Keg confusion/ first kegerator

[wildtower]

I'm trying to build my first kegerator and I've never even set up a keg before in my life, so I'm trying to order things and doing it a bit blindly. I'd go down to my friendly brew shop, but I'm in rural South Korea, so I need to seek advice online.

I bought these 8L PET "keg" bottles and spunding valves for them in hopes that I can somehow get enough pressure in them from sugar priming them as do with my 1L bottles. My idea was to transition to kegging this way, and do this a while before investing in CO2 and steel kegs.

I have a little picnic tap, but also ordered a tap and tower assembly in hopes that I can somehow draft beer from them. My question is: will pressure from the bottles be enough to draft from a tower? Or do I also need the CO2 assembly in order to do that?

I'm hoping someone else has played with these "disposable" kegs and/or bottle conditioning in kegs.

Also... Any advice for getting the yeast out of the kegs after they're carbonated? Will I be able to pour a first glass of sludge to get it out?

 

[Bobby_M]

If you drink the entire thing in one night you can do it that way. If you want to pull a pint, and then save the rest for later you will need a source of CO2.

 

[wildtower]

Is that so that the headspace is full of CO2 rather than oxygen?

 

[CascadesBrewer]

Is that so that the headspace is full of CO2 rather than oxygen?

You want CO2 to 1) fill the headspace so your beer does not oxidize and 2) to keep pressure so that your beer stays carbonated. Without pressure, your beer will get more flat each time you open the bottle or dispense from the tap. If you are dispensing with a tap, then it will get to the point where the beer is flat and you might not have enough carbonation to push out the beer.

If you don't want to jump into full sized CO2 bottles, there are mini-regulators that use CO2 cartridges. The mini-regulators are not cheap and the price of cartridges will add up over time. An example product: Brewer's Edge® Dual Stage Micro Regulator

A CO2 tank + regulator with the tapping head on the Oxebar keg would be the best long term solution if you have access to CO2 tank swaps or refills.

 

[wildtower]

I looked at the mini cartridges, but I agree that for the long run a standard tank and regulator is better.

Thanks for answering my stupid questions and setting me right, much appreciated.