Purging a Half Full Easy Keg With C02/Marbles

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MyQul

MyQul

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I've been thinking of ways to make an easy keg last longer then 3-4 days. What if after drinking about half the keg, I removed the bug. Then using a C02 bike tyre inflator I squirted/purged C02 into the half full keg to try to force to force any 02 out. Then put a fresh bung in the keg.

1. Would this work

2. Would a 16g cartridge be enough C02? Would it be two much?

3. The nozzle on the bit that attaches to the cartridge is quite stubby. Do I need some way, like attaching a bit of hosing or something to get the C02 right into the keg or will just putting the nozzle into the bung hole be enough

I'm not trying to force carb the keg just keep the beer fresh longer

I also came across an interesting idea. Basically put sanitised marlbes in the keg until the beer level reaches the top so there's no air in the keg. So after drinking half the keg I'd remove the bung pour loads of sanitised marbles in there then put a fresh bung in
 
If I understand what you're trying to do, - just preserving your beer? - 16g bottle will be plenty. I used the CO2 tyre inflator to carbonate a 5 ltr keg a few weeks ago -(think I forgot the sugar), and one bottle was enough for that. Doing what you're doing, one bottle should do several, shouldn't it?
You'd need the little inflator and a spare schrader valve I guess, that would dangle inside the top of your keg when you give it a squirt...?

The marbles idea sounds good, but, whatta-lotta-marbles!...:whistle:
 
Personally, I find an easy keg started one weekend to still be fine the following weekend, but I think it's to do with the fact you mentioned on another thread you vent 24 hours beforehand whereas I only vent whilst dispensing.

Have you seen this from Leyland homebrew ? http://www.leyland-home-brew.co.uk/beer-protector-with-co2-injector-1499-p.asp

I think that would do what your after I've also seen some homemade versions of this knocking around the web.

Nice idea with the marbles but probably more pain getting them in and out than its worth, but at least you could say "I got completely marbled last night" :)

I have been thinking about a similar problem, replacing the beer drawn off with co2 at atmospheric pressure so I can pump from the keg using a beer engine and not have the beer oxidize. Got some ideas using 2 hole bungs and letting the beer vent to a bag or polypin which then collapses as it draws back the co2 rather than air as beer is dispensed. I guess if using the bottom.tap this would be simpler and might suit your purposes. You could also fit a co2 valve to the polypin if taking this route.
 
marlon said:
If I understand what you're trying to do, - just preserving your beer? - 16g bottle will be plenty. I used the CO2 tyre inflator to carbonate a 5 ltr keg a few weeks ago -(think I forgot the sugar), and one bottle was enough for that. Doing what you're doing, one bottle should do several, shouldn't it?
You'd need the little inflator and a spare schrader valve I guess, that would dangle inside the top of your keg when you give it a squirt...?

The marbles idea sounds good, but, whatta-lotta-marbles!...:whistle:
Click to expand...

There's this old thread showing how to do it with the car shrader valve. http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=63766

I was just wondering if you could just squirt C02 in the keg to push out the 02 without using the shrader valve

The other thing about the marbles is, how would you get them in there without droping them in and splashing?
 
Honk said:
Personally, I find an easy keg started one weekend to still be fine the following weekend, but I think it's to do with the fact you mentioned on another thread you vent 24 hours beforehand whereas I only vent whilst dispensing.

Have you seen this from Leyland homebrew ? http://www.leyland-home-brew.co.uk/beer-protector-with-co2-injector-1499-p.asp

I think that would do what your after I've also seen some homemade versions of this knocking around the web.

Nice idea with the marbles but probably more pain getting them in and out than its worth, but at least you could say "I got completely marbled last night" :)

I have been thinking about a similar problem, replacing the beer drawn off with co2 at atmospheric pressure so I can pump from the keg using a beer engine and not have the beer oxidize. Got some ideas using 2 hole bungs and letting the beer vent to a bag or polypin which then collapses as it draws back the co2 rather than air as beer is dispensed. I guess if using the bottom.tap this would be simpler and might suit your purposes. You could also fit a co2 valve to the polypin if taking this route.
Click to expand...

I've seen tht from leyland. I want to do what that does but not pay £25.99 :mrgreen:
 
The other thing about the marbles is, how would you get them in there without droping them in and splashing?
Click to expand...

Maybe if you could purge out the air with co2 first somehow the splashing wouldn't matter :whistle:

A simple but inelegant test you could try would be duct tape a bin bag to top of keg then open vent through the bag, bag fills with co2 which is redrawn into keg as you draw off beer., I like this idea but dont know if it would expand enough to work, if you try it let me know. I may try this myself.
 
Honk said:
Maybe if you could purge out the air with co2 first somehow the splashing wouldn't matter :whistle:

A simple but inelegant test you could try would be duct tape a bin bag to top of keg then open vent through the bag, bag fills with co2 which is redrawn into keg as you draw off beer., I like this idea but dont know if it would expand enough to work, if you try it let me know. I may try this myself.
Click to expand...

If I purge with C02, I wouldnt need to use the marbles as the marbles idea was instead of purging

How do you open the vent if you've got a bin bag duct tapped to the top of the keg :confused:
 
I don't see it being a problem, you only need to twist the vent and the bag needs to be loose enough that it can expand anyway

I was attempting to be funny with purging before adding the marbles. Sorry, not everyone gets my sense of humour.
 
Honk said:
I don't see it being a problem, you only need to twist the vent and the bag needs to be loose enough that it can expand anyway

I was attempting to be funny with purging before adding the marbles. Sorry, not everyone gets my sense of humour.
Click to expand...

I was reading this blog earlier and the guy captures C02 from is carboys in a mylar ballon. I wonder if you could do something similar directly from the keg then just have the C02 re-drawn back into the keg as you draw off the beer

http://www.angelfire.com/cantina/carbonation/CapturingCo2.htm

I also read that you can produce C02 mixing baking soda and vinegar. Im not sure how I could use this snippet (provided it's true)

(Whoosh- that joke went right over my head :lol:)
 
MyQul said:
There's this old thread showing how to do it with the car shrader valve. http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=63766

I was just wondering if you could just squirt C02 in the keg to push out the 02 without using the shrader valve

The other thing about the marbles is, how would you get them in there without droping them in and splashing?
Click to expand...

I don't see why not..if you can squirt without the schrader valve. Mine doesn't work like that, I have to push the CO2 'gun' against a valve to open the gun which lets the gas out. Have you got a soda stream? That would work too, with a short length of tube from the SS to the keg.
I like the idea of capturing carbonation CO2 . How about opening the top valve and attaching a balloon to it? The balloon inflates and then provides pressurized CO2 as you drink...?
Need a lot of space above the keg though... :-?
 
marlon said:
I don't see why not..if you can squirt without the schrader valve. Mine doesn't work like that, I have to push the CO2 'gun' against a valve to open the gun which lets the gas out. Have you got a soda stream? That would work too, with a short length of tube from the SS to the keg.
I like the idea of capturing carbonation CO2 . How about opening the top valve and attaching a balloon to it? The balloon inflates and then provides pressurized CO2 as you drink...?
Need a lot of space above the keg though... :-?
Click to expand...

I dont have a soda stream. My tyre inflator has a valve that you can open and close to let the C02 out of the cartridge
 

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