Using a corny keg as a cask

[wazzu1991]

I'm thinking of brewing a batch of ESB and carbonating it in a 3 or 5 gallon keg with some corn sugar and having a small cask ale party. I was thinking about just connecting a faucet to the keg and laying it on its side for dispensing and having an open disconnect on the gas side to let air in. The only problem is the dip tube in the keg. Should I connect the faucet to the gas side since it has the short tube inside or can I just steal a gas inlet tube from another keg so that I have two short tubes in the keg. One for serving and one for air inlet.

 

[wildwest450]

Why not just leave it standing up and dispense with 3-4 psi of c02?


_

 

[Smashing]

Someone here did this. Can't remember many of the details but he modified/shortened the dip tube to suck beer and not sediment. He also had it on it's side with the top angling down.

 

[Smashing]

He also built a dispenser out of an RV pump faucet.

 

[Smashing]

Why not just leave it standing up and dispense with 3-4 psi of c02?


_

That would kill some of the lore and atmosphere of a casked beer.

 

[wildwest450]

That would kill some of the lore and atmosphere of a casked beer.

Served from a stainless steel container that once dispensed Pepsi.


_

 

[Smashing]

Painted like a barrel? LOL!

 

[samc]

They will be wearing rose colored glasses.

 

[AiredAle]

Put two gas inlet tubes (short ones) in the corny instead of one gas and one liquid. Condition with the keg on it's side, oriented so the liquid out fitting is at the bottom (6 o'clock if you will). This will let any sediment settle on the side of the keg, so it won't be stirred up when you set it on it's side. If you can move the keg to its final position a few days before your party, so much the better for clarity. Set it up so your keg is above the tap, or use a picnic tap on 3-4 feet of beer line. When you start serving, the pressure in the keg will push out beer. After you've dispensed beer to below the level of the upper fitting, put a gas in disconnect fitting on the gas fitting so you can let air in, and allow the beer to be gravity dispensed. If you put it on when the upper fitting is still submerged, you will take a beer shower. Drink it all in a couple days at most, and you'll be okay. Some folks advocate leaving a little air in the keg for a more authentic real ale flavor.

Full disclosure: I haven't done this, so can't guarantee the results, but it should work....

 

[wazzu1991]

Put two gas inlet tubes (short ones) in the corny instead of one gas and one liquid. Condition with the keg on it's side, oriented so the liquid out fitting is at the bottom (6 o'clock if you will). This will let any sediment settle on the side of the keg, so it won't be stirred up when you set it on it's side. If you can move the keg to its final position a few days before your party, so much the better for clarity. Set it up so your keg is above the tap, or use a picnic tap on 3-4 feet of beer line. When you start serving, the pressure in the keg will push out beer. After you've dispensed beer to below the level of the upper fitting, put a gas in disconnect fitting on the gas fitting so you can let air in, and allow the beer to be gravity dispensed. If you put it on when the upper fitting is still submerged, you will take a beer shower. Drink it all in a couple days at most, and you'll be okay. Some folks advocate leaving a little air in the keg for a more authentic real ale flavor.

Full disclosure: I haven't done this, so can't guarantee the results, but it should work....

That was kind of what I was thinking. I got the idea of a cask party after going to on at the Silver City Brewery the other day. They had a cask version of their gold medal Pale ale. The cask lasted 37 minutes before it was empty. I was planning on have friends over and consuming the whole thing i a few hours. I'll probably use my 3 gallon keg to do this. Thanks guys.

 

[Reno_eNVy]

Put two gas inlet tubes (short ones) in the corny instead of one gas and one liquid. Condition with the keg on it's side, oriented so the liquid out fitting is at the bottom (6 o'clock if you will). This will let any sediment settle on the side of the keg, so it won't be stirred up when you set it on it's side. If you can move the keg to its final position a few days before your party, so much the better for clarity. Set it up so your keg is above the tap, or use a picnic tap on 3-4 feet of beer line. When you start serving, the pressure in the keg will push out beer. After you've dispensed beer to below the level of the upper fitting, put a gas in disconnect fitting on the gas fitting so you can let air in, and allow the beer to be gravity dispensed. If you put it on when the upper fitting is still submerged, you will take a beer shower. Drink it all in a couple days at most, and you'll be okay. Some folks advocate leaving a little air in the keg for a more authentic real ale flavor.

Full disclosure: I haven't done this, so can't guarantee the results, but it should work....

It sounds like it would definitely work. I've been trying to find a reasonable home method that requires minimal extra equipment.

Great idea! :rockin: