Help with keg on a campout

[Kaiser442]

I have a good solution for normal campouts involving a half size corny keg and a 10 gallon water cooler, but I need to bring a full 5 gallon batch to an event this weekend. I don't really want to invest in new stuff since this is not something I plan to do regularly.

My current plan is to just throw the keg into my 32 gallon garage trash can and fill up the rest of the space with ice. It's not insulated at all, but I'm hoping that just the sheer volume will make it last (needs to stay cool for 48 hours - fortunately it's a strong ale so it doesn't have to be super cold). Outside temps will be 50-60 at night and 70-80 day.

Am I going to be looking at a bucket of water after just a few hours, or do you think it will hold?

Should I spray in some insulating foam or something in the trash can to make it insulate better? I don't really want to ruin my trash can or spend a ton of $ on foam, but then again I want this to go well.

Also, I couldn't find much info on how much space 10lbs of ice takes up - trying to figure out how many bags to buy.

Thanks!

 

[GilSwillBasementBrews]

I think you'll be fine. I would probably throw a bag in see how full it fills then buy more if needed to top off with ice. If it doesn't all fit you could just throw the rest in a cooler for topping off as the ice melts. I did a corny in a 7.5gallon bucket and it stayed cool for 24 hrs so I would think you'll be fine.

 

[Jaybird]

You'll totally be fine! I take a keg camping all the time and I just use a small kettle and fill that with ice after the keg goes in and I'm good for several days with just adding about 7# of new ice a day. Where we camp it is normally 100+ deg throughout the day. Keep it in the shade and wrap a blanket or something around it. I use a ski vest myself, works like a charm.

Cheers
Jay

 

[scubasteve03]

Keep it out of direct sunlight and you should be fine

 

[Komocabo]

Don't forget you'll need CO2. I did this once...and FORGOT the gas connection... bummer.

 

[forestGeek]

Include 2 or 3 blocks of ice in there, along with bags of regular bags of ice, would probably be best. The blocks will last a bit longer. Have fun!

 

[jrgtr42]

I saw a rig (I think built for tailgating, but the principles still apply) where he got a giant cooler - I think about 150 qt, but don't hold me to that - it needs to be big enough to hold the corney with enough room for the connections. he added a tap to the lid, I don't remember if the CO2 tank was inside or out, but he basically put the keg in, attached the out to the tap, and filled with ice.
Stood it on end, and good to go. I personally would wrap a bungie cord or strap around the cooler to make sure the lid doesn't pop open.

 

[integrator]

I can sit a 5 gal keg in a cube cooler, fill with ice, and cover with a heavy wool blanket. It stays cold a long, long time.

 

[DrunkleJon]

with that much ice you should be fine. Put the trash can in a sleeping bag or something if you are worried. The ice may start melting rapidly at first but once there is water in there as well it should maintain temperature. You could also just put the 5 gal corny in the same cooler you use for your 2.5 gal corny and throw a blanket over it. The thermal mass of the keg should actually reduce temperature swings if it is properly chilled before throwing it on ice.

 

[fpweeks]

I think you would be better off using your 5 gal igloo cooler to keep the bottom half of the keg insulated and cold, and insulating the top half of the keg. I suspect the ice will melt rather quickly with no insulation.

 

[Yooper]

I have a trashcan kegerator- and the ice melts FAST.

What really helps is some foam sheet insulation. My trashcan is a rectangle so it's easier to fit it along the sides. Since yours is round, that might be tough but somehow you should try to insulate it if you can.

I also have a drainvalve on my trashcan, made out of a bottling bucket spigot, because the ice melts fast and it's heavy!

 

[Clonefan94]

Take a good heavy blanket along, that should help.

 

[mikescooling]

Make sure to keep it out of the sun. I'm under the assumption you're car camping, so you can do a ice run if needed. The 60* at night is noo problem, you'll get very little melt off; but the 80* in the day is going to melt some ice. Your only going for 2 days and your beer will be drank in the first day anyway. It seems like 5 gallons per 10 people, per day, is the math on how much gets drank. Here's my rig, sorry about the bad photo

 

[DrunkleJon]

That reminds me, a jockey box approach might work even better. Then again I am sure that is a much larger investment than the OP was wanting.

 

[mikescooling]

This one is a smaller investment, but still big fun. Ya just gotta stuff that little sucker in there.

 

[NickTheGreat]

I did that in August. I only had to keep it cold from about 10 am until 10 pm or so. But the ice melted fast. I wrapped the whole shebang in a heavy blanket, which did help a bit.

My issue was as the ice melted and turned into water, and the keg got emptied, it started to float. Obviously towards the end of the kegs life, so it didn't matter for very long.

 

[WI_Wino]

We take quarter barrels and/or cornies on canoe trips. Key to making ice last is insulation. We use an old sleeping bag. So it goes keg in plastic tub, fill with ice, wrap in a plastic sheet, wrap with sleeping bag, wrap with a tarp. First layer of plastic keeps sleeping bag dry from keg/ice moisture, second layer of plastic keeps it dry from rain. Insulation properties of a sleeping bag go to hell if it gets wet. This setup lasts for days (keeping everything out of direct sunlight).

When we are concerned about uber high temps, we lug a jockey box out as well. We use vinyl tubing (100') since it's cheap. Also use blocks of ice rather than cubes.

 

[fpweeks]

5 gals for 10 people per day ain't much.......at least not with my friends!

 

[Mozart]

Someone mentioned it before, but including larger blocks of ice will really help. When I was a kid, my dad would always fill a couple of empty gallon milk jugs with water, freeze them, and put them in the Igloo -- they always lasted the whole trip.