Is there a preferred method for tracking how much beer is left in a keg? Hand held hanging luggage scale? Bathroom scale under the keg? Since it takes so long for us to drink a keg, we lose track of how much is in there... usually finding out on friday night when the beer distributor is closed for the weekend.
How to tell when keg is getting empty?
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MagicMatt
Brewmathemagician
Or just take it out of the kegerator and let it sit at room temp for about 5 minutes. You'll see condensation form from the bottom up to the beer line.
Psylocide
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Hahaha... 'gently lift.'
I have a story about that... I was judging volume by 'gently' lifting and the keg was always pretty heavy. Not wanting to disturb it much, I never actually lifted it off the floor of the fridge.
This keg was continuously full based on my gentle lift method, it was always heavy, no matter how much I drank!
Then one day, it sprayed foam all over my pint glass.
I went to lift it out of there, and it was firmly stuck to the floor of the fridge.
Beer is sticky... is what I'm getting at.
I have a story about that... I was judging volume by 'gently' lifting and the keg was always pretty heavy. Not wanting to disturb it much, I never actually lifted it off the floor of the fridge.
This keg was continuously full based on my gentle lift method, it was always heavy, no matter how much I drank!
Then one day, it sprayed foam all over my pint glass.
I went to lift it out of there, and it was firmly stuck to the floor of the fridge.
Beer is sticky... is what I'm getting at.
CorporateHippie
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Gameface
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When it's ultra clear, tastes better than ever and has more head than normal... you've just drank the last pint.
I use the gentle lift method if I have beer ready to be kegged. I use the BM bottle filler to empty the keg into bottles if I am in a hurry. I can usually tell if it is almost empty but it is hard to tell sometimes if it is 2 or 7 bottles left.
Sound like you may drink commercial beer and dont have to worry about kicking up sediment, so putting it on a scale seems like it would work for you. The hard part of that is knowing the keg weight so you can tell how much is left. I would say make yourself a bottle filler and get some growler instead of weighing the keg.
Sound like you may drink commercial beer and dont have to worry about kicking up sediment, so putting it on a scale seems like it would work for you. The hard part of that is knowing the keg weight so you can tell how much is left. I would say make yourself a bottle filler and get some growler instead of weighing the keg.
douglasbarbin
Well-Known Member
If you really want to get fancy, you can buy some flow meters and connect them to a software like RaspberryPints.
wi_brewer
Well-Known Member
These work well if you can still find them...
http://www.peachsuite.com/p/acx-ss100/micro-matic-ss100-smartstrip-ss100.html
http://www.peachsuite.com/p/acx-ss100/micro-matic-ss100-smartstrip-ss100.html
A habit I've thought about getting into is to bottle off a 12 pack to put away as a reserve for when a keg kicks. Then I'll make a new batch when the keg kicks and have some leeway. I know, a 12 pack isn't much, but better than nothing.
If it's a house beer, I thought about just making a new batch as soon as I keg the previous batch. The problem with that is, I want to try something new every time a keg kicks out.
If it's a house beer, I thought about just making a new batch as soon as I keg the previous batch. The problem with that is, I want to try something new every time a keg kicks out.
Magnus314
Well-Known Member
flick the side and it will ring at the empty part and "clunk" on the full part.
Like tapping a wall to find the stud.
Like tapping a wall to find the stud.
hunter_le five
Sheriff Underscore
This. It's the worst. Just when the beer is better than ever, the next glass is foam.
After several times of experiencing this exact extreme-satisfaction-followed-by-heartwrenching-disappointment, I've started to keep tally of every beer I pour. That way it doesn't sneak up on me anymore. Pour a glass, make a tally mark. Once I get into the upper 40s, I know the beer's almost done. Softens the blow a bit.
I'm a big fan of "fancy"
Highly entertaining - especially the bit of drama when a keg's almost kicked on the tap list. It's usually one pour either side of empty, mostly because I'm not that precise when filling kegs (could be 5 gallons, could be as much as 5 and a quarter).
Been running this since last Memorial Day and it's the bomb...
Cheers!
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Omg freaking hilarious.
I recently bought an $8 fish scale off Amazon. That plus a length of cord allows me to get a rough approximation of how many ounces of beer I have left. I've only tested it on one keg so far (tare it out on an empty keg, weigh keg, and divide by 1.1 to account for the difference between a fluid oz and a regular oz), but it was within one pint of kicking.
That information was worth $8 for me.
That information was worth $8 for me.
CorporateHippie
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Whatever.... not a big deal. A keg kicks then a keg kicks. That's what backups are for.
