DIY tower questions

[FloppyKnockers]

I am looking to upgrade the bar area and am working on some serving side stuff, specifically a new tower. I'm tossing back and forth either the 3-tap 2" black iron pipe, or a coffin box style that with be counter top mounted.

If you have one of these what have your experiences been? Have you had to cool the tower(s)? Add more insulation? Had problems with sweating? air leaks? What would you differently?

If you don't have either of these but want to sell me on what you're rockin, let me hear it.

 

[TravelingLight]

I am looking to upgrade the bar area and am working on some serving side stuff, specifically a new tower. I'm tossing back and forth either the 3-tap 2" black iron pipe, or a coffin box style that with be counter top mounted.

If you have one of these what have your experiences been? Have you had to cool the tower(s)? Add more insulation? Had problems with sweating? air leaks? What would you differently?

If you don't have either of these but want to sell me on what you're rockin, let me hear it.

Hey buddy, I had a single tap black iron tower on my old kegerator. I never had to cool or insulate the tower. Never had any leaks or condensation. I was pretty surprised. I was actually in the process of building something to cool the tower as soon as I got the kegerator finished, but ended up not needing it.

 

[FloppyKnockers]

Hey buddy, I had a single tap black iron tower on my old kegerator. I never had to cool or insulate the tower. Never had any leaks or condensation. I was pretty surprised. I was actually in the process of building something to cool the tower as soon as I got the kegerator finished, but ended up not needing it.

Thanks, man. Good to hear a success story on those towers. I'm going to start a thread soon of my new bar build if you want to see where I go with it.

 

[TravelingLight]

Thanks, man. Good to hear a success story on those towers. I'm going to start a thread soon of my new bar build if you want to see where I go with it.

Absolutely! Link it here when you start it. You may or may not remember, but you helped me get the door gasket seated correctly on my first kegerator a couple years back. I actually named my first beer Floppy Knocker IPA because of that. You're forever enshrined in my brewery!

I'll be in Portland in April. If I see you, the first beer is on me.

 

[FloppyKnockers]

Absolutely! Link it here when you start it. You may or may not remember, but you helped me get the door gasket seated correctly on my first kegerator a couple years back. I actually named my first beer Floppy Knocker IPA because of that. You're forever enshrined in my brewery!

I'll be in Portland in April. If I see you, the first beer is on me.

Ahh! I do remember that! I'm really glad it worked out. Those things can be a pain. I even more glader-er that I have a beer named after me (hope it was good). That one can now be checked off the bucket list.

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

I thought I read if you tee off its hard to get the cool air to the ends?? Different story if you run a loop but I think most just have a single hole..

Interested to hear what people are saying as I might change mine up...perfect pours now and don't want to mess up a good thing

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

Probably splitting hairs but does a cast iron tower take longer to heat up but once it does it stays hot and creates issues with foamy pours..kinda the same concept as a cast iron wood stove...I'm thinking warm summer months when the house is warmer

 

[FloppyKnockers]

Absolutely! Link it here when you start it. You may or may not remember, but you helped me get the door gasket seated correctly on my first kegerator a couple years back. I actually named my first beer Floppy Knocker IPA because of that. You're forever enshrined in my brewery!

I'll be in Portland in April. If I see you, the first beer is on me.

As requested Speakeasy bar build

 

[FloppyKnockers]

Probably splitting hairs but does a cast iron tower take longer to heat up but once it does it stays hot and creates issues with foamy pours..kinda the same concept as a cast iron wood stove...I'm thinking warm summer months when the house is warmer

You're 99% right. Most metals like copper, iron, aluminium, silver, etc. are amazing thermal conductors. It's not that they get hotter (or colder) it's that they stay hotter or colder than something that has thermal resistivity. If the metal is thick and/or has little surface area it can act as its own thermal insulator.

 

[charger]

Finished a 2 tap, 2” iron tower earlier this month. I did add the black foam 1” pipe insulation to the vertical portion out of the top. Can’t say if it’s effective or not as I don’t know any different, but seems to be pouring fine following the first ounce or so.

 

[NitrogenWidget]

not cast but cheap nickle plated cylinder from a walmart toilet brush holder. lol.
I just filled the whole thing with spray foam insulation then used a 1 inch hole saw to make a path for the beer lines inside it.
cooling hose needed to be put right in the foam to keep the lines cool because just hanging it below didn't really allow the cold to blow into it.