Party Kegs

[KoNG]

I'd say the difference would be negligible.

i guess i'm just hoping that it doesnt take 6 bulbs..! :blink:
not that i'll be dispensing a corny with it that often... i hope

but it still doesnt explain why 2 people (my mate and KillerRx4) in practise, not googlemath, have used only 2-3 bulbs with a tap connected straight to the QD.. to dispense an 18L corny.

anyways, i'm getting off topic a little... i agree a soda stream set up would be optimal, no matter how many bulbs it takes. i guess it comes down to what equipment you want to cart with your setup.

i'll be using my charger to dispense 2 x 4 litre taylors mini kegs... :super:

 

[KillerRx4]

Another thing I probably should have mentioned & would make all the difference.

My 3Gal keg was dispensed in a matter of 4-5 hours & was not being refrigerated at the time. So there would be no time for Co2 to be absorbed as well as the slight increase in temp would have increased keg pressure id imagine.

 

[Wortgames]

i guess i'm just hoping that it doesnt take 6 bulbs..!

Well in theory it would take more at colder temps - as the volume of gas per bulb would be less... :huh:

but it still doesnt explain why 2 people (my mate and KillerRx4) in practise, not googlemath, have used only 2-3 bulbs with a tap connected straight to the QD.. to dispense an 18L corny.

I think it does - basically, every time you draw a beer, and you don't have a 'fully' pressurised keg, then a bit of gas is leaving the beer to help pressurise the headspace. So if you're not replacing the volumes of CO2 you are drinking with the exact same amount, your beer is slowly losing a little bit of carbonation in the process - but probably not as much as you'd notice over a day or so. Basically, you'd only need the (6, 9, whatever) bulbs if you wanted to maintain a fully balanced system to the end of the keg - which would be totally unnecessary 'in the field'. All you really need is to maintain some positive pressure in the keg so you can get the beer out, which is what you're doing.

I think if you did what you were doing, but over say a 2-week period instead, your beer would get a bit flat.

thou shalt not question the googlemath... h34r:

 

[afromaiko]

It performed well in partnership with a sodastream connected to a schrader filler fitting, for my x-mas and new year party rig. Carted from Melb to port maquarie via stops in Myrtleford, Albury, Sydney, Newcastle, Foster... Toatal of 3 cornies dispensed plus various bottles. Its not pretty, but with a few bags of ice, it did the job!!

Nice setup there Thirsty Boy! That looks like one of the older Soda Streams, is that running the newer style bottles (Alco2jet aluminium)?

I have an old one like that and with a gas bottle kicking around somewhere in the garage - is it still possible to swap them over at KMart etc? Will they give me back the same old type of bottle or a newer one?

Any issues at all with using the Alco2Jet bottles in the old Soda Stream machine, are they the same fitting, cylinder size etc?

This looks like it might be a better option than those soda bulbs!

Thanks!

 

[Ross]

I have an old one like that and with a gas bottle kicking around somewhere in the garage - is it still possible to swap them over at KMart etc? Will they give me back the same old type of bottle or a newer one?

Thanks!

Big W are the only guys who officially still replace the old style bottles with new.

Cheers Ross

 

[afromaiko]

Big W are the only guys who officially still replace the old style bottles with new.

Cheers Ross

Will they just charge me the refill price still or do I need to pay the full price?

I assume the new bottles work fine with the older models then since they swap over?

Thanks!

 

[Thirsty Boy]

Will they just charge me the refill price still or do I need to pay the full price?

I assume the new bottles work fine with the older models then since they swap over?

Thanks!

They will (should) just swap it over for a new one at the re-fill price. The new 40litre cylinders screw straight into the old machine. Or if you are feeling like taking advantage of a big corporation, just go to Kmart and ask for a cylinder at the service desk. Usually its an inexperienced youngster that just scans the bottle and computer says $9.00 bucks, youngster is quite often unaware that thet are supposed to ask for the return of your empty cylinder B)

I bought an old Soda Stream unit off e-bay for $12.00 swapped out the cylinder at BigW then accumulated 2 more cylinders just to make sure I would never run out. They are mainly for driving my 6litre garden sprayer party keg, but dispensed 3 (already carbonated from my main C02 rig) cornies from 1 SS cylinder over xmas; and its still not empty.

Over a few weeks of travelling though, it was a bit of a pain to maintain the kegs at the corrrect carbonation levels. I kept having to take pressure readings (car tyre pressure gauge) and ensure that the kegs were at 10-12 psi inthe morning. If they weren't, it was squirt, shake wait, re-measure till they leveled out. For one night events though... easy as.

I also use it to force carb single PET bottles with a carbonator cap. You just need to be careful because the soda stream and I assume the sparklets, give an unmeasured unregulated squuirt of C02, and if there isn't much headspace, the pressure gets really high really fast. I plan to update the party keg to run with a regulated SS cylinder, but ATM Ross doesn't seem to have any of those nice adaptors with the shut off valve. And thats what I want... Ross??

