using corny without co2 tank

[HoboBrewery]

my gf bought me a corny keg a while back along with a really cool dual regulator. i never used it because money got tight suddenly and i couldn't afford a co2 tank. i still can't afford one but would love to utilize it (especially considering i have 20 gallons of beer to bottle tomorrow). does anyone have experience naturally carbonating beer in the corny?

the reason i thought about this is because i watched a video recently about neobrittania ale yeast and how the guy from northern brewer was talking about a "poor man's cask" which he put the corny on its side without co2 and was gravity pouring beer out. that said i have a half pound of heavy toasted oak chips and a thirst to pound 50 "real" beers with friends in a week or two.

 

[Brooklyn-Brewtality]

totally possible to use corn sugar to carb a keg.

General rule-of-thumb that I use is to carb a keg you need 1/2 as much sugar as bottles.

If your beer is at room temp (68) and you are going for 2 vols of co2, use 3.2 oz of sugar

 

[HoboBrewery]

thanks man. do i have to pull the relief valve often (or at all)- ie will the pressure get too crazy if i leave it alone for a week? and then secondly, how long do you think i'll need before i'm ready to tap that? and finally, like a cask, must i drink within a couple days or it'll go flat? just want to prepare for every factor (haven't used a corny yet).

props on the serrano/habanero ale too. what kind of base will you use? i'm guessing something on the lighter side. you looking for an inferno of heat or a balanced heat? looking to try new things.

 

[Brooklyn-Brewtality]

dont use the relief valve, the whole point is to build up pressure. usually two weeks is what it can take to carb up.

I dont know about this "poor man's cask" idea, would be interested in seeing this video if you have a link. But yea, if you have no co2 and are letting air in the keg, you will want to drink within a few days.


As for the pepper beer. I am going to use a kolsch or blonde base. not sure yet. and my goal is to make a "beer you need a beer for"... i.e. really spicy

 

[HoboBrewery]

doesn't look too carbonated but the pressure relief valve did blow hard when he pulled it. could be on its way out for all i know.

and that is a great idea with the spicy beer. you could eat mild buffalo wings with it and use the beer to start a fire, rather than drinking beer to extinguish the flames of hot wings.

 

[rycov]

[

and that is a great idea with the spicy beer. you could eat mild buffalo wings with it and use the beer to start a fire, rather than drinking beer to extinguish the flames of hot wings.

nice. that would mess your mind up. i like it:rockin:

 

[WTF_Brewing]

It seems like you could intentionally overcarb a bit, then use a long dispensing line to a tap. Let the pressure inside push the beer for dispensing. It will be overcarbed at first, then it should slowy become less and less carbed as the level in the corny drops. You would probably have to keep shortening the length of the beer line as the pressure dropped to keep it balanced, but I think it would work without having to lay the tank over and trying to gravity feed. You might even be able to get away with say a 10ft, 7ft, and 3 ft beer lines.

 

[wedge421]

Wow apparently im in the wrong field of work. We dont have any beers in our break room at the hospital

 

[P-J]

my gf bought me a corny keg a while back along with a really cool dual regulator. i never used it because money got tight suddenly and i couldn't afford a co2 tank.
...

There is a cheap and easy soution available for you if you want to go the CO² route. Go to a paintball shop and buy a 20oz tank.
Here is a Link to the item so you see what I'm refering to.

It will only cost you a few bucks to get it filled at the shop. It would also be good if they fitted it with an on/off valve. This way you can use your regulator and avoid the cost of buying a standard tank. (The 20oz equals 1/4 the volume of a 5 pound CO² tank for a lot less money)

 

[HoboBrewery]

interestingly enough, i have a 20oz co2 tank from my paintball days as well as a nitrogen tank. i am just not technically inclined enough to know what i should be asking the supplier about how to convert this (my adapter doesn't hook up to this tank).

 

[HoboBrewery]

Wow apparently im in the wrong field of work. We dont have any beers in our break room at the hospital

i can see that now on the newspaper: "Anaesthesiologist gets drunk...kills 3 in mishap at local hospital"

Haha, a man can dream

 

[Brooklyn-Brewtality]

interestingly enough, i have a 20oz co2 tank from my paintball days as well as a nitrogen tank. i am just not technically inclined enough to know what i should be asking the supplier about how to convert this (my adapter doesn't hook up to this tank).

Paintball tank regulator

 

[P-J]

This On/Off Valve Adapter will allow you to connect a standard regulator to the PB tank. The valve (shown) depresses the PB pin valve in the tank and delivers the CO² to the regulator. The threads on the regulator stem, and its gasket seal, mate prefectly with it.

Hope this helps.

 

[HoboBrewery]

for 90 dollars I'll just buy a co2 tank.

 

[Brooklyn-Brewtality]

P-J's solution is much better if you already have a regulator. For 18 bucks you can be kegging.