A beer-drinking buddy of mine just lately turned an previous beer keg right into a smoker and BBQ. All of us thought this was an important thought however we have been by no means positive whether or not it might work or not.
So we have been all stunned when, after engaged on it as a easy DIY undertaking, this recycled beer keg he discovered at a storage sale was the most effective people who smoke now we have ever seen. And it appears fairly cool too – effectively, to us beer fanatics it does!
It bought us all interested by the methods we might reuse or upcycle these previous steel beer barrels, and perhaps flip them into important home goods or give them different cool makes use of.
Most beer fanatics have an previous beer keg knocking round someplace, we just lately discovered about 40 kegs when clearing out an previous storeroom locally heart the place we meet for our brewing membership. Some have been kegs that had been full of beer from breweries, whereas many have been good draft kegs that had been used for homebrew tasks.
Just some minutes of looking on the web introduced up pages and pages of Pinterest or boards containing quite a lot of inventive strategies to show these previous kegs into typically helpful, typically cool, and typically simply plain unusual new objects.
With nearly all of beer kegs being created from chrome steel, they’re the perfect base for a lot of DIY tasks. As chrome steel is a stable steel, they’re sturdy, clear, and buff as much as a pleasant shine, in addition to being excellent for both indoor or out of doors use.
So when you have just a few previous kegs mendacity round, then crack open a type of cans of beer you have got been saving when you resolve what your subsequent DIY undertaking goes to be. I assure that after perusing a few of these concepts, you may be looking for an previous keg to transform into one in all these common objects.
Possibly you’ll be asking your native restaurant or brewery if they’ve any beer kegs which can be coming to the tip of their life. Simply please ask first, because it’s by no means cool to snag a keg that may be reused from a brewery with out asking first, it’s additionally extremely unlawful.
Security When Recycling Previous Beer Kegs
If the previous beer keg you discover nonetheless appears to have a number of pints of beer in it you’ll need to empty it first. Make sure you put on some protecting footwear earlier than shifting the keg about as a half-empty keg of beer can nonetheless be fairly heavy.
Clearly, it’s not simply concerning the beer contained in the keg but additionally the pressurized fuel which can nonetheless be current within the barrel of beer. It is best to begin by spinning the keg so it’s on its aspect and going through away from you. Utilizing a spanner, it’s best to attempt hooking it onto one of many handles on the shoulder of the keg with the opposite finish of the spanner urgent towards the fuel launch valve or ball of the keg.
When in place, it’s best to discover the stress begins to slowly launch, it’s possible you’ll hear a slight hissing sound because the fuel slowly escapes. There may be typically numerous stress nonetheless within the keg, so it’s best to repeat this course of 3-4 occasions to make sure you take away all of the stress that has constructed up inside.
Essentially the most harmful factor about draining the keg of beer is the stress – after you have launched the stress the remainder of the method may be very simple.
You possibly can both merely open the faucet and permit any leftover liquid to empty out, or you could possibly even take away the spear and coupling to completely empty the keg. This fashion you’ll be able to correctly clear contained in the keg too. Simply be certain that ALL the stress is launched earlier than trying to take away the spear. A lot of my buddies have spear-shaped holes or dents of their storage ceilings – they’re simply fortunate they hit the ceilings first!
Previous Beer Kegs within the Backyard
Probably the most common makes use of for previous kegs of beer shall be open air. The anti-rust properties of chrome steel imply they are often weatherproof underneath even essentially the most excessive of situations. From backyard furnishings tasks, hearth pits, BBQs or people who smoke, tables, and chairs, to even a easy planter, the makes use of of an previous keg within the backyard are restricted solely by your creativeness.
Planters
Maybe one of the vital easy however efficient makes use of for these common beer containers is as a planting pot for the backyard. With various keg sizes, there are various dimension choices in your planting mattress. You should utilize full-size kegs, older-style picket barrels, and even these cute (as my spouse calls them) mini-kegs that you just discover Heineken in.
Turning your previous keg right into a planter is kind of easy. Simply use a round noticed or angle grinder to chop the keg in half after which fill it with fertilizer and you might be able to go. For some bigger vegetation a half keg might be used to guard the plant and as a barrier by eradicating simply the highest of the keg, filling it with fertilizer, after which drilling just a few holes to permit the water to empty by.
Outside Tables
Beer keg tables are the final word in beer lovers’ stylish furnishings. It may be so simple as putting a glass sheet on the highest of an previous keg, or you may get extra elaborate utilizing previous picket barrel-style kegs. in case you are utilizing picket barrels or considering of becoming a picket high to the keg, keep in mind that you’ll want some primary woodworking abilities.
If the first materials of the keg is chrome steel, be warned that it may well get extraordinarily sizzling throughout these summer season months. Picket barrels are inclined to make extra rustic-looking tables and, though not as sturdy, could be simpler to maneuver round your yard.
These industrial-looking tables are additionally good when you have a “man cave” the place you and your buddies collect to drink beer.
Chairs or Bar Stools
In fact, if you’ll make some tables or simply little snack tables out of these previous kegs, you might be most likely going to want someplace in your visitors or household to take a seat. It can save you a number of cash by refashioning these previous kegs into benches or backyard chairs.
On the easiest, you could possibly simply use a few kegs because the ends of a backyard bench with a seating floor screwed to the highest of the 2 kegs. However if you wish to be extra bold, you’ll be able to typically discover kits on Amazon or at your native ironmongery shop which might assist convert an previous keg into a snug chair or bar stool.
You possibly can merely drill a gap into the highest of the previous keg earlier than attaching a swivel platform with a padded cushion seat.
