Kegging in a Sanke keg

[thrstyunderwater]

Has anyone ever done this? I want to make a 15 gallon batch of beer for a party, remove the sanke seal, add my beer and priming sugar, put the seal back on, and then use a hand pump to dispense beer. Is this doable?

 

[The10mmKid]

<snip> Is this doable?

I hope it is.

That's the way I'm wanting to do it down the road.

I know the Corny's are much more homebrewer friendly, but daggonit, I want to brew like a pro!

(although I'll be using the 1/6th barrel)

I would think if you have your bottling carbonation down pat, a keg is simply a bigger bottle.

'da Kid

 

[DrunkleJon]

Yes, I keg into sankeys quite often. The hardest part is removing the spiral ring to get the spear out. Once you get the hang of it, it will take no time at all.

See such youtube videos as this one
[ame]http://youtu.be/1ZPfZ_AL380[/ame]
You are in for a much harder fight if you use one of the screw in miller style kegs.

 

[WPen]

Sankes are awesome! I keg in them all the time


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[wilserbrewer]

Has anyone ever done this? I want to make a 15 gallon batch of beer for a party, remove the sanke seal, add my beer and priming sugar, put the seal back on, and then use a hand pump to dispense beer. Is this doable?

Yes, it is very doable! Be warned that you will need ample time to carbonate, ample time to chill and cold condition a 15 gallon keg (days - weeks), and once the beer is conditioned, any movement will stir up the yeast at the bottom of the keg.

A CO2 tank and regulator will work more easily or more precisely, but I have done what you are planning, beer was great but a little under carbonated perhaps due to a lack of priming sugar...I think Charlie's book advised only a 1/2 cup per 5 gallons when kegging, rather than 3/4 cup, so that's what we did.

 

[IvanBrew]

You can fill without removing the spear by pulling the check valves out of a coupler. You can fill through the gas inlet with the keg inverted, or fill through the outlet tube with the keg in normal position. I do this with PubKegs, but it'd be the same for a Sanke.

Placing the keg on a digital scale while you fill it will let you know where you're at. If you want to be really accurate, you can compensate for the SG of your beer. You don't need to do this though. You'll get a bit of foam out of whichever port you're not filling through before you get any real qty of beer overflowing. As long as you're watching closely, you can stop filling with a full keg and no losses.

The bigger trick to doing this is cleaning the kegs. Removing the spear is probably the simplest option. There are threads in the DIY area on building a keg washer for cleaning kegs w/o removing the spear.

 

[bondra76]

Never had a problem cleaning a sanke keg. That myth about them is so overblown and false IMO.

I use a cheap nail file and pliers to remove the O-Ring. (in the photo I am referring specially to the top right corner where the nail file curves - that "tool" on the nail file is the key to it all)

When I put the O-Ring back in, I use needle nose pliers again and the same type of grip wrench that's shown in the youtube video above.

After you remove and replace the O-Ring about 5 times, it's like riding a bicycle. I use sanke kegs for my entire setup because my I like taking my pony kegs to family events, parties, etc.....Not to mention the homebrewer hobby has absolutely driven soda kegs to the point where they are usually more expensive now than commercial/sanke kegs. I'm absolutely satisfied using sankes and would never switch.

 

[DrunkleJon]

Never had a problem cleaning a sanke keg. That myth about them is so overblown and false IMO.

I use a cheap nail file and pliers to remove the O-Ring. (in the photo I am referring specially to the top right corner where the nail file curves - that "tool" on the nail file is the key to it all)

When I put the O-Ring back in, I use needle nose pliers again and the same type of grip wrench that's shown in the youtube video above.

After you remove and replace the O-Ring about 5 times, it's like riding a bicycle. I use sanke kegs for my entire setup because my I like taking my pony kegs to family events, parties, etc.....Not to mention the homebrewer hobby has absolutely driven soda kegs to the point where they are usually more expensive now than commercial/sanke kegs. I'm absolutely satisfied using sankes and would never switch.

That is a brilliant idea! I have been using the screwdriver tip off an old wannabe leatherman mini keychain thing that is a little too wide for the channel and a touch thick and flimsy. I may have to check out the nail care isle and pick a could up just in case.

Cleaning them is easy enough, I just throw hot Oxy-water in there (1/3 to half way) reseal, shake the crap out of it and then lay it on its side for a while and roll it a touch every now and again. After an hour or so I tap with a party pump and pour some through it for a bit. Then remove it and the spear dump, rinse keg and spear, sanitize and drain back into my startsan carboy. Easy. I will use a carboy brush if needed for gross debris, but it has not been needed yet.

 

[bondra76]

That is a brilliant idea! I have been using the screwdriver tip off an old wannabe leatherman mini keychain thing that is a little too wide for the channel and a touch thick and flimsy. I may have to check out the nail care isle and pick a could up just in case.

Yeah honestly it works like a charm for me. The nail files are pretty flimsy so if you can find one that comes in a case-like thing (put a photo below) that will hold it in place and increase your torque a little bit, you're really golden.

(this photo doesn't show the curved "tool" thing I use, but you hopefully get the point...)

It's literally a $1-$2 expenditure and an excellent O-Ring tool.

 

[wilserbrewer]

I have found a small screwdriver sharpened on a grinder and narrowed to match the width of the small indent on the neck of the sanke keg works pretty well. Just need to be careful that you are not prying the top ring of the spiral, not both. It's a ten second job with practice.

 

[patthebrewer]

I have found a small screwdriver sharpened on a grinder and narrowed to match the width of the small indent on the neck of the sanke keg works pretty well. Just need to be careful that you are not prying the top ring of the spiral, not both. It's a ten second job with practice.

+1


I do the same thing, but I did see somewhere that they make a single clip meant to be easier to remove than the spiral.

One of these days I'm gonna get around to making a keg washer so I don't have to remove the spear at all

 

[jplate]

Kegging in a miller screw in, or S type sanke, is very easy too. The only trick is a little safety latch after the spear is unscrewed. Just unscrew the spear, place a nickel over the ball, engage the S type coupler like you were tapping the keg and the safety latch will disengage and the spear will slide right out. No special tools, no damage to the seal!

 

[thrstyunderwater]

If I wanted to use my corny co2 system, I can just buy one of these right?

http://www.amazon.com/American-Sankey-Coupler-Metal-Handle/dp/B002OB8HQ2/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1395248402&sr=8-4&keywords=sanke+keg+connection

Can't I just run a normal co2 line to the intake, and then run a picnic tap off?

 

[IvanBrew]

If I wanted to use my corny co2 system, I can just buy one of these right?

http://www.amazon.com/American-Sankey-Coupler-Metal-Handle/dp/B002OB8HQ2/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1395248402&sr=8-4&keywords=sanke+keg+connection

Can't I just run a normal co2 line to the intake, and then run a picnic tap off?

Unfortunately, the corny keg gas fitting won't thread onto the Sanke connector You'll either need an adapter, or a dedicated line that has the Sanke gas nut on it.