Eco Kegs Soon To Be Available To Hbrs

[tommy cooper]

just got an eco keg and i have had a quick looky at the build and i must say very nice indeed.

refridgeration wont be an issue here with regards to time they fit in a standard fridge that will hold 4 cornies

they have a p.e.t type bladder that is at least 4x thicker than a standard pet and the dip tube fitting end of the bladder is nice and strong as well the dip tube assay is very simmilar to the s/s cousins but made of food grade poly with a s/s spring .
now the opening in the top of the dip tube opening is around 75-80mm so acess is good for cleaning and filling .
i would say that if they are cleaned the same way as a fermenter with out using boiling water these will give us years of troble free kegging IMO. and for say the cost of a standard cornie overhaul kit for 2 cornies that i would use every few years i could also replace the bladder and dip tube assay when required on these units but then saying that if you are dilligent they should not need replacing that often .only time will tell and now to test it at home .i will try and get pics as soon as the camera is charged .

tc

 

[Uncle Fester]

What/where are the distribution points for these?

Fester.

 

[tommy cooper]

ok these are the kegs and a breakdown i am testing at the moment for longevidy to see how they perform for my set up .
i hope the pics explain what you wnt there is nothing sinister about them they are very strong this one holds 30ltrs but i am sure a brew of 23 ltrs would be fine in them the hole is bigger than a standard keg hole the are smooth inside and would be very easy to clean.

once tested they will retail at around 64.95 ea +frieght i am the reseller for them . from what i can see they will do the job fine the pet bladders are 4x thicker than the pat bottels so gas ingress would be alot less than a standard pet .if cleaned and sanitized correctly using a bit of commonsense the bladders would last many a brew .
yet to be confirmed is the bladder cost as a replace ment if needed but i would say at this point they will be around the 18-20 dollar mark and the spear and connect would be around the same .thats depends on if you the end user look after them to how they would last and perform.

thanks tc :beer:

 

[kook]

Wait a second, if these are "single use" aren't we going to see heaps of them thrown out for recycling at the back of pubs? Couldn't we then get them for free?

Also, why do you need to clean the inside of the keg? I don't understand how the large opening is a help? Doesn't the beer go in the bladder, and the keg itself is just so they're stackable/easy to carry?

 

[user 384]

I'm not sure about these as kegs, post-mix kegs seem a much better option. However this could change if the price for post-mix kegs sky-rockets.

However, they do look like a great way to ferment in a closed system. Fill the bladder with wort and add yeast. Attach your DIY airlock or blow-off tube. Once fermented insert spear and transfer to post mix keg using CO2 to push the fermented beer out as the bladder is designed to take pressure. You could shorten the spear to ensure you are not drawing up the yeast cake.

Also might make a nice self contained party keg (although it would have to be a big party). Fill the bottom of the outer shell with ice. Insert your already filled, chilled carbonated inner baldder, put ice around the top, attache lid.

I think these kegs would get a better reception if the manufacturer made a range of sizes. One big enough for a single batch and a 10 litre party keg. However a bit much to ask a manufacturer aiming at the mega-brewery market to also tool up and provide to the extremely tiny HB market.

Just some ideas.

Cheers
MAH

 

[tommy cooper]

now we are thinking guys??
kook ya wally the large opening i was refering to is the opening on the bladder pet

and as for getting them from the back of pubs or free this might not be so as the brewery can collect the surround and replace the bladder .I think they were in tended for overseas markets for our brewers as s/s kegs were costing alot in return shipping and losses .

but the idea for them as you say if cornies get pricier they would be a good way around it. i am buy no means trying to sell them off to you i am just testing the idea for me and passing on my thoughts .
and i like the idea that they are made in australia .
cornies are great don,t get me wronge and i will never get rid of mine but why not have one in the kit for that big party brew .it cant hurt .

cornies are old technology as well and eventually "probablly not in my life time" there wont be much around for them as in spares unless somebody wants to keep them going
anyway never say never you will always surprise your self.
tc

 

[lucas]

I think they were in tended for overseas markets for our brewers as s/s kegs were costing alot in return shipping and losses.

I can see the point for a lot of other countries but does Australia actually export any beer in kegs? about the only Aussie beer i saw in my travels was Fosters, which is brewed is most countries under license anyway.

within Australia though, I could see these being useful for a) boags shipping beer to mainland Australia and not having to worry about getting back their kegs, and B) microbreweries selling their wares to pubs outside a 100km radius of the damn brewery

 

[aspro]

ok these are the kegs and a breakdown i am testing at the moment for longevidy to see how they perform for my set up .
i hope the pics explain what you wnt there is nothing sinister about them they are very strong this one holds 30ltrs but i am sure a brew of 23 ltrs would be fine in them the hole is bigger than a standard keg hole the are smooth inside and would be very easy to clean.

once tested they will retail at around 64.95 ea +frieght i am the reseller for them . from what i can see they will do the job fine the pet bladders are 4x thicker than the pat bottels so gas ingress would be alot less than a standard pet .if cleaned and sanitized correctly using a bit of commonsense the bladders would last many a brew .
yet to be confirmed is the bladder cost as a replace ment if needed but i would say at this point they will be around the 18-20 dollar mark and the spear and connect would be around the same .thats depends on if you the end user look after them to how they would last and perform.

thanks tc :beer:

I think these kegs would be great and the price is right, it would be great if all aussie breweries used them then we would have a lot of stainless ones up grabs maybe.

