Need to transfer from pump-style keg to corny w/o going stale -- any ideas?

[jaginger]

I just brought home a 5-gallon corny keg of commercial brew (Long Trail Double Bag, yum!) from the liquor store for a party. Only problem is that the keg doesn't have the gas in and liquid out posts like i was expecting. They gave me a picnic style tap that attaches right to the center of the keg, and you pump it.

I want to transfer the beer into one of my own cornies so I can put it in the keezer and serve alongside my other brews. How would you do this without subjecting the beer to significant oxygen? I think we'll drink about 3 gallons of it on party night, so I don't want to just say screw it and pump with air, because then the rest will get stale quickly. Using the hand pump to pressurize and transfer will obviously introduce O2.

 

[mullenite]

You likely got a sixtel, not a corny.

You could try putting a racking cane on the picnic tap but you are going to be adding oxygen to the beer still.

 

[wilserbrewer]

You would need a sankey tap and co2 to push it. Without that i would try and push it w/ the hand pump. If you have a picnic tap for your corny, you can just couple the picnic taps w/ a piece of tubing, or I have even done it by taping the two picnic taps together. Just keep the pressure off or vent the recieving keg.

 

[jaginger]

So the air introduced in pumping the originating keg isn't going to be a big concern?

 

[Scut_Monkey]

It sounds like you have a 1/6 barrel sanke style keg. There are lots of threads on how to remove the spears from these. It's relatively easy and I do it all the time with a small screw driver. Remove the spear and rack it into your corny keg. Then reinstall the spear which requires a simple set of pliers.

If you don't want to got that route the only other option you have is to buy a different coupler/tap that will accept CO2 and then buy or rent a CO2 tank to hook it up.

 

[ChrisS68]

So you obviously have a keezer and CO2. Couldn't you disonnect the hand pump from the tap, replace it with a barb, and connect that to your CO2 to transfer?

 

[jaginger]

So you obviously have a keezer and CO2. Couldn't you disonnect the hand pump from the tap, replace it with a barb, and connect that to your CO2 to transfer?

Good thinking, as i do indeed have a keezer and CO2. But the adapter the beer store gave me has the hand pump pretty much integrated into the tap, so I don't see any way to disconnect it as you suggest.

I think i am going to take the spear out and then rack into a purged corny as was suggested (so long as i can figure that part out.)

Guess i shoulda learned a little more about commercial taps before springing for a sixtel. i just figured 5 gallons would come in a corny just like mine.

 

[Scut_Monkey]

Do a search for "removing sanke spear" and you should get some good posts with pictures. Essentially there is spiral ring that has to be popped out of the top groove and then pulled out. Once you do that the spear comes right out. Installing it back in is the opposite action but requires pliers to pop the spiral ring back in. Pictures help 1000x more than my description.

 

[smellysell]

Isn't he gonna get a beer shower at best if he pulls the spear out of a carbonated keg?

 

[scinerd3000]

you could always buy the sanke connection.

 

[jaginger]

you could always buy the sanke connection.

Yeah, i'm starting to think the connection is the way to go. This is definitely a one-time need though, and i'm not real psyched about dropping $30 or whatever they go for on something I'll never use again.

If I can find a loaner though that's my best bet. Anyone here local? Hartford, CT.

 

[jaobrien6]

Heh. I was just going to suggest you try to borrow one from someone, but hit the back button accidentally, and saw your other thread asking to borrow a tap and thought to myself "Yeah, see this person has the right idea, I should let him know."

 

[scinerd3000]

Yeah, i'm starting to think the connection is the way to go. This is definitely a one-time need though, and i'm not real psyched about dropping $30 or whatever they go for on something I'll never use again.

If I can find a loaner though that's my best bet. Anyone here local? Hartford, CT.

if nothing else you will have it for the vast majority of other beers you may want to buy in the future. ALso if you do you can check out this out closed preasurized sankey fermentation

 

[Scut_Monkey]

Isn't he gonna get a beer shower at best if he pulls the spear out of a carbonated keg?

You have to relieve the head pressure in the keg first by pressing down on the ball in the middle of the spear. Once the head pressure is gone the spear can be removed. You will loose some carbonation in the beer by opening the keg but you can add the carbonation back in by hooking it up to the CO2 when it's in your corny keg.

It would be much easier to transfer using CO2 with a Sanke coupler/tap. I would suggest buying/borrowing one like others have said. A closed transfer can then be done and the risk of oxidation is completely gone. Either that or hurry up and drink it all in a couple days! :cross: