Using commercial kegs

[03fxsti]

I have been reading on using commercial kegs. The idea appeals to me for several reasons, uniformity of equipment, etc. I was wondering if anybody has used the "keg part" conversions for commercial kegs, and if so can you walk a guy through it. I checked out the website but it kinda left me with more questions than answers. Thanks.

 

[suorangeguy]

The keg part is a system where you can attach ball locks connectors to a commercial keg coupler. This would be ideal for the homebrewer who uses ball lock kegs and wants to occasionally serve from a commerical sanke keg. I use MFL fittings so when I want to serve from a commercial keg I just unscrew my ball lock connector and attach my beer line to this tailpiece to MFL fitting.

http://www.ritebrew.com/product-p/843459.htm

If you want to use commercial kegs exclusively as I think you are suggesting then don't bother with any ball lock stuff. Coupler to beer/gas lines is all you need. You can degas the keg using a pressure release valve in the coupler. You can keep the beer from coming out by putting a penny, washer, and beer nut on the the liquid side of the coupler.

 

[DrHops]

http://www.williamsbrewing.com/COMMERCIAL-KEG-CONVERSION-PARTS-C118.aspx

I bought a set of these adapters and love them! With the older version you had to screw the fittings on and off for the gas and liquid lines, with these, you just screw them onto the gas in and liquid out fitting on the sanke coupler one time. After you've screwed them on, you just treat it as if its a corny keg. The ball lock connectors attach to them as if its a corny keg.

 

[SleepyCreekBrews]

Honestly, I don't understand the attraction to corni kegs ....the 1/6 bbl sanke kegs are simple to clean and work with IMO, same price used, and cheaper if purchased new.

 

[03fxsti]

Honestly, I don't understand the attraction to corni kegs ....the 1/6 bbl sanke kegs are simple to clean and work with IMO, same price used, and cheaper if purchased new.

Thats what I'm looking for. I'm just about sold on the conversion posts. Well, I am sold. I just don"t know anything about cleaning a snake. You just take out the spear, and hose it out or what?

 

[SleepyCreekBrews]

I don't know anything about conversion posts ....I use the standard Sanke spear and a d-coupler.

Hot Oxy-clean , followed by a rinse, and then Star-San ... Rack your beer into the keg. replace the spear . Seal, purge, done.

 

[Crito]

So far my research is leading me to FRANKE kegs (30L kegs - 7.8 gallons) and micromatic couplers (303 stainless). So far this is the best I have found. Buy once and only cry once....

 

[NormPeterson]

quote," I just don"t know anything about cleaning a snake"

I think they just shed their skin, but seriously what SleepyCreekBrews said is correct. I use a pair of pliers and a screwdriver to get the bung off and remove the stem. Then I rinse and repeat with hot water until no visible residue remains (a small flashlight really helps). Next I use a no rinse cleaner (that I still rinse) and then put in one last no rinse cleaner and dump the cleaning solution into a container to be used as my primary rinse next time. I place the keg upside down to air dry.

 

[NormPeterson]

While you only need to sanitize once I like to do it twice just to make sure no "stale beer" taste is left. Another good idea is to run some of that sanitizer through the beer lines followed by some hot water.

 

[03fxsti]

quote," I just don"t know anything about cleaning a snake"

I think they just shed their skin, but seriously what SleepyCreekBrews said is correct. I use a pair of pliers and a screwdriver to get the bung off and remove the stem. Then I rinse and repeat with hot water until no visible residue remains (a small flashlight really helps). Next I use a no rinse cleaner (that I still rinse) and then put in one last no rinse cleaner and dump the cleaning solution into a container to be used as my primary rinse next time. I place the keg upside down to air dry.

Good catch. Damn auto correct got me again. i know how to clean a snake, I have a great recipe for rattlesnake. A sanke on the other hand. I think I'm leaning toward cutting a 9 inch hole in the top, and making a lid out of stainless, and plexiglass or just stainless. I just need to figure out how to put corny posts in my lid. As well as a thermo well, and blowoff.

 

[zachattack]

Are you talking about fermenting or kegging? If you're kegging I definitely don't recommend cutting top lid off first... repressurizing with some type of homemade sealed lid (especially if there's plastic involved) is just an explosion waiting to happen.

 

[03fxsti]

Fermenting, and I came to the conclusion I only need a gas in port. I will solder a close nipple on the original dip tube and use it. Then i just need to add a thermowell, and blowoff. Then I can pressure transfer my beer into my corny kegs in the keezer directly from the ferm. chamber, eliminating any heavy lifting. I gotta draw all this up and get tp work finding a fridge for my new ferm chamber. My little freezer just became obsolete. Boy, the wifes gonna be pissed.:rockin:

 

[travisbklein]

if this thread utterly confused the heck out of you, watch this video:

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lKYg3S0ddY[/ame]

it explains everything that these guys here are saying.

now it makes sense! thanks guys for the help and links to whats needed!

 

[SleepyCreekBrews]

Ah, just watched the youtube video. pretty cool little devices.

Handy if any of you ball-cockers wanted to serve a (perish the thought) commercial beer at a party.