CO2 doohickey

[Obfu]

Evening all,

I'm looking for a handheld device for dispensing CO2 from the little cartridges.
I'm intending on using it to guard against oxidation when racking into my bottling bucket, opening fermenters etc.
Does anything exist?

Thanks.

 

[Bigjas]

I don't know of anything that will do that?

I'm also not sure why you need it? You shouldn't be getting oxidisation issues by racking to your bottling bucket or opening the FV?

Have you had issues before?

 

[Obfu]

Hey Bigjas,
No, but I've been more aggressively reading forums recently and have noted people saying that they dispense CO2 into vessels for that reason, like minikegs prior to filling and bottling buckets. Historically, my beer hasn't sat around long enough to oxidise but I've just started with all grain and my first batch was better than anything I'd ever made from several years of kits, so I anticipate brewing more and saving some longer. There are a lot of aspects of my environment that I can't improve because of space or finances, but if I can find little tweaks here and there, I'm open to them. If this isn't one I need to worry about, that's cool too.
Thank you :thumb:

 

[IainM]

Sounds like you are after a beer gun. The only ones I've seen have John Guest fittings, and I'm not sure if you could hook up a CO2 cartridge.

 

[dad_of_jon]

Hey Bigjas,
No, but I've been more aggressively reading forums recently and have noted people saying that they dispense CO2 into vessels for that reason, like minikegs prior to filling and bottling buckets. Historically, my beer hasn't sat around long enough to oxidise but I've just started with all grain and my first batch was better than anything I'd ever made from several years of kits, so I anticipate brewing more and saving some longer. There are a lot of aspects of my environment that I can't improve because of space or finances, but if I can find little tweaks here and there, I'm open to them. If this isn't one I need to worry about, that's cool too.
Thank you :thumb:

I use this for my bottling bucket but it's not the cheapest way. I use one cartridge per brew.

http://www.madison.co.uk/products/c...o2-pump-including-2-x-16-g-cartridges-3-pack/

 

[chewie]

If you wanted to drop a few quid you could look at a sodastream bottle, regulator and adaptor to suit it and just give a quick controlled burst using the reg, cost would be in the region of £60-80 depending on the reg you buy. It could also be used for cornies if you went down that route in the future but sodastream bottles can work out expensive if you use it a lot on cornies. The small CO2 bulbs would work out very expensive over time as they are a single use.

 

[Bigjas]

Could you just use the valve in the lid of a pressure barrel?

 

[Obfu]

Nice piece of repurposing tech there dad_of_jon! And the pressure barrel lid is definitely a possibility too. But Bigjas raised a valid question at the start - is it even necessary or am I looking for a solution to a problem that doesn't exist?

 

[JapanBrew]

It gets costly. Just go grab a full tank of gas. I have a smaller 5 kg tank and it'll take me almost a year to go through that. And it'll get you ready for kegging.

 

[dad_of_jon]

Nice piece of repurposing tech there dad_of_jon! And the pressure barrel lid is definitely a possibility too. But Bigjas raised a valid question at the start - is it even necessary or am I looking for a solution to a problem that doesn't exist?

for me it keeps the beer fresher for longer.

leave a small sample of beer open to the air overnight and try it the following day. do the same to a sample of beer with a co2 blanket and if you notice a difference and it makes a noticeable improvement..... you are reducing the beers contact with air by doing this.

I have found siphoning to a bottling bucket purged with co2 to have given me a better bottled beer as my first 2 brews developed a hint of oxidisation over time about 8 weeks plus. it was never undrinkable, but the same recipe beer doesn't show the same signs now and I do have some more susceptible beers that are 4-6 months old now.

You'll still always have the drink hoppy beers quick and young before the flavor disappears, but my wheat beers now keep better for longer for example. lighter more delicate beers are more at risk imo than darker high abv beers when it comes to oxidisation.

 

[Bigjas]

The thing I've learnt over the last few months is that there are many ways to brew beer. Everyone has there own way of doing it and I think that's great. I have tried different methods and found my own way of doing it. I'm still open to new ideas though, but personally I cant see the advantage of putting a CO2 blanket on the beer when transferring etc.

 

[dad_of_jon]

The thing I've learnt over the last few months is that there are many ways to brew beer. Everyone has there own way of doing it and I think that's great. I have tried different methods and found my own way of doing it. I'm still open to new ideas though, but personally I cant see the advantage of putting a CO2 blanket on the beer when transferring etc.

agreed, do what works for you & don't be afraid to experiment a bit.

 

[Fil]

fwiw i used to use an old PB valve with no lazy band valves and screw that into the top of my s30 bottle to squirt a lil co2 into buckets etc, After the first time i started to wear a glove too the bloody valve gets damn cold VERY quickly!!

how i have a cheap ebay air tools blow gun on the end of a gas line from the big bottle :)