Jump to content


Photo
- - - - -

Floating keg pick-up tube


  • Please log in to reply
73 replies to this topic

#1 pkrone

pkrone

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 499 posts
  • LocationTejas

Posted 28 January 2018 - 07:50 PM

So I picked up a few of these thingies last month:   basically a stainless steel ball float attached to silicone tube that you then attach to a gas-line length dip tube.   The thinking is that you're drawing the clearest beer off the top of the keg instead of the cloudiest off the bottom.     I tapped my first keg using one this weekend and it worked like a charm: nice, clear beer even after putting the keg in my car and driving 400 miles to a guys weekend event (yes, beer, guns, and lots for bad-for-you-food.  it was awesome.)   Got lots of compliments from BMC drinkers too, which was nice. 



#2 HVB

HVB

    No Life

  • Patron
  • PipPipPipPipPip
  • 18047 posts

Posted 28 January 2018 - 08:09 PM

What one did you go with? If cheap enough I would like to try one for my hoppy beer keg.

#3 pkrone

pkrone

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 499 posts
  • LocationTejas

Posted 28 January 2018 - 08:10 PM

The one from morebeer.  10 bucks.   Bargain.



#4 Big Nake

Big Nake

    Comptroller of Forum Content

  • Patron
  • PipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 53518 posts

Posted 28 January 2018 - 08:14 PM

For $10 I would definitely try this. Someone on the other board mentioned something about the line getting tangled up when filling the keg. Also, you wouldn't have to have one for each keg you have... you would just need to have one available when you keg a beer. Otherwise I'd have to pick up 8-10 of them. Also Pete: have you had a spunded keg in the fridge for X amount of time and NOT end up with clear beer without using one of these floaters? Some of the beers I see over there are brilliantly clear.

Also, Pete... do you have a link? I can't find it.

#5 HVB

HVB

    No Life

  • Patron
  • PipPipPipPipPip
  • 18047 posts

Posted 29 January 2018 - 05:57 AM

For $10 I would definitely try this. Someone on the other board mentioned something about the line getting tangled up when filling the keg. Also, you wouldn't have to have one for each keg you have... you would just need to have one available when you keg a beer. Otherwise I'd have to pick up 8-10 of them. Also Pete: have you had a spunded keg in the fridge for X amount of time and NOT end up with clear beer without using one of these floaters? Some of the beers I see over there are brilliantly clear.

Also, Pete... do you have a link? I can't find it.

https://www.morebeer...entasaurus.html



#6 neddles

neddles

    No Life

  • Patron
  • PipPipPipPipPip
  • 16522 posts

Posted 29 January 2018 - 06:11 AM

I ordered a couple of the Clear Beer System ones a few weeks ago. I will report back on how well they work. The ones above are certainly cheaper so Pkrone's success with them is promising. Pkrone, did you make any mods to them or just use them as they came?



#7 Big Nake

Big Nake

    Comptroller of Forum Content

  • Patron
  • PipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 53518 posts

Posted 29 January 2018 - 06:59 AM

https://www.morebeer...entasaurus.html

Thanks Drez. I *DID* see that last night but it says 'replacement for fermentasaurus' so I wasn't sure if it was the right product. This is basically a length of tubing connected to anything that floats. I can't believe you tinkerers haven't built them yourself! :lol:

#8 HVB

HVB

    No Life

  • Patron
  • PipPipPipPipPip
  • 18047 posts

Posted 29 January 2018 - 07:09 AM

Thanks Drez. I *DID* see that last night but it says 'replacement for fermentasaurus' so I wasn't sure if it was the right product. This is basically a length of tubing connected to anything that floats. I can't believe you tinkerers haven't built them yourself! :lol:

I looked into it back in the day but sourcing the float was cost prohibitive.



#9 Big Nake

Big Nake

    Comptroller of Forum Content

  • Patron
  • PipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 53518 posts

Posted 29 January 2018 - 07:28 AM

I looked into it back in the day but sourcing the float was cost prohibitive.

JHC, use a racquetball and call it a day! :D

#10 pkrone

pkrone

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 499 posts
  • LocationTejas

Posted 29 January 2018 - 09:39 AM

For $10 I would definitely try this. Someone on the other board mentioned something about the line getting tangled up when filling the keg. Also, you wouldn't have to have one for each keg you have... you would just need to have one available when you keg a beer. Otherwise I'd have to pick up 8-10 of them. Also Pete: have you had a spunded keg in the fridge for X amount of time and NOT end up with clear beer without using one of these floaters? Some of the beers I see over there are brilliantly clear.

