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Author Topic: Do I have a kegging issue?  (Read 5451 times)

Offline weazletoe

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Do I have a kegging issue?
« on: February 06, 2010, 09:48:01 am »
  Someithing just hit me last batch I kegged......When I rack, the hose I use does not go all he way to the bottom of my keg. It lays up against the side about halfway up the keg. So, as the beer comes out of the hose, it hits the side of the keg, and fans out to a stream about 4 inches wide. I'm just inviting all sorts of oxygen in here, aren't I?
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Offline mrcceo

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Re: Do I have a kegging issue?
« Reply #1 on: February 06, 2010, 10:04:24 am »
I've experienced the same thing and never had any oxidation as a result.  If your concerned, in the future purge the keg with CO2 prior to filling.

Offline denny

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Re: Do I have a kegging issue?
« Reply #2 on: February 06, 2010, 10:30:00 am »
Yeah, while there's no guarantee that you'll hurt the beer, it isn't an ideal situation.  It's a cheap and easy fix to just get some longer tubing and be safe.
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Offline bluesman

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Re: Do I have a kegging issue?
« Reply #3 on: February 06, 2010, 12:41:01 pm »
Yeah, while there's no guarantee that you'll hurt the beer, it isn't an ideal situation.  It's a cheap and easy fix to just get some longer tubing and be safe.

+1

I agree. Minimizing the exposure of O2 is the right move Weaz.
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Offline weazletoe

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Re: Do I have a kegging issue?
« Reply #4 on: February 06, 2010, 12:55:34 pm »
Do many of you purge your kegs prior to filling? I have a spare tank and regulator now. I was not sure doing so was overkill or not.
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Offline bluesman

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Re: Do I have a kegging issue?
« Reply #5 on: February 06, 2010, 01:01:40 pm »
Do many of you purge your kegs prior to filling? I have a spare tank and regulator now. I was not sure doing so was overkill or not.

When I "kick" a keg I immediately clean and sanitize it. Then I pressurize it 30psi with CO2 giving the relief valve several pulls to purge the air out.

Then when I'm ready to keg my next beer, I have a pre-purged keg ready to go. It also assures your keg isn't losing pressure.
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Offline denny

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Re: Do I have a kegging issue?
« Reply #6 on: February 06, 2010, 01:02:09 pm »
I don't normally.  If I'm filling multiple kegs at once, the sanitizer gets pushed from keg to keg which results in purging, but that's the only time I do.  I do purge the headspace once the keg is filled, though.
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Offline weazletoe

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Re: Do I have a kegging issue?
« Reply #7 on: February 06, 2010, 02:04:42 pm »


When I "kick" a keg I immediately clean and sanitize it. Then I pressurize it 30psi with CO2 giving the relief valve several pulls to purge the air out.

Then when I'm ready to keg my next beer, I have a pre-purged keg ready to go. It also assures your keg isn't losing pressure.

Dude! I love that. I just blew a keg, so i'm gonna take a whack at that.
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Offline zee

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Re: Do I have a kegging issue?
« Reply #8 on: February 06, 2010, 06:25:00 pm »
i do what denny does in that i have a keg of sanitizer [great for cleaning beer lines] and i pump it from keg to keg. what i end up with is sanitized kegs that have nothing but co2 in them. i usually only need 1psi or so to move the liquid and i have a short jumper that goes from beer out to co2 in. [that way i'm touching everything with sanitizer.]

when i'm racking from the fermenter, i do the sterile siphon like morebeer sells, only, i actually have a beer out ball lock on the end of my racking cane tube. hook the beer out to the keg and rack directly to the bottom of the keg via the dip tube. i unscrew the pressure relief valve to let the co2 out so the siphon doesn't stop. the lid never comes off the keg, so the only way that baddies can get in is through the tiny little hole where the pressure relief valve was. [in practice, though it is unscrewed, it still sits in the hole just so dust can't float down in there. this way its a virtually closed system.

Offline weazletoe

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Re: Do I have a kegging issue?
« Reply #9 on: February 06, 2010, 06:44:39 pm »
I Really like the sterile siphon idea. In fact, I used to do the same thing with and orange cap and racking cane. But, now I pretty much ferment in buckets. Any thoughts on a way to start a siphone the same way, but in a bucket?
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Offline a10t2

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Re: Do I have a kegging issue?
« Reply #10 on: February 07, 2010, 09:56:33 am »
I Really like the sterile siphon idea. In fact, I used to do the same thing with and orange cap and racking cane. But, now I pretty much ferment in buckets. Any thoughts on a way to start a siphone the same way, but in a bucket?

I do the same thing with an auto siphon. I put a barb and threaded fitting on the end of the siphon tubing, so it just gets attached directly to the liquid post.
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Offline 1vertical

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Re: Do I have a kegging issue?
« Reply #11 on: February 13, 2010, 12:10:42 pm »
I Really like the sterile siphon idea. In fact, I used to do the same thing with and orange cap and racking cane. But, now I pretty much ferment in buckets. Any thoughts on a way to start a siphone the same way, but in a bucket?

Weaze, I got a short chunk of 5/16 tubing and a hose clamp....clamped the tubing to
a Liquid OUT keg connector....the other end of this hose gets slid onto the bucket's valve...
I fill the keg with co2 then pull the relief valve open and then open the bucket valve,
beer just runs down the long ss tube to the bottom of the keg....Nice.
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Offline tom

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Re: Do I have a kegging issue?
« Reply #12 on: February 13, 2010, 09:54:33 pm »
i do what denny does in that i have a keg of sanitizer [great for cleaning beer lines] and i pump it from keg to keg. what i end up with is sanitized kegs that have nothing but co2 in them. i usually only need 1psi or so to move the liquid and i have a short jumper that goes from beer out to co2 in. [that way i'm touching everything with sanitizer.]

when i'm racking from the fermenter, i do the sterile siphon like morebeer sells, only, i actually have a beer out ball lock on the end of my racking cane tube. hook the beer out to the keg and rack directly to the bottom of the keg via the dip tube. i unscrew the pressure relief valve to let the co2 out so the siphon doesn't stop. the lid never comes off the keg, so the only way that baddies can get in is through the tiny little hole where the pressure relief valve was. [in practice, though it is unscrewed, it still sits in the hole just so dust can't float down in there. this way its a virtually closed system.
Exactly. Wouldn't do it any other way.
When transferring under pressure, you can also partially screw out the pressure relief valve, which decreases its pressure release.
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Offline weazletoe

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Re: Do I have a kegging issue?
« Reply #13 on: February 14, 2010, 07:13:26 am »
Curse my pin locks with no relief valves! Guess I could always put a lock on the gas post.
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Offline 1vertical

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Re: Do I have a kegging issue?
« Reply #14 on: February 14, 2010, 07:51:29 am »
Curse my pin locks with no relief valves! Guess I could always put a lock on the gas post.
Yep just do this....as the liquid fills the keg, the gas will exit the lock...
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