going to keg

[foxbat]

With serving beer lines, how often do you clean it? I guess if it not used in couple days it can go bad and affect all beer your pour?

I only drink my beer at the weekends so on a Sunday I'll remove the beer disconnect from the top of the keg, give the disconnect a quick spray inside with Starsan and leave it dangling inside the keezer. This keeps the beer in the keg fresh. Next weekend I'll pop the disconnect back on and run a couple of fingers of beer through to clear the stale stuff in the lines.

Actual line cleaning is done in-between kegs. I flush with PBW from the keg being cleaned, leave to soak for a couple of hours, flush with water and leave the water in the line until the next time the keg is filled. Because the empty keg gets a Starsan rinse before filling I push some of that through the lines and leave it in there for the 2-3 weeks of conditioning and carbonating. Then it's over to the beer again which starts off by pushing out the Starsan. Easy!!

 

[HarryFlatters]

With serving beer lines, how often do you clean it?

I haven't cleaned the lines in months and the beer is still fine and hasn't given me turboskitters yet. The first pour might be a bit flat but it hasn't harmed me.

I'll rinse them through when I change the kegs over.

 

[Ghillie]

The tap cooler counter pressure bottle filler is excellent.

When it comes to cleaning my beer lines, Unscrew the JG fitting from the tap shank and leave it all soaking overnight in hot soapy water. The same treatment with the taps from time to time too.

My method removes the need to pump cleaner, etc through the lines in situe and in turn doesn’t consume any gas.

 

[Graz]

With serving beer lines, how often do you clean it? I guess if it not used in couple days it can go bad and affect all beer your pour?
I'm not a regular drinker, sometime don't drink any beer for 3-4 days. At the beginning I'm going to use picnic tap and possible upgrade soon to pluto gun - so I can keep it in the fridge with rest of it. But later planning to upgrade to proper dispensing tap.
Just wonder what is the best solution to keep it in best shape

I don't do anything with mine, the keg, line and beer is all in the fridge and all sealed up if the tap is shut. There's beer in the line but it doesn't go bad. A 19L keg lasts me around 6-8 weeks at the moment though when I get more kegs and have several on draught at once it plan for it to be longer.

When I've finished a keg I wash it out, part fill with cleaning solution (usually sodium percarbonate / Oxi), give it a good shake, then hook the keg up to the gas and let it push some through the beer line / tap. Let it all sit for a while (30 mins maybe) then thoroughly rinse out the keg with cold water, put some more water in the keg and again push some through the line / tap. After that I put maybe a pint of dilute StarSan in the keg and again give it a shake, leave for a few minutes and the pump all of that through the line until just gas is coming out (i.e most of it has been cleared). It's then ready for the next brew.

 

[Hoddy]

Finally I'm giving in and buying keg system.
Going for this one to start with:
https://brewkegtap.co.uk/collections/keg-kits/products/standard-keg-kit-with-deluxe-party-tap
I think it is right for me, but happy for suggestions - I got a fridge and that's it - all in the shed

Some questions if you don't mind:
1. Is there any type of a bottle wand I can attach, to fill bottles from the keg - I often give away my beers to friends.
2. After initial carbonation of the beer, would beer still absorb gas? Basically is it possibly to server beer without it being attached to co2 bottle - my intuition telling me NO. Question related to mobility of the keg system.
3. Is it OK to transfer less than 19L to corny for carbonation - again bottles. Lets say 15L in keg and 5L in bottles

Bit excited about this.

just to add in my pointless views.

yes keg is the way forward. You won’t be able to go back again. And be warned, the kegs multiply!!

1) I use the blichmann beer fun and I fill bottles from the chilled, conditioned and carbonated kegs. I find it a faff so I don’t bottle much (hence why I don’t share as many beers as I should these day’s)

2) yes you can quite happily charge a keg with 1.2 bar when it’s fully carbonated and you’ll pull off 3 pints until you need to charge it again.

3) I actually fill one and a 1/3 kegs on each batch. So basically yes it’s fine. The co2 is so cheap it doesn’t matter. And tbh I can’t be bothered to bottle 3 or 4 litres each time. I have thought about getting some 9L kegs but I have 8 kegs as it is.

just make sure you have long enough lines at 3/16 to slow the beer down and avoid fobbing.

another advocate for BKT to as all their stuff has been great. I go to the HBC for used keg multi packs and I refurb them myself.

 

[Hoddy]

I don't do anything with mine, the keg, line and beer is all in the fridge and all sealed up if the tap is shut. There's beer in the line but it doesn't go bad. A 19L keg lasts me around 6-8 weeks at the moment though when I get more kegs and have several on draught at once it plan for it to be longer.

