Easy Keg 5L

[Dutto]

Now, I'm not very good at DIY (I'm horrendous!) but couldn't you take a very sharp knife and, after removing the centre bit, cut must of the way through the remaining bung and then give it a yank to tear the remaining bit? Sounds easy in my head. :lol:

Of course it's easy ... :thumb: :thumb:

... right up until knife (it has to be a sharp one) either cuts through the bung so that a lump falls inside ... :whistle:

... or nicks/cuts/bends the edge of the hole so that the next bung won't seal effectively. :whistle: :whistle:

You obviously don't appreciate just how clumsy I am ... :thumb: :thumb:

... and that Murphy's Law states "If it can happen it will happen."

 

[DoctorMick]

Of course it's easy ... :thumb: :thumb:

... right up until knife (it has to be a sharp one) either cuts through the bung so that a lump falls inside ... :whistle:

... or nicks/cuts/bends the edge of the hole so that the next bung won't seal effectively. :whistle: :whistle:

You obviously don't appreciate just how clumsy I am ... :thumb: :thumb:

... and that Murphy's Law states "If it can happen it will happen."

Well when you put it like that... :lol:

 

[Dutto]

Yes. Those are the right (re-usable) ones

https://www.brewuk.co.uk/easy-keg-bung.html

I know I'm clumsy but I have never managed to get one of this type out without wrecking it and/or wrecking the hole it goes into, which is why I use the other type and a Flexi-Tap.

Maybe it's easier when it's warm but at the 6 to 8 degrees I get in my garage the bungs go as hard as rocks and just will not flex enough to come out easily, even with the centre bit pushed through.

However, the other type have stayed flexible under all conditions I have encountered so far. :thumb:

 

[private4587]

With these kegs is there any brew that cannot be stored in them. I am thinking of using them for ales, porter and stout. Is this OK

 

[MyQul]

With these kegs is there any brew that cannot be stored in them. I am thinking of using them for ales, porter and stout. Is this OK

You can put anything you like in them but English/low carbed beers are best f your just going to use the integral gravity tap alone. For two reasons.
1) If you overcarb a MK you can potentially blow it up. So lagers aren't really a good choice for MK's unless your happy with a lower carbed lager.
2)If your planning on just using the gravity tap alone and not buying a party start tap too, a easy keg is just like a cask condtioned beer in a pub and I'm finding you need to treat it like one. In so far as, with a cask a cellar man in a pub will vent the cask. I'm finding you need to do this with easy kegs too for best results.
Basically opening the vent at the top and leaving it open for 24 hours. What this does is let a lot of the C02 out and lower the C02 levels. You could just put the MK in the fridge so the C02 is absorbed by the beer but I dont like ice cold beer. Secondly I always find that my beer tastes better on the second day after opening a keg. I think this is because when you first open a keg vent you get a venting off of C02 and this rouses the yeast from the bottom. By venting 24hours earlier you give the yeast time to settle back down again. But off course a lot of the the C02 has escaped by now so your beer is a lot less carbed but perfect for lower carbed styles like stouts, porters and bitters

I'm still experimenting with venting as I've only really just started doing it but I might write a guide when I've finished experiments. Also I've never used a party star tap and dont own one so have no idea whether venting is helpful with one of these

 

[pms67]

Good information MyQul
I use these as well without the party star tap (too tight or too skint) and im fairly happy as long as i drink them quickly although i have underprimed my Youngs IPA minikeg, bollocks!
Still,i have a few bottles left but it is a great time saver using kegs

 

[Dutto]

.............

...... Also I've never used a party star tap and dont own one so have no idea whether venting is helpful with one of these

Venting isn't really possible with the Flexi-Tap I have but, unlike the standard vent cap, it allows me to pump air into the MK.

This means that the beer doesn't go flat and I can maintain enough pressure in the MK to deliver beer through the tap at the top.

Also, the Flexi-Tap has an attenuator inside so that it pours slowly to deliver a perfect pint with a great head; but without the massive amount of foam that I often get from the bottom tap. :thumb: :thumb:

 

[MyQul]

Venting isn't really possible with the Flexi-Tap I have but, unlike the standard vent cap, it allows me to pump air into the MK.

This means that the beer doesn't go flat and I can maintain enough pressure in the MK to deliver beer through the tap at the top.

Also, the Flexi-Tap has an attenuator inside so that it pours slowly to deliver a perfect pint with a great head; but without the massive amount of foam that I often get from the bottom tap. :thumb: :thumb:

Thanks :thumb:Have you a link for the 'Flexi-Tap' you have?

 

[ravey]

Added a guide on how to build your own tap system.

 

[Tanzanite]

Just this minute bought 6 of these mini kegs for £36 from leyland home brew , topped it up to £75 with a couple of Coopers kits and spray malts , so got free delivery , my xmas pressie to me .

 

[Dutto]

Thanks :thumb:Have you a link for the 'Flexi-Tap' you have?

Apparently, it is now called a Profi-Tap and this is the one with an air-pump attachment ...

http://www.leyland-home-brew.co.uk/profi-air-pump-dispensing-tap-1010-p.asp

... but I got one of these ...

http://www.leyland-home-brew.co.uk/profi-tap-with-co2-injector-1511-p.asp

... and modified it with the bike pump shown below.

It has made all of my MK's VERY affordable to use, as I now don't need to buy any CO2 capsules. :thumb: :thumb:

I can therefore recommend the Air Pump Tap if you don't fancy modifying a cheap bike pump from Halfords! :thumb: :thumb:

 

[MyQul]

Venting isn't really possible with the Flexi-Tap I have but, unlike the standard vent cap, it allows me to pump air into the MK.

