Corny compatible carbonation cap for PET bottles

[JimJiminy]

I usually bottle my beer, but I'm thinking that it would be useful to be able to stick a few litres into plastic bottles and force carbonate, so I have some beer on hand to take to picnics or other events. Bottle conditioned home-brew is at a disadvantage here, because the glass is heavy, and the sediment gets mixed up during transportation.

This looks like it would solve that problem:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/151563943310? ... EBIDX%3AIT
"This carbonation cap is a screw-on cap with an integrated Cornelius ball lock fitting. It is designed to fit onto most soft drink PET bottles. The carbonation cap is highly effective method to add and maintain carbonation in beverages for extended periods of time."

But it's not immediately obvious to me what other equipment I need to use this to force carbonate. Presumably, a canister of CO2 and some kind of regulator to attach that canister to the fitting on the cap? Is that all? I see a lot of different regulators for a wide variety of prices, I'm not sure how to figure out exactly what I need. Is this going to be cost effective for someone who doesn't usually keg and therefore doesn't have the necessary gear already?

[chris2012]

I use a plastic version of that, with
http://www.brewuk.co.uk/equipment/conta ... nnect.html

I then use a CO2 regulator attached to my CO2 tank, which is connected to the disconnect.

You would need kegging equipment to use it though, so you may as well get some corny kegs too

[JimJiminy]

[quote="chris2012"]You would need kegging equipment to use it though, so you may as well get some corny kegs too [/quote]

Size makes them tricky to get past She Who Must Be Negotiated With, at the present time. There are already mutterings about "living in a brewery" - as though that's a bad thing.

[far9410]

watch the pressure, will blow up a pet bottle like a ballon!

[chris2012]

Haha JimJiminy, you can get small cornies iirc, but I think they're hard to find.

And yup, you don't want to use too much pressure in a plastic bottle.

[wally]

Your PET bottles must be of lighter construction. The ones I have used can easily handle 200 kPa

[Jambo]

People have made things using car tyre valves for pennies that seem to work pretty well. I went down the Corny route (plastic version of what you posted in the first post) because I already had a corny setup. It works a treat, but is quite expensive for what it is. PET bottles can hold ridiculous amounts of pressure, it's practically impossible to deform a coke bottle when you buy it full. You won't regret a full corny setup, bottles, dry racks etc. aren't exactly space efficient!

[Fil]

for a budget version some folk have used co2 bulb cycle tyre inflators and added Stainless steel tyre valves to some PET bottle tops..

if you have a big co2 bottle regulator and corny kegs with the disconnects the corny post bottle top could be worthwhile, but kitting up with a co2 bottle reg and disconnect to use the pop bottle alone may be an expensive way to go...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Weldtite-Jetv ... 43d6742166

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/stainless-ste ... 3cef764bf3

[JimJiminy]

Thanks everyone. Looks like an overly pricey project for now. Think my brewery money could probably be better spent elsewhere. Cheers for the replies though.

[Matt12398]

The stainless ones can be found for less money.

[Belter]

I have a spare if you want one in stainless. £8 delivered. Send me a pm

[ciderhead]

I got the plastic ones initially and then came across this guy in Aus
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCrfp8ha9Dw
and bought a few great for taking beer to meets in PET
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Stainles ... 76108.html

[Wonkydonkey]

I got one, of those ss pet bottle cap things, if you've got the other equipment, then great. it's an easy way have forced carb'ed beer quick. I have not look at the links, but I go mine from Aliexspress, but I got the one that you can counter pressure fill, ie it has a barbed tail so you can put a tube on it and as you know it fills from the bottom of the bottle.

Wonky

[Wonkydonkey]

watch the pressure, will blow up a pet bottle like a ballon!

You'd have to go over 100 psi before anything will happen.
Many years ago, I worked it a tyre place, we had all those tyre valves laying around. So one quiet day I had some fun. It involved making a hole in a plastic lid of a pet bottle puttin one of those rubber tyre valves in it. So when assembled and a long hose connected. We filled it it got to around 80psi before the plastic lid was deformed enough to allow it to leak. It was the valve weakening the plastic lid.
So mark2. As it was still quiet. Popped around the local shop, got another bottle. This time we drilled a hole in the middle of the bottom of the bottle. And used the new lid. Same as before, filled it from a distance, this time it got to about 100psi

Then the lid leaked again, but the bottom was really bulging,

So no popping of these bottles like I was hoping would happen. But it help pass one of those boring days at work.

Wonky

[chris2012]

Haha, interesting!