Mini-Keg

Pale_Ale · Post by **Pale_Ale** » Monday Nov 27, 2006 9:40 pm

I was playing around with one of my empty Grolsch mini-kegs and found that the seal in the top can be opened. So I hit the web and it seems these can be used for home brewing, possibly.

Question is, has anyone done this with any degree of success?

I plan to mini-keg part of my next batch (I'm thinking a Golden Ale). I think I can get it airtight and I intend to prime it per the usual.

I'll post results if anyone is interested.

timmy · Post by **timmy** » Tuesday Nov 28, 2006 7:17 am

I'd be interested......

My CC loyalty programme has those DAB min-kegs available and I'm thinking of getting a few for the same reason (after drinking them of course)

rwh · Post by **rwh** » Tuesday Nov 28, 2006 9:24 am

There was a big thread on this a month or two back, try searching. Verdict was, it can be done, though you might have to carb a bit lower.

Pale_Ale · Post by **Pale_Ale** » Tuesday Nov 28, 2006 11:26 am

rwh, I read the thread, it had an external link to another forum in which someone did it, but details were sketchy, and it was a bad batch (though not through the mini-keg process.)

I'm going to give it a go myself anyway, should be an interesting experiment.

dinosaw · Post by **dinosaw** » Monday Dec 04, 2006 11:44 am

Check this site out, I know it is in the states but with the dollar the way it is this could be a great solution.

http://www.beer-wine.com/category_page. ... ectionID=1

Deano

Pale_Ale · Post by **Pale_Ale** » Friday Dec 08, 2006 1:48 pm

Nice one!

chefeffect · Post by **chefeffect** » Saturday Nov 24, 2007 3:32 pm

Hey there,

I have put a dark ale into a Konig Pilsner 5lt mini keg about 2 months ago (the beer previously in the keg was not the best but I drank it all anyways and hopefully the keg will get a few more uses). My plan is to drink the sucker on Christmas day so I will post a reply after then.

I got the rubber grommet out easy, but the little plastic plug that gets pushed into the keg when you first use it was a bit harder It took some wierd manouvering of the keg to get the thin end out the top of the keg then pliers to get it out.

I then sterilised the keg and grommet then pushed the plug back into the rubber grommet. The tap took some time moving it around to lock it in and to make sure it did not leak. I then used 11 carb drops and filled the keg with beer, and it seems to have pushed out a corner of the keg Im sure it will be ok but I think next time I would use just 8 or nine. And as for getting the rubber grommet in again that took some time. I put the grommet in boiling water for half an hour then used a block of wood to force the grommet in completely.

Anyways I will post a relply soon. I have pics but not sure how to put them on this web site.

blandy · Post by **blandy** » Sunday Nov 25, 2007 8:29 am

For anyone interested in making their own party keg, G&G has a workshop going on on December 8th

http://www.grainandgrape.com.au/article ... shop01.htm

I'll be there (If I can get out of work an hour early, which is pretty likely)

Chris · Post by **Chris** » Sunday Nov 25, 2007 8:43 am

I hope that they post the details on how to do it.

blandy · Post by **blandy** » Sunday Nov 25, 2007 9:46 am

Considering that they'll make a total of about $3 profit from the parts, I'd think they will.

I think it's mainly an exercise in selling pluto guns/fawcets, probably a lot of local homebrew shop good will as well (although Yarraville isn't local for me)

blandy · Post by **blandy** » Wednesday Nov 28, 2007 9:37 am

Here's some instructions I found after a bit of googling:

http://oz.craftbrewer.org/Library/Gear/ ... Kegs.shtml

ATM I'm trying to decide what sort of dispensing thingy to get. Either a tap or a pluto gun. I reckon pluto guns are a bit tacky, but they may be more suited to what I'll be using the keg for.

Chris · Post by **Chris** » Wednesday Nov 28, 2007 9:56 am

What's tacky about a pluto gun? They look great.

rwh · Post by **rwh** » Wednesday Nov 28, 2007 10:24 am

Certainly better than a bronco picnic tap

KEG · Post by **KEG** » Wednesday Nov 28, 2007 10:52 am

don't knock the bronco

Chris · Post by **Chris** » Wednesday Nov 28, 2007 11:33 am

The bronco is absolutely fine. The pluto looks great. You can like more than one

Especially when you have more than one keg ready to go, and couldn't be stuffed changing back and forth.

KEG · Post by **KEG** » Wednesday Nov 28, 2007 12:18 pm

yah, i'm thinking about getting another bronco tap..

Chris · Post by **Chris** » Wednesday Nov 28, 2007 1:26 pm

At that price, why wouldn't you?

Trough Lolly · Post by **Trough Lolly** » Wednesday Nov 28, 2007 1:59 pm

Bronco/Cobra taps are excellent - they're not as sexy as the Tru Flow tap on the fridge door, but they're heaps easier to clean and I get a good flow rate with less gas in the keg's headspace compared to the Tru Flow tap.

Cheers,
TL

Tipsy · Post by **Tipsy** » Wednesday Nov 28, 2007 6:38 pm

blandy wrote: I reckon pluto guns are a bit tacky, but they may be more suited to what I'll be using the keg for.

What are you using the keg for Blandy?

I'm going to make one for party's and will get the cheap bronco tap. I'd get the pluto gun if I could use it in my existing keg system.

blandy · Post by **blandy** » Thursday Nov 29, 2007 7:58 am

OK, to clear things up:

I think a pluto gun is tacky compared with a propper draught beer tap, like the ones you get in pubs.

I'll mainly be using the kegs for parties, possibly quite a few away from home. I'd immagine I wouldn't have one in the fridge all the time just to get a beer (we have one fridge, and it's for food and a few bottles).

After a bit more looking around and thinking about the mechanics of it all, a pluto gun will probably be the best option, as I won't be drilling out an esky to put a tap into it.

Really the main point I see of these kegs is so I can do a really quick batch for a party, so they'll avoid a lot of bottling time.

homebrewandbeer.com

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