Kegging Red Bull at $0.14 per 12 oz can

[cincybrewer]

Might be worth trying if it didn't contain crappy artificial sweeteners (Splenda and acesulfame potassium). I'll take regular sugar, please. Or at worst, HFCS.

Unless you are referring specifically to the Red Bull flavor, their sparkling naturals line doesn't contain any artificial sweeteners. Of course those are more expensive.

 

[Baron ken]

Unless you are referring specifically to the Red Bull flavor, their sparkling naturals line doesn't contain any artificial sweeteners. Of course those are more expensive.

I was referring to the Energy Drink, but all of the regular flavors drinks are artificially sweetened (along with sugar).

Thanks for pointing out the naturals drinks as they all use sugar, however, only the cola contains caffeine (but no indication how much?).

 

[Prymal]

I just did the math and to make a bar strength drink pre mixed in a keg using this product you would have to add 2 fifths of booze to 3 gallons of soda. This would give you a strength of 5% ABV, which is equal to 1.5 oz booze to 10 oz of soda. The real question is would you have to constantlty be shaking the keg to mix the alcohol before you pour a glass.

 

[mattd2]

...The real question is would you have to constantlty be shaking the keg to mix the alcohol before you pour a glass.

Can see why you would need to, alcohol mixes with water no problem. Just think of beer, we don't need to keep shaking the beer kegs to keep the alcohol mixed in

 

[Prymal]

Can't see why you would need to, alcohol mixes with water no problem. Just think of beer, we don't need to keep shaking the beer kegs to keep the alcohol mixed in

My thought is that when you are having a mixed drink you usually have to keep stirring the drink to keep the alcohol from separating from the mixer. maybe it is just a nervous habit for me that I do not need to do.

 

[mattd2]

My thought is that when you are having a mixed drink you usually have to keep stirring the drink to keep the alcohol from separating from the mixer. maybe it is just a nervous habit for me that I do not need to do.

Yeah never had that happen to me, I think you need to RDWHARB&V

 

[Flomaster]

My thought is that when you are having a mixed drink you usually have to keep stirring the drink to keep the alcohol from separating from the mixer. maybe it is just a nervous habit for me that I do not need to do.

I think its the ice in the drink watering down, water is lighter thus sits on top and your heavier soda/alcohol is benieth hence the stirring around to disperse evenly.

one thing I haven't seen mentioned is. that using this syrup in your system is going to be a bitch if you wish to serve beer out of said, keg, serving lines, tap again.

all the orings will smell of the syrup and taint your beer. the servring lines will likely end up the same unless you are using barrier tubing.

so this is best to use a dedicated keg , serving line, and tap.

OR just carbonate your water with co2 and get a hand pump bottle and just pump syrup into carbed water to taste.

-=jason=-

 

[mattd2]

I think its the ice in the drink watering down, water is lighter thus sits on top and your heavier soda/alcohol is benieth hence the stirring around to disperse evenly.

one thing I haven't seen mentioned is. that using this syrup in your system is going to be a bitch if you wish to serve beer out of said, keg, serving lines, tap again.

all the orings will smell of the syrup and taint your beer. the servring lines will likely end up the same unless you are using barrier tubing.

so this is best to use a dedicated keg , serving line, and tap.

OR just carbonate your water with co2 and get a hand pump bottle and just pump syrup into carbed water to taste.

-=jason=-

I think it had been said but mostly ignored , I agree with you and my plan is to didicated a keg to soda (Red Bull) as I got one that had been repaired (welded at the bottom joint between the side/base) that I am a bit uneasy about using for beer so this is perfect for it. Now just got to get 2-3 more cornies for beer and I'll be sweet, 5 beer - 1 soda.

 

[mrduna01]

So how many containers of this syrup would be needed for a 5 gallon keg of this stuff?

 

[Zen_Brew]

Just think of beer, we don't need to keep shaking the beer kegs to keep the alcohol mixed in

Don't we? Damn!... Maybe that's why my beer is always all foamy.

 

[mattd2]

Don't we? Damn!... Maybe that's why my beer is always all foamy.

Or why you can drink your beer like a hard-man all day, and your mate drinks only the last pint from the keg and he gets taken to the ER

 

[Xalwine]

So how many containers of this syrup would be needed for a 5 gallon keg of this stuff?

11.5 liters to each bottle, 18.9 (19) liters in a 5 gal corny.

About 1.6 containers are needed for a keg.

 

[funkapottomous]

If you have a bed, bath and beyond nearby, you can pick it up there instead of ordering it online. That's where I got mine.

Plus you can use those giant 20% coupons that never expire.

(seriously they never expire. We just used one from like 2002 the other day.)

