Portability of Corny kegs

[buckheadhobo]

Hey guys. I like to take my homebrew to parties and share it with lots of people. (possibly the best thing to do with homebrew)
I'm currently using bottles, but I'm seriously thinking about switching to kegs.

Now, if I switch to kegs, will I be able to take my beer with me? That is, how much equipment will I need to dispense it?
I'm thinking of just submerging the corny in ice in a bucket/barrel, like they do at keg parties.
Will I need a CO2 tank/any other equipment to dispense when not at home?

 

[Bobby_M]

Yes, you'll need some source of CO2 and it can bee a full sized tank, a paint ball tank with adapter or even a "charger" which uses 12 gram disposable cartridges.

 

[SumnerH]

The charger solution is highly portable.

Alternatively you can keg, and then just fill a 6-pack or 2 from the keg to take with you to the party.

 

[Yooper]

I'm going to a party in a few minutes. I'm taking one 3 gallon keg with a portable co2 charger and a picnic tap in an "Ice Cube" wheeled cooler, and I'm also taking two growlers of a different beer. Quick, portable, and easy.

I'll try to take some pictures tonight but I may forget, depending on how fast the beer goes.

 

[beerthirty]

10:30 in the morning and she's going to a party. My type of woman.

 

[EdWort]

I love my 3 gallon kegs with the KEGLove. It's the ultimate in portablity.

 

[Trubadour]

I love my 3 gallon kegs with the KEGLove. It's the ultimate in portablity.

That's awesome. Know of a cheap source for them?

 

[MarshyTheKid]

I wish I had a 3 gallon keg for things like that. They're so much more expensive though.

 

[mklawz]

This photo belongs to forum member Jonnio, Im sure he wont mind me sharing it. I built this same thing, very easy. I took it into my homebrew shop today and shared my saison.

 

[Chello]

They also make Keg Gloves for 5 gallon kegs. I have one and use it every time i take a keg somewhere. They work really well, and if the gathering is of any reputable size, it will keep the keg cold far longer than the beer will last.

 

[sethful]

BierMuncher has a rolling kegerator...
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/biermunchers-rolling-kegerator-byo-published-71719/


I stole his idea and created one of my own and it works great. Mine can hold 3 kegs and it stays mighty cold. The trashcan and 3 kegs + CO2 can get stowed in my little Honda Fit for ease of portability.

 

[david_42]

Sometimes I'll take half a keg. I have a OUT-to-OUT connector and I transfer under pressure. With 50% headspace, you can dispense the beer without taking your CO2 rig.

 

[jaobrien6]

Sometimes I'll take half a keg. I have a OUT-to-OUT connector and I transfer under pressure. With 50% headspace, you can dispense the beer without taking your CO2 rig.

I never thought of that, but it makes sense. I guess a half-full keg, if pressurized to 10psi, should have plenty of pressure to push the rest of the beer out, right? It'll just slow down as it goes, but by the time you're out of beer, it should still have 5 psi of pressure in the keg, right (assuming it was exactly half full).

 

[Yooper]

10:30 in the morning and she's going to a party. My type of woman.

Well, we didn't start drinking beer until 2 PM. But, I had two growlers of watermelon wheat for my friend, and three gallons of APA for my guy friends (and me). We also had about 6 bottles of homemade wine with dinner, so it was a good time.

This morning, we were up at 7 AM for a Lake Superior boat tour to a lighthouse. Good thing the water was fairly calm!

I forgot to take pictures, but it looks very much like the picture above, just with a three gallon keg, so the lid on the Ice Cube cooler closes.

 

[Cpt_Kirks]

I took a couple of kegs to a birthday party last night.

Two 3 gallon kegs, a paintball bottle and small regulator fits into a 70qt cube cooler, with room for a 20lb bag of ice.

That is 64 12oz servings of draft homebrew goodness. And, it rolls, too.

 

[Kplum]

How many beers will that 12 gram dispence..

 

[amishland]

Sometimes I'll take half a keg. I have a OUT-to-OUT connector and I transfer under pressure. With 50% headspace, you can dispense the beer without taking your CO2 rig.

david does the co2 with 50% headspace last long enough to dispense the entire 2.5 gallons? do you need to bring a really long hose for your picnic tap to dispense at 10 psi?

 

[Benny Blanco]

I like to fill about 3 growlers and just roll with that since most of my friends drink **** beer anyway. It's enough to give people samples. The 1gal growlers also work well as long as you don't let it sit around too long.

 

[Cpt_Kirks]

How many beers will that 12 gram dispence..

I have heard that it takes about two and half cartridges to dispense a whole keg. So, figure about twenty beers per.

Since I built my paintball rig, I only use the little injector as a backup.

 

[Homercidal]

I transported a keg to a friends house and had the pressure set to a couple of pounds for serving (I know better now). By the time it got there, the CO2 had come out of solution and it was pretty flat. If you take a keg, might want to make sure the pressure is at the proper amount for keeping the beer carbed.

 

[rcrabb22]

One issue with taking kegs to parties is stirring up yeast and other seditment that has settled over the week(s) of keg conditioning when you transport it. If you like to take kegs to parties some advocate filtering prior to conditioning as was discussed on the Brew Strong podcast dedicated to filtering.

 

[Yooper]

I forgot to mention that I don't filter, but I made a "jump" to transfer to another keg so it would be sediment free. First, the first keg should be carbed up and ready to pour. Then, I used two black quick disconnects and a couple of feet of beer line. I put some co2 into the receiving keg, and pulled the pressure relief valve, to purge it and to make a "vacuum". Then, I put on the QDs and transferred the beer by pulling the pressure relief valve on the receiving keg. The whole transfer took place by pushing with about 2 psi to the original keg. It sounds way more complicated than it was. It turned out great!

 

[wrench001]

If you can get some 3 gallon kegs without spending a fortune... This is what I threw together. Super easy to transport and keeps the beer cold all day if you need it to.

(click for larger images)

 

[Cpt_Kirks]

If you can get some 3 gallon kegs without spending a fortune... This is what I threw together. Super easy to transport and keeps the beer cold all day if you need it to.

(click for larger images)

That is VERY similar to mine. I have a single gauge and use picnic taps.

I'm working on a u-shaped PVC tower for two taps. The PVC legs will fit into the cup holder depressions.

 

[Gussymo]

I use the same cooler with 5 gallon kegs. I cut a hole in the lid for the keg to fit though and use a picnic tap. Only the rubber part on the top of the keg sticks out of the cooler lid. Works great for camping.

 

[Homercidal]

I'd love to get some 3 gallons, but they are pricey. I'm working on getting a 2.5 gallon fir extinguisher converted, but not quite done. I can fit 3 of those compared to 2 5 gallon kegs. Less beer, but more selection.

 

[Cpt_Kirks]

I'd love to get some 3 gallons, but they are pricey. I'm working on getting a 2.5 gallon fir extinguisher converted, but not quite done. I can fit 3 of those compared to 2 5 gallon kegs. Less beer, but more selection.

Yeah, I was involved in that thread. Until the MoreBeer cheap 3 gallon kegs hit the market.

:rockin: