Beer cooling: dry, wet or python cooler?

An in-line beer cooler only chills the beer as it is being tapped: it flows through cooling coils and comes out of the tap cold – even if the keg itself is not chilled. There are three types.

The types

Dry cooler

The stainless steel cooling coils lie in a solid cooling block. No water bath is needed and the unit is ready for use after about 5–10 minutes. Ideal for parties, mobile use and the bar.

Wet cooler

The wet cooler works with a water tank in which an ice bank forms. It combines in-line and python cooling and delivers consistently cold beer for hours, even at high dispensing volumes – for catering, festival tents and continuous operation. The ice bank has to build up before use; the lead time is stated in the operating manual.

Python cooler

The python cooler pumps chilled water through a companion line (“python”) next to the beer line. This keeps the beer cold right up to the tap even over long distances – for example from the cellar to the bar. Rise height and line length are specified, for example 6 m and 20 m.

Which cooler for which use?

Use	Recommendation
Garden party, birthday, club event	dry cooler, single- or 2-line
Large events with many guests	powerful dry cooler or wet cooler
Catering, continuous operation	wet cooler
Keg in the cellar, long distance to the bar	python cooler or in-line and python cooler

What to look out for

Dispensing capacity (l/h): how many litres per hour the unit can chill continuously.
Lines: single-line for one beer, 2-line for two beers at the same time.
Nominal width: NW 7 or NW 10 – to match hoses and tap (see connections & hoses).
With air compressor: no CO2 needed, but the keg should be empty within one to two days.