 

[businesstime]

On a related topic, I once tried to make Perrier by tossing in water, and a couple halved lemons, and a couple halved limes into my keg. It tasted really great for the first few days, but I think the rind (in particular the white part) really turned the drink bitter. I want to try it again, but grate most of the white off the peels (or perhaps just squeeze a little juice in there instead). Whenever I get my chest freezer, I'm going to have two beers, perrier and red bull on tap.

 

[John Beere]

So I did this.. Used 1 bottle of syrup to 3 gallons of filtered water in a 3 gallon keg, then force carb'ed it up. It tastes more like the sugar free red bull that the regular, but I'm ok with that. I'm sold!

 

[KCBigDog]

Just picked up a bottle of the Energy mix. If I'm figuring correctly, it should be two capfuls for a 2-liter bottle, is that right?

Planning to use my carbinator cap.

 

[John Beere]

Just picked up a bottle of the Energy mix. If I'm figuring correctly, it should be two capfuls for a 2-liter bottle, is that right?

Planning to use my carbinator cap.

Yes.. That's right. I did the same before doing a full 3 gallons of it.

 

[KCBigDog]

Did you just use tap water with two capfuls, then hook up the carbinator? Or did you carb the water first?

 

[John Beere]

I filled the 2-liter with water from my Brita filter and the syrup, and then force carbed it by shaking it while connected to c02.. then let it sit overnight.

 

[bill42]

so are you guys adding powder caffiene to get it to redbulls level? i always thought that the was the point of redbull, the taste isnt that great.

 

[mattd2]

so are you guys adding powder caffiene to get it to redbulls level? i always thought that the was the point of redbull, the taste isnt that great.

As far as I can tell it is already at Red Bull levels

 

[EROK]

Get a coke syrup, dilute as specified, add whiskey to taste and viola!! You've got Jack and coke on tap!!! My SWMBO will hate you for all eternity for establishing this thread!!!:rockin:

How about RUM and Coke, I like to spice it up ISLAND style... YEH MON !!

 

[beesy]

FYI they do have a diet version as well with no sugar ( I think the label listed Splenda - gave it to Pickles tonight). I bought mine at Best Buy for 6.99/bottle.

Tonight I kegged up a 3 gallon batch with filtered (same filter use for brewing) tap water of the regular version syrup. I am am not a huge Red Bull drinker and only had a can of the diet name brand to compare it to.

The Soda Stream smelled very close to the Red Bull. The it was lacking some of the tartness found in the Red Bull as well as the bububblegum'ish flavor at the end. I added some citric acid in very small doses to a glass of the SodaStream, and after three doses, it brought them quite a bit closer together. Maybe some bubblegum flavoring (in VERY small quantity) would help more, not sure. Keep in mind i was comparing regular SodaStream to diet Red Bull.

The doses were too small to accurately measure, but tomorrow, I'll get a can of regular Red Bull to compare and start making citric acid additions to the keg in levels that can be accurately tracked.

Overall, a good start that I'm sure we HBT'ers can get dialed in the rest of the way. I think next batch I will used distilled water to see if it turns out any different, although my Columbus water is light at almost all mineral levels. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f128/columbus-ohio-water-profile-134558/index2.html

 

[KIAKillerXJ]

anyone else having luck with this? got an extra empty keg lying around....

 

[pickles]

I recently made the diet version. I used filtered water, but it tastes a bit weird. Its drinkable but not very good, it almost has a chemical flavor. I'm wondering if its my water, although my water tastes just fine.

 

[BrewThruYou]

I recently made the diet version. I used filtered water, but it tastes a bit weird. Its drinkable but not very good, it almost has a chemical flavor. I'm wondering if its my water, although my water tastes just fine.

Honestly, all sugar free energy drinks have a medicinal taste to me...especially Monster Lo Carb. I still like them, but I wouldn't point the finger at your water just yet.

 

[tszetela]

A cornie of Red Bull!?!?! Now all we need is a gal of vodka and it a party!

 

[DrHops]

I bought the diet version and think that it tastes pretty good! But then again, I'm used to drinking Monster which is pretty harsh to begin with. I just filled up a 2 liter bottle and used a carbonator cap to carbonate it.

 

[Jtd6628]

Interesting.

 

[user 87197]

Thank you for posting this! I go through about a case and a half of the 8.5oz redbull cans a month and even at Sam's Club pricing that's ~$45/month, this makes the payback time on a dual tap fridge conversion only about 7-8 months and I get to keg beer with the other tap for "free". I had been on the fence between going with tap-a-draft or kegging as I've only been drinking about 15-20 gallons of homebrew a year but this makes it a no-brainer.