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BM-23 Stock Tower Cooler Questions

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  • KillianBoy
    replied
    whiplash willy,
    No matter if tower blower is working properly, if your PSI is too low (in relation to v/v), the 1st pour (after an extended time) will always be foamy. The imbalance will cause breakout which will cause CO2 gaps which cause foam on first pour. Until you get the keg balanced to v/v you won't know if that is the cause, you could try flashlight test if you can't get v/v but best way to to balance properly.
    You could try and insulate tower fully, insulate blower hose then return hose the put both in tower, this should guarantee the coldest it can get and not worry about the tower cooling system.
    So try at 7 for 24-48 hours, I'd set the PSI at 12-13 (depending on your elevation) and see.
    KB

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  • PointPleasantNJBeerguy
    replied
    My unit has a different tower on it thats why it has that fitting with the hose connected to it.

    Looking back at your pics I notice you have a woodgrain finish bm23 which means that unit is ATLEAST 15 years old and by the looks of the ID plate maybe 20+ years. BM23 usually runs within proper temp range at 5-6. Try pushing to up to 7-8 like you said and try again in 24hrs to see if it came down in temp.If not unit might be low on charge.

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  • whiplash willy
    replied
    Well, I tapped a Pony Keg of Hopworks DOA over the weekend. At Temp setting 6, my beer (2nd pull) is at 40*F in a room temp glass. I have my Co2 PSI at 11.

    My 1st pour is always 50% foam, however the 2nd is perfect, with about 3/4" of head. Carbonation looks good and the beer tastes like it should. I turned the temp to 7, and am aiming for 38*F for the 2nd pull.

    I am a little dissapointed though about the foam on the 1st pull. My old Sanyo kegerator, which had tower cooling from a commercial blower and a PC fan to circulate air throughout, had no tower cooling issues, and the 1st pull never had foam issues. It was kind of a ghetto setup, which is part of why I sold it for the Beverage Air. I didn't want to have to Mod my kegerator to make it work right.

    My best guess is the BM23's built in Tower Cooler, just doesn't work well enough to cool the tower properly. I know it is hooked into the Evap housing properly now, however, you can barley feel it blow any cold air. I am not sure if that is by design, or something isn't working. Is the BM23 Tower Cooler just not that effective?

    I see that PointPleasantNJBeerguy's BM23 has some kind of fitting on the opening of the tower that the cooler hose connects to, and the beer line goes into. Is that custom, or part of the "Sexy Double Faucet Tower"?

    Capture.jpg

    Maybe getting the beer down to 38* will help with the first pour. Any tips would be appreciated!
    Last edited by whiplash willy; 11-18-2014, 10:24 AM.

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  • KillianBoy
    replied
    whiplash willy,
    Most DIY stores will have it , it is called foam insulation tape, one side is adhesive, the other foam. Most times you would put it over pipes that you want to prevent condensation. I put mine on the inside to help insulate the inside, as PointPleasantNJBeerguy says you can't get away from condensation on the outside. You could just get some adhesive (I like the spray best) and just tack down the insulation you have to the inside of the tower.
    Don't think it was contamination, it is just the beer contacting warm parts. I have always had commercial kegs and always had the problem of gunk getting built up in faucet and shank. The solution, clean more often, some clean every 2 weeks, others once a month, the longer you wait, the bigger the gunk problem. There are 2 holes in the faucet, both need to be cleaned, these holes allow air into faucet when pouring beer, otherwise the flow would look like water coming out of garden hose bib instead of an even flow.
    Having stainless may help a little but cleaning more often is the ultimate solution.
    Replacing all the seals, IMHO, is unnecessary, I've used a old and abused DT (Haier) coupler for years with no problems (I only replaced the keg seal which only contacts the gas), if you think you have problems, just get a new coupler. Next time you have it off the keg look through coupler from bottom, what you see through long tube (probe) is what touches the beer If you have check ball installed you will see that, when you clean coupler you really only have to run a brush right through probe to clean. I like to take the coupler apart, clean the chamber where gas is added to the keg and DRY, then put the probe and pump lubricant on all the seals and your good, I never liked to soak the whole coupler. If your are worried about contamination, I think soaking the whole coupler is the worst thing, the best thing to prevent any off taste, is to clean and dry your gear.
    KB
    Last edited by KillianBoy; 11-14-2014, 02:53 PM.

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  • PointPleasantNJBeerguy
    replied
    That condensation is normal with a bm23 tower.Your insulation looks fine.A bm23 tower in the summer will be dripping sweat since they blow that much cold air into tower.

