Mini Keg co2 injecting experiment

[ajt24]

Not sure if this will be any use to anyone, but I wanted to use mini kegs but was concerned about not drinking it all and the beer going off, so I looked at the party star tap but its a bit rich for me at the moment and im quite thrifty :whistle:
so I tried to make one of those t-peice things that are on youtube couldnt get it to seal properly so I came up with this.

the easy key bung remove the red tab in the hole insert a car tyre valve and a rubber grommet over the valve to seal the top up put it the barrel and i attached a push bike tyre co2 inflater (from ebay £5) and injected co2, I did this last night in a empty keg, went to it this morning and its still got gas pressure in it, I use the built in tap to dispense. Just an idea that might come in useful to other thrifty members .

pics to follow

 

[Dutto]

Brilliant idea and masterfully executed! :thumb: :thumb:

What pressure will you use on a full keg?

 

[MyQul]

FANTASTIC IDEA!! :thumb:

Like you I dont want to pay 40 odd quid for the party start tap. Leyland has something like your idea but that's still ��£22.

Where did you get the car tyre valve (I'm not a driver so dont knw about these things). Did you just butcher a car tyre or something? From your photo it looks like a shchrader valve from a bike inner tube - wonder if that would work too? I have a bicycle C02 inflator.

I might give this a go as I was possibly looking for something like that.

Edit: Just had a look on ebay and it seems you can buy car valves very cheaply. Is this the kind of thing you used/i would need? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5-x-TR414...2c229c1&pid=100005&rk=4&rkt=6&sd=220987219921

 

[ajt24]

Im not sure on that Dutto, I haven got a gauge so im not sure what sort of pressure i put into it empty, I was thinking of naturally carbing with the beer and just inject some co2 when it slows, or just keep topping it up every now or then, doing some more research on this while at work:whistle: I reckon the 2 piece bungs (that are meant for the party star) would eliminate the rubber seal that I put over the valve, plus the tyre valves again on ebay do 10 for £2.95 free P&P.
the only downside I found was that i struggled to get the bung out so i pushed the valve into the keg which was a pain to get out.

I think this little idea will let me have a few different types of beer on the go at the same time so without having to drink one full keg before going to another. Would only work on the easy kegs though

 

[ajt24]

I got the tyre valve from a kit of tyre slim for when you have a puncture, got again of ebay (im not affiliated with ebay:lol: just buy lots of stuff from there) yes i thinks its a shchrader valve but normally bike tyre are attached to the inner tube arent they?
My co2 tyre inflater does both types of valvea and lets me control the flow of co2 and turn it off, some of them inject the whole cartridge so just bare that in mind

 

[MyQul]

With the red and black vent bung, to get the beer out you open the bung and then open the gravity tap. How would you go about 'opening' the tyre valve to get the beer to flow from the gravity tap?

 

[MyQul]

I got the tyre valve from a kit of tyre slim for when you have a puncture, got again of ebay (im not affiliated with ebay:lol: just buy lots of stuff from there) yes i thinks its a shchrader valve but normally bike tyre are attached to the inner tube arent they?
My co2 tyre inflater does both types of valvea and lets me control the flow of co2 and turn it off, some of them inject the whole cartridge so just bare that in mind

Yes the schrader valves are attached to the inner tube. Having looked on ebay the car valves are so cheap I can just buy some of them.

My C02 inflator has a little tap so the flow of C02 can be controlled too. Not sure if it does both shrader and presta as I've only ever used presta bike tubes.

 

[ajt24]

I tested it last night with water and the co2 pushed the water out,so im thinking if there is enough co2 in it it will come out? before i put the rubber grommet over the valve, the co2 was leaking out of the vented bung as it has that tinny vent hole in it, I just pulled the valve to one side and it sealed it so you could move the valve about I suppose, if it stopped pouring, im yet to try it with beer (no free FV) but i will keep posting when i do.

 

[MyQul]

As you mention the grey bungs that are designed to be used with the PS may be more suitable?

 

[ajt24]

update I had a better vent bung which i used i managed to get 20lbs of pressure in it but it leaked slightly from the grommet over the valve, and the empty one i put pressure in last night only had a small bit of co2 left in, so im thinking that the 2 piece bung will be better which i will order and get back to you all. From the initial High im a little low but I will crack this.

