Peristaltic Pumps

[chris2012]

I just managed to buy a cheapo undercounter fridge, which I'm planning on using for fermenting in.

I'd possibly crash cool in the fermenter.

Then my issue becomes how do I get the beer into a keg. Ideally I wouldn't want to have to move the fermenter.
(I'm only using the keg at the moment to attach a beer gun to, put sugar in and dispense into bottles)

So because I use a plastic bucket, which can't be pressurised, I was thinking of using a peristaltic pump.

Just wondering if anyone uses one, and has any recommendations.

Here's a 1lpm one I found:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1100ml- ... 56363.html

Alternative ideas would be appreciated too.

Are there any very cheap kegs that would easily fit into an undercounter fridge. I have got a keykeg coupler, so I could possibly look at them.

Cheers

[Matt in Birdham]

1lpm sounds a little painful - doubtless it would be even slower than that in the real world. When I fermented in a bucket I would just remove the bucket carefully from the fridge after crash chilling, put it on a higher surface and fill as normal from the tap. After crash chill you really won't disturb much sediment when you move it, and even if you do it will settle out in the keg.

[chris2012]

That's good to hear about it not disturbing the sediment too much. May a peristaltic pump could be overkill heh.

[aamcle]

A peristaltic pump with a reasonable flow rate is probably going to be expensive, but you could use a "solar pump" it would work and be a great cost saver.


aamcle

[Fil]

+1 for using a solar pump or similar foodsafe dc voltage pump. a bit of disturbance in the flow will be good to 'shake' out dissolved co2 which should then form a new co2 blanket to cover and protect the the beer in its new home.

For budget kegs you cant beat the poly kegs which are 30l pet bottles with plastic screwcap/sankey S coupler and spear.. ebay was selling them for circa £40 New under a brand i cant recall atm, they do appear 2nd use on occasion when they sell for under a tenner.

[chris2012]

Cheers guys, well that's good to hear I could use a solar pump.

Also I'm gonna checkout polykegs they sound very interesting. Can't seem to see any under that name on ebay though at the moment

[Dave S]

Solar pumps are great for water but there is plenty of testimony as to their unreliability pumping wort. Having said that, they may be OK with chilled and particle-free beer. The problem with wort is they get bunged up and need dismantling and cleaning. Also available are Mini Mag pumps at around £50.

[vacant]

Keep your fridge on a step up bench.

[McMullan]

'Undercounter' is misleading here. There's no reason why an undercounter fridge can't be elevated to become a 'countertop' fridge, to exploit freely available gravity. If you can stand on something without it collapsing (and you falling on your arse), it's going to withstand a fridge + a full FV

[chris2012]

I just picked up my fridge yesterday, and found it can actually fit a single corny in Which is fine for me, just testing it out now
with cooling a cherry beer.

[oz11]

In case you would still like a pump:

Build your own.

[chris2012]

Neat, that looks cool

I guess there's nothing stopping you using wide silicone tubing, for very fast flow.

Edit: just noticed they're using 1/2" ID, nice!

[Matt in Birdham]

Honestly, I think you are over thinking this. Just crash chill, take the bucket out and put it on a counter!

[chris2012]

Yeah I agree Matt. I was thinking about this before i got the fridge, thinking I couldn't fit a keg in it.

I'll probably ferment in fridge in the bucket, then either just crash it and then dispense into a keg. Or crash in the keg.