# Keg To Keg Transfer Under Pressure



## Hogan (25/1/07)

Is there a method of transferring carbonated beer from one keg to another under pressure without causing frothing or the intrusion of air. Something akin to the counter pressure method of filling bottles, or along that line I suppose, or maybe not.??


Cheers, Hoges.


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## Ross (25/1/07)

Hogan said:


> Is there a method of transferring carbonated beer from one keg to another under pressure without causing frothing or the intrusion of air. Something akin to the counter pressure method of filling bottles, or along that line I suppose, or maybe not.??
> Cheers, Hoges.



hogan,

just connect the 2 kegs together via the 2 beer out posts. Give the empty one a blast of CO2 first & then bleed the relief valve on the recieving keg slowly to drop the pressure gradually & the beer will flow. Personally I don't bother & just transfer between the 2 kegs at low pressure.

Cheers Ross


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## KillerRx4 (25/1/07)

Make a line with 2 beer disconnects. 

Connect to your recieving kegs beer out post, open your recieving kegs relief valve, connect to your source kegs beer out post.


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## Zwickel (25/1/07)

My methode:

need a tube wih a Co2-connector at each end and a tube with a beer-connector at each end.
fill up the empty keg with CO2 to the same pressure as the full one has.
Put the full one up the table and the empty one at the floor.
First connect both CO2 outlets with eachother.
Then connect the beer-connector first to the full one.
Beer will get into the tube.
Now connect the other side of the beer tube to the empty keg.

Now the beer runs down from upper keg into the lower keg and the Gas flows from lower to the upper keg.

Just leave it for about 10 min, then youll notice that all the beer is in the lower keg, just disconnect.
thats all


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## Hogan (25/1/07)

Thanks guys. I am making this inquiry on behalf of another home brewer who is not a member of AHB. He has tried the methods used by Ross and KillerRx4 but had trouble with the gas release as the keg filled. Zwickels method seems to answer that problem and I will pass that on.

Thanks all for your contributions.

Cheers, Hoges.


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## Ross (26/1/07)

Zwickel said:


> My methode:
> 
> need a tube wih a Co2-connector at each end and a tube with a beer-connector at each end.
> fill up the empty keg with CO2 to the same pressure as the full one has.
> ...



Pure genius Zwickel :super: 

cheers Ross


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## Keifer (26/1/07)

Why do you need move the beer? are they different keg sizes? or are you racking or something?


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## Zwickel (26/1/07)

Ross said:


> Pure genius Zwickel :super:
> 
> cheers Ross


thanks Ross  



> Why do you need move the beer? are they different keg sizes? or are you racking or something?


especially for long time maturing beers, its necessary to take the beer away from the yeast, to avoid autolysis.
Also if you dont want to have too much slurry in your kegs, its recommended after about 4 weeks cold conditioning to transfer the beer into a clean keg.
That way is recommended especially for brewers they dont have any filter.

Cheers


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## Keifer (26/1/07)

Thanks zwickel, never had to do so not even thought about why you need to


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## razz (26/1/07)

Don't forget, if you have a batch that's not so great you can blend it with a keg of something better.


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## muffdiver (26/1/07)

Keifer said:


> Thanks zwickel, never had to do so not even thought about why you need to




You might need to transfer from your 20l keg to a party keg

cheers


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## Hogan (5/3/07)

Zwickel said:


> My methode:
> 
> need a tube wih a Co2-connector at each end and a tube with a beer-connector at each end.
> fill up the empty keg with CO2 to the same pressure as the full one has.
> ...



Tried the 'Zwickel Method' from a half empty keg to a half full keg for mixing. Pressured both kegs to 50 kpa (half a bar). 

Connected gas line to top and bottom keg and beer line to top keg. Beer came into line (but only just). 

Connected beer line to bottom keg but nothing happened. Did not appear to have enough pressure to push it out from top keg (but it should have). 

Disconnected gas line from bottom keg and connected it to C02 tank. Wound it up to 100 kpa and beer was pushed out of top keg into bottom keg. 

Got down to about a liter left in top keg and would not drain any further, even with gas going into keg. Disconnected all lines. Opened empty keg and drank the remaining liter.

Seems to have worked OK. Why didn't Zwickels method work. Was my gas line too long (2 mtrs.) 

Cheers, Hoges.

edit: clarification.


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## razz (5/3/07)

What pressure was your beer stored at ? If it wasn't 50kpa then you will need to match the empty keg pressure to that of the full one. Sorry if I am stating the obvious.


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## Hogan (5/3/07)

razz said:


> What pressure was your beer stored at ? If it wasn't 50kpa then you will need to match the empty keg pressure to that of the full one. Sorry if I am stating the obvious.




Yes Razz both half full kegs were at equal pressure.


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## Screwtop (5/3/07)

If kegs are at equal pressure or not, they will be once the two gas lines are connected. Same as in normal air pressure you have to start the syphoning somehow, I connect the beerline first.


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## Zwickel (5/3/07)

Hogan said:


> Seems to have worked OK. Why didn't Zwickels method work. Was my gas line too long (2 mtrs.)


One keg has to stand up a table or something else, the other one on the floor.

In Case that the Kegs are only half full, the pressure gradient (difference in hight) is a little only. That for you have to fill the beer line completely to get a suction on the upper keg as soon as you have connected the lower keg.

What Im doing in that case: connect the beer line first on the upper keg. The beer tube will be filled half or three forth only, because the tube gets pressure inside.
Take a tool to depress the valve at the other end of the beerline til the air is completely removed from the tube.
The tube must be filled completely with beer. Then connect it to the lower keg.

If the beer still doesnt run, there must be an obstruction somewhere in your system.

But there is another way to force the beer run: connect only the beer outlets with eachother, remove the gas line.
Now open the security valve at the lower keg a little, just to lower the gas pressure til the beer starts to run.
Then connect the gas outlets and the beer will continue to run.

...or just lift the upper keg to a higher place to get more pressure gradient.

Cheers


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## Hogan (5/3/07)

Zwickel said:


> That for you have to fill the beer line completely to get a suction on the upper keg as soon as you have connected the lower keg.
> 
> The beer tube will be filled half or three forth only, because the tube gets pressure inside.
> 
> ...




Good Zwickel - pressure in the beer line holding back the gravity flow makes sense. 


Cheers, Hoges.


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