jumping beer btwn kegs

[BuzzCraft]

I need to jump some beer btwn keg to bring a half keg to party. I understand the process from reading a couple of threads on the topic. My question pertains to line length/diameter.

I've read to use 4 ft of beer line. I've got a 7 ft section of 3/16 bev tubing that I'd rather not cut (I use it for my BMBF setup). Will this work OK? If the shorter length is somehow important, I could also go out and buy a 4 ft section of 1/4 food grade vinyl at the lhbs...pretty sure they don't have 3/16. The larger diameter would seem to defeat the purpose, tho.

Thx for any insight.

 

[SowegaBrews]

It'll be fine to use it at that length. If anything it will increase your resistance and help with foaming.

 

[Yooper]

I need to jump some beer btwn keg to bring a half keg to party. I understand the process from reading a couple of threads on the topic. My question pertains to line length/diameter.

I've read to use 4 ft of beer line. I've got a 7 ft section of 3/16 bev tubing that I'd rather not cut (I use it for my BMBF setup). Will this work OK? If the shorter length is somehow important, I could also go out and buy a 4 ft section of 1/4 food grade vinyl at the lhbs...pretty sure they don't have 3/16. The larger diameter would seem to defeat the purpose, tho.

Thx for any insight.

I don't know why you'd use 4 feet, but there must be an explanation. I just use whatever I have, usually 6-8 feet. I always use 3/16", and simply put a black QD on both ends. I purge the receiving keg with some co2, and then push the beer with about 2 psi. I pull the pressure relief valve from time to time on the receiving keg when it looks like it's slowing down. It works great.

One thing I need to figure out, though- how do you know when the receiving keg is almost full?!? I was jumping from a 5 gallon keg to a 3 gallon and didn't think about it at first, but then I ended up taking off the lid and looking inside! There was a thick blanket of co2 over the top of the beer, so that I could barely see the surface of the beer, so I guess it was ok. We drank the beer in one day, so no oxidation worries anyway, but I'd like to be able to figure out when I'm done filling without looking inside. Oh, well................

 

[SowegaBrews]

I don't know why you'd use 4 feet, but there must be an explanation. I just use whatever I have, usually 6-8 feet. I always use 3/16", and simply put a black QD on both ends. I purge the receiving keg with some co2, and then push the beer with about 2 psi. I pull the pressure relief valve from time to time on the receiving keg when it looks like it's slowing down. It works great.

One thing I need to figure out, though- how do you know when the receiving keg is almost full?!? I was jumping from a 5 gallon keg to a 3 gallon and didn't think about it at first, but then I ended up taking off the lid and looking inside! There was a thick blanket of co2 over the top of the beer, so that I could barely see the surface of the beer, so I guess it was ok. We drank the beer in one day, so no oxidation worries anyway, but I'd like to be able to figure out when I'm done filling without looking inside. Oh, well................

use a scale. weigh the full keg, weigh the empty keg, voila.

 

[JesseRC]

Well if the keg is cold, you will see the condensation on the side of the keg, or atleast I can.

 

[BuzzCraft]

I purge the receiving keg with some co2, and then push the beer with about 2 psi.

Hmmm.....interesting. Intuitively, it seems to me one would be better off from the standpoint of maintaining carbonation in the receiving keg by keeping pressure at serving pressures.

Since the flow rate from keg to keg it only dependent on the pressure differential between the kegs, which you keep low by slowly releasing pressure from the receiving keg, is there a benefit to using such a low pressure to push? My concern would be that the large headspace would allow a lot of CO2 to elute from the beer going into the receiving keg. Could keep this low by chilling the receiving keg, but it seems there'd be more benefit from using standard conditioning/serving pressure for the transfer.

Thoughts?

Back on topic, thanks for the info on the line length....glad to hear I can use what I already have!

 

[Cpt_Kirks]

I have a 10 foot length of 3/16 line with MFL connectors I use for keg-to-keg transfers. I just add liquid connectors as needed. After I use it, I disassemble the rig, wash it out with some oxy water, and hang the line up to drain. I run a little star san through it before I do the transfer.

