Hi all
I have a query regarding mini kegs (I made it all the way through the mini-keg thread but don't think it quite covered my question and that thread seems to have gone dead)...
I was all set to start my HB adventure using PET bottles, but minikegs look like an easier option if I can make the beer last under a CO2 blanket (I can't drink 5l in 2-3 days... well I probably shouldn't). I'm planning on doing small batches - c. 11-12l so two kegs and a couple of bottles to check carbonation looks like a good set up.
The problem I have is that the cupboard I (am allowed to) store my beer in has fixed shelves without a lot of height between them - probably not enough to fit in a Party Star or Profi Tap (I think I have less than 10cm clearance above a 25cm keg - if someone with the kit could measure theirs that would help me avoid an expensive mistake).
I'm also a bit concerned about blasting through loads of 16g CO2 cartridges if not always necessary.
I saw on the monster thread that some people use C02 to put a blanket on the beer then top up pressure using air from a bike pump - so a PartyStar might not be ideal anyway.
My idea - and this is where people with more common sense and practical skills will shoot me down - is to replace the keg bung with a Party-Star type grey bung, but push out the centre and replace with a Schrader valve. I would then use a short Shrader hose to connect the valve to either a bicycle CO2 injector (for first blast) or bike pump (for air). I'd aim to get an injector with flow control (these exist, right?) so I could inject part-canisters. Beer would be dispensed from the keg's bottom tap.
Would this work? What obvious problems am I over looking? The two I'd thought of are;
1. How do I fit the valve to the bung? Push it in the gap, or does it have a securing nut on the underside?
2. How do I maintain pressure in the barrel? I assume I would disconnect the short hose from the valve between sessions, but is there a such a thing as a cheap one-way valve that could allow me to leave the hose in situ? (I'm think the less I muck about with the valve, the less chance of pushing it into the barrel or something dumb.
Sorry about the rambling. I'm not a cyclist so not familiar with the kit.
I have a query regarding mini kegs (I made it all the way through the mini-keg thread but don't think it quite covered my question and that thread seems to have gone dead)...
I was all set to start my HB adventure using PET bottles, but minikegs look like an easier option if I can make the beer last under a CO2 blanket (I can't drink 5l in 2-3 days... well I probably shouldn't). I'm planning on doing small batches - c. 11-12l so two kegs and a couple of bottles to check carbonation looks like a good set up.
The problem I have is that the cupboard I (am allowed to) store my beer in has fixed shelves without a lot of height between them - probably not enough to fit in a Party Star or Profi Tap (I think I have less than 10cm clearance above a 25cm keg - if someone with the kit could measure theirs that would help me avoid an expensive mistake).
I'm also a bit concerned about blasting through loads of 16g CO2 cartridges if not always necessary.
I saw on the monster thread that some people use C02 to put a blanket on the beer then top up pressure using air from a bike pump - so a PartyStar might not be ideal anyway.
My idea - and this is where people with more common sense and practical skills will shoot me down - is to replace the keg bung with a Party-Star type grey bung, but push out the centre and replace with a Schrader valve. I would then use a short Shrader hose to connect the valve to either a bicycle CO2 injector (for first blast) or bike pump (for air). I'd aim to get an injector with flow control (these exist, right?) so I could inject part-canisters. Beer would be dispensed from the keg's bottom tap.
Would this work? What obvious problems am I over looking? The two I'd thought of are;
1. How do I fit the valve to the bung? Push it in the gap, or does it have a securing nut on the underside?
2. How do I maintain pressure in the barrel? I assume I would disconnect the short hose from the valve between sessions, but is there a such a thing as a cheap one-way valve that could allow me to leave the hose in situ? (I'm think the less I muck about with the valve, the less chance of pushing it into the barrel or something dumb.
Sorry about the rambling. I'm not a cyclist so not familiar with the kit.
