Corny keg

[-Bezza-]

I'm in Liverpool lol

Might be worth giving Hobbyweld a try then: Hobbyweld | Home of the Original Rent Free Gas Cylinders

There's a deposit with them but not rental charge.

 

[UKSkydiver]

T&J have depots over the country.

I called the Tamworth number, but the delivery came from Wiltshire and delivered to Oxfordshire

Nationwide coverage for drinks dispensing technical services - T&J Installations (tandjinstallations.com)

Give 'em a call and they will forward to the appropriate depot.

 

[BrewMeHappy]

I got my single corny setup from BKT a few weeks ago. Jonny ran through it all on the phone and answered any questions and gave his advice. I had a problem with something last week and he has posted a replacement bit to me without hesitation. Highly recommended . I bought the soda stream adapter too just in case I fancy taking the keg away with me and to save me taking a 6.35kg CO2 bottle with me (it's 6.35kg CO2 plus the bottle which must weigh easily 20kg all in). Argos sell sodastream bottles so easy to get hold of.

There's a few CO2 sellers around. I'm not by you, but the one I tried said he was a bit too far for him but spoke to another friendly competitor of his and he called called me and dropped on my canister a few days later.

 

[Rodcx500z]

I'm in Liverpool lol

Try Chorley Gas

 

[MarconiBrew]

In a corny keg, will the secondary fermentation be enough to draw the ale off from a corny keg like it does in a pressure barrel?

 

[chillipickle]

No, you will need a constant supply of co2.At the very least a soda stream co2 bottle, most cost effective a large co2 bottle.

 

[Villan]

For a multiple Corny Keg set up do I need a CO2 regulator for each one or is there a way of using one across all kegs?

 

[MarconiBrew]

No, you will need a constant supply of co2.At the very least a soda stream co2 bottle, most cost effective a large co2 bottle.

I see, so does this make a corny not particularly suitable for ale then? Won't that produce carbonated/overly carbonated ale?

 

[-Bezza-]

In a corny keg, will the secondary fermentation be enough to draw the ale off from a corny keg like it does in a pressure barrel?

Unfortunately not. The beer dispenses from the top of a corny - there's a long pipe that reaches to the bottom and provided the pressure in the keg is greater than atmospheric pressure (and probably a couple of other science bits) then it will be forced up the tube and out.

Pressure Barrels dispense from the bottom so use gravity.

CO2 shouldn't be that hard to get hold of really, unless you live quite remote.

 

[foxbat]

For a multiple Corny Keg set up do I need a CO2 regulator for each one or is there a way of using one across all kegs?

One regulator can go to all with a simple Y splitter if you don't mind all kegs being at the same pressure.

If you want different pressures then you either need a 2 product regulator or one primary regulator set to about 30 or 40 psi and then one secondary regulator per keg to drop down further to the desired keg pressure.

 

[Villan]

One regulator can go to all with a simple Y splitter if you don't mind all kegs being at the same pressure.

If you want different pressures then you either need a 2 product regulator or one primary regulator set to about 30 or 40 psi and then one secondary regulator per keg to drop down further to the desired keg pressure.

Thanks. I’m looking at different pressures so I can have lager, ale and bitter dispensing at any one time. Will look into secondary regulator set up. Thanks for the advice.

 

[-Bezza-]

Thanks. I’m looking at different pressures so I can have lager, ale and bitter dispensing at any one time. Will look into secondary regulator set up. Thanks for the advice.

I think you're looking for these but someone else will need to advise specifically, especially as to which version and how to actually connect the things: Shako Miniature Regulator NR200-01 NR200-02

 

[Regfixit]

I just got my first Corny keg and have set up the gas stuff for my home bar based on commercial kegs. I just got round to tidying up the gas part. My cooler has 3 product lines so I've got three separate secondary regulators:

I have a 6.35 Kg cylinder with a primary regulator just out of shot on the left. This is set to 30psi and connected to the three secondary regulators using 3/8 tubing and JG quickfit couplings. The end regulator on the right has a stopper in the end. In theory you can connect as many together as you want.
The pipe on top of the keg is a gas connector for the corny keg. The other end just pushes into any of the bottom outlets on the secondary regulators.

As I alternate weeks between my girlfriend's house and at home with my son, I have filled the Corny with Stella from that keg and brought it to her house and have a smaller 1.5 kg CO2 bottle here.

I got the corny from BrewUk

And the gas regulators, pipework etc from RLBS. The secondary regulators are about £25 each.
Gas from Adams gas - they are based down south but have stockists nationwide. I used them as no rental on the cylinders, just a deposit.

When my first brew is ready I'll be putting it in the Corny and also this 5l growler from Dark Farm which is great for taking round to friends, when we can again

That will be dispensed using a mini CO2 bulb. The disconnects for the tap and gas are the same as the corny keg.

 

[MarconiBrew]

So is a corny more suitable for lager rather than ale?

