Is there a way to connect a pressure barrel to CO2 cylinder?

[jceg316]

I have a pressure barrel, I also have a basic CO2 setup. I was wondering if there was a way to connect the CO2 from the cylinder to the valve on the top?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Graz]

In a roundabout way yes, you can use something like this: S30 Universal Barrel Hose Adaptor - Brewing at Home

Bit overpriced in my opinion but minimum effort I guess.

I had thought of repurposing the King Kegs I have at some point but since going over to Cornys it's a low priority thing. You can buy gas posts that will fit onto the lid of a pressure barrel (may need some drilling) Beer Storage and Dispense - New and Used KEGS and Fittings - GAS BALL LOCK POST WITH 1/4"BSP BULKHEAD ASSEMBLY - The Malt Miller | The Malt Miller

Problem with these is that you remove the pressure relief that is built into a standard S30 value. You could just be extremely careful not to overpressure the barrel with your CO2 but accidents can happen and I'd feel safer adding some sort of relief valve as well, I've seen some low pressure ones on AliExpress.

So eventually I'd planned to make some new lids for my King Kegs which would have the gas in posts, pressure relief valves and probably even a gauge. Might get round to it one day.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

I wouldn’t leave the CO2 bottle connected to the keg (unless you turn off the gas between top-ups) but I do use the CO2 bottle to pressurise my King Kegs using a Schrader valve and Chuck. I leave the S30 valve in situ. The Schrader valve comes off a gas manifold and I turn it off when not in use.

 

[Buffers brewery]

The above solutions are all good. I got frustrated with the S30 valve and the uncertainty that it would work properly, either the pressure relief rubber starting to leak or the non-return rubber failing causing a loss of pressure. In hindsight, I should’ve changed to corny kegs but decided to produce my own closure using corny posts (as mentioned above) a pressure relief valve and gauge.

Had to mount the corny posts horizontal to get it in my barrelator (converted fridge.

I know it’s OTT but you did ask

 

[jceg316]

Thanks for your input. I like those barrels because they are as close to a hand pull as I can get in my house, and "English" style and dark beers go really well in them. I would still carbonate with priming sugar, it's just dispensing would be easier. I don't like how when the pressure equalises it sucks air through the tap, so I have to dispense an entire CO2 capsule and the beer comes out like a firehose.

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

I had thought of repurposing the King Kegs I have at some point but since going over to Cornys it's a low priority thing. You can buy gas posts that will fit onto the lid of a pressure barrel (may need some drilling) Beer Storage and Dispense - New and Used KEGS and Fittings - GAS BALL LOCK POST WITH 1/4"BSP BULKHEAD ASSEMBLY - The Malt Miller | The Malt Miller

Precisely the same here - I fitted a gas post to the lid of my old Hambleton Bard beer sphere about a year ago, but to be honest I've still never used it because Corny's are so much easier and more convenient :-)

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

Thanks for your input. I like those barrels because they are as close to a hand pull as I can get in my house, and "English" style and dark beers go really well in them. I would still carbonate with priming sugar, it's just dispensing would be easier. I don't like how when the pressure equalises it sucks air through the tap, so I have to dispense an entire CO2 capsule and the beer comes out like a firehose.

If you’re looking for low pressure to just hold a CO2 blanket over your beer you could fit a gas post to your keg lid and feed CO2 at very low pressure or via a cask breather. You could even fit a bulkhead 3/8 push-fit fitting instead of a gas post and push the gas pipe in that. You’d have to fit a blanking plug if you pull out the pipe using this approach but that would be like fitting a hard spile!

 

[DixeySJ]

I've used the 'universal adaptor' mentioned above with a low pressure feed in combination with a hand pump - however, I had to take the internal seal off the S30 as it wouldn't open at those pressures. This in turn meant adding a one way JG inline valve to the gas line. This worked fine. I have also (on another keg) put an additional gas post in the lid next to the S30. Not tried that out yet, but it should allow topping up gas while retaining the safety valve features of the S30. But I also find myself increasingly moving over to stainless steel kegs with built in gas and beer posts ...

 

[dcbrookes]

I ditched the S30 type valves on mine and used the cut down valves (suitable blocked) as stoppers for the hole in the centre of the caps. I then fitted each cap with a corny gas post, a pressure gauge and a pressure release valve (10psi). Like some others I prefer the real ale style of beer, so only use enough gas to get the beer out and provide a CO2 blanket.

 

[Jon1964]

I replaced the s30 valve with a Corney keg gas post, using some stainless steel washers and drilled another hole and fitted a 15psi prv got from ebay.
Does the job

 

[BridgeBrew]

I think I'm going to go down the large CO2 bottle route, I'm Sick of throwing money away on the bulbs. Can anyone tell me what weight bottle I'd need, where to buy etc, etc. I have Schrader valve's fitted to all my barrels, so would charge the kegs via a spur. How long would a 6kg bottle last me on average ?

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

I think I'm going to go down the large CO2 bottle route, I'm Sick of throwing money away on the bulbs. Can anyone tell me what weight bottle I'd need, where to buy etc, etc. I have Schrader valve's fitted to all my barrels, so would charge the kegs via a spur. How long would a 6kg bottle last me on average ?

A long time if you consider those bulbs are 8g - you have the equivalent of 750 bulbs.