How to prime a beer keg.

[Desmnd]

Hi I have been brewing beer and wine for years. The trouble is I have ALWAYS had a pressure gauge on the key. This has failed now and I have to use another top without the gauge. Without opening up the tap at regular intervals and in doing so loose pressure. I am lost without the gauge. How do you guarantee it. I want to have this now for Christmas and the last thing I want to do is go to bed tonight and find I have flat beer in the morning.

Desmond.

 

[keat64]

My top has a pressure relief valve, so even if i put too much in, the valve releases it.
In years gone by, we always used to say 'no more than 1 second burst', this principle i've stuck with.

 

[Spapro]

If you are using a keg with a 4" lid I would recommend the lid from Ballihoo with a pressure measuring valve built in:
http://www.balliihoo.co.uk/balliiho...n-valve-pressure-test-point-gauge-p-1090.html

I replaced the lids on my king kegs with these, without the pressure measuring valve I felt it was fingers crossed and guesswork whether the keg was sealed correctly and carbing up as expected.

These lids also come with a square sectioned rubber seal, found this a much more reliable seal than the round sectioned ones supplied with the king kegs.

 

[Desmnd]

This is a very old 1980 hambeldon bard. It has a float inside that allows you to draw the clearer beer of the top. The red top is the large 120mm / 4.5 inch with a separate input valve and release valve. and the 3rd connection being the meter.

 

[Spapro]

This is a very old 1980 hambeldon bard. It has a float inside that allows you to draw the clearer beer of the top. The red top is the large 120mm / 4.5 inch with a separate input valve and release valve. and the 3rd connection being the meter.

Not familiar with that keg, sounds like the lid may be larger than the current 4" ones ???

Unless you can find a replacement lid with pressure gauge you will have to live without the pressure gauge and hope you get a good seal.

Maybe time for a replacement keg ? When I buy another I am going for the Ballihoo Top Tap one with fancy lid rather than any more King Kegs:
http://www.balliihoo.co.uk/balliiho...2-injection-valve-pressure-indicator-p-4.html

 

[geetee]

Bleeding hell, I had one of those Hambleton Bard kegs back in the late eighties, that takes me back a bit. I gave it away to someone and later bought a king keg top tap still going strong after 9 years.