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Custom Kegerator Design

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When designing and building a homemade kegerator, there are many ways you can make your kegerator uniquely your own. In addition to simple additions like varying tap configurations and tap handles, custom skins are available, and some folks have even gone do far as to build their kegerators into their R.V.s to ensure no lack of beer on vacation! Recently, some inventive brewers have taken to installing LED lights into their custom kegerators. If you are developing a home theme bar, a custom kegerator design can greatly enhance your bar’s atmosphere. You will want to think not only about looks, but also about what kind of beers you want to serve through your kegerator, and equip your device accordingly.

One aspect of custom kegerator design is the right choice of beer faucets. For example, equipping your kegerator to handle stout ales will require the installation of a new faucet shank with a stout-specific beer shank. The stout beer faucet connects to standard beer shanks, so at least that part of your installation will be the same as for regular beer faucets. These stout shanks pour at a slower rate to allow the stout to develop it’s head properly without gaining too much carbonation. Long-nosed “European” style beer faucets can also help – especially if you are having troubles with over-foamy beer.

Custom tap handles always help you to identify which beer is flowing through which tap. By having a large selection of handles, you can be sure to have the right handle for any occasion. There is no real difference in the function of the beer faucet tap handle unless you are short on overhead space.

The only custom kegerators I have seen that have space issues regarding tap handles are the sidewall mounted R.V. kegerators. These kegerators bring all that you need to your outdoor vacation, and enhance the value of your R.V. as well. Outdoor systems look to be built into already existing outside panels. Systems are on the market for either indoor or outdoor serving, and run off of the R.V.’s standard twelve volt power source. Building your own R.V. kegerator install is a bit of a daunting task, so I recommend seeking professionals if you are worried about damaging your R.V.

If you have confidence in your abilities, you may be able to accomplish this. The inside tap seems far easier that the outside tap configuration, but I suppose this depends on whether your R.V. has a convenient panel location for an outside tap. Keeping your keg cold and keeping it from over-foaming seem like the biggest challenges for a road-trip style kegerator. Really, I see no reason why building a kegerator out of your R.V. fridge would be much more difficult that building a non – R.V. kegerator. Most R.V. refrigeration units are not large enough to be well suited for making kegerators, due to their small size, but if your is big enough, the most important part of this operation would be locating the coolant lines in the refrigeration unit and also checking that power or gas lines are not in the way. A non-refrigerated draft system is be easier – it would require keeping your keg on ice, and probably insulated as well.

New innovations in custom kegerator design are always on the horizon. Keep your mind open and the new ideas flowing like the beer they represent – custom kegerator design is on the rise, and a growing market.

Imported Beers Taste Better In a Can?

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One of the great joys of the golden age of microbrews in which we live is the availability of beers from around the world. In most major cities in the U.S., you can find nearly any kind of beer. Many brands are imported from Germany, France, the U.K., Belgium, Japan, even Africa. If you can’t find it imported, the chances are that you can find an American made version of it. I will list some of my favorite imports here.

It is hard to stomach, but let me be the first to say: Newcastle in a can is better. I have always disdained canned beers ever since I started home brewing. Glass preserves the flavor, I used to say. Well it turns out that the clear glass bottles that Newcastle comes in don’t preserve the flavor as much as the opaque aluminum can. This is entirely understandable: sunlight is well known as a degrader of hop character in beer. This is why most ales of Newcastle’s quality are served in brown bottles. When Newcastle is drunk form the can, however, I must say that the taste improves. I can sense the light hop character I never before had in the beer, and it just seems fresher. Well, at least now I know: it isn’t always the container, but more what they put in it!

Of Guinness, it is always heard: much better in Ireland. There are many potential reasons for this, and I do believe it to be true, but if you live in the states, what can you do? It makes sense that Guinness at the brewery is made the same, whether in Ireland or the United States. It is my belief that from every moment after the keg of Guinness leaves the brewery here in the states, or is hauled off of the boat, it is at risk. This is partly because the beer is extremely sensitive to temperature changes. If it is not kept cool throughout transportation, it will undergo changes. If the tap system at the bar has hoses that are the wrong length, the carbonation will change. And the most obvious difference is that seemingly 99% of barkeeps in this country do not know how to properly pour a pint of Guinness! All the rest might as well be left up to chance, but it is high time that uninformed barkeeps in this country learned how to do it right. For those of you who have not been to Ireland, this is how you do it: First, pour roughly 2/3 of the pint full, at a slight angle of the cup. You then let this settle. It usually takes about 45 seconds for the initial pour to settle. Then you top it off and hand it to the patron. If you want to get fancy, you can make a leaf or such design in the foam on top, like they do with lattes. This method of pouring is the proper way, and allows the perfect degree of carbonation and proper head. If you are hazy on any of this, you should plan on going to Ireland to see how it’s really done. I recommend flying into Cork.

