Mini Keg Discussion / Mods / Show Off - Dedicated Thread

[EalingDrop]

What are people’s cleaning approach to the double ended spear? Do you take off the posts and dunk in sodium perc, line and sanitise after each 5L, or...

The manual talks about tightening the nut on the underneath of the spear for the beer post. Is that something to take off during cleaning?

How often do you replace the silicon dip tube?

Cheers,
B

Keeping the spear head, dip tube and tap together I run hot water through the beer tap until the beer smell is gone then give the spear head a quick scrub with a tooth brush.

The keg can be cleaned with a demi john brush (I don't know if we sell it here, as I brought that back from London). Works well cleaning the top 'cone' bit of the keg as well as the floor, but if I'm lazy it's hot water with a bit of detergent and a good shake/rinse until there's no beer smell.

No detectable effects on the next batch of beer as expected, so I'm sticking to this routine. The trick is to wash it as soon as you finish the beer and not let it dry out.

 

[Grott]

The trick is to wash it as soon as you finish the beer and not let it dry out.

Spot on, I rinse keg straight away, put in a teaspoon of sodium percarbonate and add some hot water. Put lid on and shake the keg. I then put some pressure in the keg and attach an open line (or picnic tap set up) to the beer out post so cleaner flushes through. Release keg pressure, drop lid seal in the keg, dangle lid in keg opening and fill to top with water. Leave min of of an hour but usually until the next day. (I pour into washing machine to utilise the water) rinse keg/ drain and then sanitise when ready to reuse.

 

[bingggo]

Thanks folks. You’ve had no problems with your prv leaking?

 

[Jack of all biers]

No mate. When you pulled it apart and put new o-rings on did you look in the recess in the head itself. Look for gunk or manufacturing shavings of metal or scrapes on the recess itself. It could be the machining of the head that could be causing the o-ring to not seal properly. Also did you looked at the spring and ensure there is good resistance? Unlikely, but worth a look.

 

[bingggo]

Where do you folks get replacement dip tube from

 

[phildo]

LHBS but if you're happy to use vinyl you might be able to get some tubing with a small enough ID

 

[Coalminer]

I use standard 6mm ID x 10mm OD beerline. It will screw onto the spigot easily

 

[phildo]

That would be much better than the silicone hose that comes with the kegs. I found that the silicone stained and split easily

 

[KegLand-com-au]

If your going to buy a tap then yes, I had a normal tap and bought the flow control adaptor to make things easier and maintain the dispensing pressure. If you carbonate the keg at 12psi and then reduce the pressure to serve, your carbonation will drop and the beer will get flatter therefore the flow control tap allows the pressure to stay at 12psi.

You can use the flow control taps but having uses a lot of flow control taps and also this new device I would seriously consider getting a flow control ball lock disconnect instead. These look like this:

https://www.kegland.com.au/flow-control-ball-lock-disconnect-flow-restrictor.html

From a cost perspective it's similar to the flow control tap but they do function significantly better as a flow control device. We only just developed this product so it would good to get your feedback on the product.

 

[altone]

From a cost perspective it's similar to the flow control tap but they do function significantly better as a flow control device. We only just developed this product.

Anyone see an issue here? new untested product is significantly better?

Don't get me wrong, I'll probably buy and try one of those units when I can, but the statement seems a bit off.

I've been happy with all my KL purchases so maybe it will be better.

 

[trhr]

Hi All,

If anyone still has any of these kegs and the blind welds aren't too bad, I've found you can clean with TSP and then do a redneck home passivation and it's much better.
I'd do multiple cleans with TSP first, seems to help. This link is useful for diy: http://beersmith.com/blog/2017/01/0...-beer-brewing-equipment-to-prevent-corrosion/

If you've got alot of black coming out of the keg or pretty bad tasting beer after a weeks storage, the welds aren't even close to sanitary and it will keep coming back.
Suggest cutting the top off for revenge and throwing it out along with the crappy first run regulators.

If the mini keg experience hasn't completely traumatised you, Kegland has some decent robotic welded, passivated ones that will work nicely with our double ball lock heads which are fine.

 

[Nullnvoid]

Hi All,

If anyone still has any of these kegs and the blind welds aren't too bad, I've found you can clean with TSP and then do a redneck home passivation and it's much better.
I'd do multiple cleans with TSP first, seems to help. This link is useful for diy: http://beersmith.com/blog/2017/01/0...-beer-brewing-equipment-to-prevent-corrosion/

If you've got alot of black coming out of the keg or pretty bad tasting beer after a weeks storage, the welds aren't even close to sanitary and it will keep coming back.
Suggest cutting the top off for revenge and throwing it out along with the crappy first run regulators.

If the mini keg experience hasn't completely traumatised you, Kegland has some decent robotic welded, passivated ones that will work nicely with our double ball lock heads which are fine.

Link or smoke signals to your double ball lock heads?

 

[trhr]

I meant the mini keg double ball lock head units that came with the bulk buy. Those, the cheap taps and some of the later regs were the only decent bits in the end.
Kegland have the best price these days (and seems like the best quality): https://www.kegland.com.au/mini-keg-ball-lock-tapping-head-with-silicone-dip-tube.html

 

[wheat and hops]

You can use the flow control taps but having uses a lot of flow control taps and also this new device I would seriously consider getting a flow control ball lock disconnect instead. These look like this:

https://www.kegland.com.au/flow-control-ball-lock-disconnect-flow-restrictor.html

From a cost perspective it's similar to the flow control tap but they do function significantly better as a flow control device. We only just developed this product so it would good to get your feedback on the product.

Hello KL,

I've submitted some feedback via the KL website on an order that I received earlier today. Two of the the three KL09041 flow control disconnects that I received have issues. The first one has a rapid steady leak from the top, the second has a less dramatic but still somewhat messy leak from the base. Neither can be used.

The third seems to be functioning as expected so far. It's a new product so I expect there may be some QC / teething issues. I've left details on the report and happy to discuss with your staff.

Apart from a few back ordered HOPs, the rest of the order was delivered to WA in record time. I think I put the order in Wednesday/Thursday and in delivered in Perth first thing Monday Morning, Great work.

 

[Coalminer]

I meant the mini keg double ball lock head units that came with the bulk buy. Those, the cheap taps and some of the later regs were the only decent bits in the end.
Kegland have the best price these days (and seems like the best quality): https://www.kegland.com.au/mini-keg-ball-lock-tapping-head-with-silicone-dip-tube.html

Do you know if the Kegland mini keg system has the same threads as the gear from the old bulk buys?

 

[Nullnvoid]

Do you know if the Kegland mini keg system has the same threads as the gear from the old bulk buys?

Yep all the same!

 

[Coalminer]

Yep all the same!

Thanks

 

[fdsaasdf]

Can confirm, the KL ball lock head units fit the mini kegs just fine - these mini kegs existed for many years before the AHB bulk buys btw

 

[ceptic]

Hi All, Just wondering how you guys manage your kegs? I have acquired 6 x 8L kegs and 3 x 5L kegs. I have 3 tapping heads and the remaining kegs have the blank caps. Do you just switch the tapping head to the next keg and if so how do you carbonate it beforehand?
Thanks

 

[ceptic]

PS I'm thinking of drilling and tapping the blank caps and putting these 0.3 MPa pressure relief valves in so I can naturally carbonate. 1/8" 1/4" BSP Male 0.3-1.5mpa Brass Air Safety Relief Pressure Release Valve | eBay