Has anyone ever used this kind of keg?

http://rebelbrewer.com/shop/kegs-and-keg-parts/3-gallon-tailgate-draft-system/

i was thinking it was agood idea, but dont know much about it.

It's good for what they say it's for. If you don't have another setup with a tank and regulator you will have a hard time carbonating kegs. The injector does not have a regulator it just spurts bursts of co2 into the keg to keep it serving.

Malticulous said:

It's good for what they say it's for. If you don't have another setup with a tank and regulator you will have a hard time carbonating kegs. The injector does not have a regulator it just spurts bursts of co2 into the keg to keep it serving.

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what do you mean? i thought i could naturally carb the beer in the keg, then us the co2 to serve. will i need a tank to serve as well? will it lose its charge after a few hours?

The description say to transfer your already carbed beer, the little co2 bombs wont last long if the beer is trying to absorb it.

basilchef said:

what do you mean? i thought i could naturally carb the beer in the keg, then us the co2 to serve. will i need a tank to serve as well? will it lose its charge after a few hours?

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You can prime it with sugar and let it sit for a few weeks to carbonate, just like with bottles. However, this is not a long term kegging setup. I believe the CO2 injectors may slowly bleed off pressure. This is a good setup for a day or afternoon of serving.

it says "This can also be used for natural carbonation. Just boil half a cup of water, stir in 1/3 of a cup of dextrose (corn sugar/priming sugar), pour into your cleaned and sanitized keg, then transfer your finished beer from the fermenter to the keg. Leave about an inch and a half of headspace. Lock down the lid and leave at room temperature for about 3 weeks".

Hey basilchef,

These little kegs / CO2 injectors do work great for serving beer. The CO2 injector will not carbonate, but it will push the beer for you. You would be able to prime the beer / carbonate in the keg with priming sugar if you wish to. This is a little tricky however, as you'll need to use a different amount of priming sugar in the keg than you would in a bottling bucket. Also, the amount of head space in the keg will also play a role on how carbonated the beer will get. The more head space, the more sugar you'll need. Not really a great calculation for this, but it is possible!

Cheers.

Shooter said:

You can prime it with sugar and let it sit for a few weeks to carbonate, just like with bottles. However, this is not a long term kegging setup. I believe the CO2 injectors may slowly bleed off pressure. This is a good setup for a day or afternoon of serving.

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thanks. so do you think icould buy a seperate co2 tank and regulator and attach it to the keg?

basilchef said:

it says "This can also be used for natural carbonation. Just boil half a cup of water, stir in 1/3 of a cup of dextrose (corn sugar/priming sugar), pour into your cleaned and sanitized keg, then transfer your finished beer from the fermenter to the keg. Leave about an inch and a half of headspace. Lock down the lid and leave at room temperature for about 3 weeks".

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That should get you close enough. It depends on how picky you are about carbing to style.

basilchef said:

thanks. so do you think icould buy a seperate co2 tank and regulator and attach it to the keg?

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Yes, there's nothing special about that keg. It's just a regular three gallon ball lock keg. Don't get caught up on the idea this is some special system. This setup is just made from commonly available components.

The keg it is coming with is a standard new ball lock 3 gallon keg it appears. You absolutely could get a 5#tank, regulator and gas line. would be a good fridge keg too until you decide to upgrade.

I only have old used kegs but none of mine seal well enough to naturaly carbonate without a 10+ psi of pressure applied to the lid first. A new keg could be fine but I'd still give it some pressure with the injector and spray the top with starsan or soapy water to check for leaks before letting it sit to carbonate.

Foosier said:

The keg it is coming with is a standard new ball lock 3 gallon keg it appears. You absolutely could get a 5#tank, regulator and gas line. would be a good fridge keg too until you decide to upgrade.

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thanks, i dont think a five gallon tank will it in my mini fridge. also if it did i never seem to get five gallons of finished beer.

so i went and bought this keg with further intentions of buying a regulator and co2 tank. if naturally carbing, what should i need to know? purging? is it straight forward, just prime, wait two- three weeks and charge to dispense?

Malticulous said:

I only have old used kegs but none of mine seal well enough to naturaly carbonate without a 10+ psi of pressure applied to the lid first. A new keg could be fine but I'd still give it some pressure with the injector and spray the top with starsan or soapy water to check for leaks before letting it sit to carbonate.

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+1
Even when I naturally carbonate I make sure the o-rings are pressurized to start. I've had friends who spent 2 weeks "carbonating" only to realize they still had flat beer because the seal wasn't perfect.

johngaltsmotor said:

+1
Even when I naturally carbonate I make sure the o-rings are pressurized to start. I've had friends who spent 2 weeks "carbonating" only to realize they still had flat beer because the seal wasn't perfect.

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how can i do this with out a co2 tank and regulator?

basilchef said:

how can i do this with out a co2 tank and regulator?

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You can give it a couple quick bursts out of the CO2 injector, but you'll likely waste part of the cartridge if that's the only thing you're using it for.