Dispensing By Hand With A Bike Pump?

[Taxman]

Hey guys,

I have been brewing for ages, all in bottles, but want to move into kegs. I am limited by the fact that (a) I am poor, and (B) well, thats pretty much it.

So I was thinking of getting a couple of cornelius kegs, naturally carbonating in the keg, using one of those cheap little handheld taps, and then using a bike pump with a pressure gauge to push out the amber nectar (probably putting some other drunkard to work pumping for free beer)

Can anyone see potential problems with this setup? I think the plan is to sit the keg in a big esky with ice, for party keg applications.

Anyone done it?

cheers

sam

 

[NickB]

For party situations it would work OK, but you'd need to consume that beer within a day or two, or it'll oxidise and taste like cardboard. If you're planning on emptying the keg, then shouldn't be an issue.

That said, I haven't done it myself.

Cheers

 

[Sammus]

you can get devices that allow you to do that, and if you can rig up a bike pump go for it. Possible problems:

1) you are replacing headspace in the keg with air instead of CO2. This will stale the beer in a matter of days, so it'd only be good for party situations where you're likely to finish the keg that night.

2) Not all cornies seal properly when you close the lid, often you need to apply forced pressure to seat the seals properly. priming and naturally carbonating you probably wouldn't notice it were this an issue.

 

[Supra-Jim]

Provided your drinking it all in one session (or reasonably quickly) other wise you could be oxidising your beer. Ideal you want to keep all oxygen away from your finished beer.

If your carbing naturally, there are some 'cheap' options for dispensing (note cheap in this sense refers to low initial setup costs):

1. soda stream bottle for dispensing, you'll need an adaptor and a regulator, but ebay is your friend for this one. I think a soda stream bottle will dispense about 5 kegs??? ($45 to purchase, then $12 to swap at Kmart)

2. Party charger - basically takes a C02 bulb and you give it a squeeze every couple of pours toinject more C02. Roughly 2 bulbs to dispense a keg. Can get expensive buying bulbs.


Cheers SJ

 

[Thirsty Boy]

Assuming you do decide to go with a non CO2 method... You don't even need the bike pump. Gravity will do the work for you. Connect hand tap, keg up on table, pour beers with the Internal pressure till it starts to slow down, then just open the relief valve and the rest of the beer will syphon out as long as you keep the tap below the bottom of the keg.

 

[Bribie G]

In the UK I went to many a party where there was a keg of Tartan or Watneys Red :icon_vomit: and a pump (see below), which worked just fine.

However loosen what's left of your purse strings, go to supercheap auto and get a good car foot pump and your'e laughing.