DIY Ballihoo caps

Godsdog · Dec 10, 2015

cant find the thread on this item so my question is can I drill a standard 4 inch king keg cap already fitted with the gas valve and fit one of these rather than buy a new Ballihoo cap with them already fitted at around Ã¯Â¿Â½ÃÂ£18 each.i imagine these are all that are fitted to them,which is a bog standard stainless bolt in tyre valve at less than Ã¯Â¿Â½ÃÂ£2 or 4 alloy ones for around Ã¯Â¿Â½ÃÂ£6

Godsdog · Dec 10, 2015

just ordered me one off Ebay 99P delivered stainless,i got a spare budget barrel cap I may try and fit it in that although room may be a bit tight and the little digital guage is ÃÂ£3.50 so for less than ÃÂ£4.50 the chance to upgrade a king keg cap?

bubblehead · Dec 14, 2015

I've fitted the stainless valves to two caps now and they work a treat.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/221840257613?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
Got myself a cheap digital tyre pressure gauge and so can check the pressure now after drawing off some of my brew.
It's pretty useful as you can watch the pressure slowly rise when conditioning your brew and when it stops you know you can put your barrel somewhere cold.
I suppose you could also use it to easily vent pressure if you don't want to get your brew too carbed as well.

Godsdog · Dec 14, 2015

bubblehead said:
I've fitted the stainless valves to two caps now and they work a treat.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/221840257613?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
Got myself a cheap digital tyre pressure gauge and so can check the pressure now after drawing off some of my brew.
It's pretty useful as you can watch the pressure slowly rise when conditioning your brew and when it stops you know you can put your barrel somewhere cold.
I suppose you could also use it to easily vent pressure if you don't want to get your brew too carbed as well.

Thanks for the post bubble head at least I now know I've ordered the right thing,99 pence off eBay from China,I will order the second now,what cap have you fitted them in,a KK?

bubblehead · Dec 14, 2015

Yes, all my barrels are KK's
It's certainly a very cheap way of knowing what's going on inside the barrel.
Glad to be of assistance.
:thumb:

Godsdog · Dec 29, 2015

Got my first Schrader valve in the post today,can I ask you bubblhead what diameter did you drill the hole in the KK cap? As it looks like the sealing rubber on them has a little collar, or is that meant to spread when you tighten the washers down on it?

bubblehead · Dec 30, 2015

Hi there.
I don't know the diameter as such.I also saw the step on the rubber washer.
I used a cone cutter from the inside of the cap. I stopped when the hole was big enough for the threaded bit of the valve to go all the way through. then due to the thickness of the plastic cap, the shoulder of the rubber washer was a nice "force" fit on the underside.
Hope this helps.

Godsdog · Dec 30, 2015

bubblehead said:
Hi there.
I don't know the diameter as such.I also saw the step on the rubber washer.
I used a cone cutter from the inside of the cap. I stopped when the hole was big enough for the threaded bit of the valve to go all the way through. then due to the thickness of the plastic cap, the shoulder of the rubber washer was a nice "force" fit on the underside.
Hope this helps.

Thanks for that bubblehead

bubblehead · Dec 30, 2015

On my valves, the rubber shoulder is nearly 12mm.
I've now done all my king keg caps this way and was a bit over when drilling two of them but it didn't make any difference.
The threaded bit was a bit if a sloppy fit but the nylon and steel washers covered up my mistakes and the rubber washer underneath still had loads in contact with the cap to make a gas tight seal.

Godsdog · Dec 30, 2015

Did you keep the washers on as they came with the nylon one on first inside the cap and then the steel one,?

bubblehead · Dec 30, 2015

Valve with rubber washer into the cap then on the other side/outside nylon washer then steel washer....threaded sleeve.

DIY Ballihoo caps

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