Can I keg without a regulator?

[shelly_belly]

Hello everyone.

I'm dying to make my first batch of all-grain, however, my only fermentation vessels currently hold 6 gallons of Edwort's Apfelwein & 5 gallons of muscadine wine. My wife convinced me to wait on the CO2 regulator & tank purchase until my birthday in October.

Can I keg the Apfelwein into a 5gal corny using a 9oz paintball tank with an on/off valve and put it aside to further condition until my birthday? if so, can I use the whole 9 ounces? I'm not sure how to convert the volumes of pressure? Would it be better to use one of the portable dispensers with 16 gram cartridges? How much CO2 is 16 grams anyway?

Thanks, in advance.

 

[SavageSteve]

Are you looking to carbonate the apfelwein or just put it in the keg with some pressure to keep it sealed? If you want it carbonated, my guess is that it's going to be difficult without a regulator-- a lot of trial and error.

You could do the math and calculate how much CO2 needs to go into the apfelwein to reach a specific carbonation level, but aside from knowing it's possible, I can't help with the actual equation.

-Steve

 

[SavageSteve]

Also, messing around with large volumes of unregulated gas could be dangerous. The 16 gram cartridges shouldn't be a big deal, but 9 ounces sounds like more than enough to be dangerous.

-Steve

 

[shelly_belly]

Mostly to put the Apfelwein up, get started on carbonating it and to free up the better bottle. Thanks

 

[JOHN51277]

You can use the small C02 cartridges like the ones for a BB gun, just make sure you dont use the kind that says not for human consumption, or something similar. I used to use 2 of those to form a tight seal, and also did the priming sugar then also. It seals, and carbs, and it will be ready once you get the regulator and other stuff.

 

[Parva]

You can use the small C02 cartridges like the ones for a BB gun, just make sure you dont use the kind that says not for human consumption, or something similar. I used to use 2 of those to form a tight seal, and also did the priming sugar then also. It seals, and carbs, and it will be ready once you get the regulator and other stuff.

I presume that you are talking about C02 in relation to the quote "not for human consumption"? C02 is C02 regardless of its intended application. Many people use welding C02 and many use fire extinguisher C02. It's all the same stuff.

 

[ifishsum]

True, but some of the small airgun cylinders have a small amount of oil along with the CO2 to keep the internals lubricated. I presume that's what he's talking about.

 

[Parva]

Fair enough, I wasn't aware of such a thing but if that's the case then yes, I wouldn't recommend it.

 

[JOHN51277]

True, but some of the small airgun cylinders have a small amount of oil along with the CO2 to keep the internals lubricated. I presume that's what he's talking about.

Yes I didnt remember the exact reason it was not good, thanks!

 

[jds]

Why not prime the keg with a little sugar and let it carbonate naturally? Once that's done, you can use a paintball or airgun-style CO2 charger to dispense.

 

[weirdboy]

If you decide to naturally carb the keg, don't use the same amount that you would for bottle priming or you could be in a world of trouble.

 

[chuggs]

The 9oz container w/ liquid CO2 is capable of injecting 800 psi into your corny keg. Enough to blow the relief vavle and spew apfelwein everywhere.

I wouldn't try force carbonation with that method.

Naturally carbonate your keg...by adding priming sugar. Then see if you could just borrow a CO2 rig to pressurize the tank...just to get the lid to seal.

If you have to...if you hook a CO2 stem to the ON/OFF Vavle Tank...and thread a barb onto that...with a short peice of hose going to a gas disconnect...you could hook it up...and just bleed a little bit of gas, really tiny burst, into the keg for it to seal. But don't let the the pressure in the bottle come up to the pressure in the keg

The only way to do what you're talking about safely (althrough qustionably)...is to calculate how many moles of CO2 it will take to carbonate 2.5 gallons of beer. Fill the carboy halfway with apfelwein... then take your 9oz co2...and vent any excess...say it takes 5 oz to carbonate 2.5 gallons of apfelwein...dump th extra 4 ozs...then hook it up. It should run out before the pressure reaches a dangerous level with the added headspace...and eventually the co2 pressure will drop as the apfelwein absorbs gas. But it's more of a science experiment than a practical application. You'd couldn't fill the keg more than halfway, or else you'd probably blow the vent on the keg ... The gas, and keg would need to be very cold to help.

 

[Parva]

Or to put it another way, using anything other than the tiny C02 sparklet bulbs with no way of measuring how much is going in is stupid and potentially life threatening!

 

[shelly_belly]

So 2 weeks ago I ended up getting a portable dispenser and kegged the apfelwein using one 16 gram cartridge. Worked like a charm. Just got home from a 2 week trip, did a quick pull on the release valve-plenty of pressure. Come on birthday!