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  • Manual Keg Filling

    I am 3 months into my new brewery and am serving out of kegs in my tasting room. My first batches I force carbonated in the kegs, quickly realizing I needed a better system. I switched to carbonating through a stone in my fermenters. This is a much better system. I am manually filling my kegs through a modified coupler.
    I have realized that I cannot completely fill my kegs due to the amount of foam in the kegs.

    Does anyone have any suggestions on this.

    Cheers


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Last edited by admin; 09-25-2014, 09:41 AM. Reason: typo

  • #2
    The basic keg filling system is nothing more than a couple Sanke couplers mounted on a T which would be attached to the racking arm. Premier Stainless sells a ton of them, as to many others. They work fine, so I am guessing it is a process issue.

    In our case, this is the SOP:

    -kegs are cleaned, sanitized and pressurized.

    -Sanitized T and couplers attached to racking arm, open racking arm valve and crack open BEER valve on coupler to purge sanitizer. Close BEER valve and make sure GAS valve is closed

    -Attach coupler to keg, crack open GAS valve to slowly vent CO2, open BEER valve fully, filling the keg under counter pressure.

    -When foam begins to flow from GAS tube, open GAS valve completely then immediately snap it closed. This should result in beer, rather than foam, exiting GAS valve.

    -Wait at least 10 seconds with GAS valve closed and BEER valve open, this will push a little more beer in, settling foam and stabilizing pressure.

    -Close BEER valve and remove coupler from keg


    We were getting inconsistent fills on our first legging runs, using this procedure and weighing the kegs we were hitting constant weights on a scale and no 'sloshing' kegs

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    • #3
      We fill just as the guitarist describes, sometimes as many as eight kegs at once. The important thing is to start out with the keg pressurize to, or slightly above, the head pressure of the fermenter. When a little bit of pressure is released from the keg, the beer begins flowing without breaking into foam. You'll still get some foam from your gas valve on the keg coupler, using clear hose to run off the foam will allow your keg filler to visually watch for clear beer in the tube, and shut off the gas valve to stop the fill. A little practice with how far to open the gas valve will get you a minimum of foam, while getting a fast enough fill.
      Timm Turrentine

      Brewerywright,
      Terminal Gravity Brewing,
      Enterprise. Oregon.

      Comment


      • #4
        I fill the same way as already mentioned. We do use a FOB on the gas out port with a long piece of clear vinyl to vent CO2 outside of the cold room.

        Counter pressure fill as mentioned. It seems like I get less foaming with cold kegs as well.

        Comment


        • #5
          Thanks all for the advice.
          I follow almost the exact same procedure except I do not do the "open gas valve fully and then close quickly" resulting in beer rather than foam exiting valve. I really do not understand this but I will give it a shot this week.


          Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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          • #6
            You need thus guy:



            For our little 7bbl random kegging needs it can't be beat. I begin filling the keg and walk away from it till it shuts itself off and stops filling the keg. Almost zero loss of beer. It's pricey, but oh so helpful.

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by woohokie View Post
              You need thus guy:



              For our little 7bbl random kegging needs it can't be beat. I begin filling the keg and walk away from it till it shuts itself off and stops filling the keg. Almost zero loss of beer. It's pricey, but oh so helpful.
              That's what I use. Works well. Though, after a few kegs and there's a little foam in the FOB, it tends to shut off prematurely.

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by woohokie View Post
                You need thus guy:



                For our little 7bbl random kegging needs it can't be beat. I begin filling the keg and walk away from it till it shuts itself off and stops filling the keg. Almost zero loss of beer. It's pricey, but oh so helpful.
                How long does it take to fill a half barrel with this thing then? If you're only filling 15 half barrels per recipe, it seems like this is the way to go. Probably an hour and half's worth of work? Heck, even a double batch with 30 half barrels probably wouldn't be too much of a chore.

                ...and here I am getting quotes for a semi-automatic washer AND filler (and getting bent over by the price).

                Originally posted by d_striker View Post
                That's what I use. Works well. Though, after a few kegs and there's a little foam in the FOB, it tends to shut off prematurely.
                What do you do to remedy? Can you just blow out the FOB or something?

                Comment


                • #9
                  I have looked at that a few times, but I really don't see the benefit except that I will not have to babysit the kegs. If foaming is the problem than this will not correct that will it?


                  Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Crosley View Post
                    I have looked at that a few times, but I really don't see the benefit except that I will not have to babysit the kegs. If foaming is the problem than this will not correct that will it?


                    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
                    If you're having foaming issues, you're likely filling the kegs too quickly. The fob on this regulates the pressure leaving the keg and fills it slowly. It's a counter pressure keg filler. We use two of them, they work great.

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by woohokie View Post
                      You need thus guy:



                      For our little 7bbl random kegging needs it can't be beat. I begin filling the keg and walk away from it till it shuts itself off and stops filling the keg. Almost zero loss of beer. It's pricey, but oh so helpful.
                      Here's a cheaper option, easy to adapt:

                      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDOFsKB6xnk

                      It won't shut off automatically, but I can set my timer for around 7-8 minutes and come back and it's about done. If you don't have to fill a ton of kegs, it's a pretty economically option.
                      Dave Cowie
                      Three Forks Bakery & Brewing Company
                      Nevada City, CA

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by SMiller View Post
                        If you're having foaming issues, you're likely filling the kegs too quickly. The fob on this regulates the pressure leaving the keg and fills it slowly. It's a counter pressure keg filler. We use two of them, they work great.
                        It's nice being able to walk away and come back to a full keg.
                        Last edited by d_striker; 10-01-2014, 06:50 PM.

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                        • #13
                          I haven't made the jump to the nice filler yet but switched things up a bit and it's working much better.
                          I switched my in hose to a 1/2" hose and this seems to be slowing down the fill enough that once the foam starts the kegs is completely full.
                          Thanks everyone for the help.


                          Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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                          • #14
                            You need your keg to be equal or less in co2 pressure. As long as you fill it slowly with a small port for venting as filling occurs, you will get a full keg. A way to double check is to weight the keg.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by SMiller View Post
                              If you're having foaming issues, you're likely filling the kegs too quickly. The fob on this regulates the pressure leaving the keg and fills it slowly. It's a counter pressure keg filler. We use two of them, they work great.
                              I agree 100% with this. After having heard nothing but woes from my (former) brewer, I kegged out a batch with our GW Kent fillers last week. Almost no loss and minor foam. I set it to where it was a little "hiss" and then did other stuff in the meantime. I'm in the process of building a 12 sankey-head manifold (with the GW Kent fobs at the end of each) to be able to keg out 3bbls into 12 1/4bbl kegs at one time. The new version with the SS heads has not been a problem.
                              Kevin Shertz
                              Chester River Brewing Company
                              Chestertown, MD

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