Are plastic pressure barrels only available as 5 gallon?

[jimsx]

Simple question - I appreciate that here are a variety of metal "mini-keg" systems available, but why is the standard plastic pressure barrel only available in a 5 gallon size?

Fermenting buckets come in a very wide variety of sizes (5, 10, 15, 25, 30 etc) - so why does no-one manufacture smaller size (& cheap) plastic pressure barrels with standard size taps? A 2.5 gallon barrel would be ideal.

Or do they? ...

Even better if they were designed to be stackable - to make a "clip-together" tower with different brews on tap ...

Surely it would also reduce the issue of having to add CO2 to improve the flow from a less than half-full 5 gal barrel?

 

[iceo]

i have seen 2.5 or 3 gallon ones but they are only £10 cheaper that the 5 gallon ones

i have 5 of the 1gallon easy kegs and 1 more on its way

 

[Hawks]

I have seen 2 gallon ones as per this site http://www.hopshopuk.com/categories/view/347/beer-making/equipment/beer-barrels but as iceo says they are nearly the same price

 

[Wetroads]

http://www.hopandgrape.co.uk do a budget 2 gallon barrel. Other cheaper solutions are polypins or just big bottles!

I settled on the mini-keg solution after trying bottling, 5 gallon barrels and 2 gallon barrels:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008 ... etroads-21

Lee

 

[jimsx]

Thanks for your replies.

I'm still at the newbie stage (currently have my first brew at the secondary FV stage and started the second one last night).

I've got a couple of new 5g barrels so far - one with just the standard safety valve and one with a CO2 "bulb" connector. Apologies for the newbie questions - but I assume the one with the standard valve can't be "topped up" with CO2 so (unless I change the lid) won't keep the beer as long? Also - are those CO2 bulbs "one shot" (ie the seal is broken with the pin / can't then be stopped) - & you just add the whole bulb to the barrel when needed?

Re the mini-keg solution - does this not work out incredibly expensive, as you need to buy a £38 tap for each keg?
(PS - love your picobrew idea, maybe I will aim to progress to this after a few more kits!)

 

[iceo]

there are 2 types of 5L kegs . and mini keg (need a tap) or easy keg (with a built in tap)

i have the easy kegs you can use them like a bottle/5g keg. prime with sugar and when your ready to drink it open the tap and enjoy. if you want to go down the mini keg.
i would by the bits on there own and not in a kit
x1
http://www.brewuk.co.uk/store/beer-king-dispense-tap.html
x1
http://www.brewuk.co.uk/store/c02-16g.html
x3(dont have to use the beerking tap if you have primed it )
http://www.brewuk.co.uk/store/easy-keg.html

or
http://www.brewuk.co.uk/store/mini-keg-starter-kit.html
both set ups are the same price give or take £1

 

[jimsx]

Can easy kegs keep the beer for many weeks even when pints are being drawn / reused multiple times / don't need CO2 added?

(Sorry - just seen the link details so have answered the question already!)

I guess the negative with this system is that the beer only keeps for a few days one a mini-keg is opened - unless the £38 dispenser is added / so can only have one keg open at any one time - so can't have a "choice" of beers available at any time?

 

[iceo]

my beer keeps for a week or more once opened . i vent the keg pour a pint and and close the vent then you keep a layer of co2 on the beer to stop it going off .

the kegs dont last for ever but can be used 4+ times each. the top bung might need replacing

iv drinking an ale that i kegged 2+ months ago and its fine.

if your not sure if you will get on with them tesco sell them full of beer for £16ish

 

[Wetroads]

The longest I have left it for in the mini keg is 6 months maturation. Was the best yet! I actually tapped one, forgot about it, found it two months later and it was still great.