cornies, polykegs.... definitive setup thread

A forum to discuss the various ways of getting beer into your glass.
Post Reply
User avatar
barneey
Telling imaginary friend stories
Posts: 5423
Joined: Mon Jul 25, 2011 10:42 pm
Location: East Kent

Re: cornies, polykegs.... definitive setup thread

Post by barneey » Thu Nov 28, 2013 3:44 pm

Yep its quite easy to gas a keg up when its warm and to have a cool snap and the co2 has been absorbed, so with corneys I would recommend if the gas them and disconnect method is used, is to just double check them every few days.
Hair of the dog, bacon, butty.
Hops, cider pips & hello.

Name the Movie + song :)

leedsbrew

Re: cornies, polykegs.... definitive setup thread

Post by leedsbrew » Thu Nov 28, 2013 3:57 pm

Heron1952 wrote:My first polykeg filled and gassed.
Image
Hi, what pressure are you using with that set up? Also after the 3/8-3/16 reducer how much 3/16 line are you useing? i ask as recently I changed my beer lines as they were a bit old, but didnt have as much 3/16 as I thought so was going to extend the amount of 3/8 that I normaly use, but want to avoid excess foaming.


thanks

LB

Heron1952
Piss Artist
Posts: 235
Joined: Mon Jul 01, 2013 5:39 pm
Location: Burford, Oxfordshire

Re: cornies, polykegs.... definitive setup thread

Post by Heron1952 » Thu Nov 28, 2013 4:20 pm

leedsbrew wrote:
Heron1952 wrote:My first polykeg filled and gassed.
Hi, what pressure are you using with that set up? Also after the 3/8-3/16 reducer how much 3/16 line are you useing? i ask as recently I changed my beer lines as they were a bit old, but didnt have as much 3/16 as I thought so was going to extend the amount of 3/8 that I normaly use, but want to avoid excess foaming.


thanks

LB
Still experimenting but I force carbed a flattish bitter that had been sitting conditioning in a Wilko plastic keg.
At about 8-10 psi for 3 days. Then since then, as low as I can get at about 2psi for serving. About 300mm 3/16 line.
Fil has posted earlier in this thread a how to on this subject. ( towards the bottom of page 2)
I intend to try to prime and condition as I've done previously and just serve at low pressure.
For ales that is. lagers I intend to do the same but may end up serving at higher pressure, still learning.
aka Rhys

User avatar
barneey
Telling imaginary friend stories
Posts: 5423
Joined: Mon Jul 25, 2011 10:42 pm
Location: East Kent

Re: cornies, polykegs.... definitive setup thread

Post by barneey » Fri Nov 29, 2013 3:59 pm

Just kegged my one hop Bramling X I had fermenting away in the Polykeg, no problems or real issues apart from the Polykeg isn't exactly see through compared to a better bottle.
Hair of the dog, bacon, butty.
Hops, cider pips & hello.

Name the Movie + song :)

smartdev

Re: cornies, polykegs.... definitive setup thread

Post by smartdev » Thu Dec 05, 2013 12:15 am

So where can I get my hands on some of these polykegs or have I missed the boat on this one?

bigdave

Re: cornies, polykegs.... definitive setup thread

Post by bigdave » Thu Dec 05, 2013 12:20 am

For now the ship has sailed BUT asd may sell some more one day. lol

asd

Re: cornies, polykegs.... definitive setup thread

Post by asd » Thu Dec 05, 2013 2:19 am

Hi everyone,

I have been seriously looking into these Polykegs - The used supply has dried up. I have been in contact with the Italian manufacturers, and I am in the process of importing pallets of NEW polykegs for onward sale into the homebrew market.

The original used Polykeg thing was a spur of the moment decision, as several things stacked into place. I happened to have a van hired that weekend for transporting a load of stainless casks, Redwell Brewery and I happened to both be situated in Norwich, I had some spare cash, and a couple of weeks of time to play with before my brewery was ready, which some of you may know I am having built. Plus i thought they were a great idea, and they would have just gone into landfill if no-one had snapped them up.

The price of a NEW 30 litre Polykeg, if people are interested, is likely to be around £20 - £22 a time delivered, £15-17 collected. I personally think they are brilliant - they double as fermenters as well as being the most excellent vessel for dispensing from.

I'm interested to know whether the 30 litre or 20 litre size would be best, or maybe both? They also do a 16 and 24 litre.

What do folks think?

Simon.

