that I know don't do this. They just keep track of the internal temp of the fridge itself. As long as the beer isn't actively fermenting when it goes into the fridge, it will reach the same internal temperature as the fridge before too long.

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      #3
      So permanent internal them probe in the fridge with external readout? Any suggestions?

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      • EdF
        EdF commented
        Editing a comment
        That seems good in practice.

      • Dr ROK
        Dr ROK commented
        Editing a comment
        Yes, any will do. I have one from thermoworks that I use in my catering fridge that I like. It's even on sale.

        Specializing in cool, unique and professional temperature tools. Super-Fast thermocouples, thermistors, infrared thermometers, data logging and more.

      #4
      This is what my buddy uses: http://www.austinhomebrew.com/Johnso...at_p_5382.html

      If you don't need to get it to the gnats ass and are will to play horseshoes and hand grenades, just put one of these in your fridge and adjust your dial accordingly: http://amazingribs.com/bbq_equipment...er-thermometer

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        #5
        I don't brew beer, but I do own a kegerator, that I customized, and modified. I have been dispensing beer with it for many years. I have a few friends who brew beer, and a couple of them own kegerators too. I've never heard of anyone taking constant measurements of the internal temp inside of them.

        Unless you spent $1,000.00 + on a top-of-the-line BevAir or True kegerator, you'll get a little fluctuation. Some refrigerators cycle, as the compressors cycle, and the temps will fluctuate inside the box. Once you get the internal temp, where you want it, and you're getting good pours, I suggest pulling the thermometer out. There's really no need to constantly monitor the fridge temp, once she's dialed in.

        Another thing is that patience is key. Once you have tapped a keg, depending on the temp of the beer in the keg, it can easily take 24 hours for the keg to acclimate. When I tap a keg, I usually let it sit overnight, before I start pulling beers.

        Fridge temp is a concern, but it's only one factor, in having a balanced system. Having a balanced system is paramount. Google it.

        My go-to, for all things kegerator, and beer dispensing, are the forums at MicroMatic. If you can't find the information that you're looking for, then it can't be found



        To answer your question, to help keep temps constant, I installed a small fan, (like the kind that comes installed into desktop PC's, and wired it into the power cord. It keeps the air circulated which, in turn, helps keep the temp around the keg constant. i.e. no "hot-spots" I also installed a tower cooler, which helps keep the beer in the line cool, all the way to the faucet. You can find directions, for both of those mods, in the MicroMatic forums. If I can find the pics, of the mods, I'll post them later.
        G Click image for larger version

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        Last edited by Skinsfan1311; September 4, 2016, 04:58 AM.

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          #6
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ID:	217578skins fan has it right. I use a Johnson controller at 34 F and a tower fan to serve beer at 40F measured with a thermopen

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            #7
            Originally posted by Greatplainsbrewer View Post
            [ATTACH=CONFIG]n217579[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]n217578[/ATTACH]skins fan has it right. I use a Johnson controller at 34 F and a tower fan to serve beer at 40F measured with a thermopen
            That's a beautiful set-up. I wish I had more room...

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