Keggers, how do you share/travel with your brews?

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CallMeZoot

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I asked a question the other day about bottling half of a batch for giveaway, and kegging the rest... In the end I think that's just going to be a pain in the butt.

For those of you who keg exclusively, what do you do when you want to bring some brews to a party, or give them to a friend?

  • Bring the whole keg and a tap with you?
  • On demand, dispense kegged beer into bottles and cap? (will this work, or will there be problems with carbonation/temperature?)
  • Bring growlers (how long do these maintain freshness/carbonation -- will they last a day-long car-trip?)
  • Never leave the house, just invite people over
  • Other ideas?

chris.
 
Get a 3 gallon cornie. Then you can use a small co2 tank with a picnic tap. Put it all in an ice chest and pack it full of ice. Edwort has a neat little setup.
 
Ditto Jim. I have a few growlers and they have done fine for me up to 3 days... The beer doesn't stick around any longer than that, but I am sure they would be fine past then.
 
My favorite is a plastic soda bottle with a carbonator cap. Presentation is not great, but the beer is fresh, fully carbed and sediment free. Just remember to bring the cap home, they're not cheap. I bring a two liter bottle to work every other Friday or so.

I've also brought whole kegs to parties, but you've got to bring it early enough to let the sediment settle. Or bring a keg of hefe!
 
Joe Dragon said:
Like others I have had some luck freezing a growler and gently pouring right from the keg. cap that off and you're good to go. A beer gun is probably the way to go but they are a bit pricey.

Of course if it's a big party I use my R2D2 traveling keg cooler.....

View attachment 3609

That's sweet! How many kegs can you hold in that?
 
Do a search for BMBF. That's B[ier] M[unchers] B[ottle] F[iller]. It's cheaper than Blichman and easier too. You can also do the growler thing.

We had a street party this summer, and I just stuck three kegs into a large rubbermaid trash can, filled with ice and water and put a couple of picnic taps on and was good to go. Used a dolly to move it around.
 
If I'm just taking a liter or so to a brew meeting or dinner to be consumed that same night, I fill a growler or soda bottle. If I'm taking some on a longer trip and need it to stay for a few days, I use a DIY carbonator cap so I can purge o2 and pressurize to hold carb. If I have to send bottles away that I'll never get back I do this:

[YOUTUBE]CwIbFQcHYyo[/YOUTUBE]
 
I loaded 2 Corny's, 5# CO2 tank, regulator and picnic taps for my company party last week.

Wasn't worth it. :) I'll figure something out by next year. :D
 
tgrier said:
I use growlers - for small parties or if I am bring beer over to a dinner or something.

I have been know to just bring my corny with me and bring this http://www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?cPath=178_40_271_275_273&products_id=1197

I love the warning on that thing...
I can just see it now...
Down near the bottom of the keg...
feeling REALLY good...
"Check this out man!"
Zing, there goes the disconnect across the room,
smacking your wife right in the back of the head...
 
Yep, it depends on the party. I might cobra head fill a six pack or a growler or two. I might fill the three gallon corny. I might haul the whole five gallon sucker, too.


TL
 
It depends on how much I am giving away. If I plan to go to a party where the whole keg will be drunk, I bring the keg. If I am just bringing a growler or two I fill them from the keg for transport. If I plan to give half the batch or more away as gifts (like for the Holidays), I usually just bottle the whole batch.
 
TheJadedDog said:
It depends on how much I am giving away. If I plan to go to a party where the whole keg will be drunk, I bring the keg. If I am just bringing a growler or two I fill them from the keg for transport. If I plan to give half the batch or more away as gifts (like for the Holidays), I usually just bottle the whole batch.

This is my current thinking. I am new to kegging with plenty of bottles laying around. I am planning to bottle the stuff that can/should be aged, bottle the whoel batch if i am giving a lot of it away, and keep a case or two of session beer in bottles as well.

So for some parties I'll just throw together a six pack and for THOSE parties I'll load a couple cornies and a CO2 tank. I have some half gallon growlers, and some one gallon growlers.
 
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