How do you travel with your homebrew?

[htims05]

Was thinking of getting one of these cannonball kits for parties at friends houses etc.

What do you do to travel with some of your bev's?


https://www.northernbrewer.com/products/cannonball-system-mini-regulator

 

[Beholder]

I use the growlerwerks ukeg, the gallon version is about the right size, the 64 oz seemingly evaporates the beer it goes so fast.

 

[mongoose33]

Typically bottles or growlers. While there's a coolness factor to things like minikegs and such, I lost interest in them with the cleaning they required.

 

[bracconiere]

i just fill 1 liter soda bottles, from my kegs.....

 

[Dave Sarber]

I do bottles.

 

[Special Hops]

Growlers.

or if it’s going to be a few days before drinking I use 2 liter soda bottles with a carbonator cap.

 

[Mike_kever_kombi]

 

[gnef]

It all depends on the purpose and how much beer I am bringing. If I am just going to brew club and bringing a beer for them to sample for feedback and to share, I just use a stainless double walled growlers. I have multiple 32oz and 64 oz versions, along with other single walled growlers too.

If I am bringing more beer for an event (when we were in our 20's and our friends were all getting married, they asked me to brew beer for their receptions), I bring my kegs, 20# CO2 tanks and jockey boxes. I have three jockey boxes, a 2 pass, 5 pass, and 6 pass, so I bring one or up to all three depending on how much beer I'm bringing.

When I got married, I even borrowed jockey boxes from a couple other brewers (I also had a fourth that I personally had back then), and I was able to serve 25 taps at our wedding.

For something quick but I want to bring a whole keg, I'll just use my direct-draw attachment that I built (it is a stainless disconnect with the chi-company fitting specifically for perlick 650ss faucets, and just use the restriction there to serve), with a CO2 tank.

 

[Deadalus]

Growlers, baby (1.75 gallon) and mini-kegs (3 gallon) + cooler, or 4 tap jockey box. Having a pick-up helps!

 

[htims05]

So I’m only thinking of bringing enough beer for 4 or 6 adults to have at most 2 pints.

If I go the 128oz growler route - do you get the pressure-izable ones? If not how do you keep it from ending up flat...maybe just taking a gallon across town won’t go flat that fast?

 

[mattdee1]

If the plan is to just transport multiple pints across town for consumption in an evening, growlers are fine. Just put them in the fridge and let people help themselves. Carbonation might go down a little bit but in my experience it is not problematic at all.

If you're not sure how long the beer will be sitting around (for example, if you're giving samples to people to consume at whatever pace they like) then bottles are probably better.

For larger, thirstier crowds, bringing kegs on the road can be fun - and, rewarding when you see everybody digging your beer - but it's a bit of a process if you want to set yourself up for success without a bunch of headaches.

The problem is, kegs are at their happiest when they're allowed to sit still inside chilled chambers for extended periods of time before serving. Jostling them around while you bring them upstairs, transport them down bumpy roads, offload them, etc. can lead to foamy and cloudy beer if you don't give the keg a chance to chill and re-settle. This can take hours. It's totally doable but it takes planning and care, IMO.

 

[htims05]

I'm probably going to go the growler route, a couple maybe 3-64oz ones should do, as long as they are vacuum insulated. I've been looking at this from MIIR https://www.miir.com/products/the-growler or apparently these Ozark Trail ones from walmart are the same as the Yeti Jugs - https://www.walmart.com/ip/Ozark-Tr...um-sealed-Stainless-Steel-Water-Jug/963748865...they have a screw on lid and screw on pour spout so it should seal fine.

 

[gnef]

I'm not sure if those threads on the screw on lid are designed for pressure. I would personally be a bit apprehensive about using those for beer since they were more designed for non-carbonated beverages.

The first link to a purpose made growler looks fine though.

 

[htims05]

I'm not sure if those threads on the screw on lid are designed for pressure. I would personally be a bit apprehensive about using those for beer since they were more designed for non-carbonated beverages.

The first link to a purpose made growler looks fine though.

That’s what I thought. I checked it out today, didn’t buy yet but it’s beefy and has a huge gasket. I mean I think it would be fine for across town/afternoon. But to your point probably not good for a couple days.

 

[Deadalus]

I'm probably going to go the growler route, a couple maybe 3-64oz ones should do, as long as they are vacuum insulated. I've been looking at this from MIIR https://www.miir.com/products/the-growler or apparently these Ozark Trail ones from walmart are the same as the Yeti Jugs - https://www.walmart.com/ip/Ozark-Tr...um-sealed-Stainless-Steel-Water-Jug/963748865...they have a screw on lid and screw on pour spout so it should seal fine.

I like my Stanley Growler. You can buy it without the cups, comes in blue and black too.

 

[matt_m]

I just use growlers, have a small collection of insulated ones including the Stanley, another like it, a Yeti my daughter etched my brewery name on, and even a couple Walmart Ozark Trail 64oz double-wall "water bottles" which work just fine too. I have one of the travel CO2 charger/faucet sets but kind of doubt I'll ever use it at this point.

 

[jcav]

If I am taking a full five gallon keg I made this portable kegerator to transport and dispense at the location:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/portable-5-gallon-keg-cooler.637650/

If I am taking a smaller amount I use empty plastic water bottles and cap on foam or growlers.

John

 

[RoguePixels]

If I am taking a full five gallon keg I made this portable kegerator to transport and dispense at the location:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/portable-5-gallon-keg-cooler.637650/

If I am taking a smaller amount I use empty plastic water bottles and cap on foam or growlers.

