Portable keg psi?

[Fbrews]

I would like to bring one of my 2.5g kegs to friends house, (purchased from AIH). My normal serving pressure is 8 psi with about 3 feet of gas/beer lines per side. My question is how much psi should I fill the keg at 40 degrees so that I don't have to bring my CO2 tank. Meaning to pour the beer with no CO2 attached , much like the Heiniken 1gal kegs. I would be bringing a picnic tap 15 inches of beer line and just the keg. I will put the keg on ice. I am familiar with carbonation rates at temps when constantly connected to CO2.

Thanks

 

[johngaltsmotor]

The problem is that as you dispense beer the pressure in the keg will drop. So if you start with 8PSI and a full keg you'll only get maybe a dozen beers before pressure drops significantly. You need to replace the beer with the same volume of gas at each pour. That's why you have to keep pumping a hand tap. If you seriously over pressure to start in order to compensate you'll need a significantly longer beer hose in order for the pressure drop to be gradual or you'll get pure foam.
The Heineken mini-kegs are open to air and gravity fed. You could do the same thing if you open the lid of the keg and keep the tap below the keg so it siphons. But if you don't drink it all at once you might not be happy the next day because the beer would go flat and possibly oxidize.

 

[Onkel_Udo]

The Heineken mini-kegs are open to air and gravity fed. You could do the same thing if you open the lid of the keg and keep the tap below the keg so it siphons. But if you don't drink it all at once you might not be happy the next day because the beer would go flat and possibly oxidize.

Actually, I have done a modified cask ale system for similar situation assuming it is to be drunk in one sitting or put back on the gas pretty quick after and evening followed by consumption of the remaining beer in a few days.

To do this you need a spare set of the QD's for both in and out plus a spare picnic tap. Now simply put the picnic tap on on the "in" or gas QD and open tube as long as you keg plus about 3" on the "out" or liquid QD. Flip the keg and attach the in qd with tap and draw a beer or two. Then hold the tube on the out qd above the bottom of the keg (now the top because it is inverted) and connect the out qd as your breather.

This obviously works much better if the keg has a full upper rubber surround. We did this many time on rallies before the little bicycle pump keg chargers or paintball tank adapters.