I have always found a fullproof method is that when you suspect a keg is on its last leg and figure you will kill it, it will flow all night and you will get drunk and regret it in the morning. Then the next day when you go to take a pull off of the neverending keg you will get less than a glass worth out of it before it kicks. Never fails.
kombat
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I keep a notebook in my coffee table and keep a tally of each glass. When the count is getting into the 30's, I know the end is near.
brewprint
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Raspberry pints is an utterly huge project. Think figuring out how to brew all grain beer, yeast starters, etc., is a big job...get raspberry pints.
All to know how much brew is in the keg. Seriously that's a joke IMHO.
i either leave the kegerator door open for a minute and the condensation line will show where the level is at or i just tap the side of it till i hear the hollow sound change to a non hollow sound.
i dont touch the keg to stir up sediment once its been sitting the kegerator for a while. i will only move it if i filtered the beer or cider i have in the keg.
i dont touch the keg to stir up sediment once its been sitting the kegerator for a while. i will only move it if i filtered the beer or cider i have in the keg.
Of course. Because there's no need for a tap list above the keezer providing lots of information about the various beers on tap for visitors to peruse...
or being able to pull up the tap list anywhere in the world on any device with a browser anytime you like...
Or knowing which beers are moving fast and adjust your brew schedule to keep favorites on hand.
As "jokes" go, that's a good one.
Yes, RaspberryPints may be challenging to some, but we've helped a lot of complete noobs through it successfully...
Cheers!
brewprint
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Of course. Because there's no need for a tap list above the keezer providing lots of information about the various beers on tap for visitors to peruse...
View attachment 277091
or being able to pull up the tap list anywhere in the world on any device with a browser anytime you like...
View attachment 277092
Or knowing which beers are moving fast and adjust your brew schedule to keep favorites on hand.
As "jokes" go, that's a good one.
Yes, RaspberryPints may be challenging to some, but we've helped a lot of complete noobs through it successfully...
Cheers!
The idea of it is great...don't get me wrong.
Just looking at the website and looking for a starting place is very difficult to find. The website needs a serious overhaul IMHO.
I looked at it for a little bit one day about how you need this or that. Might need this, might need that, etc. Then thought to myself; I put almost 4 hours into a brew day...this is not worth my time.
Others like yourself disagree. If I had as many taps as you it might be worthwhile. With my 4 there's no need.
Great idea, just not practical.
estricklin
Well-Known Member
Damn I think I broke my mouse on that like button!
Listening for the dreaded "hiss" is the way I tell it's on the shallow end of the levee, that's usually followed by some swear words. I mean we never think about it being empty when it's full right? 5 gallons is a lot of beer..........I can drink on this for weeks!
Tommytomtom17
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where do you buy this thing?
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Very entertaining.
Here's what I do....
When I can lift the keg with my middle finger (yes.. that's OFF the keezer floor @Psylocide) I start carbonating the second keg of my 10 gallon batch.
That frees up lots of money for actual beer making equipment, rather than monitoring my precious remaining ounces...…
If that's the end of the second keg, I say a little prayer to Burt Bacharach and sing "Another Tear Falls", and remind myself there's other brews on the way to replace that tap...….
Here's what I do....
When I can lift the keg with my middle finger (yes.. that's OFF the keezer floor @Psylocide
) I start carbonating the second keg of my 10 gallon batch.That frees up lots of money for actual beer making equipment, rather than monitoring my precious remaining ounces...…
If that's the end of the second keg, I say a little prayer to Burt Bacharach and sing "Another Tear Falls", and remind myself there's other brews on the way to replace that tap...….
william_shakes_beer
Well-Known Member
I have 2 serving taps in a keezer that holds 3 kegs on gas. Always a keg on deck and ready to receive beer lines.
I put these 90lb low profile postal scales under my kegs in my mini-fridge/kegerator.
Things have changed in the 5years since I first posted. I am no long doing the lift and guess thing. About a year ago using the generously shared information of @day_trippr in the raspberrypints thread I have a working tap monitoring system.
A bonus of not having to peak inside the keezer I also have less of an condensation issue.
A bonus of not having to peak inside the keezer I also have less of an condensation issue.
Extra bonus: drama. As a kick gets closer with each pour and you wonder if this is the one
Got a few of those looming tonight, in fact...
Cheers!
There's a couple of sure fire ways to tell when a keg is about to kick.
"Wow, this beer is just about perfect. I think I'll have another"
"Hey guys, try this one, it's delicious"
"Hey guys, try this one, it's delicious"
All my kegs have floating dip tubes. When my pints go from clear to cloudy, I know the keg is almost dust. I usually get 2-4 pints of cloudy beer before it's empty.
When it goes splat splat plop!
do those postal scale stay on all the time? i need something like that that plugs into the wall to leave my co2 cyclinder on so i can catch leaks before they catch me! my sping loaded bathroom scale, isn't fast or acurate enough, but has saved me a couple times....
this one stays on when plugged into the wall.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KYA0RC2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KYA0RC2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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