I wish to set up a Sodastream CO2 system for my Growler but ...

[Dutto]

Check out this drop in price (Amazon must have been listening to Peebee) ...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B005ERICB8/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

... it's now £3 cheaper than last week! Not to worry, that's life!!

Anyhoo, SWMBO has gone on holiday for a week ... ukf

... and I have ordered a second Sodastream Cylinder for when I run out! :thumb:

I've also ordered a couple of these ...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01BVRA7M6/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

... a couple of these ...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B076TCVYL6/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

... and a couple of these ...

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

With the couplers, a 3-way connection (I couldn't buy just one) and the two SS Schrader Valves I will be able to convert all of my storage to a centralised CO2 source!

Also, it should make things a lot neater. :thumb:

BTW, the Lidl Manifold will now be redundant. At £3.99 it will be no big deal to use it as a "Spare". :thumb:

 

[Druncan]

Have you tried re-filling them m8? I have yet to master this art,,, From a 6.5Kg CO2,,, All I got cold
was cold hands,,,
I need to sort this to deliver my sponsored brews to the next Tiree Ultramarathon on 9th June,,,,

 

[peebee]

Check out this drop in price (Amazon must have been listening to Peebee) …

Ahh, see, everyone has missed their chance. Last week if they'd listened to me they would have got a drink bottle effectively for free. Now they can get the CO2 cylinder on its own for less than the bundle … (err, one and one is two, two and two …. ) … hang on, me maths is in crisis.

Have you tried re-filling them m8? I have yet to master this art,,, From a 6.5Kg CO2,,, All I got cold was cold hands,,, …

I've got one of them couplers for fixing a Sodastream cylinder to a Pub bottle for refilling. The idea of there coming a time when I should try and use it fills me with utter dread. I think the secret is get everything cold to begin with and secure the 6.5Kg Pub bottle upside down so liquid transfers, not gas. The upside-down donor cylinder must be well secured, the idea of it dropping onto the attached regulator crams my head with horrors.

 

[Dutto]

Have you tried re-filling them m8? I have yet to master this art,,, From a 6.5Kg CO2,,, All I got cold
was cold hands,,

...

I worked with cryogenic liquids back in the day and I avoid them like the plague now I've retired! :thumb:

Getting splashed with CO2 liquid can result in "freeze" burns that are as painful as "ordinary" burns because the bit of skin that it touches can get down to -78.5*C within seconds!

Back in the day, I was a Supervisor on a Gas Plant in Saudi Arabia where we stored and used Liquid Nitrogen. It was turned into a gas via a series of finned heat exchangers and used for purging. At atmospheric pressure liquid nitrogen turns to a gas at -195.8*C and it was delivered to the Plant by some badly maintained tankers.

One day a tanker arrived, the driver hammered the cap off the outlet pipe and exposed a valve that was leaking liquid nitrogen! Apparently unfazed by this, he then started to screw the delivery pipe on to the outlet pipe but as his gloves were damp they froze in place on the coupling before he could complete the job.

It was a bit of a struggle for him to get his hands out of the gloves, but after he managed to do so he nonchalantly put on another pair of gloves, hammered off the frozen pair with a wrench and carried on with the job.

I tiptoed away and left him to it, wondering what he would have done if he hadn't been able to free his hands from the frozen gloves? Wait until his hands were at -195.8*C and snap them off at the wrists?

 

[Clint]

Soda stream co2 from Argos...I looked at these on their web site and it says they do a return service for the empty...

 

[Dutto]

Soda stream co2 from Argos...I looked at these on their web site and it says they do a return service for the empty...

It's one of the main reasons I went for a Sodastream + Spare. Argos are at the end of Lumley Road (the main street in Skegness) and on a bus route that virtually passes my door!

I noticed that the PR fell to 8psi when I pulled my evening Stout so I think I may be using the facility soon; mainly due to my own stupidity! i.e. Trying to pressure up a PB with a leaky cap at the same time as SWMBO distracts me is a definite "no-no'! is a "no-no"!

Don'tcha just love 'em!

 

[Dutto]

WARNING - DON'T DO WHAT I DID!

I set up the CO2 system to use the Pressure Regulator that came with the two Dark Farms Growlers to augment the CO2 pressure in my PB's. Up to today it has been very successful.

Three weeks ago I transferred a B&M Bitter to a Growler with 10g of Brewing Sugar and set it to carbonate. After a couple of days, I lifted the Pressure Relief valve on top of the Growler, it was carbonating nicely so after 10 days I put it to somewhere cool to mature a little.

So far so normal, so I decided to tap the Growler today.

I lifted the pressure relief valve, released the pressure, removed the cap and started to introduce the dip tube from the Tap when the Growler started to foam ... and foam ... and foam:

• All down the sides of the Growler.
• Back through the CO2 Tubing (the Non-Return Valve obviously only works when the connection is removed).
• All over the worktop and down the front of a Drier.

In other words, just about everywhere it could possibly go and it took half-an-hour to clean up!

So, lessons to be learned:

1. Only ever prime a 10 litre Growler with a tiny amount (2.5g?) of Brewing Sugar!
2. Leave the NRV Cap Off for at least fifteen minutes before introducing the Dip Tube from the Tap.
3. Disconnect the CO2 injection from the Tap before trying to change it over to a new Growler.
4. Sit the Growler in a bowl so that if it decides to foam it won't go everywhere!

On the positive side - the B&M Bitter is very young, very cloudy and should taste better in a couple of weeks! :thumb:

 

[foxbat]

Go on, switch to force carbonation. You're almost there. It's in your future. You know it is.

On the other hand, think of the mishaps you could have with a full size pub cylinder!

 

[Dutto]

An alternative is to buy a separate Dip Tube and Tap Assembly for each Growler, but as I'm looking at getting another two, it sends shivers up my Bank balance!

Plus, with my four PB's I can already have four different 23 litre brews on tap without a bottle in sight, so I can't really justify that expense ... aunsure....

... at the moment! :UKflag:

 

[Dutto]

The new set-up is working fine but because I like a low-pressure (5psi max) carbonation on the brew I've had three "accidents" whereby I have knocked the tap and it promptly delivered beer all over the place.

At the moment I am using the system in the photograph.

It works ... ... but it ain't elegant ... ... so any ideas for improvement would be welcome! aunsure....

 

[Dutto]

BTW, today I was tidying up my shed and came across my first ever barrel and CO2 injector.

If it's the same one, (*) I gave it to my brother about forty years ago and re-inherited it when he died back in 2011.

I stopped tidying up the shed long enough to dismantle the CO2 injector and discovered that it still had a (rather rusty) green CO2 capsule inside; but it still looks as if it will work okay with a bit of cleaning.

Happy memories!

(*)
It may be a different barrel because our kid had almost as many toys as I did; but he mainly made wine so ... ?aunsure....