Keg Portability?

[jrot]

Hey guys. Hope everyone's having a good, beer-filled holiday season.

I just had a quick question. I brewed a blonde ale a couple of weeks back that's sitting in a secondary right now. I'm planning on kegging it and bringing it to a friend's new years eve party (assuming the world doesn't end on Friday I guess?). My only question is this:

How long will the serving PSI inside of the keg last? Reason stands that it would slowly decline as more people poured the keg. Are there any recommended ways of charging/re-priming the keg? I know there are some portable keg re-fillerators, but my experience with them has been somewhat lackluster.

 

[remandsager]

Take a CO2 tank + regulator with you...

The pressure drop as you pull glasses of the keg is going to vary depending on how much head space you have within the keg. If the keg is nearly full, with a small head space, the pressure will drop quite quickly. If the keg is nearly empty (which won't be too popular at the party) the pressure will hold up better... (P1V1=P2V2)

 

[Golddiggie]

With your short time frame, you could get one of the pocket chargers, and just squirt some CO2 into it. Or get a regulator and the paintball bottle adapter. Or splurge and get a Leland regulator and either use the small (45g I believe) cartridges, or a paintball gun CO2 bottle. Just be sure the place that you get the paintball bottles filled at uses ONLY pure CO2 in them. Nothing added. You also want to be sure these are new bottles so that there's no crap inside. I have all of the above, but don't use the pocket charger (got it for something else, it's sitting in a box unused/unloved). I love using the Leland regulator. Get the one with the bracket/clip and you can hang it on the keg. :rockin: William's sells the Leland regulator, as well as other options.

If you want to really 'pimp out' the Leland regulator. Replace the barb out fitting with a MFL fitting (McMaster-Carr part # 50715K161, $6.01 each). You can then just use normal swivel nut hoses on the gas feed. :rockin: Means you can use your normal hoses and NOT have something dedicated for just that regulator. Even though I have that fitting on my Leland, I also have a line always on it. I use it often enough to just leave it connected.

BTW, the Leland setup is small. Get a 12oz paintball gun CO2 tank and you'll not really even notice it on the keg.

 

[jrot]

Thanks guys. I didn't know you could do the paintball canister trick. I've got an old one laying around, but I guess I could buy a new one to make sure.

I'll probably just go with the pocket charger (cheapest lol) because the regulator/tank aren't mine. Unless, of course, my friend agrees to let me take it to the party in exchange for beer and my amazing company.

 

[Bender]

I use one of these. I love it. As long as you use 16G cartridges it works like a champ.