Cooling My Beer . . . for Free

[bryan and wendy]

I hate having to cool my beer in the fridge. It just takes so much energy, (electrical energy to cool the fridge, that is) then there's the issue of the fridge being opened so many times every day! I could drink less beer, but where's the fun in that?
Has anybody any experience with simple evaporative cooling? I guess we have all experienced the effect by wetting our cap etc in hot weather- but there must be a way to make this work for cooling our beer cans? We are blessed with wind offshore, and usallly sail in warm climates. Perfect conditions for evap cooling? My first prototype stands the beer can in a bowl of water (1" deep) on deck, then stretches a sock (preferably washed, and of the 'wicking' variety)over the can, and into the water. This will wick water up the length of the can, where the wind will evaporate the water off (large surface area of the sock material)- and Bingo! cool beer without a warm fridge!
Looking for design improvements please

[David M]

Your design seems close to perfect to me. You have a source of water combined with a material with great capillary, surface area and evaporative properties....all passive, no power required.

[GordMay]

Perfect conditions for Evaporative Cooling are Hot & VERY Dry.
At 90 ̊F ambient air temperature, and 15% relative humidity, air may be cooled to about 69 ̊F.
Too warm for my beer.

[Randy]

I've done that and it does cool - not cold.

[Hudson Force]

Bryan & Wendy, Are you guys California sailors like David M and Randy? Sounds like a good plan for the dry West, but here in Florida with a common 80% humidity there's not much luck with such a plan. 'take care and joy, Aythya crew

[Stillraining]

Shoot whats the big deal and all the fuss?..just Drag them behind the boat..they hit 49 degrees in about 30 min...

[Hud3]

According to Gord's chart, here in Nevis we could hope for 76* F beer (25* C) in most conditions. Not nearly cold enough!

[jdoe71]

If you drink beer as a cold refreshing drink then colder is better, downside being that you lose the flavour but with most beers there's little flavour to them anyway so really no downside.

But if you drink beer for a taste experience ( meaning not the bland insipid common type) then you want it around 12 celsius (54 F) or even slightly warmer. For that, the sock might get it close.

But this, like anchors and the "can production sailboats actually float?" question, is a highly debated topic and one where personal preference is king.

[Allan S]

I LOVE this forum, this type of post makes for the best reading, you cover all the bases, booze and how to make booze more enjoyable. You have my thanks. I can also expand on your idea, Bryan and Wendy, by usung larger socks and cooling 40oz bottles and its assosiated mix(es)....Allan

[CalebD]

You guys in the warm climates will just have to suffer through refrigeration problems. Up here in the north east it is cold enough outside to just put the refreshments on the fire escape and wait a few hours. Of course we don't do much sailing in the snow.
Feliz Anno.

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by jdoe71

If you drink beer as a cold refreshing drink then colder is better, downside being that you lose the flavour but with most beers there's little flavour to them anyway so really no downside.

But if you drink beer for a taste experience ( meaning not the bland insipid common type) then you want it around 12 celsius (54 F) or even slightly warmer. For that, the sock might get it close.

But this, like anchors and the "can production sailboats actually float?" question, is a highly debated topic and one where personal preference is king.

If the beer needs to be cold, get a better beer.

Seriously. This is a simple solution. Beer was not invented to be served cold. Cool, at most.

[Stillraining]

Originally Posted by thinwater

If the beer needs to be cold, get a better beer.

Seriously. This is a simple solution. Beer was not invented to be served cold. Cool, at most.

Well as Joel states its "A matter of Opinion"...But I agree that cheap
pilsners which are my usual main stay HAVE to be cold or they are horrible concoctions.

I sit here nursing the remains of the keg we had for our Christmas gathering...CharlieCobra did not drink his quota so here I sit picking up the slack.

I like a good dark beer for social drinking at a bar or entertaining so this happens to be Scuttlebutt Porter....a finely headed beer of exceptional smoothness...hard to top IMHO

Now I know dark beers are supposed to be drank at near room temperatures or at lest within the parameters stated by the previous post or two...but I am a cold brew man myself.

This keg of expensive high quality beer( 9.00 per six pack ) is sitting on my back patio in its plastic tub with it's now melted ice water around it insulating it from the sub freezing temperatures we have been experiencing at night but not freezing due to the direct sun exposure its been receiving during the day. So it is COLD! and it tastes GREAT!..I don't disagree that it can nor that i would not hesitate to drink it warm but my preference is cold and I don't mean cool...

I will not be cruising anywhere with out refrigeration aboard and the knowledge and spares to maintain it. It will be a system on my boat as important to me as a proper sail inventory is to a racer.

To each his own..

[Marksman]

Perhaps it's location, location, location.... but up here in the Great North West we tend to like our beer pretty cold, especialy the lighter fare. Of coarse up here you only have to hang it over the side for a few and it gets cold enough to be marginaly exceptable. My favorite is when it is chilled just enough that when you crack the cap on the bottle, little fingers of ice work their way down the inside the bottle. Ahhhhhhh.... perfection.

[TrevC]

jdoe71: I've found that colder is often better, even for "proper" ales, etc. In the sub-tropics or tropics, the beer will warm up to Ale drinking temperatures and beyond very quickly, especially if you're out in the sun. Something that's initially served at 12C would end up getting quite warm

[s/v 'Faith']

This sounds like a brilliant idea that clearly deserves plenty of research... (must a LARGE sample size for accurate findings).

Originally Posted by bryan and wendy

I hate having to cool my beer in the fridge. ......then stretches a sock (preferably washed, and of the 'wicking' variety)over the can

Just curious about one of your engineering details... what is this 'sock' you speak about>?