CO2 charger on a Corni keg

[wrelsien]

I just kegged my first ale. right now due to lack of funds I am using a CO2 charger with a ball lock. I am going to put the keg in my fridge with a picnic tap. I was hoping to be able to drink it at leisure and over a period of time, say a week or 2.

My questions:

How long will the CO2 that I put it last with out being hooked up to a tank and regulator?
How many 16g cartridges would you recommend? all at once or scattered throughout the drinking?
Should I just have 10 friends over and drink the whole thing in one go? or can I drink off it for a while?

 

[Suthrncomfrt1884]

Those CO2 chargers won't actually carbonate your keg. Did you add priming sugar to the keg to carbonate it? If not, I would transfer the beer back into a bucket or carboy, and add priming sugar. Check how much you're adding since you only need around half of the normal sugar.

I've used those cartridges when I take a keg to a party, but it takes 2-3 of them to push an entire (pre-carbed) 5 gallon keg. I usually disconnect it while it's not in use, unless you're drinking it all at one time.

 

[Bobby_M]

Well, the charger could carb it but you'd have to empty something like FIVE 16 gram carts into the keg immediately and then wait a few days. Then it will take another 3 to dispense the keg over time. Based on the cost per cart, it's easy to see that this is a very expensive way to enter kegging.

 

[wrelsien]

Yes, I did add priming sugar. and I am waiting for that to carb the beer, my question refers specifically to dispensing.

So does the CO2 I put in to dispense eventually 'settle' into the beer/ leak out of the keg and therefor would need more CO2 to dispense, or can I just charge the keg with 1 or 2 of those carts, remove the ball lock and drink for a week?

 

[jeffmeh]

You can leave the cartridge attached and just pull the trigger as needed to serve. When it is empty, replace it.

One caveat is that others may be tempted to keep pulling the trigger, so at a party or something it sometimes makes sense to disconnect it until you need to give another shot of CO2.

 

[wrelsien]

but so as far as a timeline... does the CO2 dissipate? or will the pressure stay in the keg for a while?

 

[devilishprune]

If the pressure dissipates, then you have a leak. Under ideal circumstances you will have a closed system where the keg will remain pressurized i.e. the CO2 will not leave your keg until you start pulling pints.

Good job priming the keg naturally, that'll save you on gas.

Also, you do know that under these conditions a keg will stay good for a LONG time. It's not like at a frat party where you have a bunch of drunk guys slamming air into the keg all night long. If you use CO2 you won't get any of the staling effects that you might have been alluding to in your first post.

 

[Cpt_Kirks]

Be VERY CAREFUL with the CO2 charger.

If you attach it to a disconnect that is not on the keg, and pull the trigger...THE DISCONNECT WILL EXPLODE.

The top of the disconnect will fly off at a high rate of speed, and the "guts" of the disconnect will scatter.

When I did that, the top blackened a thumb nail, then put a bruise on my leg.

The chargers work fine (I still use mine as a backup to my paintball bottle), but you have to follow the directions.