I brought out the Cryobev3000 for an out-of-town guest recently. There have been a number of improvements to the design.
For one, I’ve externalized the powersupply and added the option to run it off a 12v laptop charger (which used to run my ancient HP).
Physically plugging the CryoBev3000 into the house power gave the water pump far more juice than the AA battery assembly had ever done (even though they are both 12v).
Just look at those thick, manly streams of coolant fluid.
Note that there’s also a hanger assembly for the coolant outflow. Before the outflow was hooked to the bucket, people kept pulling it out every time they made a particularly broad gesture with their drink.
The increased coolant flow made extra-thick rimes of frost on the coil.
I also made a larger coolant coil with extra loops.
This made a pint of cider (I know, some people like it though) plummet down to 32F. Which is damn close to the sub-freezing temperatures I’ve been shooting for this entire time. My own un-cooled pint of beer, the control beer, had already climbed to 60F, which I can assure you is an unacceptable temperature for beer.
There was however a side-effect to the increased power from the pump.
The website warned me about overheating, but I didn’t believe them.
Luckily I had a spare pump to finish up the drinking session, and I’ve already ordered a beefier replacement.
Just another experiment in cold beer that’s plumbed the limits of its material.