Keg filling question please

[Mash Monster]

Yep I’ve got several metal disconnects and have found them a PITA ! Unless I use PTFE tape. Plastic is best !

 

[JockyBrewer]

Can you see the difference? The metal disconnects don't connect properly to this kind of check valve. I wondered if you've found this issue @borischarlton ?

We will use plastic for the gas side and metal for the beer side. Phew

View attachment 82370

You can get nylon washers to go on the end of the metal disconnects to help the seal when needed.

https://brewkegtap.co.uk/products/nylon-flare-washer-olive-for-mfl-fittings-ball-lock-disconnects
The flow control disconnects I bought last year came with them.

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Thanks @JockyBrewer!

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

One more tip, having gone to the trouble of minimising oxygen pick up, don't push the tube full of air into the keg when you start filling . Ie make sure the line you're going to fill the keg with, is full of beer, before you connect it to the keg .

I always do that, no worries there; and then I dip the disconnect into starsan again to make sure I haven't muckied it. I purge the gas lines too.

OCD person here - best way to be though when you're handling delicate things.

 

[DocAnna]

We're having a huge problem guys.

No keg connected yet, but when we turn the gas on, the check valves are humming really loudly and possibly leaking. When we take the check valves off and use the gas lines without them, no leak at all.

Are we doing something wrong?

Husband has just googled it and it says sometimes check valves need a bit of help to get going when new.

Don't know what to do arghh

The check valves can be a bit noisy with high flow, and I found the inline check valve I tried leaked as well and took it off. The check valves in a manifold tend to be a bit quieter. I suspect the inline 3/8 check valve I had from Ali Express was actually 10mm rather than 3/8 .... you may have the same issue. You'll be fine using without a check valve providing you take care - I know I'm not the best example as I managed to fill a regulator with beer. You've always struck me as being a bit more careful though!

Ahh ... just seen your post on the metal disconnects - ignore me.

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

For open filling I fill the keg first with CO2 from the beer dip tube, ie bottom up - the grey line pushed and held onto the beer in will do - 30 secs is ample. then fill to the absolute brim. That way oxidation is utterly minimised. This is my preferred way of filling a keg and will fit 20 or more litres in a keg easily. Oxidation is minimised but you do need to make sure when connecting the gas line that it's on a non return and pressurised circuit - which can either be with fancy non return disconnects or a manifold with built in non return.

Just to make sure I understand this correctly - do I leave the gas on while it's filling, or fill with gas and THEN syphon? If it's the latter I'd be worried about the gas getting out and letting oxygen in.

May need to try this as my dip tube has fallen off inside my pressure fermenting vessel, and now I'm forced to syphon.

 

[JockyBrewer]

Just to make sure I understand this correctly - do I leave the gas on while it's filling, or fill with gas and THEN syphon? If it's the latter I'd be worried about the gas getting out and letting oxygen in.

May need to try this as my dip tube has fallen off inside my pressure fermenting vessel, and now I'm forced to syphon.

When I fill into an open keg I don't have any gas running in there, BUT I do fully purge the keg by filling with starsan and then pushing that out with CO2 first. So it's 100% CO2 in there, and as I'm filling from the bottom of the keg fairly quickly it's just pushing CO2 out the whole way. Oxygen won't get in under that circumstance unless you're filling your keg in strong winds.

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

That is exactly what I wanted to know, thanks again JB.

 

[Brewelder]

Just to make sure I understand this correctly - do I leave the gas on while it's filling, or fill with gas and THEN syphon? If it's the latter I'd be worried about the gas getting out and letting oxygen in.

May need to try this as my dip tube has fallen off inside my pressure fermenting vessel, and now I'm forced to syphon.

C02 is heavier than oxygen so in theory any C02 in the keg should remain in there and keep the oxygen out. However, i said in theory as I’ve never attempted transferring this way, i always close transfer and i fully agree with your concerns. it’s a bit hit and miss as to how much you actually have inside the keg.

My FV is a Fermzilla so i can sort of gauge how much I’ve transferred by how much i started with versus how much is left behind, but even that method is a bit “guess work“. Lately though I’ve just filled to the brim and so far i haven’t had any carbonation issues. I do tend to leave the kegs alone for a week at least before i draw any beer off so in that time the carbonation seems to have worked.

I guess there are several ways to transfer and probably all work, although i always brew IPA’s and NEIPA’s so i stick with a fully closed transfer into a fully purged keg just to eliminate any oxygen ingress as much as possible.

 

[phildo79]

How are you filling your keg from the FV? If you are doing a pressure transfer, then as soon as beer starts to come out the gas post and into the spunding valve, then the keg is full. It will have approximately 19L in it and a small amount of headspace.

Check the weight of the keg as it is filling. You will have an idea when it is almost full. Best to keep your hand on the gas disconnect so you can quickly remove it when beer starts to enter the gas dip tube. It can make a mess if you are not vigilant.

If you put 20L into the FV, you will lose about 1L to trub. That way, when you fill the keg, you will have very little (if any) beer left in the FV. I do it this way because I can't be bothered using bottles for the excess.