Brewerys require kegs pressurized?

[WPennypacker]

So I've often read, and I do this myself, that when kegging your homebrew, its important to 'pressurize' the keg after you fill it (ie, repeatedly fill with co2 and vent it to push the oxygen out until none is left).

However, one of the reasons I switched to a kegging system was because several local brewpubs in Austin will actually fill a 5g corny keg if you bring it in. When I bring it in though, they always ask "is it cleaned, sanitized and pressurized?". Its been three different places that all ask this. I always clean and sanitize, but I never understood why they required it to be pressurized prior to filling it? I've been skipping that step when I bring them in, and it may be psychosomatic, but I feel like the beer just doesn't taste as good when I get it home (which could obviously be from 1000 other things).

This time though, I'm doing as they ask and pressurizing it prior to having it filled, but I still have no idea why?

Anyone have insight on this?

 

[KevinM]

Perhaps for a leak check, and probably to make sure there's a co2 layer on the top so the beer doesn't get oxidized and taste like... what was it people say, cardboard?

 

[ksbrain]

I would think that they'd notice if it weren't pressurized. Like when they went to purge the pressure and nothing happened... Maybe they just want to make sure the tank will hold pressure? Or they're relying on your keg full of CO2 to ensure the beer stays carbonated?

Why don't you ask them why it needs to be pressurized?

 

[WPennypacker]

Why don't you ask them why it needs to be pressurized?

Haha that's probably the best idea.

I think previously I didn't ask them because I was afraid if I admitted that I had no idea why that should be done, they wouldn't give me beer for some reason, which probably would've caused me start crying.

Maybe its time to just go ahead and ask though

 

[SankePankey]

So they don't have to waste 5 gallons of CO2 of their own in order to properly counter pressure fill a keg.

EDIT: There is very little if any oxidization that would happen while filling with already carbonated beer (thus blanketing itself with any gas knocked out of solution) in the 5 minutes it takes to fill a keg. Especially if they fill it to the very top, they'd not even have to really even purge it at the end all that much. Most if not all of it would have pushed thru the bleeder valve during the fill (this all depending on leaving little to no headroom).

 

[ThatGuyRyan]

I have had a few kegs filled at pubs that asked the same question and said they did so just to be sure the keg didn’t have a leaky lid or port. I assume they filled a few in the past and had the keg leak all over the persons car on their trip back home.

On a side note anyone in the Aurora IL area Walter Payton’s Round House will not only fill your keg but they will clean it for free depending on how busy they are. That and they will fill it with any beer on tap for $35 or less.

 

[kami585]

Where do you get them filled from in Austin?

 

[KurtB]

On a side note anyone in the Aurora IL area Walter Payton’s Round House will not only fill your keg but they will clean it for free depending on how busy they are. That and they will fill it with any beer on tap for $35 or less.

Shouldn't they fill it for $34?

That is good to know. Maybe I will toss one of my new kegs in the car and make a road trip. It will help give me more to drink until the pipeline gets full. :cross:

 

[ksbrain]

Walter Payton’s Round House will fill [a corny keg] with any beer on tap for $35 or less.

My local brewpub charges like $15 for a growler!

If I could buy good beer for $35 a keg, I would buy a lot more beer. I mean, sure, that's a little more than it costs me to make it myself, but instant gratification is worth A LOT.

 

[ThatGuyRyan]

Shouldn't they fill it for $34?

That is good to know. Maybe I will toss one of my new kegs in the car and make a road trip. It will help give me more to drink until the pipeline gets full. :cross:

I make the drive every now and then. They have a fee decent beers and the price is great. Their chocolate beer is interesting.