can you lay a Cornelius keg on it side?

[newbiebrewer7788]

i am looking at getting a Cornelius 5# keg but the only way i will be able to fit it in my fridge is to lay it down on a shelf in my fridge. is that ok? or i could make some space in my chest freezer to stand it up right but there would be other stuff still in the freezer so it would have to stay below freezing. if neither of these are good ideeas what should i do then?

 

[dontman]

Neither one is good. Frozen beer does not flow well. Cornies are designed to be served only while upright.

 

[samc]

I recall seeing this topic recently and some people were doing this and others were slanting it somewhat. Don't remember exactly what the trick was, you will have to do a search unless someone else can clue you in. Obviously you don't want beer going into the gas line so can't be a full keg.

Better bet would be to buy a 2.5 or 3 gallon corny. I just sold one to my neighbor for that purpose. Sorry don't have another spare!

 

[newbiebrewer7788]

well i would pull the corny out of the fridge and set it up right to serve. so it would just be to store it at the cold temp. is that ok?

 

[olllllo]

well i would pull the corny out of the fridge and set it up right to serve. so it would just be to store it at the cold temp. is that ok?

Unless you filter, you'll most likely stir up a good deal of sediment when you re-right the keg.

 

[newbiebrewer7788]

so should i just keep it in my basement since it stays pretty cool year round since i live in new england or can anyone give me an idea and is there is really a max temp i shouldnt store my beer at since the basement stays semi steady but doesnt stay really cool during the summer.

 

[olllllo]

It should be fine in the basement for months unless its a delicate style like a wit and then you *might* get a fading of the corriander orange. Might.


You'll be fine.

 

[wild]

You can serve your beer from a corny laying on its side. We've done it several times.

1. Switch the hose from your Beer Out QD to go to your CO2.
2. Switch the hose from your Gas In QD to go to your tap.
3. Lay the keg on its side so that the Gas In Qd is on the bottom.
4. Drink and enjoy.

 

[Zen_Brew]

You could also try laying it on it's side but giving it just a slight angle so the top is higher than the bottom. Carefully bend the long pickup tube in the keg so that it draws from the side of the keg at the bottom at what will be the lowest point in the keg. Should work OK, and you should be able to bend the pickup tube back if you ever want to use it upright.

Using the keg in a freezer that is below freezing is not a good idea.

 

[papasam]

You can serve your beer from a corny laying on its side. We've done it several times.

1. Switch the hose from your Beer Out QD to go to your CO2.
2. Switch the hose from your Gas In QD to go to your tap.
3. Lay the keg on its side so that the Gas In Qd is on the bottom.
4. Drink and enjoy.

Has anyone else tried this, and is there any risk of damaging the equipment?

 

[bracconiere]

damn i honestly thought this said 2039!

i'd make sure you have a check valve on the co2 reg, and use a floating dip tube? just an idea, nothing i've done.....

 

[Joshua Hughes]

Has anyone else tried this, and is there any risk of damaging the equipment?t

there is an article in a recent brewing magazine that mentioned doing this or some thing like if to mimic cask ale.

 

[Velnerj]

Maybe leave the keg outside the fridge sitting upright, then thread the beer line in through the drip hole in the back, coil about 30' of beer line in your fridge and you've got a home jockey box. It would keep the beer cold you'd just have to adjust your serving pressure to account for the long beer line.

 

[bracconiere]

you'd just have to adjust your serving pressure to account for the long beer line.

need beer gas too wouldn't you?

 

[odie]

There are some cornies that the dip tube is straight, and the dimple is on one side. You could use one of those. You will not get all the beer out but you could tilt it slightly and get it all.

A floating dip tube could also be used but you will have some left inside as well.