5L 'Mini Keg' questions & potential drawbacks!

[Do_you_realise]

Hey,

I'm getting fed up of bottling and I'm wondering about upgrading to use 5L mini kegs, at least for 'easy drinking' beers like summer blonde ales etc. Probably still bottle the big IPAs/imperial stouts etc.

Just wondering... has anyone tried them out? I'm wanting these *purely* for things like taking on summer holidays with the family, turning up at friends' BBQ etc, for which they seem ideal compared to the equivalent load of 500ml bottles, or the next step up ('corny' keg system):

• - Portable
• - Can fit them in a mate's fridge
• - Cheaper and easier than going 'full keg' and getting into corny kegs/CO2 regulators/etc (no money or space for this atm)
• - Not having to explain to friends why you're dropping a ****load of beer bottles off 2 days early for the yeast to settle and to keep them upright and refrigerated OR ELSE (bit of a big ask tbh of most people, unless they've got a spare fridge specifically for beer)
• - Not having to explain to drunk people what bottle conditioning is / to not pour the last inch of the bottle (this never works, you always have at least one **** drinking cloudy beer with tasty yeast floaters and then complaining at the quality of what is essentially free beer!)

HOWEVER... I'm concerned that despite all the initial good points above, longer term they might have downsides when it comes to e.g. cleaning them out (? tiny opening, seems like it might be a pain in the ****), cleaning the plastic tap fittings, drying the kegs out (to keep them dry and mould-free between brews), stopping them rusting, making them hold pressure when conditioning in the keg after the 3rd or 4th use.

---------------

In terms of intended usage, I was thinking of using these to 'keg condition' so I'm interested in knowing whether they can hold pressure over time.

Also I had intended to use these (once conditioned) as follows:

1. Take to holiday destination / friend's house party / bbq / etc
2. Place in fridge
3. Open the top valve
4. Dispense from bottom plastic tap using gravity (no CO2 setup here)

With that in mind, how long do you think these would last in the fridge? If say it's just me and one other bloke drinking homebrew on a trip away or something, it might not necessarily go in 2 or even 3 days (there is usually a large amount of homemade wine available too). Will it be flat after 2-3 days? Will it go bad?

As an alternative I'm wondering whether there are systems available which will allow me to still use the system as described above but instead of air replacing the beer via the top valve, it's replaced with CO2 via one of those little tiny CO2 cartridges. So something with a regulator in it which will keep pressure up and have the benefit of stopping any nasties getting into the top of the keg. But still allow me to use the bottom tap.

Anyone who has used these - would really appreciate your input.

Thanks.

 

[clibit]

You can get a tap/CO2 injector thing:

http://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/acatalog/Mini-Keg-C02-Injector-and-Tap.html#.VUiM2o5Viko

I'm wondering about these too.

 

[ian808]

I have several mini kegs which I usually fill and leave for about 4-5 months before drinking. The beer is always as good as what has been bottled but you can notice the difference with it on the second day, it is still good to drink but I have never had a third day out of it but I think it would be a bit flat. Seen the CO2 injector for them but wouldn't bother as a bit pricey for 5 litres of beer

 

[clibit]

I have several mini kegs which I usually fill and leave for about 4-5 months before drinking. The beer is always as good as what has been bottled but you can notice the difference with it on the second day, it is still good to drink but I have never had a third day out of it but I think it would be a bit flat. Seen the CO2 injector for them but wouldn't bother as a bit pricey for 5 litres of beer

If it only lasts a day or two then I think a CO2 injector would be a good idea. 4-5 months seems a long time to leave them before you drink it?

 

[ian808]

If it only lasts a day or two then I think a CO2 injector would be a good idea. 4-5 months seems a long time to leave them before you drink it?

I suppose if you are only drinking 1-2 pints than yes the CO2 but if someone is round it's only 4-5 pints each or on your own two days like a weekend or something. 4-5 months is not long for me as it has always been kits that have been in them and I normally don't touch kit for 3 months. Now I have ventured into AG I wouldn't leave them that long if I use them at all. I like to keep a few of my beers tucked away to see what they taste like after a long time, I still have a few bottles of lager I bottled January 14. Don't know why I kept them that long ? Just don't drink lager at home prefer beer

 

[clibit]

A lot of AG beers can be drunk very young - as soon as they are carbonated in some cases. Mainly weaker beers under 5% without dark grains, I think. I couldn't go back to kits, and waiting months for a beer to be ready. Nightmare. Do a simple AG and get drinking it, I say! :-)

 

[Do_you_realise]

You can get a tap/CO2 injector thing:

http://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/acatalog/Mini-Keg-C02-Injector-and-Tap.html#.VUiM2o5Viko

I'm wondering about these too.