Also, Pete... do you have a link? I can't find it.

 

The beer clears without using one of these floats, but it takes longer.   I probably should just cut all my dip tubes a little. 



#11 HVB

HVB

    No Life

  • Patron
  • PipPipPipPipPip
  • 18047 posts

Posted 29 January 2018 - 09:40 AM

The beer clears without using one of these floats, but it takes longer.   I probably should just cut all my dip tubes a little. 

Not knowing how these floats work in real life, could you just attach it to the end of the dip tub and let it float up?



#12 positiveContact

positiveContact

    Anti-Brag Queen

  • Patron
  • PipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 68886 posts
  • LocationLimbo

Posted 29 January 2018 - 09:43 AM

Not knowing how these floats work in real life, could you just attach it to the end of the dip tub and let it float up?

 

seems like the tubing might bunch up at the bottom as you empty the keg and then maybe your float wouldn't sink all the way to the bottom.



#13 pkrone

pkrone

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 499 posts
  • LocationTejas

Posted 29 January 2018 - 09:49 AM

Not knowing how these floats work in real life, could you just attach it to the end of the dip tub and let it float up?

 

74172a9dbb69f5a479a444fa36464ac9.jpg

 

 

So here's what they look like.  The pick-up tube just dangles from the float a few cm's below the surface of the beer.   I guess you could attach it to the end of a full-length dip tube, but then you'd have a coil of tubing in the bottom of the keg as the level gets low and it may cause a problem.   I was amazed how little beer was left in the keg when I opened it up last night. 



#14 HVB

HVB

    No Life

  • Patron
  • PipPipPipPipPip
  • 18047 posts

Posted 29 January 2018 - 10:11 AM

seems like the tubing might bunch up at the bottom as you empty the keg and then maybe your float wouldn't sink all the way to the bottom.

Yes, I thought of that after I replied.


74172a9dbb69f5a479a444fa36464ac9.jpg

 

 

So here's what they look like.  The pick-up tube just dangles from the float a few cm's below the surface of the beer.   I guess you could attach it to the end of a full-length dip tube, but then you'd have a coil of tubing in the bottom of the keg as the level gets low and it may cause a problem.   I was amazed how little beer was left in the keg when I opened it up last night. 

Thanks for the pictures, they are a lot smaller than I imagined for some reason.



#15 positiveContact

positiveContact

    Anti-Brag Queen

  • Patron
  • PipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 68886 posts
  • LocationLimbo

Posted 29 January 2018 - 10:14 AM

 

Thanks for the pictures, they are a lot smaller than I imagined for some reason.

 

:D



#16 positiveContact

positiveContact

    Anti-Brag Queen

  • Patron
  • PipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 68886 posts
  • LocationLimbo

Posted 29 January 2018 - 10:17 AM

I'm just too juvenile to look at that pic and not laugh.  I'm sorry guys :P



#17 pkrone

pkrone

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 499 posts
  • LocationTejas

Posted 29 January 2018 - 10:30 AM

:D



#18 Mike Green

Mike Green

    Frequent Member

  • Banned
  • PipPipPipPip
  • 3671 posts

Posted 29 January 2018 - 03:28 PM

https://www.homebrew...ip-tube.275638/



#19 cavman

cavman

    Comptroller of BigPossMan

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPipPip
  • 12937 posts
  • LocationSomerville, MA

Posted 30 January 2018 - 12:19 AM

For $10 I would definitely try this. Someone on the other board mentioned something about the line getting tangled up when filling the keg. Also, you wouldn't have to have one for each keg you have... you would just need to have one available when you keg a beer. Otherwise I'd have to pick up 8-10 of them. Also Pete: have you had a spunded keg in the fridge for X amount of time and NOT end up with clear beer without using one of these floaters? Some of the beers I see over there are brilliantly clear.

Also, Pete... do you have a link? I can't find it.

Of course you support clear beer  :P



#20 HVB

HVB

    No Life

  • Patron
  • PipPipPipPipPip
  • 18047 posts

Posted 31 January 2018 - 11:54 AM

Just picked up 2 of these to see how they work. 




0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users