Drill the side of a Corny?

Think it would be possible to drill the side of a corny keg and put a ball valve or a tap of some sort on it? No info about such a project online.

I would like to use a 2.5 or 3 gallon keg for cask conditioning and would like to gravity dispense standing upright. Trying to simplify things and avoid the use of gas. Would like to be able to vent using a soft spile or autovent on the top end.

I would not even think about doing that.

You could turn the keg upside down and dispense from the gas side and leave the liquid side open to allow air flow.... This way you are not wasting a perfectly good 3 gallon keg.

^ AHH you said it first.

If I had to dispense via gravity from an upright corny I would turn it upside down, shorten the gas in post and use it for dispensing, and use the out side (with dip tube still in) to vent. Or put the corny up higher upright dispense via gravity.

You could drill the side of a corny but it is already designed as a dispenser so I wouldn't reinvent the wheel so to speak.

What type of beer are you planning on serving flat and probably room temperature?

I think given the growing scarcity of decent used corny kegs, coupled with the high price new kegs, should you drill a hole in one, there would likely be a mob replete with pitchforks and torches coming after you as if you crapped on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, wiped your a$$ with the American flag, lit it on fire, and then kicked a dog and smacked a sleeping baby for good measure.

Just my opinion.

Upside down would work.....

The gas in tube would draw from above the sediment and I could figure out a way to vent off the out tube as well.

Thanks guys. Im going to have to try it out.

I enjoy most beers at low carbonation and chilled. But IPAs and stouts mostly.

jlb307 said:

I think given the growing scarcity of decent used corny kegs, coupled with the high price new kegs, should you drill a hole in one, there would likely be a mob replete with pitchforks and torches coming after you as if you crapped on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, wiped your a$$ with the American flag, lit it on fire, and then kicked a dog and smacked a sleeping baby for good measure.

Just my opinion.

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Also a good point...

A flat IPA doesn't sound very tasty, but I'm with you on the stout.

As opposed to upside down you could lay it on its side with the bottom (liquid dip tube) pointed up and tilted up at an angle and gravity dispense with a picnic faucet on the gas side. You could use a bleeder valve in place of a soft spile to vent to a specific volume, but I'm playing around with the right amount of priming sugar to add. 3 oz was too much, will probably try 1.5-2 oz next time.

BBL_Brewer said:

A flat IPA doesn't sound very tasty, but I'm with you on the stout.

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I've had a a lot of cask conditioned IPAs that were excellent (Surly Furious, Summit Saga, Town Hall Masala Mama, Surly Wet, etc) - the only one I haven't liked on cask is Two Hearted Ale - was way too fruity, but I'm not a huge fan of that lately anyway (did the recipe change or something?). I've had a few APAs that were also really good on cask. Milds, stouts, bitters are, of course, great on cask as well. Give it a try sometime before you make up your mind on it.

I have dispensed out of the gas tube in this fashion. I carbed in the keg (added 3/4 cup priming sugar when I kegged). Did it with a british bitter (based on innkeeper recipe) and served it "cask style" at a party where I knew we would drink all 5 gallons within several hours. Set it in the shade on a picnic table on its side, gas tube down, with the bottom of the keg perched about a foot or 18 inches higher than the disconnect side. It was in the fridge before hand, and I threw a bag of ice on it to keep it in the 40's-50's throughout the party. Picnic tap to dispense. It was carbed to a lesser degree than if force carbed, but perfect for a brittish bitter. Worked out great. Drank the whole thing in a couple hours.

Lots of good IPAs available on cask here in southern california. But most of the casks around here are now being ruined with things like hibiscus, ginger, chili peppers, orange peel, and all kinds of junk. Its a very unfortunate trend.
Favorite cask thus far: Double Oaked Yetti, Great Divide

AnchorBock said:

As opposed to upside down you could lay it on its side with the bottom (liquid dip tube) pointed up and tilted up at an angle and gravity dispense with a picnic faucet on the gas side. You could use a bleeder valve in place of a soft spile to vent to a specific volume, but I'm playing around with the right amount of priming sugar to add. 3 oz was too much, will probably try 1.5-2 oz next time.

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So you are just priming low rather than venting?

Dougal said:

So you are just priming low rather than venting?

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Exactly, may not be traditional but neither is using a corny keg as a cask.

AnchorBock said:

Exactly, may not be traditional but neither is using a corny keg as a cask.

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You're going to have to vent at some point. Even with priming, you're not going to push the whole keg.

Venting and adding CO2 or allowing oxygen in are two different things. Typically casks are carbed up higher than they are intended to be served at and vented with a soft spile before serving to reach the intended volume of carbonation.

AnchorBock said:

Venting and adding CO2 or allowing oxygen in are two different things. Typically casks are carbed up higher than they are intended to be served at and vented with a soft spile before serving to reach the intended volume of carbonation.

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Exactly. And I was thinking, why is that? Why wouldnt they just prime to the target? Dont think Ive come across an explanation for that....

I believe they err on the side of too much carbonation since they can always vent where they want it. Also many breweries dont prime, they stop carbonation before racking to a cask and allow the fermentation to finish in the cask which obviously carbonates the beer. This process is a bit more variable by nature so to achieve consistency for these brewers it is easier to vent.

I picked up a copy of Cellarmanship but havent read it all yet, but Im sure its better explained in there.