Fireplace Pit
Stainless-steel, being a fire-resistant materials, makes an previous keg the perfect alternative for a home made hearth pit in your yard. When it comes to how a lot wooden it should include, the scale can differ and it might be so simple as simply chopping a keg in half and sinking it right into a pit, or it might be a extra elaborate overground mannequin. I’ve seen some hearth pits made with previous kegs which have had doorways minimize into them, grates for elevating the wooden and lids, and so forth.
Relying on how comfy you are feeling with energy instruments and primary welding, it’s possible you’ll must name in just a few buddies to assist. However think about these winter nights sat round a beer keg hearth pit toasting marshmallows and, extra importantly, ingesting these newest winter brews.
BBQ Grill or Smoker
For me, the final word use for an previous keg is to recycle it right into a barrel-style BBQ or smoker. Though usually previous oil drums are used to make barrel-style grills, I a lot choose the thought of grilling my meals in a beer barrel somewhat than one which use to include oil.
Beer keg BBQs could be so simple as a keg with the highest minimize off and a grate fitted to the highest, or they are often full-hinged units the place the keg has been minimize in half vertically after which turned on its aspect for a full-size grill.
The minikegs which maintain simply 1 -2 gallons of beer, like these utilized in eating places or typically discovered as a keg of craft beer, could make small transportable BBQs you’ll be able to simply match within the trunk of your automobile in your subsequent tenting journey.
There are many on-line boards which have directions for constructing a beer keg grill together with this glorious one we discovered at Instructables.
If you wish to get fancy and also you or a buddy of yours can weld, you’ll be able to even use kegs of various sizes to connect a smoking chamber to the aspect of the full-size keg for a extra elaborate setup. It appears from browsing the web that this is among the hottest methods of reusing an previous beer keg.
Beer Cooler
If you’ll be cooking at these yard grill periods, you’ll want a strategy to preserve your alcoholic drinks and beer cool. Merely chopping a beer keg in half lengthwise and filling it with ice is a good way to maintain these beers chilled when entertaining and could be an entertaining speaking level too.
A bigger deconstructed keg with the highest merely minimize off may also be used as the right method of holding a corny keg crammed along with your newest homebrew chilled. in case you don’t have a kegerator or beer fridge this may be the perfect method of serving your newest brew to pals at your subsequent cookout.
Time Capsule
When you have children, a enjoyable undertaking for reusing an previous beer keg is to make a time capsule for them to fill.
The youngsters can use an empty keg to retailer their issues and bury them. With kegs being created from stable metals like chrome steel, they’ll stand up to the stress of the earth they’re buried in, be extra sturdy than plastic bins, and assist protect the treasures buried hidden inside.
Different Concepts for Previous Beer Kegs
Kegs are a flexible little bit of equipment which may even be recycled to be used indoors. With just a little little bit of polish, the chrome steel of a keg can be utilized for ornamental objects in virtually any residing area.
When cleaned up effectively, the chrome steel within a keg is a superb reflective floor appropriate for making lighting fixtures or lamps. They’ll add that cool industrial look to your man cave or storage in addition to function weatherproof out of doors lights.
You can additionally refashion previous kegs in your homebrew setup. Full-size kegs make the right brew kettle and are a easy DIY undertaking you could be prepared to make use of in just some hours.
Of their most straightforward type, you’ll be able to simply minimize the highest off to make a superbly sized brew pot or mashing tun. However you may as well add extra superior objects like spigots or thermometers to the empty keg to make a brew kettle that may simply switch the wort and monitor the mash temperature extra precisely.
And Lastly……Beer Keg Urinals!!
You might not be loopy concerning the thought of beer kegs which as soon as held gallons of scrumptious beer now getting used as urinals, however it’s a must to admit that these industrial-chic bogs are definitely a speaking level. In case you are considering of opening your individual craft beer taproom or a brewery, this feature at the least reveals a dedication to high quality draft merchandise (form of!).
You’ll require some plumbing abilities, nevertheless, in case you resolve to go down this route. It might be finest to enlist the assistance of knowledgeable plumber to make sure your stylish keg urinals don’t leak and are put in accurately.
What to Do With Previous Kegs – Closing Ideas
Hopefully, I’ve given you just a few concepts on what to do with these previous kegs which have been mendacity round behind the storage for a few years. I do know my beer-drinking buddy and I’ve definitely had some enjoyable considering of ingenious methods of creating use of these no-longer-used however still-beloved beer kegs.
If DIY isn’t your factor, there are different methods of disposing of these unused kegs – don’t simply take them to the native landfill web site.
Probably the most widespread methods to get rid of previous kegs is to return them to the brewery that provided them. Many breweries have keg administration packages in place that permit them to reclaim kegs from their prospects. As soon as they obtain the kegs, the brewery will examine them and both refurbish them for reuse or recycle them. It is a nice choice for many who have numerous kegs to get rid of, because it’s a straightforward strategy to eliminate them abruptly.
Promoting previous kegs to a scrap steel vendor is one other common choice. Kegs are created from high-quality chrome steel or aluminum, which makes them invaluable as scrap steel. When you have just a few kegs to get rid of, you could possibly promote them to a neighborhood scrap steel vendor. The quantity you’ll get for them will depend upon the present market worth for stainless-steel or aluminum, in addition to the situation of the kegs.
Simply be warned – please guarantee you have got possession of the keg. Most kegs stay the property of the brewery which crammed them with beer on the market, even in case you did pay a small deposit on the keg. Formally promoting a keg for scrap is classed as theft and plenty of scrap steel retailers gained’t purchase previous kegs as a result of rise in keg theft. It’s most likely simpler to take the previous keg house and refashion it into one of many easy DIY tasks now we have checked out above.