 

[Leon103]

Following this thread. Has a cyclist I have all the equipment ready but also have a party star. This method could mean I can have more than one keg on the go.

 

[Dutto]

With the red and black vent bung, to get the beer out you open the bung and then open the gravity tap. How would you go about 'opening' the tyre valve to get the beer to flow from the gravity tap?

I could stick a match in the valve like I do to let down a tyre ... :thumb: :thumb:

... or I could use my modified bike pump to put air pressure in the keg ... :thumb: :thumb:

... if I hadn't just modified it to fit the Flexi-Tap!

 

[Dutto]

The 16g bulb only lasted for one MK and at that rate using MKs becomes expensive ... :nono: :nono: :nono:

... so I just placed an order for three of these: :thumb: :thumb:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Stain...092929?hash=item4af510b5c1:g:tuYAAOSw8d9U2dK0

I will try them in the grey bungs with the push-out centre to start with as I now have a spare MK. (It was filled on 12th June!) :whistle: :whistle:

 

[ajt24]

this is the tool to use to remove and refit the inner part of the tyre valve
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Silve...930663?hash=item3f64abf527:g:DcUAAOSw0OJXLxqw

i see you mentioned it takes 16grm of co2 to empty a MK, and you want to open the valve and gravity feed, but wouldnt that defeat the object of using the tyre valve if you are getting air into it. Or is it a case of gravity feed then put co2 in to keep the air off the beer keeping it fresh?

 

[MyQul]

Or is it a case of gravity feed then put co2 in to keep the air off the beer keeping it fresh?

Thats what I want to do :thumb:

 

[Dutto]

I reckon that I will just use the bottom tap as per the original design.

After the first two litres are pulled off the integral CO2 from carbonation will fall off so I will then use a single CO2 8g capsule (20p) via a CO2 bike pump to force out the next two litres ...

... at which stage I will re-pressurise with an ordinary (but very clean) bike pump for the last couple of litres.

The Gas Laws indicate that some of the CO2 sat above the beer will be forced back into solution with the increased pressure and (hopefully) maintain a head.

Here's hoping. :thumb: :thumb:

 

[ajt24]

another little update i still havent got any 2 piece bungs as the price of posting a 70p bung is crazy (im such a tight ass) so Im still using vented bungs with a bike valve and then put a metal compression olive like the ones you get in the plumbing section of a d.i.y store, this seem to stop the co2 escaping, (i will take pics when I get round to it, still only have water in the barrel but it still has pressure in ti more than 2 weeks later.) I have some siason stove topper on the go and im planning to test this out in my mini barrel. I will of course report back.

 

[Dutto]

"Good News! - Bad News!"

Bad News is that these arrived ...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Stain...0&clk_rvr_id=1056938629799&afsrc=1&rmvSB=true

Bad News because:

1. When fitted tightly into a grey bung I couldn't get the bung into the MK.

2. Slacking off the valve and trying to get the bung to fit resulted in me pushing the valve into the MK. The problem was the half-hour it took me to retrieve the valve; so they are now in the "spares" box waiting for my patience to build up!

Good News is that I emptied the last MK using natural carbonation (one and a half litres), one 8g CO2 cartridge (two litres) and the bike pump (last one and a half litres). The beer tasted the same throughout the three days it took to empty the MK! :whistle:

One thing I learned is that I have to be careful with the bike pump. At first use (ten "strokes" of the pump) the beer came out of the bottom tap as if it was on steroids.

I'm pretty sure that the MK will not take the 115psi (8 bar) pressure that the pump can easily deliver so I limited myself to five "strokes" afterwards and it performed okay. :thumb: :thumb:

 

[marlon]

Not being a serious cyclist.... (although I got one in the garage somewhere)....I never knew you could get CO2 for bike tyres....(derrrrr!!). Sounds like I could use this system for the minikegs I use. I forsee a trip to Halfords in the near future...I'm guessing that's where the CO2 gear comes from. ? Do the bike schrader valves fit car tyre valves OK? How much does the CO2 gear cost?

 

[ajt24]

I found that i couldnt get the bung out when the tyre valve is in, and did have to push it into the barrel to remove, luckily i have girly small hands and got valve out (still took awhile) but could tie some string to it to get it out.

the valves i used were car tyre valves and most co2 pumps have adaptors for both, I got my pump of ebay was £5. the co2 cartidges were from a online tyre inflators.co.uk. halfords was more expensive