Soda stream gassing.

[Donno]

Hello fellow brewers. As a new bloke on the block I would like to ask a question or two about using soda stream bottles to gas 18 litre kegs. I am new to the keg system and would like to know if using a soda stream bottle replaces the need to hire a gas cylinder from a supplier. I have been reading a bit but haven't quite got it yet. A friend of mine uses the big BOC bottles and also decanters the brewed beer into another brewing container prior to putting it into the keg, to get rid of most of the sediment. He has said however that if I was to use a soda stream bottle to gas the beer once it was in the steel keg I would not be able to decanter the brewed beer because there would not be enough carbonation in the beer and there would not be enough gas in the soda stream bottle to carbonate and push the beer through the system. I hope this makes some sense. All I really need to know is; will a soda stream bottle do the job? or does the beer need to be gassed by a big bottle and then use the soda stream bottle for dispensing? Also is decantering from the original brewing container into another a normal practice?

Thanks in Advance.

Donno

[Chris]

I'd just get the big bottle. If you are going to keg, you may as well.

And I assume that your friend is brewing in his fermenter then racking into a keg? If so, that is normal.

[Ross]

In answer tom your question, the sodastream bottle will do everything the big bottle can, just not for as many brews. If you are very careful not to waste any CO2 you can carbonate & dispense between 2 & 3 kegs. This is a very cost effective solution for the guy that only drinks 1 or 2 kegs per month.

cheers Ross

[Chris]

The gas is pretty damn expensive though.

Often it is better to buy a bottle outright and refill.

[Gym_]

I’m using soda stream and I get about 1.5 kegs out of a bottle, that’s forced carbonation and dispensing,
I will probably end up going a large bottle but the way I look at it unless you’re going to use 150 bucks worth of soda stream Co2’s per year then don’t bother getting a big bottle ..
You just have to work it out are you going to go though more than 1 or 2 Co2’s a month?

At the prices I was quoted by BOC I would need to be going through a keg every 2 weeks to make it any cheaper getting it though them..
To make it cheaper again u can always chuck some more dex or sugar in the keg and leave it for a month and that way you won’t have to force carb it saving you well over 50% of the gas per keg.

[Shaun]

Buy a bottle out right they are readly available all over Austraila now. Pays for itself in 3 years useing BOC retail price as a guild. Last refill lasted me 2 1/2 years.

http://www.mykegonlegs.com.au/

[Boonie]

Go the big one.

Mine fits in my kegerator with 2 x 19 Litre Kegs, so it is not unsightly and a bottle lasts me about 5-6 Months.....sometimes less in summer.

Cheers

Boonie

[lethaldog]

Go the big one.

Mine fits in my kegerator with 2 x 19 Litre Kegs, so it is not unsightly and a bottle lasts me about 5-6 Months.....sometimes less in summer.

Cheers

Boonie

Jesus boonie how much do you drink mate

[UlTrA_]

Hey all
Im new to home brew but have seen these things called rotokeg and a few other knock offs some use the sodastream bottles and others use small co2 cannisters similar to the ones used in air guns.
I was wondering would anyone have any idea how hard it would be to make a beer dispenser using a 20-25lt water container(or something similar) and a old sodastream machine to make one
I think it would be a neat addition to my garage
I already ahve a pool table and 2 fermenters and am going to build a bar and install a dart board at some point after all every guy needs his space.
Thanks for the info in advance

[shammo]

a water container wont hold enough pressure to use it as a disspenser or pressurised vessal

[squirt in the turns]

Looking at these plastic Rotokegs, King Kegs, Bubble's "barrel", etc, it seems that the CO2 is used to provide little or no carbonation, and simply helps to protect and condition the beer, and probably to help force pour beer in systems that use a floating tap. I'd be interested to hear from anyone that's used them - I wonder if they do a decent job?

[Gym_]

Ive been was using soda stream bottles for ages and some times still do .. there convenient and cheap ..
If you want to make a $12 bottle last ages then put 150g of sugar in your keg of room temp beer and leave for 5 days..
You now have a gassed keg and you will be able to make a 1kg soda stream bottle stretch for up to 10 kegs ..\

OR you can do what i do which is here http://youtu.be/bem-SHjOrio

Cheers Gym_