# Portable single keg set-up



## surly

Hey guys, 

I have a few camping trips coming up and would love to take a keg along for the ride. Browsed a few threads here already, but since I have never actually set up a keg system before, this is all pretty new to me.
Firstly, I am wanting to use a 19L corny as I have these already. Since any esky that can fit one of these is going to be pretty expensive and bulky, I intend to build my own.

First thought was to use some of the large diameter PVC pipe. I believe about 300mm? Anyone know where this can be purchased and for how much? Seems ideal as it will be sturdy, hold water (with end cap in place) and I can easily insulate the outside.

Next I was wondering about dispensing. 
For a tap I was thinking something like this: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/281129486814?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

For gas: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/281162248363?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

I am very open to any other ideas or suggestions. Keep in mind that space will be at a premium and something sturdy is better! (cheaper is better too as long as I am not wasting money).

Thanks heaps


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## jameson

Think you will need a smaller shank maybe 1 for a tube or curved font look up chi company.
looking at doing one my self other ideas might be a plug at the bottom to drain water and I also seen little furniture removal things at Ikea you could attach it to. I was also thinking two polystyrene box's glued together might work. There is a lot of different ideas out there and I think I seen a thread with a shit load about them. 
Good luck Jameson


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## BPH87

Check out Florian's setups, can't remember which thread but it was an ace idea!


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## pressure_tested

Love this tap: http://www.craftbrewer.com.au/shop/details.asp?PID=4252


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## DU99

if you want tap this could be a go ,


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## booargy

I have a length of stainless tube bent to sit about 50mm from the bottom of the esky. This keeps my 2 line cold plate off the bottom and out of the water. 3 taps in 50L esky with room for food. Only drama is because the kegs are warm and have to be held at higher pressure to balance the system. To keep them slightly cooler than ambient sit them in a tub of water with hessian bag over em so the bag soaks up the water.


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## stevepreece

I am the process of building my camping setup now.
80l olive barrel ($18 off ebay) + expanding foam and a bucket.

Will attach a tap and use one of those 18g co2 mini regulators from keg king to dispense.

The keg just fits with the regulator , no foam under the keg, will have stick some foam to the outside of barrel if it becomes and issue.

I have chucked a couple of pictures in my gallery if you want to have a look see.


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## mrTbeer

I've got a setup of 12L keg in 38L circular esky works ok with flexible plastic hosetap and mini reg. No holes drilled just open lid and pickup tap.
But it takes a lot of ice to pre chill.
However I like the idea of using bottom layer of food esky and bigger kegs under wet hessian.


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## mrTbeer

Also wondered about using 2 sizes of PVC say 225/300 and filling void with expanding foam. That way it'd be tall enough for a 19L with a lid


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## mrTbeer

Daydreaming now but a 12v tempright would be good. Coil insulated with tap, smallest waeco style compressor on top.
Beyond me but it'd be no bigger than a shoebox and could run for days off a second 4wd battery.


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## breakbeer

I just started my camping keg build last weekend, pretty stoked with it so far. I'll upload some pics when I get home.

I started with a length of 300mm air conditioning pipe, I think they call it Spiral. I got it free from an air con place across the road. I also asked them for a 300mm end cap, but they only had a 345mm one spare. Thought this might be a problem, but once I glued on 2 layers of 10mm thick camping mat the end cap fits snugly over the top. I've also fitted an old ball valve to the bottom to drain water. Had a guy at work make me up a bar top for it out of American Oak & 2 pack painted it black.

Just trying to figure out the best way of dispensing the beer though. I was thinking a single tap font,coz it would look good & I already have a spare tap & shank, but might just go with a picnic tap


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## breakbeer

Now I just have to clad it, i'm thinking corrugated iron but the smaller corrugation


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## surly

Thanks for all the helpful responses guys, thought I would just get told to "use search" 

I have been to both Bunnings and Masters today and neither seemed to stock PVC pipe with a larger diameter than 150mm and I couldn't find anyone to ask. saw a couple of rubbish type bins, the sort with the foot pedal lid. These were just a bit too short. Would possibly fit a keg, but no room for the disconnects and line. So many items out there that are ALMOST right.

Breakbeer, that looks perfect 
Is there enough room to get ice around the keg in that diameter? Looks like a very neet job with the camping mats. How did you attach them?


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## breakbeer

I reckon there's enough room for at least 2 bags of ice in there (I've got pin lock kegs which are slightly wider than ball lock kegs), just drain the water & top up with ice when needed. I might even use a mixture of ice & salt

I glued the camping mat onto the pipe with contact glue


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## booargy

Is one keg enough for a weekend?


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## breakbeer

2 - 3 kegs & the word portable don't really fit


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## 1974Alby

booargy said:


> Is one keg enough for a weekend?


depends...is it a long weekend? are you camping with mates? I recon the likely answer in either case is probably not!


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## Diggs

stevepreece said:


> I am the process of building my camping setup now.
> 80l olive barrel ($18 off ebay) + expanding foam and a bucket.


Bloody hell, 80lts is a lot of camping!


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## Batz

BPH87 said:


> Check out Florian's setups, can't remember which thread but it was an ace idea!


Absolutely!

Just styrofoam box from the the local fruit and veg. shop. Stick up the lid with some duct tape, cut a hole in the top with a knife as the rubber part of the keg sticks out.

Fill with ice and it stays cold for a couple of days, fantastic idea of Florians.

Batz


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## lukiferj

Batz said:


> Absolutely!
> 
> Just styrofoam box from the the local fruit and veg. shop. Stick up the lid with some duct tape, cut a hole in the top with a knife as the rubber part of the keg sticks out.
> 
> Fill with ice and it stays cold for a couple of days, fantastic idea of Florians.
> 
> Batz


You forgot to add to have swmbo pretty it up with some fancy handwriting on the front 

Seriously though, great idea.


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## surly

I had considered the polystyrene box approach. Was concerned about it not sealing well and the foam being easily damaged.
I can usually get my hands on the occasional box from work, so it might be a goer. Maybe cover the whole thing with contact adhesive for protection?