Thirsty

 

[Doogiechap]

FWIW In WA, Southlakes Coles was happy to swap my $4.50 Salvo's aquired Sodastream Steel Cylinder for an Ally one with no probs .

 

[afromaiko]

Anyone know a good place in Melbourne to get the metal tyre valves? I tried Supercheap and Repco on Sunday, but haven't had a chance to try an actual tyre shop yet.

 

[Jye]

Anyone know a good place in Melbourne to get the metal tyre valves? I tried Supercheap and Repco on Sunday, but haven't had a chance to try an actual tyre shop yet.

I made some carbonation caps last week and pick up the valves from Autobarn.

 

[Thirsty Boy]

I'd give Autobarn a ring before you go down there, I went to 2 different ones in Melb and they didn't have the mag wheel type of valves. I got mine from a tyre place on bridge road richmond... or swan st I forget which.

If you can get stainless or brass ones, I say do, because the chrome on the ones I am using for carbonator cap is starting to corrode.

Thirsty

 

[afromaiko]

Autobarn around here didn't have them either.

I found someone on eBay UK selling stainless ones, work out to be AU$5.00 each, does that seem ok? How much are the chrome ones locally?

Stainless tyre valves on eBay

I'm waiting to hear back how much postage will be.

Edit: Also have another question for those using gutted Soda Streams to give a squirt of gas. My one here has a n old dried up and cracked washer so I'm going to replace it with a new one. Looks like a tap washer may work?

Apart from the valve pin in the bottle, is there meant to be any other return spring to push the lever & attached push pin back up again? Is that main washer between the lever screw fitting and the gas bottle the only washer/seal?

What stops the has escaping up around the lever pin and out under the lever?

 

[Thirsty Boy]

Autobarn around here didn't have them either.

I found someone on eBay UK selling stainless ones, work out to be AU$5.00 each, does that seem ok? How much are the chrome ones locally?

Well I got one given to me for free (the guy in the shop only had one inthe draw) and paid $5.00 for the others at the place on Bridge Road (or swan st). They are chrome on copper (I think) for the main valve body so no corrosion there, just the chrome wearing off to expose some copper. No biggie, but the nuts & washers are just chromed steel and they are rusting.

If stainless is the same price plus a little shipping. I say GO.

Thirsty

 

[afromaiko]

Well I got one given to me for free (the guy in the shop only had one inthe draw) and paid $5.00 for the others at the place on Bridge Road (or swan st). They are chrome on copper (I think) for the main valve body so no corrosion there, just the chrome wearing off to expose some copper. No biggie, but the nuts & washers are just chromed steel and they are rusting.

If stainless is the same price plus a little shipping. I say GO.

Thirsty

I heard back from the seller, including shipping it makes the cost of each valve $7.80 and you get 4 in the set.

Also, I can confirm that 12mm rubber tap washers are a perfect replacement for worn out Soda Stream ones.

 

[KoNG]

just thought i'd reply regarding the previous convo on the CO2 chargers

I've been put off by the pathetic amount of beer you can discharge for the cost. Took 6 bottles to despense a 12L party keg when I used one. Would rather go soda stream anytime.

Cheers Ross

Ross: I'm yet to use mine, but from what i've heard that seems like alot of bulbs.! A mate told me he dispended his Corny with a little over 3 bulbs and they were the smaller 8g ones. So something is lining up there. I'll update after i've used mine.

According to my googlemath, 12g of CO2 will expand to 6 litres of vapour at 15C. So to dispense an 18L keg AND maintain 2 volumes of carbonation would take 6 bulbs (72g).

Obviously, a longer serving line would require more pressure behind it (eg a constant 2 volumes worth), whereas a tap directly on the post would need very little pressure - theoretically the beer would actually propel itself out until the keg reached 1 volume of co2.

i used mine for the first time on the weekend, to dispense 18 litres from the corny (naturaly primed).
time wise i think the keg was polished off in 5-6 hours... and it took 'just' over two 12g bulbs.
that was also with the tap straight from the QD.
Anyways thats all, just thought i'd help the poor old charger back out of the dispensing rubbish heap :lol:

KoNG

 

[crozdog]

Guys,

I just found this link which I don't recall seeing here before. I thought you'd be interested in this approach & the detailed drawings / instructions.

Crozdog

 

[afromaiko]

Righto, I've gathered all the bits & pieces now, roughly assembled it all with the pressure sprayer and tested with some water in there.

Regarding the beer out hose, is there a certain length I should be aiming for to minimise foaming? I think I heard with normal keg setups it shouldn't be shorter that 3 feet, is that correct?

Also, Aldi has 8L pressure sprayers for sale this Thurs for about $13.

Thanks.

 

[KoNG]

Guys,

I just found this link which I don't recall seeing here before. I thought you'd be interested in this approach & the detailed drawings / instructions.

Crozdog

great link. i like the look of that rubbermaid mini cooler.! search begins.

 

[Vlad the Pale Aler]

This is interesting.party kegs

 

[mika]

Bulk buy !