Discovered several interesting things today:
- Jeep Wranglers can be very fuel efficient. Drove 66.3 miles then filled up: used only 2.3 gallons! My calculations indicate 28.8 mpg. How the hell did I do it? Avoided stoplight racing, shifted under 2k, made most of the lights, and kept it below 65 mph on the freeway. And yes, I was deliberately trying to see just how good a mileage figure I could squeeze out of a TJ, just for bragging rights.
Yes, I know, Bill and others will probably drop their pants and offer an irreverant physical gesture out of sheer disbelief and arrogance. Fire away. I'm too shocked with the numbers to care much.
- One should NEVER fiddle with the macro adjustment on a Kegerator thermostat while a viable keg is still inside. 34 degrees at MAX wasn't good enough for me: I wanted 33 or lower, so I pulled the thermostat out, gave the macro adjustment a 1.5 clockwise turn, buttoned it back up and let it go overnight. This morning, the interior air temp was a frosty 21 degrees. Liquid temp was probably 5 degrees less than that, I'm sure.
Pulling the treasured 5-gal keg of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale revelaed that the contents were not completely frozen, but still in a slushy-state, but more frozen than slush. DAMN! Pulling the tap open revealed my worst suspicions as well: not a drop came out.
As of this afternoon, I discover that the macro adjustment yields a 2 degree drop per 1/4 turn on the screw, so after some recalibration, I'm back in business, and the brew seems none the worse for the experience. I'm now down to a liquid temp of exactly 31 degrees, and at 13 psi. CO2 pressure, the saturation and foam lacing are absolutely perfect. YES!
- Now that the beer is ice-cold and ready to pour, I've found that Frito Lay's Rold Gold classic style Braided Twists are a MOST complimentary snack for anyone who's been sitting around the house all day, waiting until 3:00 so that they can get hammered and eat junk food like a hog.
Damn. Life is good. Too bad you're not closeby, Kate: I could use a wild-eyed Irish gal to help me drink up a frosty keg of Amber Ale. I might have even cracked a dirty joke or two and got you to smile.
-JD