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## surly

DU99 said:


> if you want tap this could be a go ,


Hey, have you used one of these before? I am curious about how it goes considering there is no beer line. Is the tap flow restricted or something?


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## Thunderlips

surly said:


> For gas: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/281162248363?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649


I bought one of these myself and mentioned that it's a nice bit of kit but unfortunately mine doesn't work any more.
The pin that pops the co2 cartridge broke, so it's useless 

So for now I'm using the co2 charger that i've had for a while.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/CO2-Keg-Charger-Kit-with-Gas-Ball-Lock-Disconnect-/320797986393?pt=AU_Barware&hash=item4ab10cce59

I also recently bought one of these to use with a soda stream bottle but haven't used it yet...
http://www.brewmart.com.au/brewmart-shop/catalogue/?detail&ItemID=3039&SZIDX=0&CCODE=16530&QOH=5&CATID=249&CLN=1

They have a nice little setup at the above shop for 6 and 9 litre kegs but I'm not sure for how long that bag would keep the keg cold.
http://www.brewmart.com.au/brewmart-shop/catalogue/?detail&ItemID=3946&SZIDX=0&CCODE=16466&QOH=0&CATID=248&CLN=1


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## Thunderlips

surly said:


> Hey, have you used one of these before? I am curious about how it goes considering there is no beer line. Is the tap flow restricted or something?


Just looks like a standard brumby tap.
I've used that set up quite a while ago and from memory it works fine but you have to turn the pressure down really low.

Or better yet, as you said, use a flow control tap like these nice Perlicks...
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/BRAND-NEW-PERLICK-PERL-FLOW-CONTROL-BEER-TAP-HOME-BAR-FORWARD-SEALING-/261259461622?pt=AU_Barware&hash=item3cd44703f6


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## angus_grant

Be prepared to be horrified if you go to a plumbing shop and ask about the 300mm pvc pipe. I am fairly sure it was over $100.

I ended up traipsing around with my 11L keg to BCF, Bunnings, etc, etc until I found a round cooler which would fit ice on bottom, keg, and then disconnects, CO2 charger, etc with some ice on top to keep the beer line and beer gun cool. My next upgrade will be a mini-regulator as opening the esky to squirt more CO2 in gets old pretty quickly... Would also probably run beer line through the lid and leave gun outside to avoid having to open it each time to get a beer.

Kept my party keg cold for 2 days and we were camping near summer so it was quite hot.


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## QldKev

Can't remember who, but someone on here built one from a 100L wheely bin, saves needing to carry it around.


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## winkle

> Be prepared to be horrified if you go to a plumbing shop and ask about the 300mm pvc pipe. I am fairly sure it was over $100.


You need to get the 300mmm pipe that is (cough) "surplus to requirements". I'm working up courage to ask the cost of the end caps.
A good option is to look for a large round 'stainless steel' kitchen bin from the $2 shops or Kmart etc. Add a camping mat inside and you should be all tricked out for around $40.


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## angus_grant

I've got one of those built for bigger parties based on a thread here somewhere. Can carry 2 * 19L kegs + CO2 bottle inside (prevents people messing with it). Didn't bother insulating it as I assumed the 2 kegs would be knocked off at any decent party. Cheapy eBay flow control tap out the front.

it is a pain to fit the bin into a standard sedan. Impossible now with a child and their associated crap in the boot.

Fondly referred to as "Angus' rubbish beer". 

Perhaps the link Kev is referring to: http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/58500-small-wheely-bin-for-portable-keg-system/?hl=%2Bwheely+%2Bbin


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## DU99

Surly..had no issues with it..


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## syl

The Florian one - anyone got a link? Love this stuff!


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## winkle

In this pic centre stage


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## syl

haha! awesome! :super:


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## blotto

This is my rig. It stays cold for a long time but I'd like a flow control tap for it as there is a fair amount of line inside, but it just get coiled around the bottom. Only holds a 9L keg tho.


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## angus_grant

Nice set up Wort. I was thinking of mounting the tap in a box on top of the lid with just gas and beer line running through the lid so I could still use it as a water cooler. No idea why I would want a water cooler.

Now I wonder if I am just complicating the issue. Whack a shank through the cooler and then I don't have to worry about cooling the box, etc.

yep, at some point I'd like to get a soda-stream bottle and proper reg for it. So many things and so little money... :unsure:


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## Bridges

Polystyrene boxes if you are near bendigo


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## Amber Fluid

Just to throw an alternative out there....

What about utilising the Keg jackets that the sponsors sell?.... only about $25. I have no experience with them though so can't comment on how good they are....


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## 1974Alby

never used a keg jacket so cant comment from experience...but I like the concept and Ithink they would be good if the keg is chilled and you plan on consuming it inside 3 hours, or in cool weather...basically its a big stubbie holder and I can't see it keeping beer cold for long on a warm day ....or even a cold day in Qld....but its should see you right in Tassie at anytime!


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## MAX POWER

Haven't tried it, but I plan on using a camping mat strapped around some techni ice packs:

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Techni-Ice-HDR-4-Ply-Reusable-Ice-Heat-Pack-10-Sheet-/181111926379?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_15&hash=item2a2b1cae6b#ht_1085wt_904

Anyone tried something similar?
It says they can stay cold for days.............


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## adryargument

Yall getting to fancy.
Hitting the beaches next week for 5 days and the simple solution is those coles/woolies broccoli boxes with a keg in them + ice.
Simply cut a hole for the tap and wrap the beer line around the keg.
Gas bottle sits outside.


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## BPH87

I have a normal sized wheelie bin, fits 3 kegs covered with ice and 4th higher up (not too cold for an ESB) with gas bottle and reg inside. Could insulate it if need be.


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## Jase

Wort said:


> This is my rig. It stays cold for a long time but I'd like a flow control tap for it as there is a fair amount of line inside, but it just get coiled around the bottom. Only holds a 9L keg tho.


Wort, 

Where did you pick up that cooler from?

