Co2 alternative?

[Petefin]

Hi Guys,
I have a couple of King kegs with S30 CO2 connections.
Just wondering if there is any more cost effective CO2 options rather than continually buying bottle refills?

Cheers, Pete

 

[Drunkula]

Bottle of pub gas or a fire extinguisher, regulator, drill a hole, put in a schrader valve, get a tyre inflator which you can get dead cheap. Initial outlay high, savings high. And you could also then put a valvle on bottle caps and carbonate anything.

If you really want to be freaky about it you can add a schrader valve and make co2 in a pop bottle with yeast and sugar and use that. That's pretty much only for fruitcakes like me, though.

 

[Petefin]

Hi Drunkula,
I already have a schrader valve and a 15psi pressure relief valve fitted to my lids.
If I was to get a CO2 fire extinguisher, are they easy to get refilled, especially if they have been modified?
I'm an engineer, so not difficult to do mods, but unsure of regulator type?

Cheers, Pete

 

[Drunkula]

I use one of the Parweld ones and a few others on here do, or you can get fancier and get something like the keg kingdom one :

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CO2-MIG-...907734&hash=item2885b55004:g:xRsAAOSw9y1b1xRK
https://www.kegkingdom.co.uk/products/keg-kingdom-regulator?_pos=1&_sid=c6e4ba85d&_ss=r
Refills - pfffft, you'll have to look around your area. If you know somebody running a pub it's a huge bonus.

 

[terrym]

Priming sugar

 

[Petefin]

Thanks for the replies, I will investigate!

Cheers, Pete

 

[foxy]

Hi Guys,
I have a couple of King kegs with S30 CO2 connections.
Just wondering if there is any more cost effective CO2 options rather than continually buying bottle refills?

Cheers, Pete

Air, posted this before but a bladder in the King Keg being pumped with air will pressurise the beer inside. Opposite to a Key keg
https://www.keykeg.com/en/hom

 

[Petefin]

Hi Foxy,
That does sound like the ideal solution but a few technical challenges with it.
How would I get the beer into the bladder and still have the bladder attached to the bottom tap of my King kegs?
I assume with a bladder you would still need a little priming sugar to remove the oxygen/generate a little CO2. How would you vent this?
I have a schrader valve fitted to my kegs, so at least that problem is solved.
Great idea in theory, but too difficult in practice?

Cheers, Pete

 

[foxy]

Hi Foxy,
That does sound like the ideal solution but a few technical challenges with it.
How would I get the beer into the bladder and still have the bladder attached to the bottom tap of my King kegs?
I assume with a bladder you would still need a little priming sugar to remove the oxygen/generate a little CO2. How would you vent this?
I have a schrader valve fitted to my kegs, so at least that problem is solved.
Great idea in theory, but too difficult in practice?

Cheers, Pete

This is the opposite, I have tried it with water and a picnic tap, though I did use one of their bags. The beer is in the keg the bag gets pumped with air displacing/pressurising the beer.

 

[Petefin]

What sort of bag was that?

 

[Petefin]

Ah, just got it!
You keep the keg as standard but put an expandable bag onto the schrader connection. I have seen Durex filled with a couple of gallons of water (water bombs as a kid!) and they handled the abuse, and I'm sure they handle all other sorts of abuse This could easily be experimented with by just using water in the keg?

 

[foxy]

Ah, just got it!
You keep the keg as standard but put an expandable bag onto the schrader connection. I have seen Durex filled with a couple of gallons of water (water bombs as a kid!) and they handled the abuse, and I'm sure they handle all other sorts of abuse This could easily be experimented with by just using water in the keg?

I am not familiar with the kegs you use, my 'Party type' kegs I can fit a "D" coupler on so can fit a picnic tap and picnic pump where I just pump air straight into the beer. If you can have a play around with the bags you mentioned you just may solve your problem.
You must ensure the bags don't leak air but.

 

[Petefin]

In the photos, you will see my modified caps, the original King keg caps were not to be trusted,constant leaks!
The large center hole is for the CO2 fitting, the next biggest is for my gauge and pressure relief valve, and the third is for the schrader valve.
With no CO2 fitting required, the centre could be made to fit the schrader valve. I would have to machine a stainless steel "washer" that would have a rounded lip and an internal O ring groove to take the lip of a condom.
I do believe you get extra tough condoms, (I just know I'm going to get some stick for saying that )
With the condom sitting in the center of the cap, it will expand evenly in the barrel. Just have to make sure the bolt head that secures the gauge/pressure relief valve has no sharp corners.
I have a lathe, so this is all quite easy.

This guys on this forum are great, my inspiration for the cap modification came from Buffers Brewery and now Foxy has given me another great idea. I also love an engineering challenge

Cheers, Pete

 

[Ashman]

Just a quick spray of the condom with starsan?

 

[Petefin]

Was thinking of using a new one foil wrapped, do should be sterile?

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

Ah, just got it!
You keep the keg as standard but put an expandable bag onto the schrader connection. I have seen Durex filled with a couple of gallons of water (water bombs as a kid!) and they handled the abuse, and I'm sure they handle all other sorts of abuse This could easily be experimented with by just using water in the keg?

You could experiment with flavoured condoms and make some interesting beers! Just as long as your beers don’t all taste of rubber

 

[Gerryjo]

Be care not to squirt too much starsan in your condom.
On a serious note they can hold up to 5 gallon

 

[Petefin]

Well I wasn't wrong about getting some stick!

 

[Honk]

Was thinking of using a new one foil wrapped, do should be sterile?

Big spender you are, OP was looking for a cost effective solution

 

[Petefin]

Fair point Honk, I don't use them myself, but I could ask around!