Cheers. I was hoping for something cheaper which literally just injected CO2 (at the right pressure) into the top of the keg, allowing you to just use the built in tap at the bottom. In my mind that should be cheaper as you're not duplicating the functionality of the built in tap.

 

[Do_you_realise]

I suppose if you are only drinking 1-2 pints than yes the CO2 but if someone is round it's only 4-5 pints each or on your own two days like a weekend or something.

Fair point - and if it's free (i.e. I've provided it for people to drink on holiday), I guess it's not the end of the world to be drinking semi-flat beer on day 3...

That's a thought, can the top be re-sealed maybe when not in use? Might squeeze an extra day out of it if you can pop the seal back in overnight maybe...

 

[clibit]

Cheers. I was hoping for something cheaper which literally just injected CO2 (at the right pressure) into the top of the keg, allowing you to just use the built in tap at the bottom. In my mind that should be cheaper as you're not duplicating the functionality of the built in tap.

This might do it:

http://www.leylandhomebrew.com/item3030.htm

and tyhis might help keep the beer longer?

http://www.leylandhomebrew.com/item2982.htm

 

[Do_you_realise]

Cheers, the top of looks sort-of OK, but would ideally want to connect it to this:

as I've already got one, and the connector on the link you posted just seems to be smooth plastic?

 

[Sonnal]

I looked into this before getting minikegs and there does not appear to be a solution which allows use of bottom tap whilst adding CO2 at the top. I ended up buying a starter set with 3 kegs and a CO2 tap. I have got a keg with a bottom tap which I cleaned after drinking the contents - the beer went flat after 2 days and I didn't have the tap at the time. I think if you're going to drink the 5 litres in one go at a party or with friends etc then you wouldn't need the co2.

 

[MyQul]

Now I know zero about kegs as I bottle, but this C02 bulb mini system keeps catching my eye everytime I have a mooch on the wilko site. I haven't got a spare £45 to have a go at it so I don't know how good it is but the reviewers seem to rate it. It just might be what your after

http://www.wilko.com/invt/ib00020

 

[clibit]

I looked into this before getting minikegs and there does not appear to be a solution which allows use of bottom tap whilst adding CO2 at the top.

This seems to be a solution...

http://www.leylandhomebrew.com/item3030.htm

No?

 

[Tony1951]

Now I know zero about kegs as I bottle, but this C02 bulb mini system keeps catching my eye everytime I have a mooch on the wilko site. I haven't got a spare £45 to have a go at it so I don't know how good it is but the reviewers seem to rate it. It just might be what your after

http://www.wilko.com/invt/ib00020

If you read the reviews on the Wilco site the people who wrote them really seem to rate the product.

 

[Sonnal]

This seems to be a solution...

http://www.leylandhomebrew.com/item3030.htm

No?

Hadn't seen that. Looks interesting.

 

[Do_you_realise]

Now I know zero about kegs as I bottle, but this C02 bulb mini system keeps catching my eye everytime I have a mooch on the wilko site. I haven't got a spare £45 to have a go at it so I don't know how good it is but the reviewers seem to rate it. It just might be what your after

http://www.wilko.com/invt/ib00020

Thanks, looks interesting but I'd be interested in asking some questions to anyone who has used them, e.g.:

- Can these deal with keg carbonation or will they not hold that kind of pressure over longer term? Or is the idea that you don't bother with priming and just carbonate using the CO2 cartridges?
- If they can be used to carbonate, do you store them on their side then and allow the trub to collect there?
- If so does the tap system draw from the bottom of the keg or what... just wondering how well this would prevent trub from being sucked up through the dispenser.

 

[MyQul]

Re: the trub Q's.

If you racked to a bottling bucket then to the kegs you wouldn't have any trub.