Sanke Keg fermenter

[JohnnyO]

I had to use a brass adapter to fit to a slightly larger hose and then used a hose clamp to secure the hose slipped OVER the longer/slimmer of the ports on the carboy cap. Work back from a hose that fits securely over that port and convert as needed to the gas line.

This would be a whole lot easier with pictures.

 

[vonZwicky]

Great, now the Brady Bunch are probably going to try to prevent us from owning kegs since they kill people...

Still, I would have to say that death by keg explosion is pretty damned rare... IF you're fermenting in it (and under zero excess pressure) you have nothing to worry about. As long as you're properly handling your serving kegs, you also have virtually nothing to worry about. Charge them to a stupid PSI and you better have good life insurance (that doesn't have an 'act of stupidity' clause in it )...

Golddiggie, you are correct on all counts. Fortunately, keg deaths and injuries are extremely rare. So far, the "Brady Bunch" has other agendas with which to oppress us. I've worked in the industry where I've seen hundreds of kegs daily. Every once in a while one is returned that has ruptured from pressure, or is so bloated that the tops and bottoms are domed out and it looks like it could blow at any minute (scary!). Keg incidents are not that extremely rare, but I imagine only a very small fraction of them result in death, or make the news. There may be something to that old saying: "God looks after drunks and *******."

Sorry guys, I'll go ahead and end my morbid hijack of this thread.

 

[dallasdb]

One doesn't have to go as far back as 30 years:

http://www.expressandstar.com/latest/2007/12/19/ruling-on-beer-keg-explosion/

This poor guy died just trying to move a keg.

I love that a keg exploded in this poor guys face and the article said post mortem analysis concluded he died of an open head wound. No...really??? Thank you captain obvious.

 

[Golddiggie]

I have a feeling that the more sober, and intelligent, keg users are smart enough to recognize when there could be an issue with a keg... Drunks and *******, not so much... If we lose a few of them in the process (the D&R) then I won't shed any tears... Does this make me a bad person?

We now return you to your irregularly scheduled thread...

BTW, the "Double Tap ESB" I'm fermenting doesn't get it's name from tap handles... :rockin:

 

[Randar]

This would be a whole lot easier with pictures.

Johnny, I will try to remember to take a picture of the setup when I get home. When I only had one CO2 regulator I would "charge" a corny to 30 or 40 PSI and then use a disconnect as an adapter to the hose and would blast the CO2 from the cornie to the sanke in short spurts to get. Now I just have it as a separate hose assembly I can use connected to my 5# tank and regulator and I push mush more gently at around 5 PSI.

 

[Salmonhouse]

I'd like to see that Randar, even though i have an idea what your talking about.

This is a great way to reduce oxygen exposure, i will have to try this.

 

[Randar]

Johnny and Salmon, here is what I was talking about. Really very simple. I just pieced together an "adapter" for the 1/4" ID to 1/2" ID hoses out of brass parts from Home Depot and hose clamp it together. The 1/2" ID hose fits over the longer/skinnier port on the carboy cap. Just use the smallest size hose clamp that will fit over the 1/2" ID tubing and it will seal nicely once screwed down over the carboy cap port.

 

[dallasdb]

Is that a black plastic regulator?

 

[Randar]

Is that a black plastic regulator?

It is painted or coated metal...

 

[Salmonhouse]

Ok, and then there is a racking cane that has a hose on it that leads to a keg coupler?

 

[Randar]

Ok, and then there is a racking cane that has a hose on it that leads to a keg coupler?

Racking cane can lead to a cornie disconnect for kegging or a Sanke coupler, or anything else you wanna hook it up to. I usually just place the hose into the bottom of a cornie/Sanke/bottling bucket and start transferring. The disruption of that first blast of beer into the bottom of the cornie/sanke (which I store under pressure till use anyways) will ensure there is CO2 blanket being pushed off above the beer.

 

[HoppyGus]

I tried the orange cap thingy on my sanke and it didn't fit. But I have a tri-clover for it now and it fits perfect. Until I get that drilled out and tapped, I will use a rubber bung....for the bung hole. haha never gets old

 

[slakwhere]

randar, how are you avoiding the yeast cake? are you just sliding the racking cane into the orange carboy cap slowly until you see yeast? or are you angling and trying to hit the bottom corner of the sanke? or are you just guessing at how tall the yeast cake is and marking the racking cane?

 

[Golddiggie]

I tried the orange cap thingy on my sanke and it didn't fit. But I have a tri-clover for it now and it fits perfect. Until I get that drilled out and tapped, I will use a rubber bung....for the bung hole. haha never gets old

So you're going to get your bung hole DRILLED and then tapped?? Ouch...

Didn't have too much trouble getting the orange cap to fit the hole in my Sanke keg... It was a bit snug, but I like it that way. Still, the large universal bung fits it really well too, plus they're cheaper... I'll be getting at least three more when I go to the LHBS next... Might need to get a few more airlocks too... Need to retire the ones with the partially blocked bottoms (X pattern there) since I like the ones that are wide open better... More personal preference I think... Less obstruction...

 

[HoppyGus]

Ouch! sounds like a dangerous weekend.

