DIY Keg Party Pump

[Chello]

I'm a new kegger and am planning a weekend away to visit some friends. I wanted to take some homebrew to enjoy for the weekend with them without having to bottle everything.

So this basically just replaces a portable co2 keg charger. My setup is just a bicycle tire pump booked up to the barbed end of a barbed gas in keg connection. Flawless.

Now i am a avid biker so i have a pretty good floor bike pump that holds a good seal using the schreader valve side (not the newer presta valve).

I realize its just pumping in outside air into the keg which is "bad for the beer", but its the same thing used on commercial kegs at a normal college keg party. I see it being used as only in situation where your going to be finishing the keg, hopefully, that night! So carb up like normal and grab your bike pump to fill the glasses.

This saves me the money from having to buy the 12/16gram co2 charger and cartridges.

I can see easy adaptations for this, like buying a cheap foot pump (or looking in your basement) and it may fit, or just snipping off the tip and using a screwclamp to attach to the barb, etc.

So just putting it out there for others.

 

[david_42]

I've thought about it. I even have a spare footpump with a pressure gage. Seems like someone always bring a CO2 tank to events, so I haven't bothered.

 

[FSR402]

I would rather just bring a 5# CO2 tank and reg. It takes up just a little more space then the bike pump and if the beer is not gone at the end of the night, it's still good the next day.

 

[howlinowl]

I''ve got one of those lawn fertilizer/bug spray tanks that you get at home depot. cut the end off and adapted it so I can screw it onto my beerlines to clean them. I always thought that It'd work as an air pump in a pinch..... just don't put cleaner into it and adapt it so I can attach it to the gas in side of the keg. The situation hasn't come up where I've had to bring a keg anywhere, so I haven't tried it.

Allan

 

[Chello]

I also tried it with a portable pump that i keep in my Camelback for emergencies and it works like a champ too. That one is like 8 inches long!

 

[mattreba]

Any chance of lubricating oil making it into your beer? I don't think a tire would mind but I think it would be less than ideal for the beer.

 

[Bobby_M]

There is a risk if you don't finish the whole keg. If you don't mind writing off the entire keg, go ahead and use air. I know I'd be pissed if I was left with 2 gallons unfinished. I'd have to personally drink it all on the spot. The 12 gram carts are like 50 cents and you only need a couple to dispense the keg.