The Switch - Sanke keg serving and fermenting

Everyone here keeps us VERY busy.
I'm managing to get some of my personal brew related projects worked out.
Thanks for keeping us busy!

Also want to say thank you to several people I borrowed all these great ideas from off the forum!
I would list them here.......

I'm in the process of changing over to 1/6 barrel kegs for serving and fermenting.
I have a couple 1/2 barrel kegs to do larger 10-12 gallon batches when needed.

These are brand 1/6 (5.17 gallon) new slims I bought locally. Not cheap but I wanted them to all match and have the same spear hardware etc. 10 keg minimum forced my hand!



Had to figure out a way to clean them so I modified a tap by removing the ball and check valves. Soldered 1/2 x 3/8 NPT reducing hex nipples to the nuts so I could connect camlocks to the in and out.



So using a sump pump and some hose connections I can recirculate cleaner and then run rinse water through the sanke tap. Water flows into the liquid connection sprays up the spear and drain out the co2 side.


I have a wand with sprayer head that hooks onto the camlock I put on the pump so I can switch between this and the sanke connector. This allows me to clean the fermenters without installing the spear.



I got impatient and made my own tool to press on the spears to make it easier to get the spiral rings in and out. Not pretty but it works great.
1/4" plate steel and a harbor freight C clamp cut and welded. I use a nut and socket to push on the spear.


Fermenting setup will be documented when I get the parts. Plan to use 2" tri-clover and to modify some 2" caps by drilling and adding some 1/2" pickup tubes through them.

Managed to find a block of time to drill and solder in a fitting.

Note: USE COBALT BITS. 1/4" thick blanks will eat up all other bits. Don't cheap out and use cobalt coated either.

This is my test fitting. I just cut the thread off a brass compression adapter and drilled out the stop.
Roughed up both brass and the stainless steel blank surface around the hole and butt soldered the fitting.

I will test it for leaks.
I will be using o-rings to seal against the pickup tube.

Place holder #2

Looks great. I have a similar setup, but not quite as polished/well thought out, so I will definitely be borrowing some of your ideas!

That is awesome. You just made me think about changing to sanke. I only have 3 cornies at the moment and want more (usual story ). Over in NZ used cornies go for about NZ$120 and in kind of short supply, used 50 ltr sankes are... $120 (ligit that is ) so I guest 25 ltr one might be a bit cheaper (don't know really ) and are more available. So for the long run it is kind of a good idea to go to sanke
How much is not cheap by the way?

Those kegs look great! I'm still using cornies mostly for serving, but I have 2 and soon to be 3 sanke's that I'm going to start doing some closed system fermentating.

The 1/6 are around $130 each with tax new. So not cheap.

Corney kegs are up around that same price brand new so that's how I justified spending the money.
I do have and use corney kegs.

I'll post some pictures of the fermentation connections and I do plan on trying pressure fementing as well.

That's not bad at all! You need to display them in your brewery when not in use! I'm tempted to polish the sanke's just for looks in the brewery.

One thing I suggest you do, after you get your spunding valve setup, hook up your C02 tank to a keg with the beer out port blocked or closed off. Pressurize it to 15-20. Disconnect, and hook up your spunding valve to see how it works (not sure if you have used it before), i found mine incredibly unclear on how adjustments on the knob would affect pressure release, and still am in a way. I know where zero is on the valve and I'm getting the idea how much a full turn of the knob is.

Good luck!

I've made two spunding vales and played with pressure fermenting a couple years ago.

I only did one or two batches that way and it worked out fine but I do remember it being kinda a pain to get the pressure set on it.

Seemed to remember I needed a shorter range pressure gauge so I could get better resolution on the low end.

Very intrested on how this turns out. I am currently working with 1/2 barrel sankes to ferment then transfer to another sanke to bright/serve out of.

Are you planning to ferment and serve out of the same keg?

No. I plan on utilizing 2 or 3 as fermenters and just push with co2 to the serving kegs.

This will simplify cleaning. Its a bit easier to clean without removing and replacing the spears on the fermenters.

Very similar ideas, nice. I plan on working out my ideas soon, will be great to compare notes.

Looking great! I've been contemplating making a spear depressor tool myself, but I'm too lazy. I really like the 1/4bbl size for fermenting, and the 1/6bbl for serving, and IMO the sanke system offers a lot of advantages over cornies. I just wish the kegs didn't cost so much. Keep us updated.

Hey cheese, would it be possible to fit gass and liquid ball lock post on the 2 blank? Trying to set up presurized fermentation and carb with ball lock and being able to get rid of the sanke D and spear.

