location

[Deviant Ollam]

so it seems we have our location... the notion is that we'll be doing this just outside of the con space, on the Miranda Patio (with possible over-spill to the large Pavilion Patio if we need more space.)

It's not poolside, but it's super close to the rest of DEFCON. Access to the pools has changed at the Rio and you'd have to walk waaaay around through the casino to get to them, so it was decided that this was best.

[Fletch F Fletch]

Re: location

Our question, as always, is: "isn't the winner the one who cools the beer closest to freezing WITHOUT FREEZING IT?" Freezing it ruins beer.

KTHXBYE

[Deviant Ollam]

Re: location

Our question, as always, is: "isn't the winner the one who cools the beer closest to freezing WITHOUT FREEZING IT?" Freezing it ruins beer.

that is correct... the rules state that 38 degrees F (or 3 degrees C) is the target temp, and that teams should not over-cool or freeze their beer.

contraptions that produce icy/slushy output or which burst forth tons of foam (a byproduct of improper overcooling) are penalized.

[Fletch F Fletch]

Re: location

that is correct... the rules state that 38 degrees F (or 3 degrees C) is the target temp, and that teams should not over-cool or freeze their beer.

contraptions that produce icy/slushy output or which burst forth tons of foam (a byproduct of improper overcooling) are penalized.

Ah, thanks very much. A couple years ago at DEFCON, a guy came up to me with a tray full of almost-completely frozen beer ice/slush that was the result of cooling beer with just plain liquid nitrogen. It was inedible/undrinkable (although I tried hard,) sadly ruined beer. He had ruined multiple beers!

Naturally, I shot him. No need to thank me.

I'm pleased to learn that completely frozen beer isn't the desired result, and that further finesse and control is required. I have a boxful of reasonably powerful Peltier junctions I've always considered using for that task... even as inefficient for cooling water (or cooling anything) as they are. A big rack of old computer power supplies to run them (each draws about 72 watts at 12 V) and some massive heat sinks might just work, though... you might be able to control them as well as anything. They drop to -10 F pretty easily, and you could control them finely with the right sensors and controllers. Does the scoring algorithm reward getting closest to the target temperature?

It would also be fun to demonstrate my "Space is Cold" technique of putting the beer (in a black container) at the focus of a curved mirror and pointing the mirror at the open sky (making sure the sun isn't impinging!) The effective radiative temperature of an average open, cloudless sky is about 250 K (-9.6 F) and you can actually cool beer somewhat slooooowly that way, even during daytime! If you've ever slept naked on top of an anthill under an open sky, you know how much heat you can lose to an open sky. (And if you haven't, don't judge my fetishes, you fucking puritan fuckpussies!) It's hard in a Vegas daytime, though, to insulate everything from the hot sun and hot air and hot babes that dig me.

That radiative trick can cool stuff below ambient with zero energy input and zero "cold things", but it would be the slowest contraption in the contest, and might even be negative. It works, though, to get your black badge in basic muthafuckin radiative science.

[saxdr]

Re: location

that is correct... the rules state that 38 degrees F (or 3 degrees C) is the target temp, and that teams should not over-cool or freeze their beer.

contraptions that produce icy/slushy output or which burst forth tons of foam (a byproduct of improper overcooling) are penalized.

Another key is for your system to not impart any additional flavors to the beer. Not that I have had any problems with that in previous outings . . .