Really upset this morning kegs not fit for purpose

[Brew_Novice]

Hi everyone,

Over the last week or so I have lovingly spent time making a home brew ginger beer using a kit and yesterday was kegging day.

I used some new mini kegs and I did think the lids to them looked a little flimsy but hey as a first time what was I to know.

I came down this morning and to my disappointment each of the 4 mini keg lids had popped off with the pressure over night.

Now surely these things should be designed with this in mind!!

I have written to the company to show my disappointment and try and get a refund on these kegs.

In the meantime I know that the beer has been exposed to bacteria and possibly fruit fly all night so I take it that I will have to cut my losses and bin the whole lot??

 

[eric19312]

No need to dump just yet. Your ginger beer may or may not be contaminated. If it is alcoholic ginger beer it will not be contaminated in a way that would hurt you, It might go bad but you will know that when you taste it. It might be fine.

Can you share a link to the mini kegs you used? Curious about what went wrong.

As for the existing beer... is bottling an option? Even plastic soda bottles with screw caps, rinsed out and sanitized would work. Might need to add a bit of new priming sugar for carbonation but if you package in glass be cautious about overdoing the sugar.

 

[Brew_Novice]

I decided to sieve the beer from one keg yo a sterilised fermenter with tap to see if any flies etc in there.

We think we found one fly in the one keg so decided not to risk it. Quite hard to see tiny flies in a sieve so I think muslin might be a better option.

I'll try the beer when I attempt the other three kegs in a few days time and see if it has changed much since.

I have included a photo of these kegs which you can see the cap looks similar to a money box and could not withstand the pressure as it popped out again earlier.

 

[Jtvann]

Never seen a keg like that. Sorry for your potential waste. I'd second everything in the first post. Alcohol will kill really bad stuff. Fresh sugar water ... you've got a dumper. The thing iveblearned about a dumper is patience. You can undump it from down the drain once it's gone. Obviously that sounds dumb. If you ever so come up with another idea, you'll regret dumping it. Recap it, and wait a while. You'll know when you get to the point of "this crap has got to go" or "theres no chance I'll risk it".

 

[Vale71]

Those are gravity-dispensing kegs. I'm not even sure whether they're designed to withstand any significant pressure.

 

[kh54s10]

Right kegs used improperly, They are not designed to be used in the way you are attempting to use them.

 

[JonBrew]

https://www.brewuk.co.uk/easy-keg-bung.html
You need to get these (above). The flimsy caps you're using are just dust caps. The proper bung let's you carbonate in the keg and then depressurise before serving.

Not sure if you're in the US or UK but these kinds of kegs are quite popular in the UK.

 

[khannon]

While I have never used those kegs for homebrew, I have gotten beer in them many times.. I think to keg homebrew you would need a lid like the one pictured here https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/9EYAAOSwNaBdzGr8/s-l300.jpg I'm not sure exactly what it's called or where to buy one.. I think that the keg in question is a 5l mini-keg.

That cap does not look like it would hold pressure. Did the seller have any accessories with the kegs?

I also would suggest not dumping right away. The one with flies might have problems, the others might not. Then again, if you are at the kegging stage, refrigerate and drink the one you could see flies in first? Toss it if it starts to taste funny. I get fruit flies in my (glass of) beer all the time in the summer, I wouldn't want to let it sit for too long, but I'm not going to toss the beer because of it.

Were you attempting to carbonate in the keg?

 

[JonBrew]

https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/easy-keg-5l.57568/
https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/...e-maintenance-party-star-deluxe-part-1.59404/
A thread about these kegs above and guide below.

 

[Brew_Novice]

Right kegs used improperly, They are not designed to be used in the way you are attempting to use them.

Maybe it is because I am a novice but I bought a renewable keg and assumed that I could put ginger beer in it. It's not the worst thing I have ever done!!

 

[Brew_Novice]

While I have never used those kegs for homebrew, I have gotten beer in them many times.. I think to keg homebrew you would need a lid like the one pictured here https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/9EYAAOSwNaBdzGr8/s-l300.jpg I'm not sure exactly what it's called or where to buy one.. I think that the keg in question is a 5l mini-keg.

That cap does not look like it would hold pressure. Did the seller have any accessories with the kegs?

I also would suggest not dumping right away. The one with flies might have problems, the others might not. Then again, if you are at the kegging stage, refrigerate and drink the one you could see flies in first? Toss it if it starts to taste funny. I get fruit flies in my (glass of) beer all the time in the summer, I wouldn't want to let it sit for too long, but I'm not going to toss the beer because of it.

Were you attempting to carbonate in the keg?

I can see accessories for them now on the website but when I looked at the picture I assumed the cap would be sufficient. As a novice it doesn't occur to mind that extra accessories could be needed!

 

[Brew_Novice]

While I have never used those kegs for homebrew, I have gotten beer in them many times.. I think to keg homebrew you would need a lid like the one pictured here https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/9EYAAOSwNaBdzGr8/s-l300.jpg I'm not sure exactly what it's called or where to buy one.. I think that the keg in question is a 5l mini-keg.

That cap does not look like it would hold pressure. Did the seller have any accessories with the kegs?

I also would suggest not dumping right away. The one with flies might have problems, the others might not. Then again, if you are at the kegging stage, refrigerate and drink the one you could see flies in first? Toss it if it starts to taste funny. I get fruit flies in my (glass of) beer all the time in the summer, I wouldn't want to let it sit for too long, but I'm not going to toss the beer because of it.

Were you attempting to carbonate in the keg?

Yeah I was attempting to carbonate like I have said in replies to others I had no idea the kegs only came with a dust cap.

Lessons learnt I guess.

 

[Brew_Novice]

https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/easy-keg-5l.57568/
https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/...e-maintenance-party-star-deluxe-part-1.59404/
A thread about these kegs above and guide below.

Thanks If only I knew earlier but I sure know for next time.

 

[bracconiere]

*

asked a question, answered it myself...that's NOT a sanke......

 

[NGD]

As my father often says “Thats an optical conclusion!” While I get why you could think that at a glance, Sanke kegs have a raised lip thats a fair amount larger than this keg (not sure offhand what the ID and OD are).

 

[bracconiere]

As my father often says “Thats an optical conclusion!” While I get why you could think that at a glance, Sanke kegs have a raised lip thats a fair amount larger than this keg (not sure offhand what the ID and OD are).

yeah i watched a video of someone taping a sanke keg, with a party pump....not a sanke.....now it looks more like one of those big cans of heiniken they sell....but i'm still probably off....

edit: and a sanke also has ball valves and stuff.....

 

[rsquared]

now it looks more like one of those big cans of heiniken they sell....but i'm still probably off....

That's exactly what this is: https://www.amazon.com/Home-Brew-Ohio-2V-142M-9Y8K-Mini-Keg/dp/B0064OGVOK