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Author Topic: Keg Jumping  (Read 2597 times)

Offline flbrewer

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Keg Jumping
« on: March 06, 2016, 07:14:03 am »
I'm going to pick up/construct a keg jumper to assist in some of my cleaning woes.

Will gravity ever help with transferring or do you have to push w CO2?

Also just to confirm its setup using two liquid posts and you plug this into the two out lines correct?

I'm also confirming that the donor keg needs to be higher PSI than the receiving keg.

Offline Stevie

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Keg Jumping
« Reply #1 on: March 06, 2016, 09:14:20 am »
Gravity would require introduction of air.

Yes, both liquid

If the beer is carbonated, I like to get both kegs cold, and release all of the pressure from the full keg before connecting. The receiving keg should be purged of co2 with its PRV open. Connect the two and slowly raise the gas pressure. I like to run it slow to prevent foam.

Ideally, a spunding valve would be used to maintain head pressure on the receiving keg. I've been meaning to build one.
« Last Edit: March 06, 2016, 09:25:02 am by Stevie »

Offline flbrewer

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Re: Keg Jumping
« Reply #2 on: March 06, 2016, 09:21:41 am »
Thanks...in my case (at least for now) I'll be using these jumpers to move around cleaning/sanitizers.

Offline hopfenundmalz

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Re: Keg Jumping
« Reply #3 on: March 06, 2016, 09:59:39 am »
You can use gravity, at least for most of it.

Make a jumper with 2 liquid fitting. Make one with 2 gas fittings. Have a purged keg, make sure the pressure is released. Have the keg with beer higher than the purged keg. Use the CO2 to start the transfer, then disconnect. Then hook up the gas posts. As the beer drains, the displaced gas goes on top of the beer in the first keg.

Saves CO2, trade off is the longer time it takes. Make sure your jumpers are long enough.
Jeff Rankert
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Offline brewinhard

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Re: Keg Jumping
« Reply #4 on: March 06, 2016, 11:18:49 am »
Gravity would require introduction of air.

Yes, both liquid

If the beer is carbonated, I like to get both kegs cold, and release all of the pressure from the full keg before connecting. The receiving keg should be purged of co2 with its PRV open. Connect the two and slowly raise the gas pressure. I like to run it slow to prevent foam.

Ideally, a spunding valve would be used to maintain head pressure on the receiving keg. I've been meaning to build one.

I have done a lot of blending beers (even fully carbonated ones) in this fashion.  What worked best for me was to have just enough pressure on the full keg to push out the beer into the receiving keg which also had matching pressure on it to minimize foaming.  It obviously takes awhile to transfer in this method, but you do maintain the carbonation levels without the beer foaming out of the PRV.

Offline erockrph

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Re: Keg Jumping
« Reply #5 on: March 07, 2016, 09:24:48 am »
Ideally, a spunding valve would be used to maintain head pressure on the receiving keg. I've been meaning to build one.
I can't believe I've never thought of this. Usually I'm just walking over and popping the manual PRV every minute or so on the receiving keg. That adjustable PRV on a ball-lock QD is quickly becoming one of the most useful tools in my brewery.
Eric B.

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Offline bucknut

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Re: Keg Jumping
« Reply #6 on: March 07, 2016, 04:45:28 pm »
Thanks...in my case (at least for now) I'll be using these jumpers to move around cleaning/sanitizers.

I use this method with my sanitizers, I fill the keg with starsan completely full after cleaning it, then I'll use Co2 to push into another cleaned keg. That way I have a completely O2 free keg for ready for filling, and the starsan keeps getting passed on to the next keg. I'll test ph on it after about 4 or 5 kegs for effectiveness.