Keg filling question please

[Leon103]

Do you have a guide on the fermenter to know how much is in there? Follow that. Also cold crash it and, because its colder than the warmer keg you will see condensation where the level is. Nice ans simple. Also no issues curbing a full keg.

 

[JockyBrewer]

If you’re pre purging the keg (fill it with starsan then push that out with CO2) then if you under fill it really doesn’t matter.

Otherwise as others have already said, you can see condensation on the keg or just tap on the side and you’ll hear/feel the fill level. Then just fill until it comes out the gas tube.

I have a set of postal scales that can weigh up to 50kg and don’t go off automatically. They cost about £35 on eBay. Useful when close transferring to check progress, or when you want to check what’s left in a keg.

 

[gavp1979]

I move my spunding valve to the gas in post of the keg being filled and then rely on seeing the condensation line for fill progress ... If beer comes out of the spunding valve then I know I have gone too far

 

[Mash Monster]

FWIW I have a cheap set of postal scales
I put the empty keg on them set the Tare button back to Zero then fill up the keg through the beer out post. When it gets to about 18.5 to 18.75kg I stop the transfer and I’m sure it’s not overfilled.
I agree with others that the condensation line is a good indication I used to wait till it reached the seam just below the black rubber top. I’ve used the spunding valve and also have a flow stopper that I’ve only used once but prefer the scales. Also they are great for weighing out grain

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Nope, no problems carbonating if there's no headspace, in fact it can make force carbonating easier. Theoretically the reduced surface area for absorption of CO2 with no head space could slow carbonation but in practical terms it's not an issue.

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.

We do have non-return valves on the 3 gas lines so that's less worry I guess - I need to get another one though for the outside, as we've split the line coming out the back of the kegerator into two and added a gas line on the outside for handiness.

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Thanks everyone.

 

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

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 .

 

[Erik The Anglophile]

I have checked my 18L and 12L kegs, and it seems the weld line near the top is the "fill level" intended.
I prime and naturally carb my kegs and just flush the headspace when done, so I can just peak in and see where I'm at during filling.
I usually fill my kegs a bit over that line though since I have cut my gas tubes and want to maximise the amount of beer I get.
If you do closed transfers one way could be to check with water how much you can safely put in a keg, then make some kind of marking on your fermenting bucket to know when to stop transferring, this require being vigilant about the amount of wort you start with though.

 

[MrJay83]

I move my spunding valve to the gas in post of the keg being filled and then rely on seeing the condensation line for fill progress ... If beer comes out of the spunding valve then I know I have gone too far

I seen a little trick were you rig up a carbonation cap to a coke bottle between the spunding valve & keg. If you overfill it goes into the bottle before your spunding valve.

 

[GhostDoggyWoofWoof]

I just measure 18 lites of the scale on outside of fermenter. Obvs doesn't work if you have a ss fermenter without a gauge tho

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

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

 

[YeastFace]

The check valves do make a noise. I had the same "something is wrong" panic when I started using my manifold with built in check valves but was reassured it was normal.

Still check for leaks with starsan or soapy water, but the noise is normal.

Also assuming the fittings are duotights (think you have a Kegland Kegerator) the tubing has to be shoved in quite well (there are two o-rings as opposed to the one in JG fitting).

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Thanks @YeastFace

It's a Mangrove Jack's one. Not sure if they're the same?

Everything came assembled - we didn't have to connect anything, so I assumed all was ok.

It's the check valves that are causing the problem. I hate them already

 

[Mash Monster]

I had a similar problem when I had the flow the wrong way round

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

I had a similar problem when I had the flow the wrong way round

Could you explain further please @Mash Monster

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Is this with over-filling the keg?

Without the check valve on it doesn't leak though. I'm so confused!

 

[Mash Monster]

Could you explain further please @Mash Monster

I use in-line push fit valves and having seen your video I can see you are using a completely different check valve to the ones that I use so sorry I can’t help you. Have you tried PTFE on the thread of the disconnect?

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Thanks for trying to help, we think we've solved it though.

It's the metal disconnects that are the problem as it's metal going into metal with no seal. The plastic disconnects are fine as they have a rubber bit on the end. I'll get a picture.

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

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