Thin Bags in Boxes - how long?

[Kev888]

I've obtained some of those bag-in-box things and I'm trying to decide between taking them or my corny setup away on hols over christmas.

They are the thin poly bags though, rather than thicker polypin-like things which I've used more often. How long is a typical session beer likely to last in these thin bags (and not in a fridge) before the taste starts to deteriorate?

Cheers
Kev

[WishboneBrewery]

Months in a sealed state! Fill it with minimal air left in, the bag just collapses as you pour beer so no air gets in to taint it
They are not the best for beer with a lot of condition to it but work a treat via a handpull when the beer is fresh.

[Kev888]

Great stuff, thanks!

Possibly I'll bottle the carbonated wheat beer then and use the boxes for the rest of my ales - sounds much simpler to tranbsport and set up.

The owner of the holiday cottage visited last year when half the kitchen was full of strange stainless tanks, tubes and gas cylinders; strangely she didn't mention it but her glances suggest there may be more on her 'banned' list for her future lets..

Cheers
kev

[boingy]

I've got wine in some of the 5 litre ones that is over two years old and it is fine (actually, it's not great tasting but that is not due to the storage method).

As pdtnc says, expel all the air and it will be fine for ages. As you serve it the bag will deflate. Once you are down to the last few pints there is a risk that air will bubble in so it will need drinking up. Those bags are pretty flimsy so I wouldn't like to see them with any pressure in them. I've put pressurised beer into 2 litre pop bottles for holiday use with great success. I actually just filled them direct at the beer font, with the flash chiller on maximum to keep the froth down. They were fine across the week or two whilst I used them. And, of course, you get no sediment.

[Kev888]

More useful info, many thanks! They certainly seem better than I'd feared then, and should be fine for the ales - there are usually several of us so the consumption rate should be pretty reasonable towards the end.

The pop bottles sound like a good bet for the wheatbeer too, thats about the only one I make which needs to be well cabonated and ideally chilled. They've been fairly successful for evening/weekend parties but I'd not tried them on more extended trips. Certainly easier than loads of small pint bottles, and less cleaning afterwards too, but still small enough to get in the fridge or leave outside.

Thanks again,
Kev

[jmc]

More useful info, many thanks! They certainly seem better than I'd feared then, and should be fine for the ales - there are usually several of us so the consumption rate should be pretty reasonable towards the end.

The pop bottles sound like a good bet for the wheatbeer too, thats about the only one I make which needs to be well cabonated and ideally chilled. They've been fairly successful for evening/weekend parties but I'd not tried them on more extended trips. Certainly easier than loads of small pint bottles, and less cleaning afterwards too, but still small enough to get in the fridge or leave outside.

Thanks again,
Kev

I've tried the 2L Pets with a tyre valve in the lid. That worked well after pouring wheat beer into PETs I pumped them up to 20psi to help maintain condition.

I tried different 3 sorts of tyre valves and these work well and importantly don't reek of rubber like some do. I ordered a couple more this week and delivered next day.

Only problem I had was with one I chilled, as that lost condition due to CO2 dissolving in brew.
My cornies are stored at garage temp (about 8-10C at the moment). If wheat beer was poured at say 5C it would get around this problem. Must get a keggerator
**edited to update image link

[WishboneBrewery]

so you can fit those inside a PET bottle top? Might get a couple and try that Vapourised Whiskey thing they did on James May's 'Man Lab'

[jmc]

so you can fit those inside a PET bottle top? Might get a couple and try that Vapourised Whiskey thing they did on James May's 'Man Lab'

Yes, they seal well. Rubber seal is on inside and nut on top.
Beware some are the other way around.

I tested them at 20psi for a few days with a) just CO2 and b) water before using my precious beer.
I ended up with soda -water in the water experiment...

Just be careful when drilling the hole as many pet-tops have an extra bit of plastic dead-centre, so I used I made a small hole first before drilling.

BTW I checked with (helpful) vendor and they said they were SS.
I think this is true apart from maybe inner valve.

This week I added one to a budget keg, on the shoulder of the keg.
Mainly so I can test pressure with low pressure tyre gauge.
Though I could top up pressure too now as well, save using Hamblton Bard gas bottle.

Apologies for off-topic rambling...

[Kev888]

I've tried the 2L Pets with a tyre valve in the lid. That worked well after pouring wheat beer into PETs I pumped them up to 20psi to help maintain condition.

Thanks for that idea! I've had pretty good results filling with cold pre-carbonated beer but these would add an extra flourish - I'll get a couple for a go.

There must be a way to connect my CO2 to a foot-pump disconnect..

Cheers
Kev

[jmc]

I've tried the 2L Pets with a tyre valve in the lid. That worked well after pouring wheat beer into PETs I pumped them up to 20psi to help maintain condition.

Thanks for that idea! I've had pretty good results filling with cold pre-carbonated beer but these would add an extra flourish - I'll get a couple for a go.

There must be a way to connect my CO2 to a foot-pump disconnect..

Cheers
Kev

I use this tyre inflator on some line from a CO2 secondary reg.

I chose this one as it was easy to fit onto hose with hose clip and a little persuasion.
I'll check pipe sizes I used and update.

[jmc]

so you can fit those inside a PET bottle top? Might get a couple and try that Vapourised Whiskey thing they did on James May's 'Man Lab'

Pics of 2L PET cap fitted with above tyre valve.

[alix101]

Does anyone know where theses are readily availible? And at what cost! they look like a great product all round.
Cheers

[WishboneBrewery]

We get them from here at work http://www.baginboxonline.co.uk/

[Kev888]

I use this tyre inflator on some line from a CO2 secondary reg.

Thanks - thats more sophisticated than I'd anticipated, but also much cheaper!

We get them from here at work http://www.baginboxonline.co.uk/

Thats where I got mone from, too. They add up in cost quite surprisingly when bought in bulk, but the price per bag/box is a lot £less than I could find them for in smaller numbers from any homebrew retailers.

I'm wondering about making some nice wooden boxes for the bags instead - though with my current rates of spare time that could be years away. The cardboard ones can be re-used if you find a way to tape them up that can be cut open again, but I've mainly used them at evening/weekend parties so far, and they invariably seem to end up getting wet or otherwise damaged somehow. I've heard of people cleaning and re-using the bags too, but I've not tried that; they don't look all that robust (compared to polypins) and I'm not sure if it'd be worth the effort or not.

Cheers
Kev

[jonnyt]

How do you inject CO2 via a type valve?