Odds and Ends

Blogging has become a rarity as of late, sorry about not updating as much as I should or would like to.  Summer has come and gone, Shawn's already finished with his first grade period of the year and work has gone from slightly hectic to very face paced. 

With Halloween right around the corner, I decided to do a quick post of our recent activities.  Lisa and I went to a Halloween party and played dressed as Nun and Monk.  I really dislike costume parties but this one was okay.  I guess if everyone looks like fools I really don't mind looking like one as well. 

Shawn and Katelyn made a trip to the Zoo for some early trick-or-treating at with Nana, Logan, Skylar and their Grandmothers.  Katelyn is really into all the holidays this year and it's really enjoyable to watch.  Unfortunately, Sunday morning, Katie woke up with an always pleasurable case of pink eye.  We ended up spending a little time at Urgent Care and waiting for a prescription but after that...off to the pumpkin patch. 

Sorry about the short post but I hope to make it up in pictures!

Shawn and Katie posing at Doyt Perry Stadium (BGSU)

Katie running down the field

Logan, Shawn and Katie at the Zoo

A Motley Crew at the Zoo

Pink eyed Kate

In the patch

 

 

 

Pony ride at the pumpkin patch

I think the monk had too much to drink of the nun talks too much!

My Science Project is Done for Now

The draft system is complete for now.  I still need to do something a bit more permanent with the shank box by attaching better than it is now.  The cooler seems to be holding at a pretty consistent temperature but the beer is taking some time to get to a nice drinking temperature.  I can fit either four 5 gallon corny kegs in it or one corny keg and a 1/2 barrel and the CO2 bottle still fits fine.  Here's a few pictures as it looks now below.

Shawn also had his first cross country meet of the year.  I'm pretty sure the team won his age group but we left before the results were posted.  Shawn ended up 100th out of what I would guess 150-165 boys.  Not bad considering he is now running with 4th-6th graders and he's a 4th grader.  He seemed to peter out during the last 150 yards and let a few boys pass him.

Here's Shawn after about his first half mile

Beer lines and recirculation tube run out of the cooler to a Styrofoam cooler 

My recirculation blower is mounted in the middle and move cold air up a duct and to the back of my faucets

Point where the recirculated cold air and the beer lines run out of the cooler and up a PVC tube to the back of the faucets

Gas distribution valves and CO2 tank/regulator

Temperature controller

New Kegerator build Day one

Well, the final step in the basement project is to build a more reliable, as far as temperature control and a slightly larger capacity beer cooler to supply the taps I built into the bar.  Today my recirculating fan and temperature controller finally arrive and I started the process of converting our old 7 cubic foot chest freezer into a beer cooler.  Of course the first thing I had to do is buy a new chest freezer to replace the one I'm butchering up for the sake of beer.

Tonight I build and installed the collar that will give the freezer additional depth as well as a place to drill holes for things like the beer lines, CO2 lines, temperature controllers and the like.  I'm still torn on if I will keep the CO2 bottle inside the cooler or outside.  I will have plenty of room to keep it in the cooler along with 4 of my 5 gallon homebrew kegs so I think I'm leaning on the inside to cooler option at this point unless someone can tell me why I shouldn't.

I build the collar out of cedar 1X8 lumber.  I cut the boards at 45 degree angles and then attached the pieces with small brads, L brackets and filled the gaps with silicone.  I then used silicone to attach the collar to the freezer frame.  I also used the silicone to seal the collar to the frame where the two meet.  Once I let the silicone set for a bit, I reattached the freezer lid using the original hinges and some wood screws.  Tomorrow night, I will run the beer lines, install and wire the recirculation blower and the temperature controller.  I will also mount the gas splitter inside the freezer on the collar.  Then it will be beer time.

Below are some pictures so far:

  Just your typical chest freezer

Nothing special

The Collar 

Checking the fit of the lid (nice dent but I swear it was like that when we got it)

Collar installed on the freezer frame.  A pretty good fit too.

Inside view

Hinges reinstalled (notice the holes where the flanges were attached originally)

All seems to function well up to this point.  

My project is functional too!

I finally hooked up a keg for a test and the draft system works!  The pour was lousy but it works nonetheless. 

Finishing Touches

Well this past weekend was pretty much a bust for me but very productive for Lisa.  As we get prepared for our "little" breaking in the basement bash next weekend.  By the way the bash is up to over 50 people and I still don't know about 11 others as of yet.  It's amazing how clean and organized our house can get when we're having people over. 

Unfortunately, my back started acting up on Thursday evening and hasn't really felt any better.  I think it's a nerve issue but I have no idea really.  I did however get a new wireless router installed as well as installed my 4 tap draft system in the basement.  Well at least I partially have the draft system installed.  I still have purchase the chest freezer that I'm converting to a chest-cooler, the temperature control mechanism and the 12 cfm blower motor and do the modifications.  For now, my old kegerator will serve as my cooler and only three 1/6 barrels with fit in it.  I can't wait until the project is complete and I have 4 home brews on tap! 

This week should be a busy one.  I have a meeting this evening with a fraternity brother (he graduated in 1951) who stores a lot of our historical documents and also controls the fraternity's money.  I'm in the process of starting an alumni chapter in the Toledo area and I hope to get approval for reimbursement for some of my activities in the process.  Tomorrow is parent orientation at Shawn's school (I can't believe he's in forth grade already), Wednesday is actually open and Thursday is a parent meeting for Cross Country.  Other than that and getting Shawn to cross country practice, we need to continue to prepare for the bash.  Friday will probably be a stay at home day!

Since I can't help myself, here's some pictures of the draft system:

Bar side of the wall

The third hole was were the electrical outlet was before I moved it to the other side of the wall

Back side of the wall

Completed bar side

Katie had to get in the picture

Looks like tap locks are in my future

Sleeping beauty

Sunday dinner

Tim's pesto pasta with chicken and red peppers.....you have no idea what you are missing.