Cheers,
Jase


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## mrTbeer

I've got one like that from BCF/Raes outdoor.
Holds a 10 or 12 L keg


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## surly

Well guys, I finally made a start on this.

Picked up one of these today: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/261282369232?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

Have given it a thorough clean and now installed a camping type mat inside as insulation (more contact adhesive on my fingers and forearms than where it was supposed to be, will be fun to spend the next few hours peeling it off).
I took the handles and lid off and have given the barrel a quick coat of high-gloss white. Hopefully this should reflect a bit of heat and make it a bit prettier. 

Still to do: 

Modify the lid to make sure there is clearance for the disconnects.
Purchase tap,line etc
work out how to insulate base and lid
Brew beer.

EDIT: Cheers to stevepreece for the olive barrel idea


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## blotto

Amber Fluid said:


> Just to throw an alternative out there....
> 
> What about utilising the Keg jackets that the sponsors sell?.... only about $25. I have no experience with them though so can't comment on how good they are....


I think these jackets are good but all they are doing is slowing down how fast your keg heats up so it would be good in a cooler climate but in the heat of summer you'd only have a few hours at most before you'd have to return the keg to the fridge. But great if your keg isn't going to last that long :chug:



Jase said:


> Wort,
> 
> Where did you pick up that cooler from?
> 
> Cheers,
> Jase


Sorry for the late reply Jase!

To be honest I struggling to remember when I made this it could be 5 or more years ago so I can't remember at all :unsure: but here is an orange one at BCF and this is the manufacturers web site. My (very cheap) tap does extend into the cooler a little bit so if my keg was any wider it could be a little hard to get it in there. I have the 9L version of the post mix keg I have seen some of the new all stainless versions that are a little wider and hold 10 or 11L they might struggle with the tap it the top a shorter shank tap would required. I have seen people remove the plastic tap from the bottom of the cooler and put their beer tap there but then you lose the ability to drain water easily.

Oh yeah I also drilled 3 or 4 6mm holes in the underside of the lid and filled it with expanda foam this work's great and I've done it to several of my cheap eskys, it helps with insulation and if someone sits on the lid there is more support and the lids last heaps longer!


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## surly

Hey all, just glued on the last bit of insulation today.
All that is left is cutting the apropriate length of beer line and my portable keg is complete!

'scuse the dodgy phone pic.
I lined the inside with camping mat. Modded the lid to give more clearance and glued a pot-plant base to the bottom with insulation in-between.
Will test drive soon 




Started out as one of these. Available on ebay for $22


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## pat_00

Cool! Does it fit a 19l corny?


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## surly

Yes it does, just.
Have not attached the beer line yet, but my 19L ball lock with mini regulator does _just _fit. I had to mod the lid to achieve this though..
Would probably be a comfortable size for a pin-lock.


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## blotto

Looking awesome Surly!


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## stevepreece

Finally got my top finished and the tap attached.

Its got a bucket in the bottom with expanding foam filling the void.

After seeing surly's looks like I might have to scrape the excess foam and paint mine too.
Guess I should have got the handled one too ho hum.

photo in my gallery


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## surly

Just checked your gallery steve, looks like it should work a treat.
I had considered inverting the centre part of the lid like you did to make more room, but decided to cut a hole in it instead so it would still seal.. Not sure why I thought that would be important. I reckon your lid will probably work better.

I avoided using expanding foam, ever since I made a terrible mess with it years ago, I haven't touched the stuff 

The extra couple of dollars for the handled barrel seemed like a smart buy to me


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## 431neb

I rushed an improvised thing in a rubbish bin for yesterday's grand final. Just a round willow rubbish bin with three bags of ice, the corny and a few meters of beer line wrapped around the keg. Pluto to dispense. Gas bottle and reg strapped to the outside so the drunks wouldn't knock it over. It was awesome! Centennial lager - mothers milk. Next time I'll take two.


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## surly

431neb said:


> I rushed an improvised thing in a rubbish bin for yesterday's grand final. Just a round willow rubbish bin with three bags of ice, the corny and a few meters of beer line wrapped around the keg. Pluto to dispense. Gas bottle and reg strapped to the outside so the drunks wouldn't knock it over. It was awesome! Centennial lager - mothers milk. Next time I'll take two.


Seen some awesome ghetto set-ups like that in a thread on here. Would work a treat for an afternoon/evening.
I am hoping this will keep a keg cold for 2-3 days without extra ice. Maybe a little optimistic, but since it is a fairly sealed and roughly insulated unit with no need to open the lid, it MIGHT work. Fingers crossed anyway.


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## of mice and gods

breakbeer said:


> Had a guy at work make me up a bar top for it out of *American Oak & 2 pack painted it black*.


I bet all the cabinet makers and chippy's just shed a little tear..


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## breakbeer

It was actually stained black & clear coated in 2 pack, wood grain is still visible

I also have another top which is yet to be stained


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## of mice and gods

breakbeer, I'm happy to hear that mate. It's such a nice timber, would have been a shame to just gloss black it.


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## punkin

surly said:


> I had considered the polystyrene box approach. Was concerned about it not sealing well and the foam being easily damaged.
> I can usually get my hands on the occasional box from work, so it might be a goer. Maybe cover the whole thing with contact adhesive for protection?



This would have been fun to watch. Pity you didn't go that way.


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## surly

punkin said:


> This would have been fun to watch. Pity you didn't go that way.





punkin said:


> This would have been fun to watch. Pity you didn't go that way.


Yeah, I meant that clear plastic adhesive sheeting that your mum used to cover school books with to protect them. Contact adhesive would have been a bit fiddly, probably worse than my experience with expanding foam, especially since the polystyrene would dissolve...


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## maldridge

When using something like this (ie a big container to hold the keg, filled with ice around it), how does one figure out the ideal line length and required co2?

I'm currently building a portable wooden bicycle bar which is a largish box made from plywood, which holds a corny keg seated in a polystyrene box, filled with ice. The box also fits in the co2 tank. This then runs beer line to a font mounted on top of the wooden box with a tap like a standard kegerator.

Thoughts?


