Help with Ale Pail "closed" transfer

[GearHead71]

So I just got done fermenting my first beer using my own equipment. Fermented in an Ale Pail with the spigot at the bottom and was hoping to just connect directly up to the keg with a ball lock fitting and minimize oxygen exposure. However, the diameter of the Ale Pail spigot (3/8") is quite a bit larger than that of a ball lock fitting (which I think is 3/16"). Is there an adapter or something I can use to do this? I checked my LHBS but they didn't have anything. I'm assuming I should just get a barbed 3/8 to 3/16 reducer.

I have some time to figure it out, for now I just dropped a tube into the bottom of the keg.

Thanks!

 

[McKnuckle]

If you get a QD with an MFL fitting instead of a barb, it’s often a good fit for a typical silicone racking hose.

 

[LLBeanJ]

I swap a 3/8" OD swivel nut barb fitting onto my MFL QD when I do closed transfers to the keg.

 

[Dgallo]

So it’s def better than nothing what you’re doing but it won’t be a closed system unless you can connect your gas line to the top of your pale lid. Otherwise as you are transferring into the keg, Oxygen will bbe drawn in. For an ale pale set up you’re certainly doing a decent job minimizing o2 pick up

 

[GearHead71]

So it’s def better than nothing what you’re doing but it won’t be a closed system unless you can connect your gas line to the top of your pale lid. Otherwise as you are transferring into the keg, Oxygen will bbe drawn in. For an ale pale set up you’re certainly doing a decent job minimizing o2 pick up

I agree, that's why I put "closed" in quotes. Haha, not a true closed transfer but better than nothing I guess. My thought / hope was even though oxygen is being drawn into the top of the ail pale that there should still be a layer of CO2 between it and the beer. Not sure if that's true or not.

 

[Dgallo]

I agree, that's why I put "closed" in quotes. Haha, not a true closed transfer but better than nothing I guess. My thought / hope was even though oxygen is being drawn into the top of the ail pale that there should still be a layer of CO2 between it and the beer. Not sure if that's true or not.

If you have an co2 tank and line, as you’re kegging you most likely do, you can disconnect the balllock from the line and see if the hose will fit through the air lock. If so turn the gas to 2 psi and you’ll be good

 

[GearHead71]

If you get a QD with an MFL fitting instead of a barb, it’s often a good fit for a typical silicone racking hose.

I swap a 3/8" OD swivel nut barb fitting onto my MFL QD when I do closed transfers to the keg.

Perfect, I'm going to try this. I didn't know there was another style of quick disconnect other than the barbed ones. Thanks!

 

[mirthfuldragon]

I have pushed the hose directly onto the threads without the swivel fitting at all.

 

[GearHead71]

I'll give that a shot. I'm going to hit up my LHBS on my way home and see what I can find. Thanks!

 

[Carolina_Matt]

I use a 5/16" tube that came with my autosiphon. It fits on the spigot well. While it's a little big for the Liquid Disconnect (which is 3/16"), I just use a clamp over it to make it tight. It does the trick. I will eventually get a 5/16" barb so that it's a better fit.

Then I put a gas disconnect on the keg (which had already been filled with CO2). I connect a 1/2" tube to the gas disconnect (although it goes over the nut, since it's too wide for the barb), and then attach the other end to an airlock. When beer goes into the keg, it pushes CO2 out of the gas disconnect and into the Ale Pail. There should be minimal oxygen exposure at that point.

 

[GearHead71]

I use a 5/16" tube that came with my autosiphon. It fits on the spigot well. While it's a little big for the Liquid Disconnect (which is 3/16"), I just use a clamp over it to make it tight. It does the trick. I will eventually get a 5/16" barb so that it's a better fit.

Then I put a gas disconnect on the keg (which had already been filled with CO2). I connect a 1/2" tube to the gas disconnect (although it goes over the nut, since it's too wide for the barb), and then attach the other end to an airlock. When beer goes into the keg, it pushes CO2 out of the gas disconnect and into the Ale Pail. There should be minimal oxygen exposure at that point.

I like this idea. I didn't think about going from the gas side of the keg to the ale pail. I will try and rig something like this up. I had the keg completely purged of O2, so I think this will work nicely. Thanks!

 

[Soulshine2]

So I just got done fermenting my first beer using my own equipment. Fermented in an Ale Pail with the spigot at the bottom and was hoping to just connect directly up to the keg with a ball lock fitting and minimize oxygen exposure. However, the diameter of the Ale Pail spigot (3/8") is quite a bit larger than that of a ball lock fitting (which I think is 3/16"). Is there an adapter or something I can use to do this? I checked my LHBS but they didn't have anything. I'm assuming I should just get a barbed 3/8 to 3/16 reducer.

I have some time to figure it out, for now I just dropped a tube into the bottom of the keg.

View attachment 629985

Thanks!

with a closed system like that ,i would expect a vacuum to happen and it not go anywhere. I do just fine transferring from bucket to bottle via tubing/wand with lid barely on only to protect from falling objects with no bad effects.

 

[Gnomebrewer]

I have pushed the hose directly onto the threads without the swivel fitting at all.

^^This.
The tubing screws onto the thread giving a nice, tight fit that i've had up to 10psi without leaking.

If you only have barbed QD's, put a short piece of beer line on it, wrap some electrical tape around the loose end of the beer line to build up the thickness, then push it firmly into siphon tube with a clamp on it. That works as well.

 

[CascadesBrewer]

I have pushed the hose directly onto the threads without the swivel fitting at all.

This a second time! (or a 3rd time, as I think this is what @McKnuckle said earlier)

One week I made runs to two different homebrew shops, then ordered some stuff off Amazon to get barbs so that I could attach my lines to keg barbs...to realize that I did not need barbs. I first got 1/4" barbs (cuz that is what my others are) but clearly that would not work for the 3/8" tubing I needed. I got some larger 5/16" barbs but realized they did not fit through the outer nut that are sized for the 1/4" barbs. Then I said f-it and ordered what I "needed" off Amazon. When I got it all setup, I could not get a good seal with my 3/8" ID line and the 5/16" barbs. (I believe that you can get 3/8" barbs.)

Then I realized that the 3/8" hose is a good fit over the male threads. I use a hose clamp on the beer line.