 

[Hugh_Jass]

One thing I need to figure out, though- how do you know when the receiving keg is almost full?!? I was jumping from a 5 gallon keg to a 3 gallon and didn't think about it at first, but then I ended up taking off the lid and looking inside! There was a thick blanket of co2 over the top of the beer, so that I could barely see the surface of the beer, so I guess it was ok. We drank the beer in one day, so no oxidation worries anyway, but I'd like to be able to figure out when I'm done filling without looking inside. Oh, well................

Yoop,
A scale would be the best solution. Zero the scale or take a tare weight. If the intended transfer is 3 gallon, multiply 3 gallon by 8.34 or 25.02 lbs will be your weight when the keg is full. If you really want to get fancy-schmancy, adjust the weight specifically for your beer by multiplying the FG by the weight. If your FG is 1.012, then it's 25.02 * 1.012 = 25.32 lbs for 3 gallon of that particular beer.


Sorry to the OP for

 

[Tonedef131]

This is why you don't carbonate it till it's in its final serving vessel. My jumper is like 8" long, doesn't matter if the beer is still flat.

 

[Yooper]

Yoop,
A scale would be the best solution. Zero the scale or take a tare weight. If the intended transfer is 3 gallon, multiply 3 gallon by 8.34 or 25.02 lbs will be your weight when the keg is full. If you really want to get fancy-schmancy, adjust the weight specifically for your beer by multiplying the FG by the weight. If your FG is 1.012, then it's 25.02 * 1.012 = 25.32 lbs for 3 gallon of that particular beer.


Sorry to the OP for

ooooh, nooooooooo! Math. Now my head hurts.

Seriously, thanks. I mean, really- duh on my part.

As to the reason I use only 2 psi to push, it's because of foaming. Even going "out" to "out", I've noticed some (a little) foaming. Since the beer is already carbonated, you won't lose carbonation by only pushing it with 2 psi. Once it's finished, you can put the new keg on the serving pressure as well. Yes, there is a large headspace (which is full of co2) but as the beer fills it displaces that headspace (pulling the pressure relief valve). It's a gentle process so I don't imagine you'd be "knocking out" any of the already present carbonation.

 

[JesseRC]

Hmmm.....interesting. Intuitively, it seems to me one would be better off from the standpoint of maintaining carbonation in the receiving keg by keeping pressure at serving pressures.

Since the flow rate from keg to keg it only dependent on the pressure differential between the kegs, which you keep low by slowly releasing pressure from the receiving keg, is there a benefit to using such a low pressure to push? My concern would be that the large headspace would allow a lot of CO2 to elute from the beer going into the receiving keg. Could keep this low by chilling the receiving keg, but it seems there'd be more benefit from using standard conditioning/serving pressure for the transfer.

Thoughts?

Back on topic, thanks for the info on the line length....glad to hear I can use what I already have!

Well I use 2 jumper lines. In to IN and Out to Out. I set both kegs to serving pressure. I connect both lines and place the donor keg on the counter and the recieving keg on the floor. I then pull the release valve on the recieving keg just until a siphon starts. Both kegs are always at equal pressure.

 

[SowegaBrews]

Well I use 2 jumper lines. In to IN and Out to Out. I set both kegs to serving pressure. I connect both lines and place the donor keg on the counter and the recieving keg on the floor. I then pull the release valve on the recieving keg just until a siphon starts. Both kegs are always at equal pressure.

win.


ten chars.

 

[shortyjacobs]

Well I use 2 jumper lines. In to IN and Out to Out. I set both kegs to serving pressure. I connect both lines and place the donor keg on the counter and the recieving keg on the floor. I then pull the release valve on the recieving keg just until a siphon starts. Both kegs are always at equal pressure.

Yeah, but what would happen if you had to jump beer in a zero gravity environment??? Your fancy schmancy system wouldn't work so well then, would it?? I think I'll stick with my reliable CO2.

 

[Bobby_M]

This is simple. Two beverage out disconnects on any length of tubing. Pressurize both kegs to whatever the full keg has been set to but leave it connected to the full keg. Now vent the empty keg just slightly to start the flow. This pressurized transfer keeps CO2 from getting knocked out of solution.

Note you should apply co2 to the empty keg and pull the vent a couple times in short bursts to get the oxygen out before doing this.

 

[BuzzCraft]

sweet...thx for all the replies/info.

 

[homebrewer_99]

My jumper is about 5 ft long. It's a permanent single purpose set up I have available at all times.