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## surly

Hey Maldridge, 

I have not used this yet. Haven't had the occasion.
I have a flow control tap on there, so this should help take care of any line length issues. As for CO2? I was just going to carb the keg as per normal. Not sure why there would be a big diff? The keg will typically be stored in my keezer until I need to take it away with me, so temp should be fine for CO2 absorption. I will dispense with one of those KegKing mini regulators and soda bulbs. Might actually test it this weekend..


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## b00ner

Nice setup there Surly!

I bought exactly the same old olive barrel from a salvage place last week. For anyone in Melbs - A&R Second hand olive barrel they still had about 5 or 6 lying around when I was there. Place is on Sydney road Campbellfield, north side of the city, easy to get to for any Northern Vic guys as well. Only $15 so its worth nabbing one.

Do have any more pics of your setup, mainly the insulation setup inside and how it all fits? I was thinking of getting a ~250-300mm cylinder of plastic to put around the keg inside so less ice is required to cover the whole keg and then there's a buffer of air to the outside of the container. Also what mod did you do to the lid? It seemed the connecters, lines and all fit no probs, but I had nothing sitting on the bottom so Ill have to do something later on.

As soon as I get mine done I'll put up some pics, just a dirty red barrel atm so nothing special.


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## surly

Hey b00ner, not taken more pics, sorry.
All I have done is cut out some thin camping mat and glued it to the bottom on the i/s and o/s as well as glue a yoga mat on i/s all the way around the sides. 

I cut the mat on the bottom so that it sat in the grooves on the i/s and repeated the process for the o/s. This means I didn't lift the keg up too high with the insulation.
As for the lid, I cut out the majority of the concave section, then glued some plastic across the top. This means that the clearance i/s is level with the top of the lid. Previously, the insert piece protruded a 5-6 centimetres into the barrel.

My intentions are to put a large garbage bag i/s, place the keg in this then fill the space around the keg with ice. This should prevent the water trickling between gaps and touching the walls of the barrel as well as making it easier to empty/clean. 
Hope this all makes sense.


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## b00ner

Yeh sounds good. I was gonna write out my plans but I think it's easier to do it and put some pics up.

Was anyone able to source some ~300mm tubing from anywhere? I was think even something softer like air ducts might work/be easy to get a hold of.


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## Kingy

Most new subdivisions have 300mm PVC. Ask the guys laying water or sewer main. Water is in 300 aswell.


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## b00ner

Ok so here's an option:

Buy one of these bad boys for $15







Chuck everything in and fill with ice






Fits in with plenty of space






Done. A draw back is a lot of ice is needed and on a hot day it's gonna melt pretty quick so I thought I'd try an upgrade. I bought a couple of old buckets for $6






Cut into the rim of one of the buckets






Chuck it inside the other one






Cut the top off and... Bam, PVC pipe for $6 instead of ~$100






Chuck that whole thing inside the barrel. Now there's an air buffer to keep the ice cooler for longer with less ice required to cover the whole keg.






Concerns are if the buckets are too small to get enough ice around the whole keg, but I figure once its crushed and melts it should be fine. If it starts out cold then this shouldn't be too much of an issue. You could probably get away with just the buckets and some insulation for simplicity.

Next steps are:

- Putting a tap in, ala Surly
- Adding a drain hole and line to the buckets
- Insulate the outside of the buckets or inside of the barrel
- Put a lid on the buckets
- Chuck some wheels on
- Maybe paint it up a bit

Thoughts/suggestions?


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## punkin

Supercheap for a $15 trolley and a couple of straps?


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## Yob

punkin said:


> Supercheap for a $15 trolley and a couple of straps?


That's the route I'm taking, pvc mounted on a trolley, will probably box it out with timber to make it Purdy.


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## b00ner

Small trolley would be a good idea, might be able to mount the cylinder to it too. Gonna be a bulky thing by the end of it.

Unless you know someone or somewhere to pinch it from, PVC pipe big enough is tricky to find without buying at least 3 metres of it for $300+. 2 old buckets is a cheap alternative, and if it doesn't work out, then you've only wasted a few bucks.


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## stevepreece

b00ner, you can flip the lid insert and glue it on, have a look at mine, it worked great over cup weekend.
Like the double bucket, I was trying to work out a way of getting a large bucket but gave up.
I insulated mine with expanding foam which work ok although I did make the standard mess.

When I attempt version 2 I will use expanding foam to hold the buckets in place at the bottom and then some wall insulation for the top part, this also goes on top of the keg in the lid bit.
Will probably also add a "access hatch", some old lid from drinking chocolate, so I can get a hand in to hock/unhock the disconnects and stop me knocking the tap whilst turning the lid.
I too will add a drainage system, I look forward to seeing yours first.

This sound slack but mine worked well a chilled (5 degree) keg stayed nicely chilled for 2 days without extra ice......by then it was empty and the oversight was only spotted then.


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## b00ner

Yeh that's a nice setup. I'm gonna make a second lid for the buckets to access the keg directly, then run a line through the walls to the side of the barrel so I'm not touching the tap all the time. The buckets are sticking up through the lid so that'll hold them in place, I reckon once I have the drain put in I might use some expander foam at the bottom like you said. I'll also make a small groove in the top of the buckets so I can leave the gas attached if need be.


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## beer-head

What about one of these with a modified lid?

http://www.bunnings.com.au/willow-50l-bullet-bin_p4520319


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## maldridge

Better post my little setup. Not quite finished, still need to mount the lid, font, taps, and gas bottle mount.

Wooden box houses a polystyrene box, which will have a round hole cut in the top where the keg slots into. The top rubber section of the keg actually pokes out the top of the hole, which allows easy access to disconnects etc.

The polystyrene box is then filled with ice. The whole thing connects up to the frame of a bicycle, and away you go!

Looking forward to taking it out for a spin in a couple of weeks when the bloody weather gets better!


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## surly

maldridge, I love the the idea of a bike trailer keg. Genius


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## punkin

I can get the sewer pie for nicks, but i just bought ten of the Keg King stainless caps with gas disconnects to go on 2 or 3 litre bottles. I find that way i can take more beer, in an esky, with a few different types and if i give the bottles a quick zap from the gas after filling them slowly from the taps they stay carbonated just fine for the two or three days it takes me to drink them.

