Tilted Kegs

[labeeratory]

Hey everyone, I am pretty new to the brew world, I am only about 12 batches in. I recently got tired of bottling and built a kegerator using a using a 1950's frigidaire refrigerator. The issue was that this is a pretty small fridge and I can only fit 2 5gal cornies in it. I recently purchased 4 2.5gal cronies for about $200 and am going to start splitting my batches between the kegs so I can add a third tap to the fridge. So I will basically have 1 5gal and 2 2.5gal cornies in the fridge and I will rotate the smaller kegs. Now to the point. I know it has been asked before if a keg will operate on its side, which I know it won't. But what if the keg was at an angle of say 5 degrees and the dip tube was bent to the bottom outside edge of the keg? Could this leave the gas tube out of the beer and leave the dip tube in the beer? Anyone tried this?

 

[riderkb]

A 5 degree tilt is no problem. The other thing that might help a little is the pin lock size kegs. A 5 gallon pin lock is a little shorter and plumper than a ball lock. I can just squeeze a ball lock in my fridge, but a pin lock fits nicely.

 

[dyqik]

Kegs can be operated on their side, but you need to modify the liquid out dip tube so that it reaches the lowest part of the keg. Obviously you'd need to be very careful of any overpressure valve that was now under the surface of the beer.

People sometimes run cornies upside down to use as pseudo-casks for "real ale", serving by gravity without CO2. The trick there is to swap the gas and liquid dip tubes around, so that beer flows out of the short gas dip tube (now on the liquid out post) under gravity, and make up air flows in to the "top" of the keg via the long liquid dip tube.

 

[Homercidal]

I had the same thought for adding more kegs to my kegerator. I can only fit 2 in my small fridge without removing the very useful door shelves (Great for holding a large variety of different flavors of beer!)

I know they make a floating pickup tube device that is supposed to pull from the top of the beer, in order to get the clearest beer as soon as possible.

I don't see why a similar device couldn't allow CO2 to be added to a keg in a similar manner.

Or a simple silicone and angled extension added to the gas in tube...

 

[dyqik]

I know they make a floating pickup tube device that is supposed to pull from the top of the beer, in order to get the clearest beer as soon as possible.

I don't see why a similar device couldn't allow CO2 to be added to a keg in a similar manner.

Or a simple silicone and angled extension added to the gas in tube...

The floating pickup system is called the CaskWidge. That may help with the dip tube not reaching the bottom of an angled keg, as the float would probably fall into the lowest part of the keg as it empties.

There's no need to add CO2 to the top of the keg though - pushing the gas through the beer helps carbonate it, particularly if you use a carbonation stone on the end of the line. Provided you are serving at your carbonation pressure, you won't lose or gain carbonation.

 

[labeeratory]

Forgive me when I said five degrees I meant it's compliment of 85 degrees. But Homercidal I think you may be right with the floating dip tube.

The only concern I would have as to what dyqik says about the co2 is getting my air lines dirty. Or do you think the pressure would keep the beer out of the air side of the keg

 

[labeeratory]

Does anybody now of a place to purchase this system

 

[barnaclebob]

I would just bend the dip tube so it is near the wall of the keg. You'll just have to remember to keep the keg rotated in the right orientation like having the liquid post always on top or always on bottom. You'll also need to make sure the dip tube is oriented correctly when you tighten the keg post.

 

[dyqik]

The caskwidge parts you can get from ukbrewing.com (yes, it is a states side company). You just want the float part, which you'd connect to a short dip tube with appropriate sized beer line.

 

[splendidus]

Due to overstocking of my kegerator I've used several unmodified 3gal kegs at 30-45º tilts until more room opened up. Obviously as the keg nears being empty this may fail (some of my 3 gal kegs have dip tubes that go straight down the wall in which case they can operate on their side until they are empty).

If you want to go the floating diptube route, I've seen one that is specifically marketed for corny kegs: http://www.clearbeerdraughtsystem.com/home.html

 

[labeeratory]

Splendidus that's a pretty sweet system, but for $35 I think a DIY is in order. Would a float ball from a toilet work for this? Or is that not sanitary?

 

[Homercidal]

Splendidus that's a pretty sweet system, but for $35 I think a DIY is in order. Would a float ball from a toilet work for this? Or is that not sanitary?

FROM a toilet, or FOR a toilet?

 

[dyqik]

Splendidus that's a pretty sweet system, but for $35 I think a DIY is in order. Would a float ball from a toilet work for this? Or is that not sanitary?

That one does seem a little over complicated/engineered. But "Hey! Stainless!". The caskwidge one is $18 I think, but you do need to provide your own hose and diptube.

 

[labeeratory]

I looked up the caskwidge and it is priced better, but I am currently making my own using a plastic float ball. I just drilled some holes in it ran some tuning through it, sealed it and waiting for it to dry now