Keg-to-Keg transfer

[JodyLondon]

Does anyone have advice on siphoning from keg to keg? I recall reading an article that described something along the lines of this:

1. Connect source keg and empty keg to CO2 distributer. Equalize pressure to both kegs.
2. Connect both beverage out posts with a jumper hose.
3. Close the CO2 valve to the destination keg.
4. Bleed a small amount of pressure from the empty keg. This creates areas of high and low pressure, which starts the siphon.
5. Open the CO2 valve to the destination keg. This allows the air being pushed out of the destination keg to fill the space in the source keg.

I attempted this method today to move star-san around and had little success. I saw the liquid in the line, but was unable to tell if it was moving or not. I couldn't measure the liquid levels in either keg. I tried using a bathroom scale to see if it was working and the siphon just appeared to stall without reason. Can anyone with experience with this method shine light on what might've gone wrong.

 

[insanim8er]

I purge the empty keg with co2 to remove oxygen then depressurize it. Connect the out to out apply pressure to the full keg let is transfer and pressurize the empty keg. Once they're equal slowly depressurize the second keg to fill.

 

[Psych]

^^ what he said.

If your source keg has pressure and your destination keg does not, and you're hooking up the OUT to the OUT (black to black ball locks, whathaveyou), you WILL move liquid from the source to the destination and it should go as fast as your pressure and line size will accomodate.

Typically no more than 5 minutes to transfer a whole keg to another keg via this means, but I've never timed it...

 

[freisste]

If all you're moving is star san, why bother purging the empty keg and pressurizing? Unless you are practicing your method to use it on beer in the near future, just leave the top off the empty keg and watch the star san move...

 

[fijigus]

I think the star san is just a test, at least that's the way I read it. What the other guys said should work. Are you blending two beers or just have something wrong with that first keg? Seems like you could also just bleed pressure, sanitize and pump with a siphon unless I am missing something. I guess that could lead to something bad getting in, but that's low risk if you clean everything properly.

 

[Dolomieu]

I do this with a spunding valve. purge the empty keg, pressurize to other kegs level, add spunding, then i just adjust it to release a bit of presure, add jumper and let it go. i'm sure it's over kill but that's my process.

 

[insanim8er]

I do this with a spunding valve. purge the empty keg, pressurize to other kegs level, add spunding, then i just adjust it to release a bit of presure, add jumper and let it go. i'm sure it's over kill but that's my process.

I like that idea... it's the Ron Popeil approach to transferring. Set it and forget it.

I have the parts to build another spunding valve, so I'll just assemble it to a gas coupler for this purpose.