I have thought about switching also... the cost holds me back... maybe one day when i decide to go public

in your first post you mention pumping up the dip tube and draining out the gas side. with enough flow this should work to clean the inside of the keg but how do you know if you have the outside of the dip tube clean?

I will test my cleaning regimen and pull some spears to be sure.

I'm emulating the cleaning cycle they use to wash kegs. Of course they have a custom connector that clamps the keg and then shoots the water at higher velocities. I'm sure their flow is higher so I'll use more time pumping to get the kegs clean.

JuanMoore said:

Looking great! I've been contemplating making a spear depressor tool myself, but I'm too lazy. I really like the 1/4bbl size for fermenting, and the 1/6bbl for serving, and IMO the sanke system offers a lot of advantages over cornies. I just wish the kegs didn't cost so much. Keep us updated.

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Initially, I also thought that you needed to depress the spear to reinstall the spiral ring. I used a large socket and a piece of wood, DIY type tool. I have since started using the method linked below and the retaining rings can be easily reinstalled w/ just a pair of pliers...with a little practice it takes seconds.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/installing-retaining-ring-sanke-keg-64128/

I've been just using a small screw driver with a tip small enough to pry out the ring, and when it comes time to put it back in I use the same screw driver and a hammer to nudge it back in the fitting. Starting to get good at it and can put it back on under a minute.

Very nice, maybe ferment in larger sanke kegs (I use 1/2 and 1/4 BBL kegs) and serve in the 1/6 BBL's? I haven't done any pressurized fermentation yet but have been thinking about modifying 2" Tri-Clover caps as you have mentioned above. I look forward to seeing what you come up with!

BargainFittings said:

I will test my cleaning regimen and pull some spears to be sure.

I'm emulating the cleaning cycle they use to wash kegs. Of course they have a custom connector that clamps the keg and then shoots the water at higher velocities. I'm sure their flow is higher so I'll use more time pumping to get the kegs clean.

Click to expand...

Interesting... I always assumed they were taken apart to clean. That could explain the large amount of hard to clean off crap on the outside of one of the spears I got.

I'm not brewing like I did so slightly smaller batches is not an issue.

Triclover blanks and clamps came in so as soon as I get an hour free I'll make some pickups and post pictures.

jtsims21 said:

Interesting... I always assumed they were taken apart to clean. That could explain the large amount of hard to clean off crap on the outside of one of the spears I got.

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The automated keg cleaners typically steam sanitize and if they don't have their cleaning regimen done properly, the insides can have a ton of crap baked on the interior surface.

It might be sanitary but it still is gross.

that sounds about right... 3 days soaking in pbw and scrubbing and its still not great. i polished the rest off with 2000 grit

I find that a caustic wash, rinse, then soak in acid sanitizer usually will loosen up most everything but there is no substitute for hand cleaning sometimes.

Beer stone and baked on carbonates are a pain.

BargainFittings said:

I find that a caustic wash, rinse, then soak in acid sanitizer usually will loosen up most everything but there is no substitute for hand cleaning sometimes.

Beer stone and baked on carbonates are a pain.

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I have heard of going for an acid pre-wash can help break up beer stone / carbonates. Just a thought.

Updated with pictures on the second post.

Cleaned the kegs. I kegged beer and mead today.
Still waiting for a new manifold and regulator to redo my setup.

Kegged 10 gallons of mead, 10 gallons of braggot, 5 gallons of APA, 4.5 gallons of Belgian Strong Dark

It's hard to tell from your picture.
Are you inverting the sanke with a coupler installed and simply pumping the solvent in reverse through the beer-out and then draining out the gas-in?

Do you think the sump would suffer if you ran caustic in this manner?

What caustic are you using? I've seen a commercial setup and you've pretty much nailed it's operation. They have the benefit of purging with CO2 and the end of the cycle.

pickles said:

What caustic are you using? I've seen a commercial setup and you've pretty much nailed it's operation. They have the benefit of purging with CO2 and the end of the cycle.

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Assuming this is directed @me: None currently. But I have a newly acquired 1/6th barrel sanke that has some oxidation spots inside which might require it before going into service (and I figured I'd start flushing all the kegs with caustic at least periodically at some point.)

Right now I just handle/rinse/wash them all by hand, but this setup with the sump is quite clever, especially if it will accommodate caustic. But that portion could always be a hand-operation and poured from keg to keg if needs be.

Sorry, I was wondering what kind Wayne (BargainFittings) used.