From Scotland, we have a true treat: in the ancient tradition of Heather Ale, Fraoch! This is a hop-less, or Gruit-style ale that is a little expensive, but well worth it! This craft ale is made in Scotland by Williams Brewing Company, and represents an elusive tradition of brewing that goes back 2,000+ years. The beer itself is a malty and rich amber with unusual bouquet. The beer is infused with both Heather and Sweet Gale, and imparts a lively inebriation to the imbiber. If you are a beer fan, you must drink this ale before you die! If you are a home brewer, try making some just to keep a 2,000 year old brewing tradition alive. The Fraoch website has some great reading materials on the history of heather ale viewable at: http://www.fraoch.com/history.htm

As delightful as it has been, I must now be off to dream further dreams of ales imported from the land of Morpheus. Until next time, drink it in good health!

Guide to Texas Beers

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Texas Beers

Texas has a long history in beer – both drinking and brewing. In addition to the long-standing Spoetzl Brewery (the makers of Shiner beers), and the ubiquitous (if watered down) Lone Star, new micro-brews are taking the state by storm. With solid traditional and inventive ales, newcomers like Saint Arnold and Real Ale Brewing Company are challenging the old hands to do better than what they’ve done. This battle seems to be playing out to the benefit of Texas beer fans.

The great history of Texas beer starts with the building of the massive Lone Star Brewery in San Antonio in 1884. Adolphus Busch, of Anheuser-Busch, started the enterprise along with some local San Antoners and created the first large mechanized brewery in Texas. But Lone Star beer came much later (1940), and the brewery first pumped out bottles of Sabinas and Champions.

While San Antonio was busy brewing for the local populace, a group of brewers in Shiner, Texas had big plans. This group started one of the most enduring breweries in the nation, Spoetzl Brewery. The brewery first started operations in 1909, and changed hands in 1914 with the coming of immigrant Kosmos Spoetzl. Spoetzl had studied for three years the art of brewing in Bavaria, and served out his journeyman-ship in Cairo, Egypt, making beer for the Pyramid brewery there. Making his traditional family recipe, Spoetzl garnered a following, and then prohibition hit. The brewery somehow managed to survive by selling ice and “near beer”, and weathered the storm from 1919 until 1935. Although prohibition was hardly enforced in Texas during this time, due to fierce controversy, it affected large breweries greatly, and Spoetzl was able to avoid much trouble by dealing strictly with locals in a 70 mile radius and selling his near beer. The Shiner website points out that Spoetzl was very forgetful, though, and sometimes would forget to remove the alcohol from his beers. Tsk, tsk.

Starting in 1994, Houston’s Saint Arnold Brewery opened their doors, and is widely acknowledged as Texas’ oldest craft brewery. Named after the patron saint of brewing, St. Arnold is a brewery that has always had a mind towards the utmost quality. With a hard working staff of only seventeen people, St. Arnold still pumps out ten varieties of beer every year – five varieties continuously, and five seasonally. Even though they’ve been in business for over 13 years, St. Arnold’s maintains it’s dedication to serving their local beer drinking community.

Other micro-breweries started popping up throughout Texas around this time. As early as 1993 in Austin, Texas, the Waterloo Brewpub began selling it’s beers in half-gallon growlers, fighting against laws that inhibited microbrewery operations. Sadly, this brewpub is now closed due to rent increases, depriving Austin of it’s first micro-brew-pub.

In 1996, the Real Ale brewing company opened up in Blanco, Texas, not too far from Austin in the hill country. Although Real Ale is not, by international standards, “Real Ale”, by U.S. beer standards, who can hold it against them? According to the U.K.’s CAMpaign for Real Ale, Real Ale can only be used when describing beer that is "brewed from traditional ingredients, matured by secondary fermentation in the container from which it is dispensed, and served without the use of extraneous carbon dioxide". Although the Real Ale Brewing Company uses the finest ingredients, it certainly cannot be held to CAMRA’s standards.

Possibly as a response to these breweries and others, such as 512 Brewing, Live Oak, Independence, and Rahr & Sons, all micro or craft breweries, Shiner has recently produced a small batch craft brew to celebrate 96 years of brewing. A little known style of beer called Martzen, the Shiner 96 is much stronger than most offering from the company, weighing in at 5.8%.  Traditionally Martzen, which is German for March, is a beer brewed in march and enjoyed during the autumn months. According to the Shiner website, this ale was drunk at the royal Bavarian wedding ceremony that started the Oktoberfest celebrations.

It is good to see larger breweries getting back to their roots, and embracing the folk lore that is rightly their heritage. This seems to be a growing trend in brewing: brewers highlighting the social context and history of the beer they brew. Beers that get too big seem to lose their character – both taste-wise and lore-wise. Shiner is doing a good job of maintaining both. They just needed a little prodding from the (little guys) competition.