Expelling Air From A 50l Keg

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dalob

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I have just purchased a keg system that came with a 50Lt keg instead of an 18Lt. This keg also does not come with a pressure relief valve.

Can anyone tell me how I can Burp and purge my keg of oxygen after filling to leave only Co2 and beer.

Thanks

DALOB
 
I'm assuming you have the keg tap with disconnects for this style of keg? If so then there is a valve inside the inlet valve (the one at 45 degrees) Just push this to remove all the gas. Do this a few times and voila. You may need a key or something similar to press down the valve completely. Alternatively, you can remoe this disconnect completely and depress the tap handle and the same will happen.

How are you filling the keg by the way? I'm only using 30Lt kegs. But i have 2 taps. 1 for kegging, one for pouring. The kegging tap i haev taken off both disconnects and removed the antiflowback valve inside the keg tap itself and just pur it straight down the guts no worries. Hope this can help for you too.

Cheers, Rob
 
Rob,
Thanks for the info. The keg I have has two screw fittings. One on the top for the beer and one on the side for the Gas. To open the keg you pullout and push down on a lever, this opens the valve to allow the beer to flow.. I am not too sure about another valve, will have a look tonight.

To fill the keg I am fitting a hose to the tap of my keg and placing to other end into the outlet of the keg. (Have not actually done this yet, only bought it yesterday) That is what the guy I bought it off told me to do. Bought it from a mate who no longer has time to bre his own beer.

I will investigate the tap setup and maybe pull it down to see how it works.

DALOB
 
Nope, no valve. Only the two fitting I mentioned that are part of a unit with a quarter turn thread that screws into the keg.

DALOB
 
Oh!! just a regular CUB keg. Now i get ya.

So your mate was filling these and using them. I wonder how he was cleaning them. I can get my hands on as many as i want of these, and i also have a coupler, but i have stayed away as i didnt know how to clean them, or fill them, so id be very interested if someone can help with this.
 
I will give him a call (if he is home). I know he can clean it as he was emptying out the cleaning solution while I was there. I did not see what he was doing though, drinking beer at the time....
 
Just read that there is supposed to be a circlip that you can remove to be able to then remove the spear from the keg. This will not help removing the oxygen after filling but may make cleaning and filling a lot easier. Guess I am busy tonight.
 
With carlton kegs have to cut a notch in rim and then use it to pry out the circlip. Bash the spear piece about a bit to loosen it up. Once you can turn it a bit, turn it clockwise as far as you can, lift it up by levering with a srewdriver and continue to turn clockwise till it comes out.

My regulator has a gas releif vale on it, so i can turn my gas on and off and purge the oxygen out this way.
Tim
 
50lt Swan Brewery Keg, the right coupler to go with it - Dec 15


AshTreeBrewery said:
I found this post that solved my problem for getting the spear back, works like a dream and I can remove the whole lot easily anytime I want.

"I worked out the kegs.
They are the ones with the flat metal center and rubber ring in the center.
You push down on the rubber ring against the spring preasure, lift the metal center at the same time and twist it to disengage the spear.
Then you just unscrew the top and the lot comes out.

the center spear has a 3 pin rotating locking system and one of the pins is extended to make it dificult to remove the spear.
Easy
just file it down so it still locks in but can be easily removed and installed each time by simply ######## the main top of the spear assembly."

thanks to Grumpy's forums for the info.

Swan is the same as Tooheys setup. This thead has a good pic of the keg and coupler. Hope this is what U were looking for. I have the same thing and the lhbs helped me sort it.

If interested, send me a pm and I'll take a few snaps of the spear, with mods.

Seth out :chug:
 
Tim/Weizeguy,

Thanks for the info, I will have a look tonight as I want to have the keg setup by the weekend.

Not sure if the spear setup is the same for tooheys as for CUB, but I will have taken notes so I will see how I go tonight. The coupler looks the same but I am not sure about the fitting to the keg.

DALOB
 
Just managed to remove the spear as per Tim's instructions, worked like a charm. I can now empty,fill and clean this keg a hell of a lot easier. Still not sure about the purging after filling but it's a start.

DALOB
 
Wouldn't pressing the centre metal valve whilst the keg is upside down purge it?

Not being a kegger myself I don't know what I'm talking about from experience, but knowing the principles behind the delivery of beer from a keg, it makes sense to me.
 
Guys,

There is no need to remove the spear to clean/rinse/fill commercial kegs.

Remove the non return ball fitting from the centre of your keg coupler.

To clean the kegs, fit the coupler and remove both the snaplocks. and attach a standard clickfit garden hose fitting to the centre upright connection then attach your garden hose.

Turn the keg upside down on a suitable stand (wheelbarrow or similar) and run the hose.

The main muck will be rinsed away from the inside of the keg and come out of the air connection side of the coupler. If you think about it, the spear in place is a good method of ensuring there is rinsing down all sides of the keg as the hose water pressure forces water up the spear and water will wash down the keg sides.

Turn the water off and allow the keg to drain.

Make up a 3-5 litre solution of beerline cleaner in a small jerrycan and rack the cleaning solution into the keg via the centre of the coupler (this also cleans the coupler) remover the coupler once racked. You now have a sealed, rinsed keg with cleaning solution in it.

Just kick it around the backyard for 30 minutes then rinse with the garden hose as before. The keg will be clean.

Now to sanitise.

Mix a solution of 2-3 litres of "Slingshot" or similar acidic solution to neutralise the alkaline of the beerline cleaner and rack into the keg as before. Remove the coupler and again, shake the keg around.

If you are not going to use the keg immediately, it can be stored indefinately in this condition. If you are going to use it straight away, fit the coupler again, turn the keg upside down again and allow the solution to drain for about 30 minutes then rack your beer into it.

Dont forget to put the snaplocks back on once full!!

Voila! Hope this helps.

Regards
Dave
 
Guys be carefull reffering to kegs by their commercial name. There are members here who work for CUB, Lion nathan etc.

Jim levett PMed me with a warning on this matter recently.
 
Gday Die
I wasn't joking in the topic "What do we do for a job" or what ever it was called. My job description is to retrieve Kegs for Lion Nathan. I don't have to chase the singles, that is another guys job. Basically I just organise the keg hall at Lidcombe to be full. I make sure that as many empty kegs as possible are headed back to Lidcombe for a wash before heading out again.
By putting this post on this forum you have exposed yourself. Your previous posts tell us who & where you are. The excuse of everybody does this is not tolerated at Lion Nathan. The company is already prosecuting in South Aust & Vic. Cub are on the warpath in QLD & WA.
Maybe we could start a trend of putting some thinking behind our posts.

Catch ya !
Oh I already have.
James

This is the PM I was refering too. It sounds pretty serious.
 
Good point DS, but I think people are actually meaning to refer to "brewery X- type" kegs, and I'm sure everyone acquired them thru the proper channels.
 
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