Inline keg reserve tank

[Doyna Yar]

I am very happy with my kegerator with one annoying exception; When the keg kicks I must resort to canned or bottled beer until the next delivery day. I know I can't be the only draft beer lover who hates this ritual. The most obvious solution would be to have a dual keg setup, second kegerator, or at the very least a second cold keg in a refrigerator. The downside I see there is cost, both in setup and electricity, and space.

After much brainstorming, and many, many beers I believe I've found a solution that could fit inside my existing kegerator. The basic idea is to have a small 'reserve' tank of beer inline between the keg and faucet. Like using full kegs in series, but with a smaller tank. Say using a modified Tap-A-Draft bottle, mini keg, or most probably a corny keg. I would use a pressure relief valve to charge the reserve tank with beer from the keg. When the keg kicks I should still have at least 1.5 to 5 gallon, depending on the container, in the reserve to hold me over until I can get another half barrel delivered. The new keg wouldn't be tapped until the reserve is emptied and the system cleaned.

Can anyone see a downside to this solution? Thanx-

[pvs6]

I like others just keep it simple and purchased a few growlers. 1/2 gallon or 1 gallon glass jugs with screw on air tight lids. If it's becoming late in the day and I want to get a new keg before they close but there's some still left I fill the growlers get the keg and drink the growlers while the new keg settles in. If you have room for a corny you have plenty of room for growlers. Beer stays draft fresh for 2 days inside the fridge sealed in a growler.

Their a lot cheaper than the engineering scheme you're proposing and can be cleaned after use which yours system might not be.

[KillianBoy]

Doyna Yar,
I hope you understand, that when you say "inline", that you mean that "new keg" will be hooked up to keg, so if you make it "inline", you will have beer travel from keg to "new keg" to faucet, if so unless you have some sort of "alarm" you won't have any notice that keg is empty. Once keg kicks, the "new keg" will empty as you pour the beer. In reverse, the "new keg", will empty first?!?!? If not "inline", the pvs6 method is the way to go.
So as pvs6 says, unless you have some mad engineering skills I can't see how, if you have an idea how to to do this to alert that keg is about to "kick", let us know.
As pvs6 says there are better ways and easier to have beer if keg kicks.
I think best and cheapest way is to estimate how long the last kegs lasted, find mean days, mark "X" in calender, find delivery day closest to "kick" date, mark a "O".
If comes before "kick" date, buy a bag of ice and put on keg, one bag should keep cold for 1-2 days, if not, get another bag, 2 bags should not cost more than $10.
KB