Can someone point me to a device that will let me press a trigger to release co2 for bagging hops or purging the top of a carboy?
Most operations use nitrogen, but this would work for co2.
There are nozzles in the air tools sections at hardware stores. I’m sure they could be hooked up to CO2.
I use something like this hooked up to my co2 tank: http://m.grainger.com/mobile/product/LEGACY-Air-Gun-1KUD9
You can use the aforementioned keg charger to purge headspace but it comes out quite fast and those 16 gram cartridges can get expensive. If you tried to purge a bag of hops with it you’d have nothing in the bag but CO2!
Who knew a blichmann device had 2 uses;)
Thank you. I’ve got a beergun but for some stupid reason never think to use it for just purging headspace etc. That baby’s got a great reach that beats draping a beerline over into a carboy neck.
Thanks for the responses. I’ll see about getting one of those nozzles like the one from grainger.
http://www.williamsbrewing.com/C02-PURGE-KIT-no-air-shipment-P3131.aspx. I have one of these. It’s also good for starting siphons.
Also, if you just pull that trigger when it’s not attached to a keg, CO2 comes out so fast it freezes at the nozzle. You’ll think the cartridge is empty - until you take it apart. Then the cartridge will rocket across the room as soon as it breaks free. Not that I’ve experienced this… umm … a friend told me.
I remove the ball lock gas fitting from the CO2 hose, stick the hose in (sanitize if needed), and give whatever a shot of CO2. If you have a CO2 system it is pragmatic.
This is exactly what I use. You can also stick some tubing on the end and get down to the bottom of the carboy to purge it if you want to. I’ve used it like this when bottling from the keg, too, to purge my bottles.
I’ve also used it to pressurize a better bottle and start the siphon, but you need to be sure you dial your regulator way back.
Exactly what I do, too, Jeff. You get the Gold Star for the day!
Okay, pragmatic is a term that gets thrown around here a lot. Just when I think I understand what it means based on the context I see it used here, I Google it and end up cornfused.
Simply using the co2 hose works great for purging a fermentor but I find my air gun makes it easier to purge multiple bottles or bags of hops or to start a siphon. I made mine with 100% surplus parts I had laying around and only because I was bored and had 5 minutes to kill. Is this not pragmatic?
Is buying beer not more pragmatic than brewing it?
Is BIAB more pragmatic than batch sparging?
Is bottling more pragmatic than kegging?
If you had it on hand, I would say that is a pragmatic way of doing it.
Buying beer - too easy. No challenge for the tinkerer in me.
I will try BIAB someday soon. I think it would be the cheap and easy way to make starters for those big lager pitches, you know 11-12 liters of a big batch of Doppelbock.
I still bottle some beers and meads. I keg most of them. I don’t mind bottling sometimes.
You can also stick a racking cane on the end of the tubing to make it easier to insert and position to the bottom of your carboy. If you don’t like shutting the gas off at the regulator when purging multiple bags at once, put a shutoff valve inline.
Years ago I barely escaped injury when someone thought their cartridge was spent. When they went to replace it, the cartridge rocketed past my head and smashed an empty beer bottle on a shelf!