I read somewhere that someone cut the sanke dip tube short, put a sank coupler on top without the gas check valve and fermented, chilled, carbonated and served all out of the same keg. Sounds easy enough but I would be worried that I'd pull trub every pint. You would have to be pretty accurate with your dip tube cutting.

 

[Randar]

randar, how are you avoiding the yeast cake? are you just sliding the racking cane into the orange carboy cap slowly until you see yeast? or are you angling and trying to hit the bottom corner of the sanke? or are you just guessing at how tall the yeast cake is and marking the racking cane?

I start with it submerged about 3/4 of the way in, and then once it sputters I slowly work it down till I see yeast and try to hold it steady thereafter. You could start out with it all the way down to the top of the yeast cake, though, so long as you can keep the racking cane steady/

 

[slakwhere]

so you end up with just a little yeast in your cornie? that's the only thing i like about my carboy, i can see through it so i know what's going on in there...

 

[camiller]

I tried the orange cap thingy on my sanke and it didn't fit. But I have a tri-clover for it now and it fits perfect. Until I get that drilled out and tapped, I will use a rubber bung....for the bung hole. haha never gets old

Always used to be two sizes of the orange carboy caps. One for the Mexican made ones and one for the Italian made. Since the Mexican factory shut down and they are all from Italy now, my LHBS usually only has the narrower one.

 

[Randar]

I tried the orange cap thingy on my sanke and it didn't fit. But I have a tri-clover for it now and it fits perfect. Until I get that drilled out and tapped, I will use a rubber bung....for the bung hole. haha never gets old

Mine didn't fit either at first, but that's why we have evolved to have forearm strength and opposable thumbs.

Heat up the cap in some really hot water first to make it more maleable if you have to.

 

[Randar]

so you end up with just a little yeast in your cornie? that's the only thing i like about my carboy, i can see through it so i know what's going on in there...

Barely noticeable in the first glass and after that nothing. You will always have a little bit of yeast drop out later unless you filter it.

 

[JuanMoore]

Ouch! sounds like a dangerous weekend.

I read somewhere that someone cut the sanke dip tube short, put a sank coupler on top without the gas check valve and fermented, chilled, carbonated and served all out of the same keg. Sounds easy enough but I would be worried that I'd pull trub every pint. You would have to be pretty accurate with your dip tube cutting.

When you chill to serving temps the yeast cake solidifies pretty well. As long as you don't wrestle with the keg too much you'll only get yeast/trub on the first pour, and everything after is crystal clear. No need to cut accurately since every yeast cake is different. I cut ~1/2"-5/8" off of my diptubes, and it works pretty well. I honestly think it would be fine left even longer.

 

[Hugh_Jass]

Some photos of me transferring sanke to corney

 

[vonZwicky]

Going back to the earlier discussion of exploding kegs- I came across this obviously overpressurized keg yesterday. I have no idea how many psi were pumped into this thing to dome up the top so much. The bottom is in the same condition- so much so that the keg no longer rests on it's bottom chime. Be careful out there, guys!

 

[Zamial]

I have and am moving to all sanke kegs because it only makes sense to me. I brew either 6 or 12ish gallons at a time in my keggles. This allows for plenty of head room inside the fermenter. The kegs are near indestructible and a snap to clean. I am VERY happy with my results. I have not tried Wortmonger's pressurized fermentation yet and may or may not, so I have no input on that.(Sorry WM I just have to many pokers in the fire ATM)

I ferment in 1/2 and short 1/4 bbls depending on batch size. I transfer to tall 1/4 and 1/6 bbls for serving. I force carb all my beer now and even bottle off of the sanke/kegerator, so I have very little "stuff" in the bottom of my bottles or even my kegs! I never had a cornie keg and my kegerator (an old Kenmore) was all set up for sankes. I have 4 hand taps/picnic taps as well for that "keg party" if I need them.

I just bought an industrial shelving unit that is now my fermentation rack. The rack will easily hold 4-1/2 bbls per shelf and there are 2 shelves! (That's a lot of hootch!) I also used part of it to make a weldless brew stand. Pics and my own thread to come soon on all this...

FYI these are REALLY easy to clean and I have made 2 great batches of beer in them. I am ramping up for an EPIC brew day(s) this weekend/early next week 1-12 gallon batch, 3-6 gallon batches then to the stove for 2-3 gallon batches!!!(I have a 3 gallon carboy and montana jar. Thxs to Passedpawn for posting up the jars.) I reuse the Miller Home Draft systems for the mini batches unless I need to bottle them.

My current keg count:
1 - 1/2 bbl
3 - short 1/4 bbls
2 - tall 1/4 bbls
1 - 1/6th bbl
My MIL will be giving me 2 more 1/2 bbls soon and I have a friend whose grandfather passed awhile ago that homebrewed and she told me she "saw some kegs but has no idea what they are beyond that" and will be giving them to me for free! Not to mention my near daily search of CL for them. In my mind I want 4-1/2 and 4-1/4 bbls to ferment in and many tall 1/4 and 1/6 bbls.

Should I ever decide to stop making my own beer I can still buy beer in bbls and have no equipment to change.