Draft beer in a Vanagon!

[slobrewer]

Okay, as promised I've written up the way I installed a 1.75 gallon setup in my Westy in the cabinet after removing the fridge. All told I needed the following parts:

5 gallon bucket
5 gallon bucket lid
2 bucket styrofoam cooler inserts
1.75 gallon keg (available from Williams Brewing)
Beer faucet
Beer shank (preferably the shortest you can get, about 2" long)
Beer nut, tailpiece, and washer
~8' of 3/16" ID beer line
Beer quick disconnect with threaded connector assembly
Williams Brewing Mini-CO2 regulator with CO2 cartridge and gas line with quick disconnect

Much of that can be seen below:

I started by drilling a 1" diameter hole in the vent block out plate I had installed and then mounted the shank:

Then I prepared the bucket. I had to use two of the styrofoam bucket inserts because they tapered too much to fit a keg in there. So I cut the wider top half off of two of them. I put one lid piece in the bottom and saved the other lid piece to put on the top. Here you can see the keg sitting in there:

Drill a hole in the lid and foam lid big enough to thread through the beer line:

The transfer your beer from your larger keg to the 1.75 gallon keg. Here you can see me doing a transfer under pressure with a jumper connection. That prevents foaming and oxidation. I put the target get on a scale and I've tared the scale with the keg filled with water to the target amount I want to take. Then I just transfer and bleed pressure off the target keg to keep the beer flowing until the scale reads zero.

Drop your keg into your bucket and hook up the gas and set your pressure to whatever you typically use (I do about 10-12 PSI.)

Add ice and close her up:

I ran the beer line to the shank and through into the cabinet. I mounted the block off plate with the shank back into the vent hole. Sorry, I didn't get a good picture of that step. The whole bucket easily fits into the storage cabinet with plenty of space for other things:

When you get to camp just pop the beer quick disconnect onto the keg and pour away:

In that picture I'm pouring a nice 3.9% ABV dry stout I brewed a couple of weeks ago.

With this setup the 1.75 gallon keg easily fits in there. If you switch up to a larger bucket typically used for fermentation (6+ gallons) you can fit in a 2.5 gallon keg.

Dave.
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White 1988 Vanagon Westfalia (Automatic, A/C, solar, aux battery, 15" GW wheels, 8' Fiamma awning, 63 qt. Edgestar fridge, homebrew on tap)

[MacDude]

I can't believe that no one has replied to this since you posted it.

This is freakin' awesome!!!

Beats the heck out of my insulated Growler...
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'84 Wolfsburg Westfalia
'90 White Multivan (currently not running)

[drftsub]

I now have another project to add to the list. this is epic.. well done.
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85 Westy
Subaru Turbo Power!

[slobrewer]

[atomatom]

That mini regulator is nice, but not cheap. I have a 5lb and a 20lb tank, and want to attempt some kind of beer camping next year - although I'm not sure I'd make it permanent - and I still have my fridge in.

I think the must-have part in this setup is the mini keg in the bucket full of ice. I want all the gear, but my list is long.

[slobrewer]

[shagginwagon83]

I think I'm going to convert my Westy's flu vent to this for some parties. Key is to make it water tight!
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Brandon
'83.5 Westfalia "Jo Ann" EJ22e w/Peloquin
DM me on IG for quicker responses @brandon.r2

[khughes]