Home Draught keg reuse?

[moorerm04]

I have a buddy who drinks his coors light from those plastic mini kegs. I was over at his place the other night having a brew and the idea came to me, What if I can somehow reuse this thing. I guess my question is, has anyone attempts or done this? It does have a co2 charging system on it.... Kinda like the 12gram cartridges for bb guns. I have not attempted further dissection of this home Draught keg. Any info would be appreciated.

 

[kegdawg]

there are a few threads on this. it does work. i have an empty one myself waiting for beer. all you do is empty it (as painful as it might be), unscrew the co2 cartridge, fill it when you bottle, let it carb naturally. then when ready to drink, purge it slightly, not completely, then replace the co2 canister and your good to go.

 

[Brew_4iT]

Yeah man I do this. Actually similar to your experience, had a little party with a bunch of these and was thinking to myself... you know it's a shame to throw away these things wonder if I can reuse them. So I researched my ass off brewing beer watching clips on youtube and reading around this site, now I do it on a constant basis.

All you need to do is twist the cartridge holder counterclockwise with some vice grips or standard wrench. you'll hear the tabs breaking while you do this but that is fine. pop out the cartridge from the hole in the bottom. Replace with a food grade (important) 16 gram co2 cartridge, some work better than others I've found. The innovations silver kind are a little short, but if I can only find these I just put a dime at the bottom of the holder before twisting the cartridge on. THe mr. Fizz brand I believe they are called which are always a bronze color works the best and you don't need to use a dime. It is kind of cool with the dime because once you are done the pressure warps the dime and you can actually spin it on a table lol.

Any other advice you need just message me, I use these things as my main vessels for priming and conditioning.

 

[moorerm04]

So do you put un-primed beer in the keg?, or do you go ahead and prime just like you would if you were bottling? I just didn't know if you force carbed with the C02?

 

[kegdawg]

Prime like you would at bottling, then before you bottle fill the home draught first.

 

[moorerm04]

Prime like you would at bottling, then before you bottle fill the home draught first.

What advantage does this give? "not trying to bust you balls, just curious" it makes me nervous thinking about adding a C02 cartridge on top of naturally carbed beer. Seems like a bunch of pressure for a plastic keg!

 

[kegdawg]

Well, I've been letting it condition normally, then when I install the new co2, i let a little of the co2 from conditioning out...not all of it, just enough to make the bottle a little flexy. Then pop on the co2 and set it in the fridge. I don't think that a little co2 cartridge has enough "juice" to force carb.

 

[Brew_4iT]

My procedure goes like this:

Wash and rinse with star san using cold water (no de-pressurization issues)

Soak the tap/s into star san solution, open the tab for dispensing and run star san through the tap hose from the front (easier)

Use 2 full tablespoons of priming sugar, dextrose or cane same amount add to bottles. (you can boil first if worried about sanitation, but can be a PITA once sticky candi to add to the bottles). I just mix first with a tablespoon of warm water, dextrose will mix better than cane sugar. Never had an infection yet in over 20 batches.

Add the fermented beer from primary with a siphon, I fill just over the labels just a little over where the bottle starts to cone in.

Let condition around 68-70 deg f (depending on yeast strain) for atleast a week (this is for the least amount of time as possible I usually do two weeks but depending on beer style and abv). Then I cold condition one at a time for atleast 3 days, some do a full week I find this to be enough. The pressure will be slightly less in the bottle as the temperature in the fridge will absorb the carbonation into the liquid better.

when ready to drink you don't need to let off any pressure, never had any issues yet. Just scrw in a new cartridge untill you hear air escaping, make sure to screw all the way in or else some co2 will escape out.

Then you are good to go!

 

[kegdawg]

My procedure goes like this:

when ready to drink you don't need to let off any pressure, never had any issues yet. Just scrw in a new cartridge untill you hear air escaping, make sure to screw all the way in or else some co2 will escape out.

Then you are good to go!

Sweet. That'll save a step. You've got more batches under your belt than I do. I let pressure off only because a few videos I had watched did it.

 

[moorerm04]

Thanks a ton guys, awesome info here. I an gonna brew here in a couple weeks and would like to give this a try. I figure I am going to prime and rack into my bottling bucket just as I would normally do and just bottle the remaining 3.5 gallons. I might do a run with water or something so I get the hang of it and don't run the risk of wasting that precious brew!

 

[Brew_4iT]

Sweet. That'll save a step. You've got more batches under your belt than I do. I let pressure off only because a few videos I had watched did it.

I watched the same vids and also did this a few times just to be careful. But I have had some where I would let off some pressure and when I would get down near the bottom of the bottle their wouldn't be enough pressure for a good pour. Also carbonation wouldn't be as good especially if it sits a few days. If the pressure is to great their will be a whistle and it releases it off.

 

[kegdawg]

Good to know. Going to try that next time.

 

[Brew_4iT]

Thanks a ton guys, awesome info here. I an gonna brew here in a couple weeks and would like to give this a try. I figure I am going to prime and rack into my bottling bucket just as I would normally do and just bottle the remaining 3.5 gallons. I might do a run with water or something so I get the hang of it and don't run the risk of wasting that precious brew!

If you do a 6 gallon batch it works perfectly because each mini keg is 1.5 gallons. When I do 5 gallon batches I use three and then use a growler, grolsh bottle, and or just siphon off a couple glasses to taste some brew.

 

[moorerm04]

If you do a 6 gallon batch it works perfectly because each mini keg is 1.5 gallons. When I do 5 gallon batches I use three and then use a growler, grolsh bottle, and or just siphon off a couple glasses to taste some brew.

Awesome.... I hear you on sneaking a taste before it's ready. I just bottled a honey Steam brew on Saturday and it ha been killing me to taste it, so I snagged a bottle and tossed it in the fridge when I got off work today... Came back this evening and cracked it open for a taste... It was freaking amazing!!!! My best so far and it's still green and needs to carb up some more! Can't wait to give them a few more weeks!

 

[wyzazz]

I use a 3L Soda Cap with a tire valve stem in them to force carb these, let it sit for a while in the kegerator, then swap the "carbonator cap" out for the tap with a CO2 Cartridge in it. I make 6gal batches so I have a bit extra after filling up a keg, this makes for a nice easy way to taste my beer right after fermentation/cold crashing.

 

[Brew_4iT]

I use a 3L Soda Cap with a tire valve stem in them to force carb these, let it sit for a while in the kegerator, then swap the "carbonator cap" out for the tap with a CO2 Cartridge in it. I make 6gal batches so I have a bit extra after filling up a keg, this makes for a nice easy way to taste my beer right after fermentation/cold crashing.

Jealous.. I want a kegerator and a corny keg

 

[wyzazz]

Jealous.. I want a kegerator and a corny keg

Meh, come and play with the big boys. I have an 8 tap kegerator (only 6 running right now) and use Sanke Kegs to keg in.

 

[Brew_4iT]

I didn't mean that with pun I was saying I was jealous. But Meh, my beers are delicious with my current setup anyway. I'll use the money for the ingredients where it's most important for now.

 

[wyzazz]

I didn't mean that with pun I was saying I was jealous. But Meh, my beers are delicious with my current setup anyway. I'll use the money for the ingredients where it's most important for now.

That is where it's most important all the time!