I have a craftbrewer CPBF but have never bothered fitting it as the cabonation caps work just fine. I pour slowly from my tap system.


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## angus_grant

RIS from home using exact same method


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## Danwood

300mm stormwater pipe end caps to go with the pipe I salvaged from work... $64....EACH !!

No thanks, Reece. I'll have to find a cap substitute.


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## surly

Danwood said:


> 300mm stormwater pipe end caps to go with the pipe I salvaged from work... $64....EACH !!
> 
> No thanks, Reece. I'll have to find a cap substitute.


Damn, those caps cost a bomb.
I have been eyeballing my piece of 300mm pipe and thinking about how to use it. Might need to try and make my own cap..


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## b00ner

Walk around bunnings and a few other hardware/scrap places and find a bucket that's just a tad bigger, cut off most of it and should do the trick.


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## Danwood

That's what I was thinking. Needs to be tough though


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## bradsbrew

punkin said:


> to go on 2 or 3 litre bottles.


Punkin, where are you getting 3L pet bottles from?


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## shaunous

Kegs are fun and all, but shit there is a lot of effort to go in, and worry, let alone the responsibility and abuse you'll cop if an army of campers are dehydrated and your fukin around with to much foam, or to hot or whatever to keep them hydrated.

I like the idea of trailering around a keg, but camping wise, isn't it just easer to fill up a heap of 2L coke bottles of beer and launch in the Engel/Esky???

i'll wait for the abuse :unsure:


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## punkin

bradsbrew said:


> Punkin, where are you getting 3L pet bottles from?



Why the supermarket Brad. They have them with Coke and Fanta and all sorts of labels. You get free soft drink with every bottle purchased.


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## shaunous

Haha.

Why don't you guys just fill up coke bottles for camping and parties, Yeh it's cool to take a keg In a bucket, but imagine the responsibility of having to bring a keg, then fuking around with temp, gas, foamy pour etc. if I done that around my mates I'd be hung. CPBF and a heap of big bottles, solved.

Now I wait for the abuse


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## Yob

Coz getting it right is rad!!

Blingin also has merit


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## b00ner

It's all about the bling







I'm sure this looks a tad familiar for Surly, but tbh the white looks pretty nice and hopefully keeps a bit of heat off.


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## surly

Shaunous, the answer is pretty simple really. Check out the above pic, damn sexy.
Also, making things is fun.

b00ner, the white DOES look good. Looks like it turned out really well!
Is that a trolley handle sticking up behind?


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## shaunous

I've got 37' Chev's for having fun making things 

No I agree, they do look sweet as Fuk, I will build one, one day. After I finish my actual shed bar, after the lounge room, after the kitchen, after networking the house, after cattle/farm work, after normal work! all before the sun goes down. I think you get the hint


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## surly

Hey all, I finally broke out the portable keg set up last night. Took it to a house party and, as per nearly all my other beer adventures, there was a ****-up 

Damn gas disconnect had a crack in it. I lost 2 soda bulbs worth of gas before I discovered where it was coming from. Didn't have a spare threaded disconnect either, so had to make a quick dash home for my big gas cylinder. This meant I had to have it outside the barrel so the lid now wouldn't go on.
Otherwise it was all a success. Many beers were had, it was pouring well and despite there being no lid on it, there was still ice in the barrel at 3:00 this arvo (nearly 18 hours later).


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## Wigarus

Hey guys, just thought I'd show you my take on the weed sprayer party keg 





The handle is a 3/4 scale replica of mine so now its fun for guys and girls :beer:





I machined this piece out of Delrin - it's the first time I've cut an imperial thread on my lathe and it fits a standard corny gas in post 









I'm pretty proud of this tiny little piece. Its 316 stainless and its tapered so that when you tighten the plastic collar it seals against the beer line and the diptube fits in neatly inside it. Tested it to 20PSI with no leaks.


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## waggastew

Quick question re: tap placement.

I have purchased all my parts for a portable keg setup. I have room in my esky to put the tap above, level or level with the bottom of the keg.

Apart from factoring in height into line balancing is there any other reason to choose one position over another?

One thought I had was having the line at the bottom of the esky means it is submerged in ice and hence should keep a little cooler.


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## MastersBrewery

you could sell those delrin adapters I'm sure


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## shaunous

That setup is sweet wigarus, the only thing I'd build upon that probably might be to hard anyway is having a tap, like a push button thing built into the wall of the esky, so there isn't anything protruding the walls of the esky, much anyway. Then you'd have a perfect camping keg setup, easily packed in ya 4x4, and square shaped so no space is wasted beside it, and the tap cannot be snapped off. Be just like taking an esky and throwing it in the car like u would anyway.


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## waggastew

Starting to put together my portable keg setup.

Main aim was to have something to take to parties to dispense 9.5L kegs AND be completely self contained. This last bit was the most difficult as I had to consider regulator, gas bottle etc. Went through a few permutations and ended up going with a SS bottle and single stage mini-reg. Decided against keg chargers as I didn't want to have to play around with the gas during the party. This setup should be essentially plug and play.

Just installed the tap.






Next I am installing a plastic bracket to keep the gas bottle upright and swearing my way through connecting the 4mm ID beer line to the tap connection and disconnect. A mate is currently working on my new logo and labels so once he is done I will get a big logo sticker printed for the front and smaller ones for the font label. Timber handle laser etched with my brewery name is on the way from the US and all should be ready for an upcoming 'famcation'. Plan is to bring two kegs, one in the setup, the other in a separate esky.

Will post picks when all details are done.


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## waggastew

Just back from the maiden run for my new portable setup. (see post above)






Occasion was a Famcation with famlies of 6 close mates from school. I took three 9.5L kegs: Bright Ale, Bright Ale dry hopped with Galaxy, and a West-Coast IPA. Have not kegged before and the trial pour during the week at home with a keg of Porter was problematic. I was not feeling confident as I was getting alot of foam and gas coming out of the beer in the line. I bought a jug just in case I was going to have to deal with alot of froth.

