Hello from Harare, Zimbabwe

[RodB]

Hi,
I have been brewing bear and cider for about a year using the kit beers and ciders. I have really enjoyed it and am now trying my own recipies.

I am strugling to understand carbonation and have got some 5Ltr kegs that I am experimenting with.

Look forward to learning lots.

We have a small brew club here in Harare with about 15 members.

 

[Zambezi Special]

Welcome from your neighbouring country
I lived in harare for 6-7 years before crossing the border into Zambia.
What is it about carbonation you struggle with?

 

[T Murph]

Welcome from Alabama

 

[RevA]

Welcome from South Africa

 

[Abhishek Dewan]

Welcome from Maputo

 

[RodB]

Welcome from your neighbouring country
I lived in harare for 6-7 years before crossing the border into Zambia.
What is it about carbonation you struggle with?

Hi Zambezi Special

I have some 5 litre kegs that I want to put beer and cider into. The dispenser (Picture attached) uses a Co2 Cartridge.



The first time I used the keg, I put carbonated beer from a draught machine that a friend had lent me into the Keg. Took it to a party and the beer was disgusting. Watery and Flat but with bubbles.



A few days later I tried it again and the beer came out perfectly.

I was thinking of making a carbonation wand, putting that in the keg using one of the reusable seals and connecting it to my 2Kg Co2 Canister. Then when I want to take the keg with me, I remove the wand and put the dispenser in with the small Co2 cartridge.

What I am worried about is, if I break the seal and then put the dispenser in will I lose all the carbonation I have already done?

Alternatively I was wondering if I could just connect the Co2 somehow through the dispenser and then when I go out I put the cartridge in.

All the beers I have done so far have been carbonated in the bottles using carbonation sugar drops , I am totally in the dark how to do this in the mini Kegs.

 

[ncbrewer]

Welcome to HBT.

 

[Zambezi Special]

Hi Zambezi Special

I have some 5 litre kegs that I want to put beer and cider into. The dispenser (Picture attached) uses a Co2 Cartridge.



The first time I used the keg, I put carbonated beer from a draught machine that a friend had lent me into the Keg. Took it to a party and the beer was disgusting. Watery and Flat but with bubbles.



A few days later I tried it again and the beer came out perfectly.

I was thinking of making a carbonation wand, putting that in the keg using one of the reusable seals and connecting it to my 2Kg Co2 Canister. Then when I want to take the keg with me, I remove the wand and put the dispenser in with the small Co2 cartridge.

What I am worried about is, if I break the seal and then put the dispenser in will I lose all the carbonation I have already done?

Alternatively I was wondering if I could just connect the Co2 somehow through the dispenser and then when I go out I put the cartridge in.

All the beers I have done so far have been carbonated in the bottles using carbonation sugar drops , I am totally in the dark how to do this in the mini Kegs.

I only bottle ...
Hopefully someone else can help you, just start a thread about it.
I would like to do small kegs at some point in time, but getting equipment ain't easy

 

[RodB]

I only bottle ...
Hopefully someone else can help you, just start a thread about it.
I would like to do small kegs at some point in time, but getting equipment ain't easy

Hi

I got mine from

https://www.bevplus.com/
Very reasonable. If you have a way of getting them from ZIM we can make a plan

Thanks for your help!

Cheers

 

[bruce_the_loon]

Hi RodB,

Welcome to the forum, I'm from South Africa.

You can carbonate in the mini-kegs the same as you do in bottles, just needing less sugar, You just need to calculate the right amount of sugar or carbonation drops to add into the mini-keg. The gray plug with the hard plastic insert is able to withstand normal carbonation pressures without a problem.

Beer Priming Sugar Calculator | Brewer's Friend is a good calculator to use. Here is a thread on natural carbonation in kegs in general with some info on how much sugar to use.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/naturally-carbonating-in-keg.277566/
Couple of threads on the mini kegs.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/easy-kegs-and-mini-kegs.678913/https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/5l-mini-keg-with-tap-how-long-does-it-last.559463/
As you found out with the first attempt, putting already carbonated beer into a mini-keg is difficult. It will degas until an equilibrium pressure is reached, so either you have to over-carbonate before transferring into the mini-keg or try and pressurize the keg so the beer doesn't de-gas. The little CO2 cartridges aren't good enough for that, only for serving already carbonated beer in my opinion.

Force-carbing a mini-keg with a wand might work out, you just have to be really quick in pulling the wand and inserting the tap. If the beer is cold, it won't fizz out immediately, so you'll only lose the pressure in the headspace if you're quick enough and that you can replace from the little CO2 cartridge.

I'd try natural carbonation in the mini-keg first before trying to fiddle a wand.

 

[bracconiere]

The first time I used the keg, I put carbonated beer from a draught machine that a friend had lent me into the Keg. Took it to a party and the beer was disgusting. Watery and Flat but with bubbles.



A few days later I tried it again and the beer came out perfectly.

it takes a while for the beer to absorb the co2..using co2 gas is about the same as having yeast make it in the bottles...

 

[RodB]

Hi RodB,

Welcome to the forum, I'm from South Africa.

You can carbonate in the mini-kegs the same as you do in bottles, just needing less sugar, You just need to calculate the right amount of sugar or carbonation drops to add into the mini-keg. The gray plug with the hard plastic insert is able to withstand normal carbonation pressures without a problem.

Beer Priming Sugar Calculator | Brewer's Friend is a good calculator to use. Here is a thread on natural carbonation in kegs in general with some info on how much sugar to use.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/naturally-carbonating-in-keg.277566/
Couple of threads on the mini kegs.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/easy-kegs-and-mini-kegs.678913/https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/5l-mini-keg-with-tap-how-long-does-it-last.559463/
As you found out with the first attempt, putting already carbonated beer into a mini-keg is difficult. It will degas until an equilibrium pressure is reached, so either you have to over-carbonate before transferring into the mini-keg or try and pressurize the keg so the beer doesn't de-gas. The little CO2 cartridges aren't good enough for that, only for serving already carbonated beer in my opinion.

Force-carbing a mini-keg with a wand might work out, you just have to be really quick in pulling the wand and inserting the tap. If the beer is cold, it won't fizz out immediately, so you'll only lose the pressure in the headspace if you're quick enough and that you can replace from the little CO2 cartridge.

I'd try natural carbonation in the mini-keg first before trying to fiddle a wand.

lots of really outstanding information. Thank you!

 

[Zambezi Special]

Hi

I got mine from

https://www.bevplus.com/
Very reasonable. If you have a way of getting them from ZIM we can make a plan

Thanks for your help!

Cheers

Thanks!
Might even take you up on that
I'll look at the links. Currently a bit hard up for cash and trying to source CO2 first

 

[Kent88]

Welcome!