First Time keg set-up advice nneded

[Guvna]

Hi all, 

looking for any advice and detail re setting up a keg / regulater etc for first time.

Plan is to disasemble keg, clean, then starsan and re-assemble just prior to filling.

Pretty sure same goes for 'beer out' lines, Do I wash/soak and starsan the beer out connecter too?

And what about the 'gas in' hose and coupler? should they get wet? 

Also the regulator, just plug and play?

any small details that will help appreciated

cheers everyone

Guvna

 

 

 

 

[Beer Baron]

Hi Guvna. 

When I setup my system I cleaned my kegs with a cleaner and then put a small amount of gas into the keg to push the cleaner out of the beer lines and taps then I rinsed with water and done the same thing with Starsan. 

There is no need to do anything with the gas lines. Just hook up the gas lines and disconnects to the regulator and away you go!!

Beer Baron

[Greenyinthewestofsydney]

Pretty much what the baron said. I used sodium percarbonate as my cleaner and flushed it through the same. Do it every couple of kegs too to keep the lines clean. Then flush it all our with preboiled water cooled down to 30 or so degrees. Used to starsan it too but thought that its overkill. By all means starsan though as well. Can never be too safe really.

[Otto Von Blotto]

When I set mine up I cleaned the kegs with sodium percarbonate, pushed it through the lines and taps with the gas, then rinsed thoroughly with hot water* and pushed some of it through as well. Didn't bother with starsan on the lines and haven't since, but I do put it in the kegs. You can do it to the lines as well if you want, though I have read of issues being had with some taps due to the acidity of it.

*This step is important. The oxygen left behind by the percarbonate can affect the beer, one guy had some minor problems with oxidation in his beers, turned out he wasn't rinsing the kegs after cleaning them with percarbonate.

[Guvna]

So I set up my connections etc and ran some starsan though as a test pilot and discovered the presure relief valve to be leaky. (2nd hand pepsi corny) 

I could hear the slight hiss at 10psi and sprayed starsan over it and watched the bubbles form.

Hoping my local brew shop (beerbelly) has a replacement and thats it fixed , otherwise possibly need a new lid? not sure ?

Please correct me and/or advise accordingly ?

thanks for all the replies from many and advice so far,  estimate the first brew to be around $600 inc all the setup costs, lol, but slowy getting there

Guvna

[Otto Von Blotto]

It may just need a new seal, but I don't know whether the PRV can be removed from the lid and replaced or if it's part of the lid itself. I haven't had any problems with mine so not something I've looked at closely. 

[Guvna]

the prv screws out, look clean enough, i'll get a picture tommorow, gonna try get a new one from beerbelly, otherwise might need a new lid , thats if available.

so close to to filling and another hurdle 

[Otto Von Blotto]

Should be an easy fix in that case. I imagine there's an O ring in there somewhere, perhaps it's perished or something 

[#granted+brew]

+1

Beerbelly 

 

[Guvna]

sorted by beerbelly,  new PRV,  - standby for more newb questions. thanks for all the input - great forum

 

cheers and regard Guvna

[Guvna]

kegs been in fridge at 3c for 3 days 10psi. I noticed a very slight drop in psi today, maybe down to 9.5. Is that due to the beer absorbing co2? should it fluctuate a little or not?

cheers

Guvna

[Otto Von Blotto]

Sometimes new regulators fluctuate a little. I can't remember why though it's not temperature. Mine did the same thing but settled after a short while and doesn't move with temperature changes. You will notice the high pressure gauge move up and down more with temperature changes though.