Pre-chilled the portable esky and two others with large bottles of ice Thursday night. Friday morning I transferred kegs from fridge into eskies and packed with four bags of ice. They sat in the car all day Friday before I drove down to Lemon Tree Passage after work. Got there around six, cracked keg of Bright Ale at 6:30 and.............

Poured perfectly. Carb was spot on, had to work the glass a bit to get the right amount of head. Took about 8-10 secs to pour a pint. Blew the first keg about an hour later, worked our way through half dry-hopped version before bed. Remaining beer was drank the next afternoon and evening.

So stoked that it all worked out. Didn't have to screw around with gas etc. All self contained so no amateur gas technicians.

Happy days

PS. Note to self. Don't bring AIPA's to holidays with mates. High ABV and IBU's are not general crowd pleasers.


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## shaunous

Awesome stuff Stew



> PS. Note to self. Don't bring AIPA's to holidays with mates. High ABV and IBU's are not general crowd pleasers.


Fuk the crowd, unless that crowd has your boss and/or mother in law in it.


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## Ratsathome

Hi guys new to your site :beer:
I made a portable single keg system.
I used the big 12" plastic underground pipes put in a bottom and made a lid for it.
My first use of it I used my 2kg gas with it but now I use the "Co2 charger with 16g cartridge"
It holds about 7Kg of ice around the keg and keep it cold for a few hours.


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## Kodos

Nice job. You mention you had 4mm ID beer line, would you mind sharing how long the line was, and what your serving pressure was?

What was your carbonation method?



waggastew said:


> Just back from the maiden run for my new portable setup. (see post above)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Occasion was a Famcation with famlies of 6 close mates from school. I took three 9.5L kegs: Bright Ale, Bright Ale dry hopped with Galaxy, and a West-Coast IPA. Have not kegged before and the trial pour during the week at home with a keg of Porter was problematic. I was not feeling confident as I was getting alot of foam and gas coming out of the beer in the line. I bought a jug just in case I was going to have to deal with alot of froth.
> 
> Pre-chilled the portable esky and two others with large bottles of ice Thursday night. Friday morning I transferred kegs from fridge into eskies and packed with four bags of ice. They sat in the car all day Friday before I drove down to Lemon Tree Passage after work. Got there around six, cracked keg of Bright Ale at 6:30 and.............
> 
> Poured perfectly. Carb was spot on, had to work the glass a bit to get the right amount of head. Took about 8-10 secs to pour a pint. Blew the first keg about an hour later, worked our way through half dry-hopped version before bed. Remaining beer was drank the next afternoon and evening.
> 
> So stoked that it all worked out. Didn't have to screw around with gas etc. All self contained so no amateur gas technicians.
> 
> Happy days
> 
> PS. Note to self. Don't bring AIPA's to holidays with mates. High ABV and IBU's are not general crowd pleasers.


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## waggastew

Kodos said:


> Nice job. You mention you had 4mm ID beer line, would you mind sharing how long the line was, and what your serving pressure was?
> 
> What was your carbonation method?


I used 1.8m of 4mm ID line. I worked that out for my system using the various equations available on here and around the net. Main problem was most online calculators don't have 4mm line so I had to do the calcs manually (on Excel) using a quoted figure for 4mm line resistance. Another problem was having to convert figures back and forth between metric and US measurements e.g. PSI etc.

Please note that this is the line length for my system. That figure relied on certain beer temp (2degC), tap height (~15cm above middle of the keg), carbonation level (13PSI) etc. If any of this things are different on your system then the figures may change slightly.

Keeping the line really cold also seems really important. I ended up running it under the ice level to ensure things stayed cold. In the trial run when I first tested the setup at home with the line above the ice I got some gas coming out of solution. This led me to mess with the gas pressure which caused more problems.

In terms of carbonation/serving pressure I ended up using 13PSI. This is a good middle of the road figure which should suit most styles. The calculations referred to above were aimed to get a system in balance for both carb/pouring. In the end the pour speed and carb were fine. 

For carbonation I used a hybrid method: rolled after filling keg cold for 35secs at 45PSI, left for an hour in fridge, degas the headspace and connect at 13PSI for about one week. I figure this gives the beer a bit of a headstart without risking overcharging which from all reports is a nightmare.

Hope that helps


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## Kodos

Thanks, waggastew, I understand the various variances etc, but it's good to get the details on a system that has worked.




waggastew said:


> I used 1.8m of 4mm ID line. I worked that out for my system using the various equations available on here and around the net. Main problem was most online calculators don't have 4mm line so I had to do the calcs manually (on Excel) using a quoted figure for 4mm line resistance. Another problem was having to convert figures back and forth between metric and US measurements e.g. PSI etc.
> 
> Please note that this is the line length for my system. That figure relied on certain beer temp (2degC), tap height (~15cm above middle of the keg), carbonation level (13PSI) etc. If any of this things are different on your system then the figures may change slightly.
> 
> Keeping the line really cold also seems really important. I ended up running it under the ice level to ensure things stayed cold. In the trial run when I first tested the setup at home with the line above the ice I got some gas coming out of solution. This led me to mess with the gas pressure which caused more problems.
> 
> In terms of carbonation/serving pressure I ended up using 13PSI. This is a good middle of the road figure which should suit most styles. The calculations referred to above were aimed to get a system in balance for both carb/pouring. In the end the pour speed and carb were fine.
> 
> For carbonation I used a hybrid method: rolled after filling keg cold for 35secs at 45PSI, left for an hour in fridge, degas the headspace and connect at 13PSI for about one week. I figure this gives the beer a bit of a headstart without risking overcharging which from all reports is a nightmare.
> 
> Hope that helps


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## LiquidGold

My bro's latest setup.


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## shaunous

It'll do the trick.

I like that option though, ya forget them esky's have such a good seal u can stand them up-ways.


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## fixa4377

some great stuff in here fellas!

