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Filling kegs - from kegs!

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  • Filling kegs - from kegs!

    Howdy,

    Our 30L kegs are out selling the 50L kegs, and some brainiac had an idea.
    Rather than waiting for the next brew to be ready so that the empty 30's can be refilled, it should be possible to connect the 50's to the 30's and transfer between them. Thus evening out the inventory in our favour, rather than letting customers down.

    In principle we think this should work because fill the kegs from a pressurised Grundy tank in the first place, and this is pretty much the same process - filling thanks to pressure differential.

    Is there a flaw in this idea that we're missing please?

  • #2
    No we do it. I dont like the idea just because it means more handling of the beer and more sources of contamination. But sometimes we have no choice just be sure to have both tanks at equal pressure and SLOWLY let the CO2 out of the tank you are filling to avoid excess foaming
    Mike Eme
    Brewmaster

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    • #3
      This is standard industry practice.

      It's an irritating waste of clean kegs and time.

      But sometimes needs must.

      And it's always your sales staff saying "CRAP we need one ASAP..."

      So it goes: Co2 -> in on normal keg tap, out to -> jumper line connected to the 'out' on a second tap with the check ball removed. Helps if you've got valves on the in and out of it (i.e. a standard filling head). -> blowoff line connected to the co2 'in' on the filling head. Then it's just like filling a keg.

      But this can leave you with partials, which is annoying.

      So we run two 50's in series and break them down to five sixtels (20L). (We use 50's and sixtels, obviously YMMV with 1/2bbls, 30Ls etc.)

      So it becomes: co2 -> in on normal coupler, liquid out to -> co2 'in' on filling head, out liquid side -> in on liquid side on third head -> plus valve and blowoff hose on co2 'in'.

      Beer flows from one keg, into the other, into the smaller kegs. Once first in line is empty, co2 continues to push the beer out of the second keg, into the third in line smaller kegs. Easy peasy.
      Russell Everett
      Co-Founder / Head Brewer
      Bainbridge Island Brewing
      Bainbridge Island, WA

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      • #4
        Great, thanks.

        We should think more carefuly before placing orders for new kegs in future!

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        • #5
          Nah everyone's sales mix is different. And it changes over time, depending on what you're brewing and who's buying.
          Russell Everett
          Co-Founder / Head Brewer
          Bainbridge Island Brewing
          Bainbridge Island, WA

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          • #6
            We call that transfilling. It happens unfortunately. We have a rig, two taps a hose between extra shutoffs on all inlets and outlets. CO2 in to the full keg tap and a simple blowoff hose on the to be filled kegs tap co2 inlet, that will become the blowoff so pull the check valve out. You have to pull all the check balls and valves. The shut off lets you dial in the blowoff rate so you do not scrub out your carbonation. You have to do it slowly.
            Joel Halbleib
            Partner / Zymurgist
            Hive and Barrel Meadery
            6302 Old La Grange Rd
            Crestwood, KY
            www.hiveandbarrel.com

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