DIY Bull Dog for Barrel Transfer?

[Zaphod]

I have a full 60-gal former Russian River Temptation barrel in my basement that has been aging a Flanders Red for over 2 years. I wonder if anyone has made a homemade pressurized transfer device for getting the beer easily out of the barrel?
We (group of homebrewers who bought the barrels) have another barrel we already emptied once, but we got to borrow a professional Bull Dog from a brewery that one of the guys worked at. I doubt we'll be able to borrow another so I'm looking for a DIY solution.

 

[slakwhere]

a cork with 2 holes in it should be all you need. put a racking cane in one and put it in the bottom of the barrel. put a co2 hose in the other and apply a couple of psi. it will push the beer out of the barrel into your new vessel. guys do this with kegs/car boys all the time.

 

[Zaphod]

Yea, thats what I have been thinking. I was hoping for something a little more robust as I'll be doing this more a few times a year most likely. I've got some parts in a McMaster order for doing it using SS. I suppose another option is pumping, but I'm not sure I want to funk up my pump.

 

[nickpgoodman]

St. Pats sells exactly what you are looking for.

http://www.stpats.com/index.htm

Go to Specialty Tools - Barrel Tools, Gas Racking Tool.

I have used this tool before and it makes emptying barrels so freaking easy.

Word of warning - I have heard stories of brewers having issues with St. Pats. I have never personally dealt with them, just been at a local brewery and helped transfer many whisky barrels full of beer with this particular tool.

I know you said you want to DIY but for 175 I'd say it's a pretty good deal.

 

[ddclapp]

I had been looking for weeks at kept balking at the price - between 300 and 800 dollars for a tool to transfer wine/beer from keg/barrel using nitrogen or CO2.

None of the ones I saw were exactly what I wanted - either to long, no correct seal, etc.

I started to build my one based on this site:
http://www.milkthefunk.com/wiki/Eccentric_Beekeeper_Bulldog

And then found that brewhardware, (Bobby helped me a bunch- very good service) makes one for a triclamp/sankey which can easily be adapted for carboy or barrel:

http://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/sankefermenterkit_pressure.htm

I made one up with 1/2 tube, and has pressure release for saftey.

have fun!

 

[TravelingLight]

And then found that brewhardware, (Bobby helped me a bunch- very good service) makes one for a triclamp/sankey which can easily be adapted for carboy or barrel:

http://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/sankefermenterkit_pressure.htm

I made one up with 1/2 tube, and has pressure release for saftey.

have fun!

Thank you for linking this. I just acquired a couple sixtel sankes and wanted to turn at least one of them into a fermenter. This makes things so much easier.

 

[cactusgarrett]

Thought I'd link my own build, in case someone finds their way here and not there.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/diy-bulldog.665531/

 

[microbusbrewery]

I had been looking for weeks at kept balking at the price - between 300 and 800 dollars for a tool to transfer wine/beer from keg/barrel using nitrogen or CO2.

None of the ones I saw were exactly what I wanted - either to long, no correct seal, etc.

I started to build my one based on this site:
http://www.milkthefunk.com/wiki/Eccentric_Beekeeper_Bulldog

And then found that brewhardware, (Bobby helped me a bunch- very good service) makes one for a triclamp/sankey which can easily be adapted for carboy or barrel:

http://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/sankefermenterkit_pressure.htm

I made one up with 1/2 tube, and has pressure release for saftey.

have fun!

Brew Hardware also has a bulldog. I have both the bulldog and the sanke pressure transfer kit, although I just barely bought them and haven't used them yet. I don't really have any concerns though, everything I've gotten from Brew Hardware has worked well.

Re the sanke one, it includes a thermowell, so the thermowell and came as off-center. You'd probably need a cork borer to make two holes in a solid bung so that it would work as a bulldog.

https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/barrelptr.htm