Something to strive for! I already have a CUB keg set up at home, (regulator, font and gas), so only really need to do a brew and buy a few 19L jobs,

Might crawl before I walk though and do a few bottled brews first to make sure i can even do it lol,, :beer:


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## azzasn

waggastew said:


> Starting to put together my portable keg setup.
> 
> Main aim was to have something to take to parties to dispense 9.5L kegs AND be completely self contained. This last bit was the most difficult as I had to consider regulator, gas bottle etc. Went through a few permutations and ended up going with a SS bottle and single stage mini-reg. Decided against keg chargers as I didn't want to have to play around with the gas during the party. This setup should be essentially plug and play.
> 
> Just installed the tap.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Can you tell me where you got that reg from? are they the disposable gas cylinders?
> thanks


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## waggastew

azzasn said:


> Can you tell me where you got that reg from? are they the disposable gas cylinders?
> thanks


Reg is from Cheeky Peak Brewing - http://cheekypeakbrewery.com.au/index.php/co2-gas-bottles-regulators-accessories/product/239-stainless-steel-mini-reg

Gas cylinder is a Sodastream bottle. You can buy them pretty well anywhere (BIGW, Good Guys etc). You will also need an adaptor on the SS bottle to fit the reg. I bought mine from Keg King but CP also sell a similar thing - http://cheekypeakbrewery.com.au/index.php/co2-gas-bottles-regulators-accessories/product/494-co2-soda-stream-adaptor-with-washers

No affilliation to CP, they were the only ones I could find who stocked the regs. Seems to be working OK for my purposes.


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## azzasn

Thanks for that, your setup there is how I want to do it. Are you refilling your own soda stream bottles?


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## breakbeer

FYI, you can swap empty Soda Stream bottles at Woolies for $16


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## waggastew

The SS bottles are only used to push the beer out of the tap. I have a larger 3.8kg bottle and full reg to carbonate the beer in my tempmate controlled chesty. I remember reading on here somewhere the calcs for how much beer you can push with a SS bottle, something like 6-8 19L kegs?????? I figure I should slightly less than double that for 9.5L kegs i.e. 12kegs??? I actually plan to buy another SS bottle so I have a spare that can be used if the other runs out and I can still use the setup while waiting to go get a refill.


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## Kiwimike

Here's a great idea


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## sp0rk

I'll post some pics of my keg esky on sunday, I'm half way through the build using foam core verandah roofing panels for insulation and skinning in 7mm ply
I discovered last night that liquid nails doesn't stick to foam that well and have to reglue half of the foam


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## blotto

About ten years ago my Dad converted a small Wheelie Bin into a kegorator, we painted the bin yellow and the lid white to look like a big beer. It was fully insulated and kept a keg cold for days. I used to have a photo on here but that was a long time ago and it seems to be missing. 

We were talking about it a few months ago maybe even 6 as we haven't seen it since we all left Karratha and Dad sold it, anyway I went to his place for dinner last night and he wheels this out and says he has made me a new one. It's a bit of an improvement over the old one with checker plate and the decal is the same stuff they use on cars apparently. I'm thinking I might just have to give it a try today


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## Yob

That is epic..

Can ya send your old boy down here for an arvo


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## Yob

Where'd he get the decal?


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## Tahoose

Makes my portable rig look poxy.


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## blotto

Yob said:


> Where'd he get the decal?


Hi Yob,

Thanks mate, he put a lot of work into it and he'll be stoked to get the good feed back.

I'm not sure where he got it done but he told me he took it into a printing/decal shop and asked them to make it look like a big beer. Apparently it wasn't that easy and the guy that did it would rather do a car than another bin  He did a fantastic job tho!


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## Tahoose

Does look awsome!


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## shaunous

Thats awsome Wort!!!

Give your old man a pat on the back for me ey.


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## Nizmoose

Thought I'd dig this thread up! I recently bought my first keg setup with the aim of having some beer on tap at home and being able to take a keg to a mates place easily and thus settled on a 9.5L keg with a mini reg and 400g CO2 tank. My girlfriends 21st was on the long weekend and prior to that I brewed a pale ale that I wanted to have on tap during the party therefore I had to find a way to present the beer nicely. Us youngies at the moment seem to be all over anything rustic or indie looking and so I looked at a few ideas and decided I wanted to go with a wooden box using pallet wood for added rustic factor and low/no cost. Being only 22 I'm not exactly a seasoned woodworker or engineer but the construction was fairly basic and wasn't all that hard to throw together.

Heres the general box construction, its simply planks to the right height nailed together by a length at the top and bottom of the wall which are also used to hold the floor and lid:




The lid is simply more lengths not stuck together to make it flexible in terms of use and being able to open the box only partly (access to keg/co2 seperately):





Made a shitty platform out of pallet bits to hold the CO2 cylinder at the right height so that the reg and gas tap can be above the lid, just happened to be the perfect height:



There it is in the box just loose:


you can just see the box used to hold the keg in that photo, didnt get one of it by itself, its just a plastic box with handles, holds the keg and ice to keep the keg cold.

Heres the holes for the gas line and the reg and cylinder to come through:





last thing to do was add the tap holes and the handles for easy lifting, just drilled holes in the side for rope to fit through and that made the handles:



and then same size hole held the tap perfectly:



Hope you guys like it, It was easy to throw together and I'm happy with how it performs and looks,

Cheers.


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## Danwood

Afternoon !

Here's one for the E Melb people. 

Pete's Bargain Centre, Maroondah Hwy/Chirnside Park, has these eskys for $30. As you can see they fit 9L kegs nicely with just enough room for fittings. 
You'd probably fit a 1/3 bag of ice in there with it once assembled.
I plan on drilling out and siliconing a permanent shank at the top for a FC tap.

The cooler is clad in what looks like Galv and workmanship feels ok. Should last a while so long as you don't throw it about too much.

There was 4 or 5 left yesterday.


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## trustyrusty

http://www.craftbrewer.com.au/shop/details.asp?PID=5645

What is wrong with a couple of these  ..well maybe a few more, but your are going camping ?