When I've finished a keg I wash it out, part fill with cleaning solution (usually sodium percarbonate / Oxi), give it a good shake, then hook the keg up to the gas and let it push some through the beer line / tap. Let it all sit for a while (30 mins maybe) then thoroughly rinse out the keg with cold water, put some more water in the keg and again push some through the line / tap. After that I put maybe a pint of dilute StarSan in the keg and again give it a shake, leave for a few minutes and the pump all of that through the line until just gas is coming out (i.e most of it has been cleared). It's then ready for the next brew.

I have an extra spare keg that I have filled with star San solution and then I fill the sterilised keg with that. Pop the lid on and purge the tiny air space.
I then hook up a fluid to fluid line between the two and put gas on the filled keg and push all the star San fluid back into the spare keg.
I then have a completely o2 free and sterilised keg ready to fill.

 

[the_quick]

Thanks @Hoddy , sounds like great idea.

Already thinking about second keg and possibly second fridge , I still might need one for fermenter.

Another question from me: With second keg, if I want to have 2 different carbonation levels, I guess I have to use a manifold, but non of them have pressure gauges - do you guys use some kind of inline, between keg and manifold?

 

[HarryFlatters]

Already thinking about second keg and possibly second fridge

Build yourself a keezer if you have space. I managed to build mine and I struggle with Lego.

Edit, including kegs, I think mine cost about £350 and a couple of days of my time.

 

[the_quick]

Thanks Harry,
I think I can find space in the shed, but this is not really ideal place. My shed is around 30 meters away (long garden) form the house. I'm good with DIY, no problem there.

Second problem, if I buy second hand, those things are huge and I have only Astra - don't know anyone with a van

 

[HarryFlatters]

don't know anyone with a van

I got lucky, I found a local guy on Facebook Marketplace that was getting rid of a chest freezer for £30 delivered. It is in very poor condition visually, but it works and that's all that matters.

 

[Graz]

Another question from me: With second keg, if I want to have 2 different carbonation levels, I guess I have to use a manifold, but non of them have pressure gauges - do you guys use some kind of inline, between keg and manifold?

You need secondary regulators (something I plan to add to mine at some stage): https://www.lawsdrinkssystems.co.uk...ellar/regulators/secondary-regulator-244.html

Set the main regulator on the cylinder to something like 30 psi and then control the pressure to each keg with the secondary. They can be daisy chained to add as many as you like. No need for a manifold either. There are other options to that linked above, just an example.

 

[HarryFlatters]

Or you could get a manifold with individual pressure regulators on each outlet. I'll do it at some point, but it's quite expensive and I'll have to get my American fam to buy it and send it over to me...

https://www.kegworks.com/4-way-secondary-air-regulator-polycarbonate-bonnet

 

[xozzx]

Keep an eye on ebay, load of reconditioned ones there. I picked up 4 of these for about £60. All work perfect

 

[the_quick]

Thanks @xozzx , will keep my eye out for those

 

[the_quick]

First beer kegged, got myself second keg as well :). Now looking at larger fridge, so I can store beer as well as kegs. Facebook marketplace is a great place

 

[the_quick]

Second beer kegged, so much quicker than bottling, took maybe 15 minutes

Hunting now for small chest freezer, as my fridge definitely will not take 2 kegs. Plenty on facebook market place.

 

[Cyberjip]

Good to hear you are getting on well with the kegs.

Just a quick one.
If you have a standard bottling wand you can just attach it to your party tap with silicone tube. Set the pressure low 5 psi ish, Open the tap and fill bottles wiith your wand as usual it's super easy and controlled.

No need to spend money on a fancy gun (unless you want to)

Cheers

 

[the_quick]

Thanks Cyberjip.

Already tried with bit of silicone tubing attached to picnic tap, seems to work OK.

 

[crowcrow]

Great to hear! Love my keezer - as for cleaning the beer line I clean then once each keg is over. I sanitise the keg and then pour a load through the lines before rinsing both out with some fresh water until I can't taste anything chemical.

I plan on changing them out as needed, as they arent that much - but hoping they last a while yet.

For bottling, I have a carbonation cap that I used to make sparkling water - I also use this to carb up a single 500ml bottle now and again - once filled from the tap I stick the carb cap on and add a bit more pressure and leave in the keezer for an hour, then swap for a normal cap. Stays very well carbed to share with friends then.

 

[Stephenj]

Jumping into this thread, hope you don't mind, as just orders the 2 keg kit from brewkegtap as the OP, and got larder fridge and co2. Really helpful hints on starting out. Question to OP and others though, what temp should kegs be kept at and would a fridge maintain this or would STC be needed with a heater?