Lessons learned

drayman86 · 06-07-2007, 10:40 AM

Found out some vital things about kegging and kegerrators (mostly kegging):

1. Each corny holds only five gallons of beer. It's not bottomless. Don't drink like it is, invite neighbors over like it is, or pass out growlers like it is.

2. Do NOT dry hop without using a grain sack to put the pellets or the whole hops into. Doing so will cause the dip tube of your corny to plug with the residual particles that followed the beer from the secondary fermenter, resulting in the loss of about 2 gallons of beer when the dip tube plugs.

3. Siphoning carbonated keg beer from one corny to another gets you a big mound of foam.

Well, that's what I learned. The good news? I gotta start brewing with my buddy every Friday to replenish the stock.

**evanmars** · 06-07-2007, 05:07 PM

I just spent the last two weekends trying to finish of a keg so I could change over to a new keg because I haven't gotten enough hose/fittings for more than one keg yet. I thought maybe it was bottomless.

**the_bird** · 06-07-2007, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by evanmars

I just spent the last two weekends trying to finish of a keg so I could change over to a new keg because I haven't gotten enough hose/fittings for more than one keg yet. I thought maybe it was bottomless.

Psst! - you never asked for any help!

digdan · 06-07-2007, 05:19 PM

Here is another one to go along with #3. Just because its not sealed doesn't mean its not carbonated.

I had a corney foam 2 gallons of beer off when I dumped half of one carbonated corney into half of another carbonated corney.

**HenryHill** · 06-07-2007, 06:08 PM

So, say you want to transfer beer from cornie to cornie or Sanke to cornie, is it best to just pump the beer in through the beer side post leaving the PRV open, or is it necessary to have a back pressure set-up to eliminate foaming?

PITA to just fill via lid...

**Bobby_M** · 06-07-2007, 07:03 PM

You pressurize the receiving keg to the same pressure as the donor, then disconnect gas from receiving keg. Attach beer to beer hose. Slowly pull receiving keg's pressure realease to start transfer but don't dump it quick. You want to create a slight pressure difference. Think of filling the keg like a counter pressure filler fills a bottle. If your beer is carbed under 10psi, the transfer should occur because your donor keg is at like 9psi, not zero.

**HenryHill** · 06-07-2007, 07:40 PM

Sorta vacuum siphoning-got it.

Thanks, Bud.

**evanmars** · 06-07-2007, 08:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by the_bird

Psst! - you never asked for any help!

Yes, I did. I brought a growler of it over to your house!

gnef · 06-09-2007, 12:05 AM

when a diptube gets stuck with hop gunk, the easiest way to work with it, is to depressurize the tank through the relief valve, then take off the liquid post and dip tube, clean it out, then sanitize, assemble, and repressurize. you should have only minimal loss of beer if anything.

drayman86 · 06-24-2007, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gnef

when a diptube gets stuck with hop gunk, the easiest way to work with it, is to depressurize the tank through the relief valve, then take off the liquid post and dip tube, clean it out, then sanitize, assemble, and repressurize. you should have only minimal loss of beer if anything.

Yeah, that's what my brewing partner told me AFTER the fact.