You will need growler plus system + co2 chargers...

http://www.craftbrewer.com.au/shop/details.asp?PID=5148


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## osprey brewday

Camping set up keeps ice for 7 days 
Std plastic drums 
55 gal and a 30 gal i think


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## BDC

Just started on my own build for a camping trip next weekend. Bought two 50mm extruded polystyrene boards from bunnies and will cut glue and silicon them together then wrap with corflfute then silver wrap. I'll share as I go. 

Project stalled due to the hot wire cutter I threw together has already chewed through all of my spare guitar strings and I haven't even completed my first cut yet :grrrr:


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## Mr B

BDC said:


> Just started on my own build for a camping trip next weekend. Bought two 50mm extruded polystyrene boards from bunnies and will cut glue and silicon them together then wrap with corflfute then silver wrap. I'll share as I go.
> 
> Project stalled due to the hot wire cutter I threw together has already chewed through all of my spare guitar strings and I haven't even completed my first cut yet :grrrr:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ImageUploadedByAussie Home Brewer1454061068.013905.jpg



Grab some Nichrome wire for the cutter. Jaycar should have some. If required you can double/triple and twist.

I made a perspex bender to make a boat windscreen as to get one made up cost a fortune.


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## BDC

Mr B said:


> Grab some Nichrome wire for the cutter. Jaycar should have some.


Roger that. Thanks Mr B. I went and picked some up yesterday.



Mr B said:


> If required you can double/triple and twist.


Great tip. I already broke two short lengths of Nichrome. This might help.

One thing I'm not sure about is how much tension I need to apply to the wire. Seems pretty taut but obviously loosens once heated. Bends quite a bit when I push the stock through. That's generally when it breaks. Hopefully the twisting tip will help there!


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## Mr B

BDC said:


> Roger that. Thanks Mr B. I went and picked some up yesterday.
> 
> 
> Great tip. I already broke two short lengths of Nichrome. This might help.
> 
> One thing I'm not sure about is how much tension I need to apply to the wire. Seems pretty taut but obviously loosens once heated. Bends quite a bit when I push the stock through. That's generally when it breaks. Hopefully the twisting tip will help there!



Ahh, yep didnt notice - Helps to put a spring on one end to take up the slack when it heats up. Suggest going slow and let the heat/wire do the cutting.

There are charts 'on the net' which give ideal temps for cutting various materials. Then you can look up what voltage you need to get that temp based on your wire length and diameter. Edit - or what wire length you need based on your voltage supply etc.

Soz, dont have any links, but I nerded up on it all when i made the bender.


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## BDC

Thanks Mr B. I've just been nerdish out myself on it. Found a few good resources. I'll share the links when I'm at a computer. Had a few late nights but finally I have an operational porta-kegerator.

I didn't take many photos during the build (having foam glue on my hands didn't make them phone friendly).

Meet "Ned":






Basic construction was to build a bottom box and top box (lid) from foam (I used 50mm Knauf XPS from Bunnies) joined together using Sika "foam glue". With the bottom box, which will take the weight of the keg, I added another 50mm of expanding foam at the bottom and up the corners, then used some light duty house insulation and more foam glue to fix a round section of insulation inside. Outside I used sheets of corflute and bucket loads of gaffer and cloth tape, followed by another layer of the house insulation. To cut the holes for the tap I used a 15mm (inner diameter) pipe heated up with a butane torch.

Not the best photos or instructions, I know. I'm on 3 hours sleep and writing from my phone. 

I also started on Ned's little brother "Terry" who will take a spare keg lying down (no taps or anything, just room for one 19L corny and ice). Looking very rough right now. He's a work in progress.


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## Mr B

Nice one. The Sika foam glue looks like handy stuff..


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## BDC

Mr B said:


> Nice one. The Sika foam glue looks like handy stuff..


Handy, yes. Messy....? YES!!!




Definitely recommend reading the instructions


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## BDC

Also... the foam / glue comes out for a good minute or two once you're done. You want somewhere safe to put it to save yourself a big cleanup.


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## BDC

A shot of Ned with his helmet lifted 





And finished his little brother Terry who will mind Ned's spare keg while the first is emptied.


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## BDC

Quick update:

Ned and Terry did a stellar job keeping two 19L kegs of Hard Yards Golden Ale (delicious stuff) cold and flowing despite high daytime temps in Brindabella National Park over 4 days. Although they needed a bit of a rest after the bumpy ride down. 

The boys thoroughly enjoyed it, as they should.

I need to find a better way to gas it up - I broke one mini-reg and the backup mini-gun thingy was a pain and was leaky. I went through a few 16g cartridges. Apparently Keg King are bringing out a new / improved mini reg soon. Or I might go the soda-stream route.

I'll add a pic or two of Ned on the road when I get a chance.

BDC


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## crowmanz

Have a look at this thread for the better set up mini regs http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/89688-leland-mini-co2-bulb-cartridge-regulators/

I have 2 keg camping set up and I have taken my 2.6kg gas bottle most of the time especially if I can drive in, the extra weight makes up for less hassle.


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## n87

Ive got my little 400g bottle for away from home setups.
good for dispensing 4-8 kegs (if you remove the gas when you only have a few litres left, you get more use out of it)


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## BDC

crowmanz said:


> Have a look at this thread for the better set up mini regs http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/89688-leland-mini-co2-bulb-cartridge-regulators/
> .


Thanks Crowmanz - I'll keep an eye on that thread. Looks very promising. I reckon this is what Kee at KegKing is looking to get on the books after terrible feedback on the existing unit. If so it will be interesting to see how they price it. I've got time on my side at the moment. SWMBO won't be letting me run off camping again any time soon.


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## earle

My latest mini kegerator for 9.5l kegs. Full post here http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/93416-mini-kegerator-for-95l-keg/


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## Slug

I have set up what was essentially a bin with ice and foam collars to sit on the ice around a corny, thus keeping the ice a little longer without needing to fill the bin. This was only for an afternoon though, how have others found carbonation levels with something similar for a longer period of time, a weekend camping for example? Do you lose any because the too of the keg isn't surrounded by ice?


----------

