Barrel siphon

[fattox]

So as a few of us went into a barrel bulk-buy a bit over twelve months ago, there came a need recently where the beer needed to come out of the barrel and into kegs. Say hello to the Bulldog - a pressurised barrel siphon!

Parts list:
1x 1/2in NPT 4way cross
2x 1/2x1/4in NPT reducing bush
1x 1/4x9/32 npt bulkhead
1x corny post with internals and o-rings
1x stainless 3/8" siphon tube
1x beer engine keg outlet fitting (black one)
2x hose clamp
1x 2x triclover with 1/2" npt threaded end
1x 2" triclover clamp
1x bung, hole drilled out to ~14mm
1x 2-5psi 1/4" NPT pressure relief valve
1x 1/2 x 3/8" compression fitting
1x 3/8" o-ring

Build:

See photos. Thread seal everything with plumbers tape. If you're a silly bloke like me you accidentally got a BSP compression fitting instead of NPT, so go ahead and get a BSPP female to NPT male adapter in 1/2".

View attachment 95381
Finished part

View attachment 95382

How it works: insert bung into barrel's bung hole, connect gas to inlet fitting. Gas flows in, pressurises barrel (apparently they can handle up to 15psi, I use a 5psi PRV to avoid this.

Connect keg to keg fitting, sanitise everything, leave lid on top sanitised to allow opening/level checking and siphon!

 

[fattox]

 

[bradsbrew]

Kind of beats my idea

drill two holes in a bung, slightly smaller than beer/gas line

place bung in cup of boiled water

push lines through bung whilst hot

 

[fattox]

This was where I got the idea from, I used a freight forwarding service to get all the hard to find parts into one package (along with some oak spirals)

http://www.milkthefunk.com/wiki/Eccentric_Beekeeper_Bulldog

 

[sp0rk]

Looks very similar to this piece of gear, only without the spray head (and no doubt much cheaper)
http://www.norcalbrewingsolutions.com/store/Sanke-Keg-Cross-Fermenter-Kit.html

 

[fattox]

If you convert that to AUD the price difference wouldn't be that much, the pressure relief valve was the most expensive part. I think it ran me $40, the rest of the gear maybe $50-60. Most of the damage was in shipping but if I had my time again I would get everything that came from the US into one package at the freight forwarding company.

 

[bradsbrew]

Just about to give my dodgy version a go.