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Author Topic: DIY CarbCap: Has anyone made one?  (Read 6042 times)

Offline duncan

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DIY CarbCap: Has anyone made one?
« on: February 25, 2016, 11:10:13 am »
I was wondering if any AHA Forum users have made their own carbonation caps? I've seen a few innovations online where people get creative with bike tire-tube fittings and things like that. If anyone has made their own (or knows someone who has), I'd be interested in potentially sharing it on HomebrewersAssociation.org as a featured Pimp My System story.

Let me know!
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Offline morticaixavier

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Re: DIY CarbCap: Has anyone made one?
« Reply #1 on: February 25, 2016, 11:13:42 am »
I don't remember who it was but I thought someone on here came up with that idea. or at least I remember a discussion about it a few years ago. involving Schrader valves and such.
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Offline duncan

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Re: DIY CarbCap: Has anyone made one?
« Reply #2 on: February 25, 2016, 11:16:09 am »
I remembered something similar, but can't seem to track it down. I've found a lot posts for store bought ones... Thanks for chiming in!
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Offline morticaixavier

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Re: DIY CarbCap: Has anyone made one?
« Reply #3 on: February 25, 2016, 11:19:08 am »
I remembered something similar, but can't seem to track it down. I've found a lot posts for store bought ones... Thanks for chiming in!
https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/forum/index.php?topic=8910.msg110945#msg110945
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Offline duncan

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Re: DIY CarbCap: Has anyone made one?
« Reply #4 on: February 25, 2016, 11:20:12 am »
*thumbs up*
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Offline Joe Sr.

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Re: DIY CarbCap: Has anyone made one?
« Reply #5 on: February 25, 2016, 12:09:16 pm »
I still use mine to carb a sample from every batch. I've got photos of the caps somewhere I can post.


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Offline Joe Sr.

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Re: DIY CarbCap: Has anyone made one?
« Reply #6 on: February 25, 2016, 12:20:03 pm »






Somethings going on with Photobucket so I can't get a preview, but these should be the photos...
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Offline euge

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Re: DIY CarbCap: Has anyone made one?
« Reply #7 on: February 26, 2016, 04:24:32 pm »
I've done the shrader-valve cap. It's a pain in the ass. What's better is the all-metal version on amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008071H8O?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00

Better than the original carb-cap and at half the price. Get one when it comes available.
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Offline Iliff Ave

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Re: DIY CarbCap: Has anyone made one?
« Reply #8 on: March 03, 2016, 03:10:27 pm »
pin lock would be nice for me :(
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Offline Black Lion Homebrewery

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Re: DIY CarbCap: Has anyone made one?
« Reply #9 on: March 19, 2016, 10:59:33 pm »
Here is the one that is on my to-do list.
http://www.brewgeeks.com/carbonator-cap.html

Offline tesgüino

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Offline Stevie

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Re: DIY CarbCap: Has anyone made one?
« Reply #11 on: March 20, 2016, 09:11:38 am »

Kent $4.99 . . .
https://www.morebeer.com/products/kent-shutoff-male-qd-soda-bottle-cap.html
That also requires the female connector which is smaller than the standard Kent connectors. It is also poorly designed and does not all for shake carbing. The ball lock style is king.

Offline tesgüino

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Re: DIY CarbCap: Has anyone made one?
« Reply #12 on: March 20, 2016, 09:37:37 am »
That also requires the female connector which is smaller than the standard Kent connectors. It is also poorly designed and does not all for shake carbing. The ball lock style is king.
Dunno. I have both, but use the Kent more simply because they were so much cheaper and I have more of them. Pretty easy to put in a splitter and hang both Kent and ball lock connectors off a regulator.

Not sure what you're saying, but I've never had a problem shake carbing with the Kent. I like the ball lock style a little more, but in the end, they both do the same job.

Offline Stevie

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Re: DIY CarbCap: Has anyone made one?
« Reply #13 on: March 20, 2016, 09:51:36 am »
I seem to be missing words there. I bought the Kent for making carbonated water. Filled a heavy PET bottle with water and hit is with 30 psi shaking. Within seconds the little barbs that hold the fittings together came undone and the hose was loose. I began holding the fittings together, but all this did was cause those barbs to wear out faster than normal.

Offline tesgüino

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Re: DIY CarbCap: Has anyone made one?
« Reply #14 on: March 20, 2016, 10:44:41 am »
Must have gotten a bad one. I bought mine back in 2012 and have not had any problem other than replacing a couple of the o-rings. Back then I got six caps and a connector for a little more than the cost of one of the original ball lock carbonator caps.

On the other side, one of my original ball lock carbonator caps developed a crack and no longer holds pressure. It still comes in handy for holding the disconnect open to draining all the liquid out of picnic tap lines before storing.

edit to add:
I also do the shake at 30PSI method, but disconnect before shaking. Paranoid about getting liquid in my gas line.
« Last Edit: March 20, 2016, 10:48:14 am by tesgüino »