This means that the beer doesn't go flat and I can maintain enough pressure in the MK to deliver beer through the tap at the top.

Also, the Flexi-Tap has an attenuator inside so that it pours slowly to deliver a perfect pint with a great head; but without the massive amount of foam that I often get from the bottom tap. :thumb: :thumb:

All this is at room temp, rather than out of the fridge as I dont like ice cold beer?

When you first open a MK at room temp with the gravity tap you basically get a pint of foam. The attenuator in the profi tap stops this?

How does pumping air into the mini keg prevent the beer from going flat as it's CO2 that carbing the beer not air?

I take it the beer doesn't last any longer as your pumping air in not C02. So a MK using a profi-tap will last the same amount of time as using the gravity tap?

Sorry for all the Q's but this bit of kit seems like it could be the (cheap) alternative to a party star tap for me as I dont want to be faffing about with C02 bulbs and spending £50. So depending on your answers I may invest in it

 

[Leon103]

I got to say the party star is worth the extra £'s. And co2 and no2 aren't that expensive via eBay. Just bought 24 bulbs of no2 from eBay for £9 delivered. It's great I can use no2 for stouts etc. I never get a foamy pint and it pours a lovely pint.

 

[MyQul]

I got to say the party star is worth the extra �£'s. And co2 and no2 aren't that expensive via eBay. Just bought 24 bulbs of no2 from eBay for �£9 delivered. It's great I can use no2 for stouts etc. I never get a foamy pint and it pours a lovely pint.

Dont get me wrong I agree the PS sounds worth it from what everyone reports but I havent got £50 for another piece of packaging kit.

 

[Dutto]

1. All this is at room temp, rather than out of the fridge as I dont like ice cold beer?

2. When you first open a MK at room temp with the gravity tap you basically get a pint of foam. The attenuator in the profi tap stops this?

3. How does pumping air into the mini keg prevent the beer from going flat as it's CO2 that carbing the beer not air?

4. I take it the beer doesn't last any longer as your pumping air in not C02. So a MK using a profi-tap will last the same amount of time as using the gravity tap?

5. Sorry for all the Q's but this bit of kit seems like it could be the (cheap) alternative to a party star tap for me as I dont want to be faffing about with C02 bulbs and spending ��£50. So depending on your answers I may invest in it

Okay, bit by bit. :thumb:

1. I also hate cold beer and mine never see the inside of a fridge after carbonating. :thumb: :thumb:

2. I've had two MK's leak violently (from around the bottom tap seal) when inserting the probe of the tap into the keg. In view of this, I now take a litre of foam off the bottom tap into a jug before inserting the probe. Maybe I overfilled or over-carbonated the MKs but since taking off the first litre of foam I haven't had any trouble. (The MKs that leaked have resealed themselves and now no longer leak.) The attenuator in the take-off probe of the tap reduces the foaming to give a good quality head.

3. The Laws of Partial Pressure ensure that the pressurised air on top of the beer keeps the CO2 in solution within the beer, prevents it escaping and therefore stops it going flat.

4. I'm afraid that none of my MKs have lasted more than a week no matter how they were emptied! The introduction of air instead of CO2 could introduce wild yeasts which could have an adverse effect on the beer over a period longer than a week; but I hope to never find out whether or not this is correct!

5. Personally, I wish I hadn't bothered with the CO2 injection system and gone straight for the little pump supplied. Luckily I had an old bike pump that I cleaned up and modified to fit the top of the tap. As a result, I haven't used any CO2 capsules for the last five or more MKs and I haven't noticed any change in taste.

Hope this helps. :thumb: :thumb:

 

[MyQul]

Thanks for the info dutto :hat: .My MK never last more than 4 days (sometimes 2 or 3 if the beer is particularly low abv%). I think I'll continue experimenting with venting for a while and get one of those pro-fit pumps when I can afford to.

 

[ravey]

Thanks for the info dutto :hat: .My MK never last more than 4 days (sometimes 2 or 3 if the beer is particularly low abv%). I think I'll continue experimenting with venting for a while and get one of those pro-fit pumps when I can afford to.

In your previous post you were talking about venting co2 rather than retaining it, so I'm not sure if this is of any use to you. If you are happy with using a built in tap you could achieve the pressurised air to keep the co2 in the beer with a very cheap and cheerful mod:

Get a schrader valve and pop it in the centre of a bung. All you need is a pump and you're done. N.B. you may want to attach the pump to the valve before fitting the bung as pushing down on it may result in the valve dropping into the keg.

 

[MyQul]

In your previous post you were talking about venting co2 rather than retaining it, so I'm not sure if this is of any use to you. If you are happy with using a built in tap you could achieve the pressurised air to keep the co2 in the beer with a very cheap and cheerful mod:

Get a schrader valve and pop it in the centre of a bung. All you need is a pump and you're done. N.B. you may want to attach the pump to the valve before fitting the bung as pushing down on it may result in the valve dropping into the keg.

I'm hopeless at DIY but that is something I could manage (I've got a couple of bike pumps). Might have a go :thumb:

 

[MyQul]

With venting what I'm essentially trying to do is eliminate the yeast bite you can get if you just open the keg and start dinking it straight away

 

[ravey]

I'm hopeless at DIY but that is something I could manage (I've got a couple of bike pumps). Might have a go :thumb:

I've made a video guide on how to do this. Please note that you should wear a hard hat and you follow the instructions at your own risk!

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujuqefaCu5Q[/ame]