John

If it's a small get together or I'm low on homebrew, I'll bring a few bottles. If it's a family get together, I bring kegs.

View media item 70825I have 2 of these that hold a 5 gal keg each. I followed the same build thread for it.

 

[NitrogenWidget]

I have a garbage can keggorator that holds 2 5 gallon kegs for parties or weekends. It’s a pain to lug around with just a car.

I now have a cooler with 2 3 gallon kegs and taps in it which fits on a car seat.

I also have multiple 64 oz pet growlers I fill from kegs.

But I’m looking at one of those growler caps that turn a growler into a mini keg with picnic tap and that comes with a steel 1 gal growler.

 

[Brooothru]

If it's a small get together or I'm low on homebrew, I'll bring a few bottles. If it's a family get together, I bring kegs.

View media item 70825I have 2 of these that hold a 5 gal keg each. I followed the same build thread for it.

Neat cooler. Where'd ya' find it?

I have a similar setup when we do an extended family summer outing to the beach, but I use a standard Igloo cooler with a pony tap coiled inside. The keg diameter is perfect for a snug fitting inside the Igloo, with room on the sides for cold water and small bits of ice. I'll take two our three 2 ½ gallon kegs to last for a week for 6-8 adults. Every morning the Igloo gets the melted ice water drained and replenished with fresh ice. We used to go through quite a few CO2 canisters for the mini-regulator so I finally switched to 70 gram bottles instead of the 12-16 gram ones, though the larger bottles are a bit pricey.

What I really wanted to do was have a tap mounted on the outside like you have and feed CO2 from a paint ball (rechargeable) bottle, but I couldn't figure out an easy way to switch out kegs without disassembling all the plumbing for gas-in/beer-out each time a keg kicked. How'd solve that riddle?

Brooo Brother

 

[Brooothru]

I have a garbage can keggorator that holds 2 5 gallon kegs for parties or weekends. It’s a pain to lug around with just a car.

I now have a cooler with 2 3 gallon kegs and taps in it which fits on a car seat.

I also have multiple 64 oz pet growlers I fill from kegs.

But I’m looking at one of those growler caps that turn a growler into a mini keg with picnic tap and that comes with a steel 1 gal growler.

My daughter-in-law's father has one of those (he and I hang out quite a bit), and while they are a 'novel' toy, he's had more than a few issues with his. At first it wouldn't hold a gas charge for more than half an hour before the 12 gram bottle was depleted. The manufacturer sent him a replacement growler that was only marginally better (a charge will last about a day). The beer doesn't go flat, so the problem must be with the mini-regulator or the seal between the bottle and the mini-reg.

But if you do decide to buy one, get the 128 oz model over the 64 oz one. I can't begin to tell you how many times he and I have gone to local breweries and he gets it filled for the price of a standard (64 oz) single growler. Of course the bartender gets a generous tip!

Brooo Brother

 

[Dave Sarber]

If I am taking a full five gallon keg I made this portable kegerator to transport and dispense at the location:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/portable-5-gallon-keg-cooler.637650/

If I am taking a smaller amount I use empty plastic water bottles and cap on foam or growlers.

John

@jcav , I am impressed. Very well done. I don't even use kegs, and I want to build one of these! Looking thru all the links in that thread, I saw a 20 gallon cooler on Amazon, pretty pricey though, probably still better to go with your build.

 

[6Tap]

I need to come up with a 5+ gallon travel solution and have been kicking some ideas around for a while.

One option I’m thinking of is modifying a 55 gallon plastic drum. Cheapest option so far. Not very fancy though.

One option is an Ingloo cooler on wheels and cutting a hole for a 5gallon keg through the top.
Not sure if the width of a 5 gallon keg would fit. Poor ratings per Amazon on the product.

Last option would be to build some type of rustic looking portable wooden bar. Most expensive option and more difficult to transport.

Few pics below from options I’ve seen online.

 

[Dave Sarber]

I like the barrel, prob a pain in the butt to move, though.

 

[jcav]

@jcav , I am impressed. Very well done. I don't even use kegs, and I want to build one of these! Looking thru all the links in that thread, I saw a 20 gallon cooler on Amazon, pretty pricey though, probably still better to go with your build.

Thanks for the kind words!

John

 

[NitrogenWidget]

My daughter-in-law's father has one of those (he and I hang out quite a bit), and while they are a 'novel' toy, he's had more than a few issues with his. At first it wouldn't hold a gas charge for more than half an hour before the 12 gram bottle was depleted. The manufacturer sent him a replacement growler that was only marginally better (a charge will last about a day). The beer doesn't go flat, so the problem must be with the mini-regulator or the seal between the bottle and the mini-reg.

But if you do decide to buy one, get the 128 oz model over the 64 oz one. I can't begin to tell you how many times he and I have gone to local breweries and he gets it filled for the price of a standard (64 oz) single growler. Of course the bartender gets a generous tip!

Brooo Brother

I may just get the cap.
they got them for $25 on amazon from spotted dog and give it a shot.

Thanks.

 

[NitrogenWidget]

The problem is, kegs are at their happiest when they're allowed to sit still inside chilled chambers for extended periods of time before serving. Jostling them around while you bring them upstairs, transport them down bumpy roads, offload them, etc. can lead to foamy and cloudy beer if you don't give the keg a chance to chill and re-settle. This can take hours. It's totally doable but it takes planning and care, IMO.

yep.
I now transfer beer from original keg to a new keg before taking it on the road.
have a hose with keg connectors on it. go from one dip tube side to the other burping the receiving keg from pressure valve or gas in valve while filling.