Mini Keg Discussion / Mods / Show Off - Dedicated Thread

[Zorco]

Some interesting preliminary data on the keg corrosion issue.

83.3% of registered faulty kegs (From ATHB) were purchased in MKII. A few from Beerkat.... When were they bought approximately? - Might be good to correlate when Beerkat ordered them from the supplier and see if it aligned with the MKII order.

This is not conclusive, but a tiny trend which we will keep reviewing.


AND IT DOESN'T FOLLOW THAT EVERYONE IN MKII WILL HAVE A PROBLEM.

It might have been one unskilled dude on the production line from a team of fabricators.... Maybe he didn't know the argon tank was empty and purging was simply not happening.

All guesses, so nothing to conclude........

 

[mstrelan]

BK keg purchased late Jan this year.

 

[Zorco]

Rice test done and result is CLEAR. Just yeasty beer residue from nat carbing. Hmm it was a Saison that was quite clean flavour, not sure maybe it just was mentally 'tinny'

The industry expert said that only a few ppm will cause a problem for flavour. When your keg is rinsed maybe give it a dose of sodium percarbonate - oxidise whatever iron is vulnerable and do the Trademarked rinse again.

I'll invite you to the PM anyway mate, feel free to register your suspect keg if / whenever you feel like it.

Which bulk buy did you get that one from? [MKI; MKII; MKIII]?

 

[Jack of all biers]

The industry expert said that only a few ppm will cause a problem for flavour.

NHMRC Guideline Value's have Aesthetic values for Iron at 0.3 ppm. Essentially anything higher than that will be tasted. My opinion is that 0.2 ppm or higher can be tasted by some, but this is more anecdotal than evidence based. Note that this is for Iron, not Iron Oxide or other Oxides, but I'd suggest it would be similar.

EDIT - Just re the whole magnet test. I know that Lyrebird_cycles has already alluded to this, but as some have still be using magnets as some sort of test indicator. From wikipedia.

Chromium dioxide or chromium(IV) oxide is an inorganic compound with the formula CrO2. It is a black synthetic magnetic solid.[3] It once was widely used in magnetic tape emulsion.[4] With the increasing popularity of CDs and DVDs, the use of chromium(IV) oxide has declined. However, it is still used in data tape applications for enterprise-class storage systems. It is still considered by many oxide and tape manufacturers to have been one of the best magnetic recording particulates ever invented.

 

[nosco]

I got this inspection camera from Bunnings for about $35 I think to check a problem with our plumbing. I have been trying to find it. Sorry for the crap camera work but Im using a coat hanger wire to control it.

Edit: cant upload atm but there is clearly rust on the inside top of the keg. Near the weld and also on some scratches. Ill try and put it on Youtube and post but the internet is a bit slow.

 

[nosco]

Finally got it working. I have only used this keg a few times because a faulty reg so it has been cleaned with perc and stored with a starsan solution. Im the wrong person to be making any conclusions from this but I would have thought that the starsan would passivate the stainless. The rust spots at the end could maybe be fixed by re-passivating. Its hard to see the weld in the light but Ill have a go at it with some Tricleanium and starsan when I get the time. I hope the vid helps.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?edit=vd&v=AqVfzvBB1vo

Edit:the camera is a usb camera from the plumbing section at Bunnings about $35. The vid is of the inside of the top of the keg.

 

[peteru]

Finally got it working.

Computer says: No.

 

[Zorco]

Just added you to the PM nosco. When your photos and vids are all good, please upload them to the google drive.

 

[bradsbrew]

I cant accept that a product sold as 304 will hold a magnet. This is a 1.89L BK keg , holding a folded envelope, thats 4 sheets of paper and folded again, thats 8 sheets thick and still holding.
Showed this to my BIL yesterday, in over 20 years of fabricating SS he has never seen a magnet hold on 304 SS.

 

[peekaboo_jones]

Thanks Zorco, no worries I shall have another crack today.
Kegs purchased from bb MKIII.

Slightly off current topic feedback: I have 2 mini regs and work perfect every time, just using the small bulbs

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Reading the link from mbb the stainless becmes magnetic after being worked, rolled, pressed, folded etc.

 

[bradsbrew]

Reading the link from mbb the stainless becmes magnetic after being worked, rolled, pressed, folded etc.

Read a few articles as well. Tried the same magnet on cornie kegs, old brewery kegs, all my brew pots and another BK 5L keg and it did not stick, not even keg king products, which was a nice surprise. Assuming the mini kegs go through the same manufacturing process, surely it is a different metal?

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Try the magnets on the kitchen sink.

 

[bradsbrew]

Try the magnets on the kitchen sink.

Not sure if the sink would be 304? Maybe 301 or a 400 type?
Tried it anyway. Magnet only holds to bends and folds, not on flat parts and the hold is not as firm as it is on the keg.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

The sink is 304 and the magnet is sticking where it was formed, a bit like work hardening but work magnetising.
Would be an interesting exercise for say a 4 litre Beercat and a 4 litre from the bulk buy to be measured and the dimensions checked against each other. If it came from the same tooling they would match and then it would give an indication whether they came from the same manufacturer.

 

[Coalminer]

Well the 2L kegs and 5L kegs that I have are different to each other
the 2L kegs are very magnetic on the main body and the top and bottom as well as the welds and handle
the 5L kegs (bought in the same bulk buy) are not magnetic apart from around the welds
So I would assume (I know I shouldn't) that they are different grades af metal to start with
I don't know if this is a proper way to prove quality and also may depend on how strong the magnet is
I have used a magnet out of a hard drive and testing around the brewery I have found magnetic areas in the following:

10 x 19L Cornies
3 x 9L Cornies
2 x 30L Aginox Olive oil drum fermenters
2 x 15L Aginox Olive oil drum fermenters
1 x 20L Braumeister
and various other equipment, spoons, funnels etc
The caps and head units are not

all this is mainly where the metal has been rolled or welded

But surprisingly the taps that came with the kegs are also magnetic. So if they are chrome plated brass then whats that about?

 

[Zorco]

I cant accept that a product sold as 304 will hold a magnet. This is a 1.89L BK keg , holding a folded envelope, thats 4 sheets of paper and folded again, thats 8 sheets thick and still holding.
Showed this to my BIL yesterday, in over 20 years of fabricating SS he has never seen a magnet hold on 304 SS.

We are going to send a sample to the lab and find out

 

[nosco]

Computer says: No.

It works with Chrome on my PC but not on the phone app.

 

[Grott]

I use 9.5 & 12 litre keg sets. 4 Chinese 9.5l & 3 x 12l are not magnetic. 2 x 12l &
1 x 9.5l Italian kegs (meant to be the best and are Imo) are magnetic.
I have not had any problems with any of these kegs.

 

[nosco]

It works with Chrome on my PC but not on the phone app.

Ok. The video was set to private on youtube. It should work now :unsure: