Building And Using Garden Sprayer Party Kegs

[SpillsMostOfIt]

Pressure is pressure is pressure...

I've kept one on its side in the fridge at pressure for a few weeks and it is okay. My preference is to leave them standing up - I suspect the tyre valve thing might not like being under beer for ever. I think you're better off standing them up anyway as anything that is going to fall to the bottom of the container should fall to the *bottom* of the container...

I've kept a party keg of beer in my Storage Facility for a couple of months, added some pressure to carb it up and the beer went down a treat with all who drank it.

 

[maltedhopalong]

Going by the instructions on naturally carbonating, it sounds like naturally carbonating CREATES more yeast. Is that right? Do you get a bigger yeast deposit or is it just not mentioning that by force carbing, you can filter it?

 

[SpillsMostOfIt]

If you filter the beer into the party keg, you will filter out *most* of the yeast - not all of it. So, you can filter you beer into the keg (or bottle) and add some priming sugar and it will carbonate naturally. It will take a bit longer, but you will get less yeast deposited. Or you can ignore the filtering and put up with the yeast. Graham Sanders did/does this and reckons you lose a small portion of the first glass you pour, but it also means you lose the portability of the kegs unless you like drinking yeast or use a yeast that sets like concrete when it flocs out.

I've read about naturally carbonating in kegs like these, but have not tried it. Thirsty Boy wrote about it somewhere in one of the Party Keg threads in his usual level of detail. In my opinion, goforit if you want a challenge, but best effect comes from filtering and/or good conditioning and force carbonation...

 

[johnno02]

Another question:

In the guide it mentions those hand held co2 tyre inflators.

Anyone know what they're like to deal with? Ie. can you empty half the cylinder and tighten it up and leave it? or are the seals generally not good enough to leave for long periods of time?

Hi,

I asked the same question,from a seller on Ebay.

He was honest,and said the left over gas,doesn't last long,as the seals are not that good.

Much better to modify a Soda Stream,INMHO

Cheers.
John

 

[Plastic Man]

maltedhopalong

I've been away for 3 weeks. Before I went away I used one of those hand held CO2 thingies to carbonate a PET bottle using a home made carbonator cap. 3 weeks later I used the same CO2 bulb to carbonate a 2L PET bottle. It held the pressure over 3 weeks OK. The brand or quality maybe something you need to look at. I've got an innovations one which are good quality I buy 10 bulbs from David Jones for $7, so they are only 70c each - so if even if they do leak a bit over a week or so its no drama. You'll find you'll probably use them in a few days anyway.

Also - I've only naturally conditioned in my mini keg and it works fine. I've also got a mate at work who does the same. he actually went the next step and added a teaspoon of sugar to the keg each time he lost pouring pressure and the next day he could pour another pint or three. Meant he never used his CO2 pump thingy. I cut about a cm off the bottom of the take up tube so you lose a bit at the bottom when the kegs empty - but being home brew its pretty cheap. Soda stream is a good option but the small CO2 bike pumps are pretty small and neat.

 

[geoffi]

I let the keg naturally carbonate for a couple of weeks then put it in the fridge to get down to serving temp. For something like a bitter the carbonation at this point is spot on. For something needing extra zing, I add extra CO2 from the SS every day for a few days.

 

[rimrunner]

if i rack into these things how well will it keep? are they good enough to condition in?
i take it these aren't food grade plastic?

chinese heavy metal isn't what i like in my beer but i really like the idea of racking into 2-3 of these babies and having a mini keg in the fridge with back ups for parties.

 

[geoffi]

if i rack into these things how well will it keep? are they good enough to condition in?
i take it these aren't food grade plastic?

chinese heavy metal isn't what i like in my beer but i really like the idea of racking into 2-3 of these babies and having a mini keg in the fridge with back ups for parties.

My info is these are food-grade. I give 'em a soak in generic no-stink nappy cleaner for a day, a thorough rinse and you're good to go.

These are great for conditioning. I rack from primary with some priming sugar (3-5g per litre, depending on style) and let them sit for a couple of weeks. I don't know how long you could leave them for, but I suspect it would be quite a long time. Just keep them out of the light, I'd suggest.

BTW, I've found they improve greatly with a few days fridge time before serving, and the occasional blast of CO2 for a fizzier style.

Edit: Oh. I see I've already mentioned that in my earlier post. No harm in repeating it.

 

[rimrunner]

thanks geoffi. the minister for finance and war will now have to wined and dined but i forsee a lot of these bottles lying around soon.

 

[justsomeguy]

Just another quickie on this.

Has anyone managed to get one of the CO2 chargers from your local HBS to work with the party kegs ?

I see that currently schreader(sp?) valves are used but want to know what I could use so that I can use my CO2 charger from G&G

Thanks,

garyd

 

[Carbonator]

My info is these are food-grade.

It called programming or evolution (Cyborgs), when enough babies are exposed to harmful chemicals and survive, eventually the survivors become resistant to dangerous chemicals and the ones that die are used as fertiliser to produce food for the future ones that survive, so the chemical dose is gradually introduced into the food chain.

Just my 2C worth! Don't take it too seriously!

Go the Bunnings beer dispenser!

 

[white.grant]

It called programming or evolution (Cyborgs), when enough babies are exposed to harmful chemicals and survive, eventually the survivors become resistant to dangerous chemicals and the ones that die are used as fertiliser to produce food for the future ones that survive, so the chemical dose is gradually introduced into the food chain.

Just my 2C worth! Don't take it too seriously!

Go the Bunnings beer dispenser!

Have you been drinking? :icon_cheers:

Reminds me of Soylent Green

cheers

Grant

 

[Thirsty Boy]

Just another quickie on this.

Has anyone managed to get one of the CO2 chargers from your local HBS to work with the party kegs ?

I see that currently schreader(sp?) valves are used but want to know what I could use so that I can use my CO2 charger from G&G

Thanks,

garyd

If you are determined to use that particular charger, it would just take some fudging of connections.

Charger screws directly into MFL fitting of standard ball lock qd - an mfll nut and tail costs about $5 so thats for the charger end.

A cheap arsed schrader (car tyre) filler costs less than $5 from kmart/autobarn/supercheap etc etc - that goes on the party keg end.

2cm of beva line cost basically nothing and you jam the previously mentioned fittings into either end of it.

Now you charger will connect to your party keg. cost < $10

or .... a C02 charger from a bikeshop/e-bay that connects directly to the schrader can be got for about $25

or .... I'm guessing that the MFL fitting can be unscrewed from the G&G charger and replaced when needed with a schrader fitting purchased from a refrigeration supply store

or .... there is no reason that you need to use a schrader on the keg at all --- thats just the solution we came up with. There is probably a JG fitting or something else that can be fitted directly into the same location, use your imagination.

or .... if you aren't concerned to much about the structural integrity of the keg itself, drill a hole in it and fit a taylor plug or keg post.. then your ball lock qd will work directly. I wouldn't do this personally, but I know that other people have done exactly this. Mind you a single taylor plus will cost as much as a new charger from a bike shop... but then the keg will work with all you current corny keg fittings.

That doco isn't the "only" way to build a party keg out of a sprayer, its just Spills and my way of doing it - dont like that particular design.... change it.

TB

 

[Carbonator]

Have you been drinking? :icon_cheers:

Reminds me of Soylent Green

Yes and YES, only 14 years to go according to that book!
:icon_drunk:

 

[katzke]

I understand you all do things different being that you spend your entire life upside down and spinning backwards but I hope things are just the same in regard to this question.

Is there a recycle code on the bottom of the sprayer? We have them with a triangle thing and a number in the middle. It tells what type of plastic stuff is made out of.

 

[Thirsty Boy]

No recycle code on my one - its HDPE though - someone at some point checked with the manufacturer/importer - and it looks like HDPE. If its not, I quite frankly don't want to know.

Once again, this is a simple simple argument to solve... these things are cheap chinese plastic imports and are not intended in any way to be used as a food container - given!! we get it.

If this thought makes you nervous - then one of these plastic sprayers is not for you. Pay the $150 plus for a small stainless corny style keg and consider the extra money to be your safety premium. Drink your beer with confidence and be happy.

If people haven't even thought about the issue.... then bugger em, they are too stupid to care about anyway. Me, I am the less nervous type and am perfectly happy to use one of these puppies as an economical party keg - the instructions contained in the header post of this thread are for like minded people.


And be nice about Soylent Green, you might hurt its feelings. After all, Soylent Green is people too........

 

[katzke]

No recycle code on my one - its HDPE though - someone at some point checked with the manufacturer/importer - and it looks like HDPE. If its not, I quite frankly don't want to know.

Not really worried just wanted to know.

I started to look and the plastic can not be too bad as those sprayers are used for more then killing bugs and weeds.

And I do not trust the Chinese. They have way too many people and need to put them someplace. I actually prefer 1984, we are getting close.

 

[reviled]

Not really worried just wanted to know.

I started to look and the plastic can not be too bad as those sprayers are used for more then killing bugs and weeds.

And I do not trust the Chinese. They have way too many people and need to put them someplace. I actually prefer 1984, we are getting close.

1984?? :huh:

 

[white.grant]

And be nice about Soylent Green, you might hurt its feelings. After all, Soylent Green is people too........

Yes it's easy to forget that

Both of my sprayers (even the one full of roundup) are stamped PE HD on the bottom. The material properties website
tells me that they are foodsafe.

As long as I don't drink the pink beer I'm going to be OK.

cheers

grant

 

[bigfridge]

That is deadset the coolest thing i've ever seen. Bless your souls for coming up with that.

In the interest of historical accuracy, converting a garden sprayer to a keg was covered by Graham Sanders on the Craftbrewer site about 6 years ago.