It's Kegging time 2022

[Tricky Micky]

Anyone got a link to a vid tutorial on how to close transfer to a keg from the Coopers FV? I'm totally lost with this - my tiny brain hurts. Any help much appreciated.

[Tricky Micky]

Is this line good for the liquid/gas lines ball lock duotights on the 19 liter kegs from KL?

https://www.kegland.com.au/evabarrier-5mm-x-8mm-double-wall-eva-12meter-length-in-bag.html

[Tricky Micky]

Just a quick Q - do I need to have the fan "ON" when the series X kegerator is set to 2 degrees?

[kmar92]

1 hour ago, Mickep said:

Just a quick Q - do I need to have the fan "ON" when the series X kegerator is set to 2 degrees?

KL recommends that the fan be on at all times on the Series X.

[ozdevil]

@Mickep  see PM's have answered your pmsbriefly a as I am back at work 

[Tricky Micky]

3 minutes ago, ozdevil said:

@Mickep  see PM's have answered your pmsbriefly a as I am back at work 

Thanks Oz mate, too kind cheers.

[ozdevil]

2 hours ago, Mickep said:

Just a quick Q - do I need to have the fan "ON" when the series X kegerator is set to 2 degrees?

I will say something  here  keep an eye on fan though if ice builds up and ice builds up you will burn the fan out.  I burnt mine once  but they are replaceable and are plug and play  just a pain as there is 12 screws you have to undo.

 

Also mick  open the top of the font  to see if Gash left insulation  inside the font.  I am certain he would have left it in there thou

[Tricky Micky]

3 minutes ago, ozdevil said:

I will say something  here  keep an eye on fan though if ice builds up and ice builds up you will burn the fan out.  I burnt mine once  but they are replaceable and are plug and play  just a pain as there is 12 screws you have to undo.

 

Also mick  open the top of the font  to see if Gash left insulation  inside the font.  I am certain he would have left it in there thou

cheers Oz

[Malter White]

Christmas in March.

[Classic Brewing Co]

8 minutes ago, MUZZY said:

Christmas in March.

Hey Muzzy you beat me, mine's due at about 2.30 today.

[Malter White]

12 minutes ago, Classic Brewing Co said:

Hey Muzzy you beat me, mine's due at about 2.30 today.

I wasn't expecting it until tomorrow. Now I'm cold crashing a brew I thought I was going to bottle.

[Malter White]

On 3/4/2022 at 10:23 PM, Shamus O'Sean said:

Yes, pretty much.  Maybe these Kegs are a bit thicker.  It is hard to say for sure.

They are definitely thicker than some of the small PET bottles I use for pushing santiser through my beer lines.  I am pretty sure that these kegs will handle kegging pressures, structurally wise.

Mine have just arrived. I'm sure they'll be fine but they feel flimsier than I expected. I thought they were going to be quite rigid but they're not unlike a large PET bottle, as you mentioned previously, Guru.

[Aussiekraut]

7 hours ago, Mickep said:

Is this line good for the liquid/gas lines ball lock duotights on the 19 liter kegs from KL?

https://www.kegland.com.au/evabarrier-5mm-x-8mm-double-wall-eva-12meter-length-in-bag.html

It should be fine for the 8mm duo tights. Certainly good for gas lines and suitable for beer lines but you will need longer lines. I have a 4m 5mm line on one of my pluto guns and it works a treat. The other has a 3.5m and also works fine. All on approx. 12psi serving pressure.

[Aussiekraut]

7 hours ago, Mickep said:

Just a quick Q - do I need to have the fan "ON" when the series X kegerator is set to 2 degrees?

I mostly have it on for two reasons. Firstly, it keeps the pigeons quiet and the beer lines in the tower cold, preventing frothy pours. However we usually only have the screen door locked next to the kegerator and the glass door open, I get a helluva lot of condensation on the tower and the top of the kegerator. So when humidity is very high, I do turn it off every now and then...until I need a beer or the pigeons drive me mad.

