King Keg - converting CO2 feed

[orlando]

you'll need a gas distribution board of some sort and you'd have to replace the S30 valves with, say John Guest bulk head fitting and connect to your regulators via 3/8" or 3/16" beer line. Maybe even better you could replace the valves with Quick Disconnects like those used on Corny Kegs.

Or, after all that, just buy cornies. Less hassle in the long run.

[madprofessor]

The main thing that puts me off the cornies is the size. If I brew 40 pints or 48 pints at a time, I can't get all of it into one keg.

This is why I was wondering about alternative stainless steel kegs - ones that hold 30 or 50 litres.

Cheers,
Kingsley.

[orlando]

The main thing that puts me off the cornies is the size. If I brew 40 pints or 48 pints at a time, I can't get all of it into one keg.

This is why I was wondering about alternative stainless steel kegs - ones that hold 30 or 50 litres.

Cheers,
Kingsley.

I had the same view but found these. These are not identical to mine but if they work as well they are superb.

[MadMarble]

I too had wondered about the size of the corny kegs. I've only got one at present, still got the two pressure barrels. What I have found is that I can fill six bottles and the corney. I carbonate the corney and let it condition. While this is happening I prime and let the bottles have their secondary fermentation. I just leave the corney alone and every now and then have one of the bottles to see how the brew is maturing without disturbing the corney. I'm quiet happy with that.

I suppose it depends on what you want to do with the corny keg(s). The traditional ones do seem to fit well in fridges. If you want to go down this route then the traditional ones will be easier to accommodate in a standard fridge rather than the ones Orlando was talking about. Yes you can get the larger larder or American fridges but how much room do you have? If SWMBO had her way I would only have the man drawer!

[orlando]

If you want to go down this route then the traditional ones will be easier to accommodate in a standard fridge rather than the ones Orlando was talking about. Yes you can get the larger larder or American fridges but how much room do you have? If SWMBO had her way I would only have the man drawer!

Room is the issue for most but if you have the room a keezer is your best bet.

[MadMarble]

And a mighty fine example too Orlando . I especially like the addition of the beer engine. What is the tap arrangement on the right - never seen one of those before.

[orlando]

And a mighty fine example too Orlando . I especially like the addition of the beer engine. What is the tap arrangement on the right - never seen one of those before.

Agh, thought someone would ask about that. It is a very fancy Russian made counter pressure filler (Pegas) for bottling "bright" beer from the keg without it foaming or losing condition. It is a much better arrangement than a beer gun, as you can see you can have it permanently mounted and of course dispense beer or bottle. Obvious advantage is you can bottle a one off with no faff whatsoever. Perfect for getting the last few pints out of a keg when you need it for the next batch. The beer engine is hooked up to a cask conditioned beer but uses a LPG gas regulator to cover the beer in a blanket of CO2 at the same pressure as the beer, it has an adapted "spile" to deliver the gas. The beauty of this is of course cask conditioned beer that lasts as long as cornie style keg.

[MadMarble]

Are you using the Cask Widge?

[orlando]

Are you using the Cask Widge?

No just what I pictured above and the usual CO2 hook up. Which you can see on the wall above the Keezer.

[madprofessor]

Thanks orlando for the link for the Cornelius style 23 litre kegs. Worth bearing in mind. I've also been looking at Crusader kegs, but it might be necessary to machine an alternative opening to make the Crusader kegs practical for home use.

My CO2 bottle arrived the other day. My wife has said she'll knit a cover for it

I'm still to order the gas piping, fittings and regulators, but now that I've managed to get hold of some schrader valves for relieving excess pressure, I now know what else I need.

Cheers,
Kingsley.

[Brighteyebeer]

The main thing that puts me off the cornies is the size. If I brew 40 pints or 48 pints at a time, I can't get all of it into one keg.

This is why I was wondering about alternative stainless steel kegs - ones that hold 30 or 50 litres.

Cheers,
Kingsley.

25 Litre corny type kegs here: http://www.kegtopia.co.uk/

[madprofessor]

Hi,

It's been a while as I've had many other things on my plate, but now that I've actually got round to finishing this, I thought I'd post up some pics. I used John Guest fittings in the end as they seemed to work quite well and they were readily available and easy to put together.

I used the bulkhead connectors into the keg lids; I didn't bother faffing around with trying to get something to fit the S30 valve in the end so I just made new holes for the bulkhead connectors.

The CO2 cylinder is from Beer Gas Cymru. £20 for a refill, plus £20/yr for the bottle rental, plus VAT. Seemed very reasonable and definitely cheaper than using the S30 Hambledon Bard cylinders. It was all manky looking when it arrived so I decided to paint it. I might paint some dinosaurs on it at some point.

All kegs currently in use will be at the same pressure as they're all connected together unless the isolation taps are closed. The pressure gauges on each keg are useful when it's conditioning, as I don't link the keg up while it's doing this for 2 reasons - firstly can see whether it's still fermenting by checking whether the pressure is still rising, and secondly I can have it in a warmer place If the pressure rises too much, there's a schraeder valve in the lid too so I can let some gas out.

I've been talking to an airline supplier about getting some quick disconnect fittings so that I don't have to undo the JG connections each time I want to remove a keg with its lid but I don't have those yet. Anyway ...

(BTW, I had fun making the shelves too; bought the wood for £20 from a local timber merchant (bargain!) - good excuse to play with some power tools ).

I'm looking forward to tasting the Nelson's Revenge as I added 900g of freshly grated ginger to the mix near the end of fermentation. Should be interesting.

[Alcoholx]

that looks great.. very nicely done