Sankey keg and Spunding Valve

[x3la]

I'm about to condition in a Sankey keg by adding priming sugar.

My Coupler is fitted with Ball Locks on both gas in and liquid out. I have a Spunding Valve with a ball lock connector.

Why is it that the gas in, by means of removing the Gas Input Check Valve/Duckbill is always cited as the correct port to install the Spunding Valve on? Is there something preventing this from working with the liquid out port?

 

[T Murph]

I'm uncertain what you are trying to achieve. Do you understand what a spunding valve is and how it works? If you put a spunding valve on the out port it will allow Co2 pressure to push your beer right out of your kegmenter.

 

[Bobby_M]

something preventing this from working with the liquid out port?

Yes. A very important thing. If the spunding vents at all, while connected to the liquid port, beer will be ejected all over the floor.

 

[x3la]

Yes. A very important thing. If the spunding vents at all, while connected to the liquid port, beer will be ejected all over the floor.

But isn't that also the purpose of the Duckbill on the Gas In? To prevent liquid out? I'm a bottle/cask guy so a Sankey keg is totally new to me, I'm trying to figure out how the Spear itself works, Cornelius keg internal workings are clearer as they are separate.

 

[x3la]

I'm uncertain what you are trying to achieve. Do you understand what a spunding valve is and how it works? If you put a spunding valve on the out port it will allow Co2 pressure to push your beer right out of your kegmenter

But isn't that also the purpose of the Duckbill on the Gas In? To prevent liquid out? I'm a bottle/cask guy so a Sankey keg is totally new to me, I'm trying to figure out how the Spear itself works, Cornelius keg internal workings are clearer as they are separate.

Ok. The Spear itself that extends to the bottom of the Keg is liquid and the Gas part of the valve is at the top of the Spear. Makes sense now.

 

[x3la]

https://www.draft-beer-made-easy.com/keg.html

 

[Broken Crow]

Looking at your other posts I see your sankey is actually a torpedo keg with a sankey valve and a cornelius lid. Have you considered using a corny-carb-cap with no hose or stone on the inside?
https://www.amazon.ca/Carbonation-M...33705&sprefix=carbonation+cap,aps,149&sr=8-25(Can be found for better price elsewhere depending on where you live)

 

[x3la]

Looking at your other posts I see your sankey is actually a torpedo keg with a sankey valve and a cornelius lid. Have you considered using a corny-carb-cap with no hose or stone on the inside?
https://www.amazon.ca/Carbonation-M...33705&sprefix=carbonation+cap,aps,149&sr=8-25(Can be found for better price elsewhere depending on where you live)

Yes, these are 9 litre Torpedo kegs! I'm doing side by side comparisons of forced vs natural carbonation on the same batch split into two separate kegs.

Does the Carbonation Can Cap (without the hose/stone) offer me something that the ball locks on the coupler connected to the Spunding valve don't? It's certainly tidier and means my coupler isn't tied up for a month whilst the beer carbonates...

 

[Broken Crow]

It offers a hole without a check valve to remove and while I'm not familiar with sankey spears, if I used one myself, I wouldn't want to possibly muck it up with with krausen or bother with removing a check valve to ferment and then replacing it to serve.
Just my thought, but I could be missing something.

 

[Broken Crow]

...alternate place to plug in a spunding valve.

 

[x3la]

...alternate place to plug in a spunding valve.

I actually quite like this idea. It's cheaper than buying a coupler and a ball lock QD. I'll probably cut the tubing with a pipe cutter or dremel to reduce the amount that it protrudes into the keg.

 

[Bobby_M]

Note that the duckbill is not a mission critical component. It's purpose is to prevent beer from backing up into your gas line should the pressure input drop AND the keg is so overfilled that beer is practically touching the coupler. Also, to effectively use a coupler to "spund", you would want to source a beer thread cap to completely block off the liquid out port while putting it in tapped position.

 

[T Murph]

Post a picture of the keg set up you are questioning about. Because a Sanke keg dip tube extends to near the bottom and the out flow comes directly straight up out of the dip tube. Only exception is with a low profile coupler in which both fittings are at a 90 degree angle.

 

[T Murph]

This is what Bobby is referring to when he said block off the OUT flow with a threaded cap. I have fermented umpteen batches in a kegmenter with one of these. And a duckbill is simply a check valve to prevent liquid from back flowing into the gas line as he stated.

 

[DuncB]

I keg into Sankey and closed transfer under pressure. With the duckbill removed and ball lock endings on the coupler the keg is sealed.
Spunding valve will work fine whilst conditioning but must only go on the gas post. Most spunding valves are not happy to have beer through them which could happen with a full keg during conditioning.
Consider an intermediate trap in the system as per photo. My picture shows it being used during primary as a spunded blowoff harvesting yeast and is on its side for picture convenience only.
I use a nonreturn gas ball lock when serving to prevent any beer going up the gas lines.

 

[McMullan]

 

[DuncB]

View attachment 779738

I've got some of those adapters as well they do a good job. Does the double hinged clamp work better?
Ho

 

[McMullan]

I've got some of those adapters as well they do a good job. Does the double hinged clamp work better?
Ho

It's easier to fit. I found the standard clamps a bit on the small side and awkward to put on without completely unscrewing the wing nut.

 

[DuncB]

I have to undo the nut a lot but never taken it off to fit it. They are fiddly though.

 

[x3la]

This is what Bobby is referring to when he said block off the OUT flow with a threaded cap. I have fermented umpteen batches in a kegmenter with one of these. And a duckbill is simply a check valve to prevent liquid from back flowing into the gas line as he stated.View attachment 779729

"My Coupler is fitted with Ball Locks on both gas in and liquid out. "

 

[DuncB]

"My Coupler is fitted with Ball Locks on both gas in and liquid out. "

Noticed you said that my Sankey are also fitted that way, it's very convenient and no need for liquid non return valve I don't think. My comments above still apply.

 

[x3la]

...alternate place to plug in a spunding valve.

Here's the end result. Thanks for the tip!

 

[T Murph]

Lol if you had posted a picture of that Torpedo Keg with your original post everyone would have been able to answer your question sooner. I thought you were talking about a sanke keg instead of a double function Torpedo. Or were you just fishing to see if we could figure out that's what you were working with? Either way it's not advisable to put a spunding valve on the liquid out fitting on a Cornie QC, Sanke, Euro or Hoff Stevens.

 

[Dr_Jeff]

On a sanke coupler, one just has to use a coin between the nut and the rubber washer to seal the liquid port.