A lot of CO2 bulbs

[Dode]

Hi all,
At the moment I'm using a few more CO2 bulbs than expected and it's a bit of a pain to keep pressure on the keg. One or two of my neighbours have suggested putting a car tyre valve on the keg and pumping it up with a car tyre pump. What do folk think about that? Is it feasible?

 

[IainM]

Yes, it is possible, but once you get oxygen in there then it will start to spoil. Fine for the last few pints but not when you want to keep the beer for a while.

 

[Leon103]

If dutto was about he would explain his method using a bike pump but as stated above, it won't keep the beer fresh but ok for getting the beer out of the tap

 

[Dode]

Thanks, guys. From what you say it might be a better idea to use the tyre pump for the last half of the keg. That will halve the amount of CO2 and from what you say, if I pumped it the whole way then it wouldn't taste perfect to the end.

 

[foxbat]

Once you start letting oxygen in then you can expect it to stay fresh as long as a pub cask that's been tapped would stay fresh. Probably a week at the outside.

 

[Honk]

Thanks, guys. From what you say it might be a better idea to use the tyre pump for the last half of the keg. That will halve the amount of CO2 and from what you say, if I pumped it the whole way then it wouldn't taste perfect to the end.

My experience was I could get half way through a keg before needing to add co2 then one or 2 bulbs to finish. Sounds to me like you have a leak.

 

[Bigcol49]

Sounds to me like you have a leak.

Hi!
My first thought.

 

[terrym]

If you are using a plastic PB and find yourself using more CO2 bulbs than you would expect you may have a small leak somewhere as others have said. I can often get down to the last couple of pints from the initial 95g priming sugar charge in my PBs without topping up the head pressure.
A few tips here
https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/guide-to-a-standard-home-brew-pressure-barrel.67042/

 

[Dode]

Ran out of CO2 yesterday so a valve fitted to the keg last night. The foot pump is lying beside the kegs and the brew comes out nicely - at the moment. If I can get a week or so out of it, it'll work for me because half of it will now get bottled instead of kegged. If I don't get a week out of it I'll just moan a lot.

 

[Dutto]

I've used the Bike Pump system on 10 litre kegs for two reasons:

1. The natural carbonation puts a CO2 blanket on top of the brew and that protects the brew.
2. The brew doesn't last long enough to spoil due to oxygenation.
   
3. My 10 litre PB's don't have a CO2 injector point and the method calls for the top to be slackened off anyway.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B002R69T84/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

I've modified them by installing a stainless-steel valve adjacent to the top like this ...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01DJVDMVA/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

I've now gone all "posh" and use a Sodastream CO2 System on all of my PB's. The tops look like this ...

As you can see, I've cut the end off the Bike Pump so that I can use it with the Sodastream Bottle as per this photo.

The tubing from the Bike Pump fits into the Manifold.

I carbonate the PB's and Growlers with a maximum of 1g per litre of brewing sugar just to keep anything nasty out whilst they are carbonating and conditioning. When they're in use I use 5psi of pressure 'cos I hate a "gassy" brew.

Like a lot of my stuff, it looks rough - but it works!

PS
I also reckon that you may have a leak! I use Vaseline to seal the "O" rings on the PB's 'cos it doesn't affect the taste of the brew.

 

[Dode]

I've used the Bike Pump system on 10 litre kegs for two reasons:

1. The natural carbonation puts a CO2 blanket on top of the brew and that protects the brew.
2. The brew doesn't last long enough to spoil due to oxygenation.
   
3. My 10 litre PB's don't have a CO2 injector point and the method calls for the top to be slackened off anyway.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B002R69T84/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

I've modified them by installing a stainless-steel valve adjacent to the top like this ...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01DJVDMVA/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

I've now gone all "posh" and use a Sodastream CO2 System on all of my PB's. The tops look like this ...

View attachment 16202

As you can see, I've cut the end off the Bike Pump so that I can use it with the Sodastream Bottle as per this photo.

View attachment 16203

The tubing from the Bike Pump fits into the Manifold.

I carbonate the PB's and Growlers with a maximum of 1g per litre of brewing sugar just to keep anything nasty out whilst they are carbonating and conditioning. When they're in use I use 5psi of pressure 'cos I hate a "gassy" brew.

Like a lot of my stuff, it looks rough - but it works!

PS
I also reckon that you may have a leak! I use Vaseline to seal the "O" rings on the PB's 'cos it doesn't affect the taste of the brew.

Thanks, Dutto, and you're right, I do have a leak - on two kegs. They both do it the same way, between the gas bulb and its mounting point.

You say that you use a 10l . I've got a couple of 23l kegs and at present one of them has a bit of brew in it. Hopefully, the CO2 will do what I think you suggest. It'll sit on top of the brew and the air from the foot pump will sit in top of that. It also makes me think that it might be a good idea to keg the brew just before it stops fermenting - either that or brew it in the keg, instead of the bucket that I use at the moment, and let it cover itself.

Regardless, I think that I'll beat it in the end, but I'll also get a wee pot of vaseline to help seal up the keg.

 

[Dutto]

The only time I kegged a brew that hadn't stopped fermenting was one I was in a hurry to take to France. The PB managed to do two things:

1. At one litre per day, it delivered all 23 litres without the use of a single CO2 capsule.
2. The bottom of the PB "belled out" so that it sat on the floor like a Kelly-Doll.

I can't recommend the practice; just carbonate it that bit more is my advice.

 

[Dode]

The only time I kegged a brew that hadn't stopped fermenting was one I was in a hurry to take to France. The PB managed to do two things:

1. At one litre per day, it delivered all 23 litres without the use of a single CO2 capsule.
2. The bottom of the PB "belled out" so that it sat on the floor like a Kelly-Doll.

I can't recommend the practice; just carbonate it that bit more is my advice.

That sounds good, Dutto. You kegged a brew before it had stopped, and it worked for you. Perhaps it'll do the same for me. Your other suggestion makes me think, carbonate it and effectively let it look after itself. That will probably be the next test point, if kegging it before it's stopped doesn't work as well as it could. There's always hope, though.