 

[danmac]

I just got my first Corny keg and have set up the gas stuff for my home bar based on commercial kegs. I just got round to tidying up the gas part. My cooler has 3 product lines so I've got three separate secondary regulators:
View attachment 43277
I have a 6.35 Kg cylinder with a primary regulator just out of shot on the left. This is set to 30psi and connected to the three secondary regulators using 3/8 tubing and JG quickfit couplings. The end regulator on the right has a stopper in the end. In theory you can connect as many together as you want.
The pipe on top of the keg is a gas connector for the corny keg. The other end just pushes into any of the bottom outlets on the secondary regulators.

As I alternate weeks between my girlfriend's house and at home with my son, I have filled the Corny with Stella from that keg and brought it to her house and have a smaller 1.5 kg CO2 bottle here.

I got the corny from BrewUk
View attachment 43282

And the gas regulators, pipework etc from RLBS. The secondary regulators are about £25 each.
Gas from Adams gas - they are based down south but have stockists nationwide. I used them as no rental on the cylinders, just a deposit.

When my first brew is ready I'll be putting it in the Corny and also this 5l growler from Dark Farm which is great for taking round to friends, when we can again
View attachment 43283
That will be dispensed using a mini CO2 bulb. The disconnects for the tap and gas are the same as the corny keg.

Looks a great set up that

 

[Regfixit]

So is a corny more suitable for lager rather than ale?

I wouldn't say so. I've only put Stella in it so I don't have to cart the whole 50 litre keg of Stella to my girlfriend's house. I can leave the Stella connected at home and just bring 19litres of it here to drink this week.
The homebrew I am making is an ale - Youngs American Pale Ale - and I'll be putting it in the Corny. It means I won't have the faff of all the bottles and I can also dispense it through my cooler and font setups.

 

[MarconiBrew]

I wouldn't say so. I've only put Stella in it so I don't have to cart the whole 50 litre keg of Stella to my girlfriend's house. I can leave the Stella connected at home and just bring 19litres of it here to drink this week.
The homebrew I am making is an ale - Youngs American Pale Ale - and I'll be putting it in the Corny. It means I won't have the faff of all the bottles and I can also dispense it through my cooler and font setups.

I currently use pressure barrels and wondered about a corny keg, nearly bought one then wondered from what I read if they're more for carbonating the drink as you dispense it rather than say an ale which isn't carbonated.

 

[-Bezza-]

So is a corny more suitable for lager rather than ale?

I wouldn't say so. A corny can hold high pressures, so you can carbonate beers to really high levels. But similarly, you can set at low pressures for low carbonation levels and it'll be fine.

The other point is that you could set your CO2 pressure high for the purposes of dispensing and, for the 30-seconds that you have it high, it won't affect the beer. It's very easy to then release the pressure again. That being the case, you could theoretically serve flat beer if you wanted.

 

[-Bezza-]

I currently use pressure barrels and wondered about a corny keg, nearly bought one then wondered from what I read if they're more for carbonating the drink as you dispense it rather than say an ale which isn't carbonated.

It doesn't carbonate as it dispenses. It takes a period of time for the CO2 to be absorbed by the beer (forced carbonation). If you increase pressure for dispensing, it just pushes the beer out faster. But if you leave that extra pressure in there, i.e. you don't purge the CO2 (easy to do) after dispensing, then it will get absorbed by the beer over time.

 

[Regfixit]

I currently use pressure barrels and wondered about a corny keg, nearly bought one then wondered from what I read if they're more for carbonating the drink as you dispense it rather than say an ale which isn't carbonated.

As Bezza mentions the corny isn't really to carbonate it, but simply to hold the beer in although you can carbonate in it.
An ale is actually carbonated unless you are drinking flat beer. If you are using pressure barrel at moment I am guessing you put your brew in and add some priming sugar. The yeast converts this to a bit more alcohol and CO2. Because the pressure barrel is sealed, the CO2 gets absorbed by your ale and becomes a bit fizzy. How fizzy is measured in volumes of CO2. Although that works fine there are some downsides - you have to get the sugar amount right, too much and your ale will be too fizzy and froth like mad when you pour it, too little and it will be flat. Also, you have yeast still in it so you have sediment and can have issues with cloudiness if it doesn't settle well.

Using a corny keg you can still carbonate using priming sugar like in a pressure barrel. However, you can also force carbonate it - basically if you connect CO2 to the keg and set the pressure, the beer will gradually absorb the CO2 until it reaches equilibrium. There is a handy chart here that shows what pressure you need for what temperature and carbonation level. carbonation chart

This has the advantage that you can put your beer into the keg already cleared and as there will be no secondary fermentation it will stay clear and you have precise control over how fizzy it gets. You can then also transport the keg without worryign about stirring up sediment. I guess you could also force carbonate a pressure barrel if you connect CO2 to it, but the keg approach I think is more convenient. They are also opaque so light does get to the beer to deteriorate it.

Given I already had the CO2 and bar font setup for commercial keg dispensing it made sense to me to go the corny route to be able to pour it out from my home bar setup.