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PetainerKeg manual filling procedure questions

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  • PetainerKeg manual filling procedure questions

    Hello All,

    I'm getting several petainerkegs soon and I'm having a bit of a problem understanding the filling process. As a reference, I'm using the following video: http://youtu.be/9mhsuoMZhGg

    As far as I understand, this is how it works:

    -I will have my gas cylinder connect, via a regulator, to the gas in post of the filling head. The liquid line is connected directly from my tank (brite tank, etc) to the liquid in post. The liquid can be gravity fed.

    -A first step, I'll open the gas feed at a relatively low pressure and open the gas out to purge all the sterilized oxygen out of the keg. After about 30 seconds, the gas will be closed.

    -Here comes the confusing part, when it comes to filling, and when they refer to regulating the counter pressure, is that done via the previously mentioned cylinder and regulator? In other words, does this step consist of:

    Opening the liquid in valve
    Setting the pressure in my cylinder's regulator to filling pressure and opening the gas in?
    Manipulating the speed and foaming of the filling process via the gas out valve?

    Is that pretty much it?

    Also, any recommendation on good filling heads for this purpose?

    Thanks in advance!

  • #2
    Filling a Pertainer keg is exactly the same counter-pressure filling technique used for any other keg. If you're using the "naked" Pertainer kegs, the challenge is keeping them upright while filling and moving before putting them in the cardboard shipping boxes. We stretch-wrap them to a pallet and this seems to work OK.

    Search this board for "keg filling" or "manual keg filling" and you should get some hits.

    Since I've been unable to find any info on tools and tricks for dealing with these slippery customers, I've made a couple of tools that you might find useful--or maybe someone else has made them already. I'll post some pics when I get a chance.
    Timm Turrentine

    Brewerywright,
    Terminal Gravity Brewing,
    Enterprise. Oregon.

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    • #3
      That's not exactly correct. The two differences between filling a normal keg and a pettainer are that the pettainer is not pre-purged with CO2 and that the sankey fitting is designed to allow only one attachment of a coupler (to allow purging and pre-filling) before it goes into the "vent mode." Vent mode is a safety feature that caused the pettainer to vent gas pressure after it is empty. So, in order to fill pettainers, you must have a coupling that is set up to purge with CO2, vent, re-purge with CO2, vent, then fill with beer while venting. You must accomplish these steps without removing the filling/purging coupler. If you just treat a pettainer as an ordinary keg, you are filling a vessel that is full of air.

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      • #4
        I'll let the brewers know this!

        I can make a coupler for this purpose pretty easily--we're filling more Petainers this week.

        Any other tips would be greatly appreciated....
        Timm Turrentine

        Brewerywright,
        Terminal Gravity Brewing,
        Enterprise. Oregon.

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        • #5
          I understand the Dolium kegs are pre-gassed with CO2. Same basic procedure for filling, but saves the purging operation.
          dick

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          • #6
            They do however not guarantee the purity of the co2 in the Dolium kegs. I usually purge and vent with the keg upside down for a while - not a big thing since I need to let some gas out of the dolium keg; they are pre-filled with little over 1 bar and I usually have ~.75 bar in the tank when the beer is carbonated.

            Are people just filling without purging on Dolium kegs?

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