How to - ball lock post on carboy cap? (closed transfers)

[TravelingLight]

I'm doing my first closed transfer to the keg on my current beer. As we know, there are myriad ways of doing this.

When I connect my gas to the carboy cap to transfer under pressure, I want to get a ball lock post and secure it to the carboy as I've seen others do so I can just pop the QD on it and go. Basically, I am trying to figure out what I need on the end of the ball lock post (the end that normally connects to the shorter gas in tube in the keg) to pair it with a barb connection to slip in the carboy cap and secure with a worm clamp. I've seen pics of people doing it this way but can't find out exactly what pieces they are doing it with. Any help would be awesome. I don't have a store that sells this stuff so I need to know what I need because I'm going to order it and wanna make sure it'll work. Thanks.

 

[mongoose33]

What kind of cap do you have? Is it like this one?

https://www.morebeer.com/products/r...-wwhite-caps-3-5-6-65-gallon-smooth-neck.html

If so, why not just connect a tube to it instead of a QD? You still need to have a racking cane go to the bottom of the carboy, right?

Perhaps a pic of what you have would be helpful.

Here's what I do--and I've given some thought to using CO2 to push it out faster. It's not all that fast this way:

 

[TravelingLight]

What kind of cap do you have? Is it like this one?

https://www.morebeer.com/products/r...-wwhite-caps-3-5-6-65-gallon-smooth-neck.html

If so, why not just connect a tube to it instead of a QD? You still need to have a racking cane go to the bottom of the carboy, right?

Perhaps a pic of what you have would be helpful.

Yep, that's the one. I could do that, but I tend to over-engineer and over-build things. I was thinking about this...(attached) (Yep, still have the racking cane. I'm just working on the gas end)

 

[IslandLizard]

Whatever you do make sure you don't build up a lot of pressure in your glass carboy, it will explode!

Starting the push with 1-2 psi is plenty, basically just enough to start the siphon, then keeping up with replacing the siphoned volume of beer with CO2. Do not worm clamp the carbonation cap around the carboy neck! If there is any overpressure, it should be able to escape.

I simply use a piece of 1/2" vinyl hose as an adapter between a spare gas line off my manifold and the side "teat" on the rubber carboy cap. I would not try to connect a post to that carboy cap directly, but if you want, you can incorporate it somewhere else in the supply line for ease of connection.

On a side note, I always make step adapters from various pieces of hose that slip into one another.

 

[IslandLizard]

2 more things...

You want to do a 100% prepurge of your keg and fill the siphon system with either CO2 or beer before connecting to the keg to prevent pushing air into your carefully created O2-free system. Probably also best to disconnect the post just before the siphon runs dry.

I wish closed siphoning from buckets was as easy...

 

[TravelingLight]

2 more things...

You want to do a 100% prepurge of your keg and fill the siphon system with either CO2 or beer before connecting to the keg to prevent pushing air into your carefully created O2-free system. Probably also best to disconnect the post just before the siphon runs dry.

I wish closed siphoning from buckets was as easy...

Agreed! I do primary in buckets and wish I could closed transfer to the carboy. But at least I'm doing my dry hopping in the carboy and then closed transferring that to the keg. So at least my dry hop aroma should be safe.

 

[jddevinn]

Yep, that's the one. I could do that, but I tend to over-engineer and over-build things. I was thinking about this...(attached) (Yep, still have the racking cane. I'm just working on the gas end)

Traveling, the connection on the bottom of the keg post is either a 19/32" -18 or 9/32". All the new kegs I have (and all the used ones) are 19/32"

Replace the 1/4" NPT to MFL in your drawing with one of these http://www.homebrewing.org/Plug-Adapter-14-MPT-x-1932_p_4640.html

 

[IslandLizard]

Agreed! I do primary in buckets and wish I could closed transfer to the carboy. But at least I'm doing my dry hopping in the carboy and then closed transferring that to the keg. So at least my dry hop aroma should be safe.

By drilling a second hole into a bucket's lid, you can mimic a carboy cap's function, at least to provide an influx of CO2. Although the seal on the rim is spotty, making it sometimes impossible to start a siphon by applying pressure, starting a siphon with a racking tube prefilled with Starsan is a great alternative.

It's just really hard to see the beer level and position of the siphon tip through a white bucket. I also tilt the bucket toward the end of the transfer to get more beer out without sucking up yeast.

I dry hop in the keg, using a tightly woven fabric (muslin) bag, purged with CO2. I also stream CO2 while opening the lid and lowering the bag, until the lid is back on. Then purge the headspace thoroughly.

 

[TravelingLight]

Traveling, the connection on the bottom of the keg post is either a 19/32" -18 or 9/32". All the new kegs I have (and all the used ones) are 19/32"

Replace the 1/4" NPT to MFL in your drawing with one of these http://www.homebrewing.org/Plug-Adapter-14-MPT-x-1932_p_4640.html

THAT is exactly what I needed. Thank you tremendously.

 

[jddevinn]

No problem! It's a handy piece to have too when cleaning beer lines