Membership questions? Log in issues? Email info@brewersassociation.org

Author Topic: Exploding keg kills Redhook Brewery worker  (Read 15369 times)

Offline a10t2

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 4696
  • Ask me why I don't like Chico!
    • SeanTerrill.com
Re: Exploding keg kills Redhook Brewery worker
« Reply #30 on: April 25, 2012, 09:22:23 am »
Yes, but do you want to clean 60 or so kegs with a non-automated system?

No, but a brewery that has to clean 60 kegs a day isn't in the target market for something like that.
Sent from my Microsoft Bob

Beer is like porn. You can buy it, but it's more fun to make your own.
Refractometer Calculator | Batch Sparging Calculator | Two Mile Brewing Co.

Offline bo

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1141
Re: Exploding keg kills Redhook Brewery worker
« Reply #31 on: April 25, 2012, 09:49:07 am »
It's "bag in ball" so you have pressure on the PET squeezing the bag and pushing the beer out. Still seems a whole lot safer than regular kegs.

Re environment, here at least they have a recycling program for this stuff. You just include it with your other plastic recycling. Don't forget that while those steel kegs are multiple use, transportation costs (i.e., fuel consumption) are much higher just because there's more weight.

Re beer going flat, nearly all the bars I patronize use KeyKeg, and it's what Mikkeller, BrewDog and Nogne 0 use, so I don't think that's an issue.

That makes much more sense than a bag in cardboard.

Offline Thirsty_Monk

  • Brewmaster General
  • *******
  • Posts: 2514
  • Eau Claire WI
    • Lazy Monk Brewing
Re: Exploding keg kills Redhook Brewery worker
« Reply #32 on: April 25, 2012, 11:17:47 am »
I've read of people setting up basic keg washer for $5k, but I think they usually cost a lot more than that.

That's about right for the automated units, but a "basic" keg washer can be put together for about $200-300. All you need is a coupler, a pump, some tubing, and a jerry-rigged stand.
Something like this:
Na Zdravie

Lazy Monk Brewing
http://www.lazymonkbrewing.com

Offline majorvices

  • Global Moderator
  • I must live here
  • *****
  • Posts: 11326
  • Polka. If its too loud you're too young.
Re: Exploding keg kills Redhook Brewery worker
« Reply #33 on: April 25, 2012, 11:19:16 am »
I've read of people setting up basic keg washer for $5k, but I think they usually cost a lot more than that.

That's about right for the automated units, but a "basic" keg washer can be put together for about $200-300. All you need is a coupler, a pump, some tubing, and a jerry-rigged stand.

And an air compressor and/or Co2. I use air for clean side and co2 for santi.

Offline richardt

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1227
Re: Exploding keg kills Redhook Brewery worker
« Reply #34 on: April 25, 2012, 11:36:55 am »
Surprised still that there was a safety failure at a commercial brewery.  Other than the failure to use one or blockage, how else could the pressure rise so high inside a keg that a bleeder valve or pressure relief valve didn't prevent an explosion?  Condolences to the family and co-workers, but it warrants understanding the how and why so it doesn't happen again.

Offline Thirsty_Monk

  • Brewmaster General
  • *******
  • Posts: 2514
  • Eau Claire WI
    • Lazy Monk Brewing
Re: Exploding keg kills Redhook Brewery worker
« Reply #35 on: April 25, 2012, 11:55:41 am »
Every keg coupler has a safety pressure valve that is set to 60 psi.
This valve is not on keg fillers.
Na Zdravie

Lazy Monk Brewing
http://www.lazymonkbrewing.com

Offline FirstStateBrewer

  • Assistant Brewer
  • ***
  • Posts: 220
  • Delaware
    • First State Brewers
Re: Exploding keg kills Redhook Brewery worker
« Reply #36 on: April 25, 2012, 12:01:23 pm »
Surprised still that there was a safety failure at a commercial brewery.  Other than the failure to use one or blockage, how else could the pressure rise so high inside a keg that a bleeder valve or pressure relief valve didn't prevent an explosion?  Condolences to the family and co-workers, but it warrants understanding the how and why so it doesn't happen again.
Ditto!
Scott B

Offline bluesman

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 8825
  • Delaware
Re: Exploding keg kills Redhook Brewery worker
« Reply #37 on: April 25, 2012, 08:25:09 pm »
Wow...a sad day for his family.  AFAIAC...This is a very rare occurrence.  The PRV should've vented the overpressure...unless there was foul play.  :-\
Ron Price

Offline bo

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1141
Re: Exploding keg kills Redhook Brewery worker
« Reply #38 on: April 25, 2012, 08:48:00 pm »
It could be that the keg was damaged resulting in a weak area that exploded under the PRV limit. However, I'm betting on human error. I'd like to see a picture of this exploded keg, but I doubt that will ever be made public.

You can take a 16 ounce PET bottle well beyond 100 psi.

Offline marty

  • Cellarman
  • **
  • Posts: 98
Re: Exploding keg kills Redhook Brewery worker
« Reply #39 on: April 25, 2012, 08:55:59 pm »
Surprised still that there was a safety failure at a commercial brewery.  Other than the failure to use one or blockage, how else could the pressure rise so high inside a keg that a bleeder valve or pressure relief valve didn't prevent an explosion?  Condolences to the family and co-workers, but it warrants understanding the how and why so it doesn't happen again.

I don't understand how the air line wouldn't fail. We don't usually think of it as a safety feature but vinyl tubing between 2 steel containers in a pressurized system should be the first thing to fail

narvin

  • Guest
Re: Exploding keg kills Redhook Brewery worker
« Reply #40 on: April 25, 2012, 09:04:58 pm »
Some of the more interesting imports from abroad now come in key kegs to our local uber-beer-bar, mainly because shipping a keg back overseas is more expensive (and probably worse for the environment) than a one time use plastic keg that can be recycled.
« Last Edit: April 25, 2012, 09:07:25 pm by narvin »

Offline boulderbrewer

  • Brewmaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 870
Re: Exploding keg kills Redhook Brewery worker
« Reply #41 on: May 04, 2012, 12:24:17 am »
I have a sample keykeg in my "office", the bottle is just like a 2 L soda bottle with a bag in it. The down side I see is the cost of the coupler, twice the cost of a regular coupler that the bars already have. Hard to buy these couplers to give to bars that have your product on tap. You only need air dispense to but until everyone else is using them they are not viaable as a small brewery. Not to say we will not use them. There are other 25 dollar kegs out there that can be used a couple times. That is for a different forum section. Not here.
« Last Edit: May 04, 2012, 12:25:48 am by boulderbrewer »