Keykegs

[clarets7]

keykegs.jpg (89.14 KiB) Viewed 3141 times

A local business has some to give away, I'm sure I saw a post somewhere that these could be re-used?

[MashBag]

I have to agree. I think they can be reused.
They are bag in bottle instead of bag in box really.

Once you are through the valve rinse with water. I personally sanitised this type of bag with potassium metabisulphate and left a splash in. Don't. It stripped the silver.

Better to keep them fresh leave a splash of cheapest vodka in them and reseal. When you want them, drain and fill.

What taps/connectors do they take?

[f00b4r]

Keykegs take special heads that are expensive, even more so for the filling heads.
They probably are possible to reuse but with the investment in the proprietary heads you might find it’s as cheap to just buy cornies or wait for the Kegland or to arrive in Europe (Keg King already keg style FV’s but I don’t think they have the extra barrier layer that would allow for longer storage).
If you are wanting to use them for CAMRA “real ale” then there are also corny bladders coming from Kegland “soon” too, enabling you to even serve with compressed air without oxidising the beer (essentially turning them into key kegs).

[MashBag]

I have found what looks like the connector for about £40.

They are intended to be single use, but I do think they are cleanable for homebrew and certainly save the co2 problem /cost.

If I could find some of these for free I would certainly have a go.

[WalesAles]

Are these what you want?


https://brew2bottle.co.uk/?mc_cid=d591d ... d41a224e9c
WA

[MashBag]

Did you mean the air still?

Are you looking to make a chaser.

[WalesAles]

Or these?

https://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/product ... 3e9be2774e

WA

[clarets7]

Or these?

https://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/product ... 3e9be2774e

WA

The 10L ones look perfect for me, I like making smaller batches - and I'll never convert that pressure sprayer into a keg...

Can you naturally prime in them though and dispense via handpump with minimal pressure?

[MashBag]

There is one MAJOR difference here.

The free ones (key keg), have a bag in for the beer, so the beer is not ever exposed to the gaseous atmosphere. Hence you can let air in (hand pump) or use compressed air to dispense (tap).

The Malt Miller (Keg King) don't have a bag, so you need to control the gaseous atmosphere (with bottled gas) or drink quicker. Which is all extra cost and hassle.

Key keg is 20/30 litre would be stunning. Best of both worlds. Especially if you the ability to change the bag once in a while.

You can run corny kegs with mixed gas at 5 psi, but I don't know if that is still too much for a hand pump.

I have used and abused bag in a box and low pressure corny dispense, but never a hand pump.

Does anyone run gas over a hand pump?

[f00b4r]

Or these?

https://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/product ... 3e9be2774e

WA

The 10L ones look perfect for me, I like making smaller batches - and I'll never convert that pressure sprayer into a keg...

Can you naturally prime in them though and dispense via handpump with minimal pressure?

You can naturally prime in them by a few methods:

- seal it up a couple of points about final gravity a la cask beer (better to have a spunding valve on though to ensure you do not over pressurise the beer)
- open it and a sugar solution
- put a sugar solution in a PET bottle, pressurise it higher than the keg/fv and then connect them together to force the priming solution into it

You can dispense using a hand pump but you would need a source of gas (or air if drinking straight away) to ensure you don’t collapse it at some point.

[MashBag]

You can dispense using a hand pump but you would need a source of gas (or air if drinking straight away) to ensure you don’t collapse it at some point.

How does that work with a hand pump?

[Trefoyl]

You can dispense using a hand pump but you would need a source of gas (or air if drinking straight away) to ensure you don’t collapse it at some point.

How does that work with a hand pump?

Cask aspirator / breather.
https://rlbs.ltd.uk/rlbs-cask-aspirator ... valve.html

[Goosey]

Use a collapsible 'bag-in-box' with a hand-pump. No need for an aspirator/breather.

[clarets7]

I have tried all the methods of storage and dispense, including the 10L Bags in Box, with the exception of corny kegs, but now mostly use bottles and plastic barrels. The reason I was drawn to these Key Kegs was that for years I was intending to make something similar using the 10L Bag in Box liners, but it's another of those projects that has never come to fruition. Looking at them more closely though I think it would be quite difficult to re-purpose these.
With the plastic barrels what I do to avoid serving under pressure is to attach a 10L BiB liner to the valve to capture the CO2 produced during conditioning. There is usually ample to fill the bag and this is used instead of top pressure. Each night the valve is sealed again and as it is live beer at cellar temperatures it continues to produce CO2, which is released back into the bag before serving. If towards the end of the barrel the condition drops too far then I would just add a shot of CO2 overnight. I think all I need to do really is buy a 10L plastic barrel.

[MashBag]

How long does the beer keep?

I bottle, because its easier and uses no gas. But this sounds very interesting. .