Ready for my first kegging experience...?

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

sleepystevenson

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 5, 2007
Messages
437
Reaction score
15
Location
North Western PA
Hello All,

I have a beer about ready to be bottled / kegged. Just had a few questions as this will be my first ball lock corny kegging experience.

How do I go about pressure testing my kegs to be sure there are no problems with the o-rings/ seals before filling with the precious nectar of the gods I have in the secondary now? I did buy the kegs from a fellow HB, who said they were A-OK, but definitely want to check them.

It seems like everything (posts, o-rings, dip tube, etc.) all need to be dismantled and sanitized? I have cleaned them all, inside and out, but have not removed the posts, etc. yet.

How full can I fill the corny from top? I may have a bit more or less than five gallons in my secondary right now. How much head space in the keg is required?

I plan on just setting my PSI to about 12-14 and letting her set for a week or so to carbonate, as I am sure the beer will need some conditioning anyway for some time.

Lastly, is it advantageous to cut a bit off the dip tube so I won't be sucking up trub / yeast for the first few beers? I do plan on chilling the secondary so the yeast will drop out before racking to the bottling bucket.

Thanks! Can't wait to pour my first homebrew draft out o' the keggerator! :ban:
 
sleepystevenson said:
Hello All,

I have a beer about ready to be bottled / kegged. Just had a few questions as this will be my first ball lock corny kegging experience.


How do I go about pressure testing my kegs to be sure there are no problems with the o-rings/ seals before filling with the precious nectar of the gods I have in the secondary now? I did buy the kegs from a fellow HB, who said they were A-OK, but definitely want to check them.

First, make sure your large O-ring is nicely coated in keg lube. IF you don’t have keg lube available, you can use mineral oil (grocery store). It’s an absolute must for a nice tight pressurized seal.
Next, hit the empty keg with about 20 PSI for about 20-30 seconds. (Don’t wait for it to fully pressurize or you’ll be there all day.) Then, take a soapy wet rag and squeeze soapy water all over the top and look for bubbles.


It seems like everything (posts, o-rings, dip tube, etc.) all need to be dismantled and sanitized? I have cleaned them all, inside and out, but have not removed the posts, etc. yet.

Go ahead and remove the posts and clean them out. Get those poppets out of the posts and clean them as well (they’re my #1 source for slow leaks.)

How full can I fill the corny from top? I may have a bit more or less than five gallons in my secondary right now. How much head space in the keg is required?

Fill it to within ½ inch of the gas tube. Don’t let the gas tube get submerged.

I plan on just setting my PSI to about 12-14 and letting her set for a week or so to carbonate, as I am sure the beer will need some conditioning anyway for some time.

Sound good. Plan on about 10 days.

Lastly, is it advantageous to cut a bit off the dip tube so I won't be sucking up trub / yeast for the first few beers? I do plan on chilling the secondary so the yeast will drop out before racking to the bottling bucket.

I do. About ½ inch. It’s matter of debate though. Or if the tube is bent, just give it a bit more bend.

Thanks! Can't wait to pour my first homebrew draft out o' the keggerator! :ban
You’re gonna love it
 
Thank you, BM, Great info!

Looking forward to trying this. I am tired of all the hassles associated with bottling.

It will be my last extract / grain brew in the keg, as I have my first AG brew in the primary right now!

BM, if you read this, please check out my thread concerning my first AG brew, as I had a few questions, and your answers are always good ones, here's the link"

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=43078

Thanks AGain!

:)
 
Back
Top