The kegerator makes some noises which are reminiscent of the sound a roost of pigeons would make, hence me talking about the "pigeons"  

[Shamus O'Sean]

In answer to @Mickep and any body else who wants to know how I "semi' closed transfer from the Coopers FV to a keg:

See the diagram below.

• I typically bottle the first few litres the traditional way until the volume drops to about 18 litres
• I cut a 5cm length off a spare bottling wand - obviously fits the tap fine
• 8mm OD EVA Barrier beer line fits perfectly into the bottling wand
• Mine is 5mm ID line to optimise flow rate - even then it is slow and maybe takes 30 minutes or so to empty
• This line is about 60-90 cm long with a beer disconnect at the other end.
• On the gas side you just need something to allow the air/CO2 in the keg to exit the keg
• These days, after washing a keg, I fill it with sanitiser and then push it out with CO2.  Sometimes this is with the CO2 from another recently empty keg.  They have about 12-15psi in them from the serving process.  Rather than purging the CO2 into the atmosphere, I keep finished kegs until I need to purge a clean one.  Kind of like reusing the CO2.  The pressure from one empty keg can purge 3/4 of a sanitiser filled keg.  The rest I push out using a CO2 gas bottle.
• Now, after doing the above, I do pressurise the clean and sanitised keg to 10psi tops.  Just to help with maintaining a seal.  So, before connecting anything up, I discharge the CO2 via the PRV (what a waste).
• In the picture I have a gas to gas jumper with a carbonation cap in one of the disconnects.  Once the other end is connected to the gas post, it allows the CO2 so gradually escape as the keg fills.
• As noted in the picture, you can (and I have) just used a gas disconnect on its own.  You can (but I have not) also lift and turn the PRV ring so it sits in the open position.
• I figure that with the CO2 escaping there is not much chance for O2 to sneak into the keg against the flow of CO2, even if it is only moving out as quick as the volume of beer is going in.
• I also figure, although the Coopers FV is sucking in air as it empties, that process is very gentle and as long as I do not end up sucking air out via the tap, I am getting very little oxygen into the kegged brew.

Now process:

1. Plastic bucket under FV tap to catch any drops
2. Spray sanitise up into tap (as usual)
3. Spray sanitise the beer post (I do not bother with sanitising the gas post because it is staying dry anyway)
4. I dunk the mini bottling wand/line/beer disconnect into sanitiser.  I have never disassembled this "line".  I also drop a carbonation cap in the sanitiser
5. I have a small funnel that neatly fits over the mini bottling wand.  With the carbonation cap in the end of the beer disconnect and the mini bottling wand in the end of the funnel, I pour some sanitiser through the line.
6. Spray sanitise up into the tap again
7. With sanitiser soaked hands, I push the mini bottling wand into the tap
8. Open the tap.  Nothing much will happen due to the atmospheric pressure in the line.  You might see some beer in the first few cm's of line
9. Holding the beer disconnect over the bucket, use a sanitised finger to push in the poppet inside the disconnect until beer flows out, then release the poppet.  It's not much, but the line is now purged of air.
10. Spray sanitise up into the beer disconnect
11. NOW, BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING ELSE, CHECK THAT THE KEG IS PURGED OF ALL CO2, VIA THE PRV.
12. Connect up your preferred CO2 blow-off method
13. Connect the beer disconnect to the beer post
14. Let the beer flow - it will syphon via gravity - I should have mentioned this earlier:  The FV must be higher than the keg for this to work.
15. As the FV nears emptying, I chock up the back feet of the FV with a few bits of wood, bit by bit so I do not disturb the yeast cake too much.
16. I have never timed it, but I think it would take 30 minutes to empty.
17. I stop the tap just before I either start sucking in air or too much yeast cake/trub.
18. Disconnect everything and clean up.

