Beer Tap Tower Cooler

With my first keezer I learned that if the beer tap is too warm the first pint of beer will be quite foamy from the co2 coming out of suspension prematurely as it hits the warm metal before the glass. Now this is only the first pint, and the flow of the beer will chill the tap for future pints during the day but I would prefer to have the first pint pull just as well as the last.


With help from my friend Duncan who is the owner of a local U-Brew and home brew supply Happy Home Brewer (www.happyhomebrewer.com) we have built a tower cooling fan to push the cold air from above the compressor of the freezer up into the tap tower to keep the taps chilled and we did it with some spare parts that were around the house and destined to be recycled.

Step 1: Getting Ready for the Build...

This project was put together in about 45 minutes with a little playing around testing the power supply's to find one that would work for this application.

The Parts List.....

12v computer chipset fan (30x30x10) x 1
12v Power Supply x 1
1" OD Vinyl tubing x 3'
1" Pipe Clamp x 1
Male Hose connection x 1
small box x 1

Tools needed.....

Drill
1" Drill Bit
2" Hole Saw
Wire cutters
Electrical Tape
Pipe Cutter (or sharp shears/scissors will work too)
scissors
old telephone book or block of wood to drill into
Safety Glasses - All ways a good recommendation with any power tool!

Step 2: Assembling the Air Line

Slide the hose clamp onto one end of the tube and insert the male hose connection. Now tighten the clamp onto the hose barb until it is tight.

Step 3: The Air Box

For this I used a small plastic container with a snap top lid that was very inexpensive. First you need to drill a 1" hole in the top to allow for the air hose to connect. To do this you should clamp the lid to a solid surface to prevent it from slipping and causing a injury. It is also a great idea to have a backer on it like a phone book or block of wood so you will not only save the table your working on, but also make for a cleaner hole while drilling.


On the Bottom of the container you need to find the center by making a X from corner to corner and then with the 2" Hole Saw drill out the center.


It's easiest to line up the mounting holes for the fan by putting the fan inside the container and just pre drill the hole with a 1/4" bit.


The Fan can now be mounted with two small machine screws.

Now that the fan is in the box you can either drill a hole to run the wires through, or in this case I have notched the side a little to push them in.

Step 4: Adding the Power Supply

The power supply for this project must be a 12v otherwise the fan will not work. In this case I am using a power supply from a old router.

First you must cut the connectors off the fan and the power supply and then strip the wires about an 1/2" to make a new connection.

Twist the wires together with the fan and ensure a solid connection, wrap with some electrical tape to keep it secure.

Tape the wire to the side of the box and then put into the hole

(if you drill a hole for the wire make sure to feed it through before connecting)

Step 5: Final Assembly

Now to put it all together!

The top of the box just threads onto the hose connector and then you can snap it onto the base (make sure the wire is tucked away before snapping it shut)

Now you have a fully functional beer tower chiller. To install this you just use zap straps to affix it to the beverage lines and push it up to about 2" from the top of the tower so that it will push the cold air on top from the back of the freezer and create a nice circulation.

A good thing to also do is put some insulation on the beverage lines in the tower as well.

With this setup I will be running the wire out the back of my keezer and plugging it into the wall. Having this fan circulating air in the keezer also will help with keeping the condensation down along with my dehumidifier I have inside.