Transfer from SS brew bucket to keg with liquid QD - fittings?

[buckerooni]

Just picked up one of the SS brew buckets and want to transfer the beer into a C02 purged keg via the keg's liquid out post.

Pretty sure people do this, but as the brew bucket barb is 8mm how do people connect this up to a liquid QD for a keg transfer?

thanks.

 

[Dan Pratt]

Good question. I too would like to know of anyone has a way to do this.

 

[Blind Dog]

This:

Threaded JG push fit fitting screwed into silicone tubing, tubing goes over the tap. Works well and stays in even without a clamp. Unscrew the fitting to clean as you'll get gunk building up otherwise.

 

[buckerooni]

thanks Blind Dog, I was hoping there was some kind of magic SS Brewtech accessory I was unaware of but looks like its off to the shed to dust off some spare parts!

 

[Grott]

Hope not a dumb question but is there an advantage to this method as to just connecting a silicon hose to the tap that is long enough to reach the bottom of the keg?

 

[quadbox]

Hope not a dumb question but is there an advantage to this method as to just connecting a silicon hose to the tap that is long enough to reach the bottom of the keg?

I used to do it this way (with the exact same fittings) mostly because you've got marginally less splashing around. But no, there's really not. These days I've gone back to doing as you say, as cleaning (and being sure of it being clean) a straight hose is easier. I've still got that fitting though, and I'd probably do it that way if I were using a 50L keg (with the no-return valve in the coupler removed)

 

[buckerooni]

it's about reducing the possibility of oxidisation by providing an almost pure C02 environment by filling up a keg with C02 prior to transferring from fermenter to keg. I've got a combined total of 20kg of C02 on hand, so I'm happy to use it!

From reading up turns out this C02 pillow idea is not correct, so even purging an open keg with C02 will just increase the C02/02 mixture in the keg. Sorry - not sciencey, hope this is correct enough!

Is there a percievable difference between this approach and the long piece of silicone hose at the bottom of a quasi purged keg? Dunno, but as I have some new shiny bling I'm trying to eliminate a potential problem.

I'm also quite KISS orientated, which is why I wanted a single piece of tubing ideally with the exact connections.

 

[Blind Dog]

I clean the keg, rinse, add starsan and seal it up. The starsan is pumped out with CO2, the keg is purged/burped a few times with CO2 and then I transfer from the fermentor (brewbucket or otherwise, and often via filter) into the keg via the liquid out post. I usually connect up the gas in post as well, running a short tube into a bottle half filled with starsan, otherwise I have to remember to vent the keg every so often.

It wont eliminate O2, but it does reduce it significantly. Or at least it should - can't say I've ever measured it. It also means that the beer is not exposed to air/bugs etc. at any point post-ferment, until I pour it into my glass; which is nice.

 

[Topher]

I use a hose into the bottom of a co2 purged keg. Thought about putting a disconnect on and filling from the beer out post......but id probably have the lid off anyway so i can see how full the keg is....so I never bothered. There is more stuff to clean too.

Blinddogs method above was what i wss going to do....or something similar.

 

[mikec]

I did this a few times but it takes forever to fill the keg so went back to silicon hose to the bottom.
You can purge the keg of air either way. You can also purge your silicon hose.
Filling from the dip tube will give you a little less splashing at the beginning but meh.

 

[Bribie G]

I lager in kegs with shortened dip tubes

I had two bronco tap assemblies, one of them belonging to Chappo but he vanished years ago, sorry Chappo - I removed the tap off the end and use it to transfer from lagering keg to bottling "bucket". That way I can draw off a few bottles for a comp and then keep the main bulk of the beer lagering on to enter in other comps later in the season.



However as you can see the hose would fit over the barb just fine (the barb on the original tap that comes with the BB is the same)
I could certainly use the same assembly with the beer going in the other direction to transfer from the BB to a keg.
Now, when running the beer out of the keg it's under top pressure and ain't super fast by any means. I would imagine that just using gravity it would take yonks as mikec says.

 

[Spiesy]

This:

image.jpeg

Threaded JG push fit fitting screwed into silicone tubing, tubing goes over the tap. Works well and stays in even without a clamp. Unscrew the fitting to clean as you'll get gunk building up otherwise.

That's what I've been using for my last few transfers. Works fairly well, albeit it slow, although sometimes it tries to slip over the end of my SSBB tap.

 

[nosco]

Ive used it for my last 5 brews with a plastic fermenter. Pretty slow but i dont mind. I get a bit of an air pocket in the hose just under the tap spout which was a bit of a worry but i assume its co2 coming up from the keg. Turning the tap off and on fixes it.
Its nice and neat and the shorter hose cleans up easier than a longer hose.

 

[chookherder]

This is what you need, Tri-Clover Ball Lock Disconnect.

https://www.newerabrewing.com.au/brewtools-ball-lock-adapter-liquid-34mm-tc/

 

[MHB]

Lots of options, this would suit me. Brubuilt
Haven't even looked for someone stocking them in Oz but have several lines with MFL on one end so I can switch between Black/Black, Black/Grey and Grey/Grey Disconnects.
Mark

 

[chookherder]

Lots of options, this would suit me. Brubuilt
Haven't even looked for someone stocking them in Oz but have several lines with MFL on one end so I can switch between Black/Black, Black/Grey and Grey/Grey Disconnects.
Mark

Hi Mark,
Here is one in Australia, it will do Grey/Black too

https://www.newerabrewing.com.au/ss-brewtech-1-5-tc-to-1-4-flare/

 

[MHB]

Cheers
Not a high prioriyty item but nice to know its available.
Mark