Cheers Aspro

 

[winkle]

How can you convert one of these plastic thingys into a kettle? h34r:

 

[Darren]

Do you need the outer or just the PET part?


cheers

Darren

 

[goatherder]

and for say the cost of a standard cornie overhaul kit for 2 cornies that i would use every few years i could also replace the bladder and dip tube assay when required on these units

the bladder cost as a replace ment if needed but i would say at this point they will be around the 18-20 dollar mark and the spear and connect would be around the same

How much to you pay for cornie overhaul kits?

once tested they will retail at around 64.95 ea +frieght i am the reseller for them

i am buy no means trying to sell them off to you i am just testing the idea for me

and my favourite so far:

cornies are old technology

 

[redbeard]

tc
- what sort of connector does the valve need - cub / tooheys/ ???
- whats the height & width ?
- is the valve stem a plastic / vinyl tubing ?
- boiling water usually deforms pet bottles. what temp can the bladder take ?

using it as a fermenter would be interesting, especially if you could re-circulate water inside the keg on the outside of the bladder.

cheers

 

[FazerPete]

I must admit sometimes I don't understand this forum, :huh:

This guy has listed himself as a retailer and is just trying to explain about a new product. Why do some people have to border on offensive in their response to it? If you don't like the product then don't buy it. It's as simple as that.

I'm sure that he's taking a financial risk in bringing these in so can we at least be polite?

Now that's off my chest; IMO, these offer another option in the kegging market that might become more attactive for first time keggers once postmix kegs start to disappear. Nobody is likely to replace their old kegs with these if you don't have to but if I was starting out again then I might consider it.

 

[bugwan]

.
.
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This post was edited after re-considering!

 

[DarkFaerytale]

not much new info but the ecokeg was on the new inventors show

http://www.abc.net.au/tv/newinventors/txt/s1169711.htm

-Phill

 

[Wortgames]

This post was edited after re-considering!

That's a bit of a shame bugwan, you made perfect sense to me.

This thread seems a bit bizarre to me I have to confess.

We have been posting about 'eco kegs' for years:

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...?showtopic=3151

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...topic=8954&


Opinions have been mixed but people seem naturally keen to see what becomes of them.

So TC starts another thread about them (initially neglecting to mention that he is going to be 'the' reseller, BTW), and sparks some renewed discussion on the subject.

Some folks think they sound great, and others seem to feel that they probably aren't going to be the holy grail they initially thought they might be - either way, the discussion has been pretty fair if you ask me, but then TC has a bit of a spray at people he sees as 'slamming' his new venture. IMO, I don't think people are 'slamming' these things any more than they are 'slamming' any other product they discuss that happens not to suit them.

I agree the whole 'eco' thing is a piece of marketing BS, but I can certainly see the advantages of it - especially in the microbrewery industry (if it leads to increased availability of independent micros then I'm all for it).

I don't think they will be any use to me, simply because they will take up far too much of my fridge space compared to cornies - but some home brewers will probably find them really handy. That's why we disuss stuff.

I wish TC the best of luck, but I also suspect that if these things do pick up in the microbrewery trade, then there will be a pretty healthy secondhand market for them for so I'm not sure I'd be pinning too many hopes on retailing them as an important income stream. Shipping is also going to be a major consideration, so I'm not sure if one supplier (where are you TC by the way?) will be able to supply the entire Aussie homebrew scene.

 

[Velophile]

<snip>
Also might make a nice self contained party keg (although it would have to be a big party). Fill the bottom of the outer shell with ice. Insert your already filled, chilled carbonated inner baldder, put ice around the top, attache lid.

<snip>

You could also tap the outer shell & circulate chilled water/glycol around the bladder for serving &/or fermenting.

I like the look of these kegs, especially in the 30 litre size. They would suit my brew size well. It's only the start up price thats putting me off.

 

[geoffi]

I think these kegs would be great and the price is right, it would be great if all aussie breweries used them then we would have a lot of stainless ones up grabs maybe.

Cheers Aspro

Don't bet on it. There's a lot of $$$$ in all that stainless steel.

 

[user 384]

I don't think they will be any use to me, simply because they will take up far too much of my fridge space compared to cornies

I think this will be the case for many HBers. Coupled with the fact that we can still buy SS kegs that are a more suitable size for about the same price. But imagine if you could pick up a 10 litre party Ecokeg for around $50-$60. People would be banging down the door for this product as there is no longer a ready supply of 2nd hand party kegs at a reasonable price. If and when the 2nd hand market for 18 litre SS kegs disappears then these might be a viable option.

But this is all dreaming because the HB market is too small, unless a producer was interested in developing a HB specific product for the much bigger US market. It would still only be a niche market in the US.

Cheers
MAH

 

[DarkFaerytale]

thanks for the links neil

-Phill