User avatar
FUBAR
Lost in an Alcoholic Haze
Posts: 737
Joined: Wed Jan 13, 2010 10:12 pm
Location: Lenham Kent

Re: cornies, polykegs.... definitive setup thread

Post by FUBAR » Thu Dec 05, 2013 9:21 am

IMO the 24 litre would suit most people ideal for the 23 litre standard brew length, or us 50 + litre brewers have a good multi fill option.
I buy my grain & hops from here http://www.homebrewkent.co.uk/


I have taken more out of alcohol than alcohol has taken out of me - Winston Churchill

Heron1952
Piss Artist
Posts: 235
Joined: Mon Jul 01, 2013 5:39 pm
Location: Burford, Oxfordshire

Re: cornies, polykegs.... definitive setup thread

Post by Heron1952 » Thu Dec 05, 2013 9:39 am

Happy with the 30l not 16l maybe 24l
Did anyone follow up kegs available from the Stafford brewery in Leek that I posted about earlier?
http://www.staffordshirebrewery.co.uk/p ... /petainer/
I see that the Ironbridge brewery use them, wonder if they or Stafford brewery would sell on?
http://www.packaging-gateway.com/news/n ... s-petainer
aka Rhys

ceejay

Re: cornies, polykegs.... definitive setup thread

Post by ceejay » Fri Dec 06, 2013 11:40 am

I'm just looking at kegging and I would be really interested in a couple of the Polykegs. I brew to a 23l brewlength at the end of the boil, so usually end up packaging 19 litres or so. A 20l would be perfect for me, though I guess a 24 wouldn't hurt.

Fil
Telling imaginary friend stories
Posts: 5229
Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2011 1:49 pm
Location: Cowley, Oxford

Re: cornies, polykegs.... definitive setup thread

Post by Fil » Fri Dec 06, 2013 7:01 pm

ceejay wrote:I'm just looking at kegging and I would be really interested in a couple of the Polykegs. I brew to a 23l brewlength at the end of the boil, so usually end up packaging 19 litres or so. A 20l would be perfect for me, though I guess a 24 wouldn't hurt.
as wld 30l u cant underfil a keg as long as u vent air out after adding co2 to condition.
ist update for months n months..
Fermnting: not a lot..
Conditioning: nowt
Maturing: Challenger smash, and a kit lager
Drinking: dry one minikeg left in the store
Coming Soon Lots planned for the near future nowt for the immediate :(

asd

Re: cornies, polykegs.... definitive setup thread

Post by asd » Fri Dec 06, 2013 9:32 pm

Heron1952 wrote:Happy with the 30l not 16l maybe 24l
Did anyone follow up kegs available from the Stafford brewery in Leek that I posted about earlier?
http://www.staffordshirebrewery.co.uk/p ... /petainer/
I see that the Ironbridge brewery use them, wonder if they or Stafford brewery would sell on?
http://www.packaging-gateway.com/news/n ... s-petainer

I'm getting a sample sent over from the importers, but you can only couple and decouple the Sankey fitting twice before a special valve in the head of the spear gets triggered, which means the petainer depressurises ready for disposal (even if still full). If so, that is a fatal flaw. If the valve could be reset, they may have some use.

User avatar
barneey
Telling imaginary friend stories
Posts: 5423
Joined: Mon Jul 25, 2011 10:42 pm
Location: East Kent

Re: cornies, polykegs.... definitive setup thread

Post by barneey » Fri Dec 06, 2013 10:31 pm

Me thinks the polykeg people want to sell more keg!

I`ll be interested to see how you get on BUT with a Crusader keg only costing 2 to 3 times as much + investment value I cant really see it being a goer.

I`m quite surprised that the polykegs cost that much new, surely £15 will seriously eat into any breweries profit margin? The transport cost cant be that much different - how much does cleaning a stainless keg cost?
Hair of the dog, bacon, butty.
Hops, cider pips & hello.

Name the Movie + song :)

User avatar
Pinto
Falling off the Barstool
Posts: 3443
Joined: Sat Mar 17, 2012 4:09 pm
Location: Rye, East Sussex

Re: cornies, polykegs.... definitive setup thread

Post by Pinto » Fri Dec 06, 2013 11:17 pm

Hmm... the two use thing makes them pretty much useless :( Even if the valve can be overriden I think it would be too much of a ballache to have to keep doing it; boy, am I glad I bought 10 polykegs :lol:

In happy news, I got 5 Sankey S types for £40 today...... \:D/
Primary 1: Nonthing
Primary 2 : Nothing
Primary 3 : None
Secondary 1 : Empty
Secondary 1 : None
DJ(1) : Nowt
DJ(2) : N'otin....
In the Keg : Nada
Conditioning : Nowt
In the bottle : Cinnamonator TC, Apple Boost Cider, Apple & Strawberry Cider
Planning : AG #5 - Galaxy Pale (re-brew) / #6 - Alco-Brau (Special Brew Clone) / #7 Something belgian...
Projects : Mini-brew (12l brew length kit) nearly ready :D

Join the BrewChat - open minds and adults only ;) - Click here

asd

Re: cornies, polykegs.... definitive setup thread

Post by asd » Fri Dec 06, 2013 11:31 pm

Steel kegs/casks are a huge capital cost to a brewery. You need at least 3 kegs/casks per fill, some folk have quoted me five! Plus a steady percentage go missing, keg cleaners are not cheap, either. I think most of the one way disposable kegs go to more distant customers. The alternative is to rent stainless vessels, which a lot of people do. But if they go missing, I think you still have to pay!

Post Reply