Kegging Options for a tailgate

[MistyMountainHops]

Well - not exactly a tailgate, but the same concept.

My Dad is retiring at the end of April and we (my brothers, family, etc) are throwing him a surprise retirement party/crawfish boil in Houston. I made a beer for the event and planned on kegging it since I was limited on time when I made it. It is an all Amarillo IPA. I currently have a kegerator, so I know all about kegging, etc - but I have never used a picnic tap. The picnic tap really isnt my main concern, but rather what would be the best method for charging and transporting the keg from Edmond OK to Houston (about 7hrs) via car.

I thought that I would use a "paintball" size CO2 tank for the party itself, with the keg chilling in a trash can full of ice with a picnic tap for serving.

Should I charge the keg prior to heading down there? Should I charge it in or out of the kegerator? If I charge it in the kegerator, it will obviously be cold - I would need to keep it cold from here on out, correct? I want it to be fully carbonated for the party that is on Sat. We are heading down on a friday. Thoughts?

The beer is currently sitting in a secondary getting it's dry hop on. It is already a fantastic beer, I just dont want to ruin it in transport. There are going to be a lot of my dad's co-workers and members of our family there and I want to impress them.

Thanks in advance.

 

[MistyMountainHops]

Also - I already know/have all of the equipment I will need for this (keg, attachment for the smaller C02 to hook up to a regulator, a regulator, a picnic tap). I am more concerned with the method of carbonating the beer (warm vs cold) etc.

 

[goose1873]

i'm interested in this answer as well so i thought id give it a bump...

 

[mosquitocontrol]

I'll be doing the same thing for memorial day. Was a bit concerned. Looking for any tips for an 8 hour car ride with plans to serve the next day out of a bucket of ice and picnic taps.

 

[boogyman]

why not just force carb it before you go down, and then just serve with the small co2 charger?

What I've always seen is either (with a pre-carbonated keg):
1) tub of ice, co2 charger, picnic tap
2) keg, normal size co2 tank/regulator, jockey box

If you really wanted to go all out, you could probably build a jockey box pretty cheap from copper at the local big box hardware store and a cheapo cooler from walmart. Then just use your normal co2/regulator to serve.

 

[MistyMountainHops]

I appreciate your insight, but more specifically I was looking for the best method of charging the keg (cold vs warm) prior, and if I should transport it in the trash can with ice and or attached to C02, or is this a complete bone head move....

 

[shortyjacobs]

You can carbonate warm or cold...you just need more pressure if it's warm.

Easiest is to carb cold, in your fridge, just like normal. When it's time to go, disconnect it, and take it to the party.

Try to keep it cold on the drive, as 5 gal of beer is a ****** to chill down again with ice....but keeping it cold is not essential.

What IS essential is that you get it chilled back down to the same temp, or colder, than your fridge, before trying to pour. Trying to pour 2.4 volume carbonated beer that is at 60F is a recipe for foam city....you want to have it cold to dispense. It doesn't matter when you connect CO2...as long as you have it connected to start dispensing!

 

[chefchris]

i wouldn't waste my time or gas to try and carbonate it warm. I would keg it tomorrow or thursday, get it cold and burst carb it. I can leave mine at 40 psi overnight (without shaking) and it's plenty carbed up the next day.

also you want to think about sediment. I didn't read anything about you cold crashing it. I can only assume that you're going to have some sediment in this beer without crashing it, especially with dry hops in it. Which, for the most part, is fine considering most people don't move the keg once the beer's in it ... but you're driving yours 7 miles and hooking it up to dispense. You're asking for a big, nasty glass of beer. Aesthetics play a huge role in beer drinking.

 

[shortyjacobs]

Chef Chris is right. What I plan to do when taking kegs for journeys this summer is chill+carbonate @ 30 PSI for 2 days, with gelatin. After the 3rd day, it should be nice and crystal clear. Pour off 1-2 pints using a picnic tap, then jumper into a fresh keg so all I have is sediment free, carbonated, yummy beer.

 

[Lenny2884]

Last summer I took one of my beers on a 5 hour trip and it worked out great. I carbed it as I normally would at home then wrapped the keg in a sleeping bag on the ride to keep it as cold as possible throughout the trip. When I got to my destination I left the keg in a garbage can full of ice overnight and it was pouring great the next morning. +1 on bringing it down to a cooler temp before serving as I attempted to pull a sample when I arrived and it came shooting out like a freaking geiser! Also cold crashing will really help keep the beer nice and clear throughout the trip. Good luck!!

 

[demonrichie]

how bout a small fridge plugged into one of those converters that you plug into your car lighter...im thinkin if you reeeeaaallllyyy wanted to you could take the kegerator itself

 

[MistyMountainHops]

Thanks for all of yalls help. I really appreciate it.

 

[JSomps6]

One of these might be of help...

http://keglove.com/