[Popo the Reprobate]

Nice explanation @Shamus O'Sean

[Pezzza]

Nice work above there Shamus - beautifully explained mate luvyerwork! @Shamus O'Sean

Or... my more primitive method... which I was going to post a basic pic of anyway -- but thought I might provide quick explanation for anyone interested as well... 

I just clean my Keg (washed - perc for a few days - hot water rinse) and then do a few hot final near-boiling water shake rinses which are pushed out with CO2 pressure... (and clean one of my Pluto Guns and Line while I am at it) 

And then open the Corney lid and fill from the FV from the bottom hoping that CO2 is heavier than air and should stay in the keg while I am filling...

Then once filled - pop the lid on - and burb seven times at 40PSI (maybe a bit excessive?)...  then gas-on-up.

Here's this morning's Middy going-going-gone-in : )

(And finally drain the last bit of cloudy yeasty beer out and then backfill with the next AG cooled Wort )

Edited March 9, 2022 by Itinerant Peasant

[Tricky Micky]

And so it begins, just like Muzzy - it's Chrissy in March.

 

[Classic Brewing Co]

4 minutes ago, Mickep said:

And so it begins, just like Muzzy - it's Chrissy in March.

Hey @Mickep it was for me too but as you know not kegs, so all the best with your new challenges. 

[ozdevil]

@Classic Brewing Co @Mickep @MUZZY

you lucky buggas getting all your christmas's in march and all i got was thick ear from swmbo  for wanting a  beer on tap from the kegerator   becuase i went and brought  the rapt temp controller  and i said these guys was celebrating christmas in march why cant i

next minute i cant hear a word she is saying she clobbered me around the ears that hard

enjoy your new found toys guys   you know your on the steep slope of brewing now

[Classic Brewing Co]

2 minutes ago, ozdevil said:

@Classic Brewing Co @Mickep @MUZZY

you lucky buggas getting all your christmas's in march and all i got was thick ear from swmbo  for wanting a  beer on tap from the kegerator   becuase i went and brought  the rapt temp controller  and i said these guys was celebrating christmas in march why cant i

next minute i cant hear a word she is saying she clobbered me around the ears that hard

enjoy your new found toys guys   you know your on the steep slope of brewing now

Well I wouldn't have copped that OD, I know what I would have done, I would have threatened here with no ...  well you know what I mean for a month but then it could be your fault for leaving the boxes laying around. Anyway I hope you sort it & I would suggest you tell her she can do the dishes all by herself 

[ozdevil]

3 minutes ago, Classic Brewing Co said:

Well I wouldn't have copped that OD, I know what I would have done, I would have threatened here with no ...  well you know what I mean for a month but then it could be your fault for leaving the boxes laying around. Anyway I hope you sort it & I would suggest you tell her she can do the dishes all by herself 

I did and now i have matching sore ears    but she is still doing the dishes on her own 

[Aussiekraut]

30 minutes ago, Mickep said:

And so it begins, just like Muzzy - it's Chrissy in March.

 

Bewdiful  

[Classic Brewing Co]

2 minutes ago, ozdevil said:

I did and now i have matching sore ears    but she is still doing the dishes on her own 

Stereo Pain - ringing in the ears, maybe send her home to her mum's for awhile - you can tell I am not married can't you. 

[Malter White]

Sorry folks but a long winded enquiry coming.
I miscalculated the size of the new keg equipment and my bar fridge. I thought I could fit 2 kegs, gas and some commercial cans and bottles into the bar fridge. Turns out I can't fit as much as I wanted.
Now looking at other scenarios ie. using bottom half of fermenting fridge to carbonate kegs at cold temps but still using ferment fridge as a ferment fridge also.
If I carbonate kegs at cold temp (2-4C) and store them in ferment fridge and then ferment brews in the top half of fridge and change temps to fermenting temps (12-22C range) while kegs are still in it, will this fk the beer in the kegs?
My intention is to carb kegs in the ferment fridge then use bar fridge as the dispensing fridge.