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  • whiplash willy
    replied
    KillianBoy,

    Can you tell me where I can find adhesive type foam, or what it is called?

    The contamination issue I had was with my old Sanyo Mini Fridge Converted Kegerator, and a brewery filled Corney. It was my 2nd keg and at the time I hadn't had much experience with the whole kegerator thing. I may have dumped it prematurely, assuming the whole thing was bad.

    I think the problem was contamination in my old Chrome Plated Brass Shank. After I had given up and dumped the Keg, I removed my faucet and noticed the opening shank had some nastiness on it (The Chrome had worn of). With the BM-23 I will be sticking to commercial kegs. I bought a new stainless shank to hopefully resolve my last contamination issue. I have used the Commercial Coupler a few years ago, and I don't know how well it was cleaned last time, so to be safe, I replaced all 4 seals, and the check ball to be safe.

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  • KillianBoy
    replied
    whiplash willy,
    Sorry I noticed the condensation on the tower, what you have is sufficient but if too much condensation, look into a outside tower insulation or a adhesive type foam on the inside.
    Look at my newbie thread, most members in this section can deal with 7+ feet of 3/16 ID, this will help slow the flow of beer if you have heavy foam.
    Can you relate what your contamination issue was? Was it with old beer line, old check ball ? (was there a check ball?) was it on CO2 100% of the time (use of hand pump?). If you used brand new line with cleaned (not replaced seals) faucet and coupler, I can't see any contamination problems, I've used that set-up on an old abused Haier and worked perfectly, the only 2 seals I changed were the keg seal on the coupler (no contact with beer) and the seal the stops beer from flowing out (though I used that seal for 2-4 kegs with not off taste), tough an old check ball can cause major taste problems (but taking out will solve problem), sorry I'm just curious.
    KB

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  • whiplash willy
    replied
    I have the tower insulated as well.

    BM23TowerCool2s_zps226fd3e9.jpg

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  • whiplash willy
    replied
    The plate, it is just so I don't have to set the coupler down on the dirty kegerator floor. I am sure I will be fine because anything that touches the beer is either new, or Stainless that and has been disassembled and cleaned. I just get nervous because I had a contamination issue with a keg in the past, and had to end up dumping it

    New Stainless Shank
    New Beer Line
    New Gas Line
    Replaced all seals on the perlick and disassembled/cleaned
    Replaced all seals and disassembled/cleaned coupler (All Stainless)

    All of the hose fittings are new and stainless.

    My beer line is 5ft, how long should it be?
    Last edited by whiplash willy; 11-12-2014, 09:23 AM.

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  • KillianBoy
    replied
    whiplash willy,
    Good to hear, make sure you have some insulation in the inside of the tower, some members have slide beer koozies on the tower to help insulate tower,
    I can't see why it wouldn't be sanitary, looks like new faucet (maybe shank?), run a brush through the probe of the coupler and new beer line you should be fine. You MAY have to go longer beer line, but everything looks good.
    Remember it is called a DRIP tray, it is made to catch the drip from the faucet, it isn't made to throw foam (beer) away, just catch the drip from the faucet.
    KB

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  • PointPleasantNJBeerguy
    replied
    whats up with the plate??

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  • whiplash willy
    replied
    Here are a couple more of pics:

    IMG_3827_zps78734b8d.jpg
    IMG_3826_zps0cf1084f.jpg
    IMG_3821_zps656c8de0.jpg

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  • whiplash willy
    replied
    Yea...thats a hard problem to have....

    I did finally get it in though! I rotated the bracket back, and put the lip of the hose (white wire part) in the hole, then worked around the opening pushing it in, and eventually I finally wedged it in there!

    IMG_3823_zps7d666335.jpg

    This weekend I will be hooking up a Pony Keg of Hopworks Deluxe Organic Ale (DOA). I am excited to finally get to use this thing! Hopefully it all goes well Sanitary wise!

    Thanks for your help all!
    Last edited by whiplash willy; 11-12-2014, 09:19 AM.

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  • PointPleasantNJBeerguy
    replied
    Originally posted by whiplash willy View Post
    Thanks for the link!

    The hose is just too big to fit into the small hole
    Don't you hate when your hose is too big to fit in the small hole....
    Last edited by PointPleasantNJBeerguy; 11-04-2014, 03:07 PM.

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  • PointPleasantNJBeerguy
    replied
    undo the screw holding the hose to evap housing.turn it down the hose a few links, then give the hose a pinch while pushing in.After you get on link in you should be able to "screw" hose in following the wire frame of it.

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