Keg Query

[kentmark]

I've aquired a Keg for free, happy days!

Now thinking about how to best use it. It's got a metal union on the cap along with what I suspect is a pressure release valve. So I'm guessing this is for gassing via CO2? If I wanted to keep things simples, could I simply make sure the valves are closed and batch condition with sugar in the keg? Or is CO2 simple and cost-effective (lets say in comparison to sugar?

There's also a pipe attached inside the keg to the pouring valve, with what looks like a filter on the end. I'm guessing it's to filter any settled yeast rather than let it get into your glass?

Any other things to watch out for with kegs? Am thinking bottle my next 2 brews that have gone in the FVs today, then use the Keg for my next lager after these, so gives me some time to clean it, buy any bits and bobs etc.

Cheers!

 

[Kev888]

Hi,
The key thing here is if its a bottom tap (where the beer can just run out of a tap towards the bottom) or if its a Top Tap (where the tap is about half way or more up the keg).

If its a bottom tap then you can just prime with sugar as you say. You don't need gas with this type of keg, though it can help to add CO2 as the barrel starts to become empty, because the pressure will drop as you empty the beer, until eventually it starts to such air up through the tap to replace the beer that was in there. Drawing air through the beer causes it to oxidise that bit more quickly. Or instead of gas you can compromise by loostening the cap slightly to let air in but not through the beer. Plastic kegs aren't impervious to oxygen so it will oxidise anyway; the gas just stops it being worse than it has to be.

The Top Tap however needs gas pressure to push the beer up and out of the tap, so with that type of keg you will need gas once the pressure from priming subsides. Top taps have a flexible tube from the back of tap usually to a float, that should hold the end of the tube just under the surface. Theres more to go wrong but the theory is they draw beer from higer up, where it clears soonest, and you can also get a glass under the tap if they're sat on the floor.

There are all sorts of injectors - the most common is the S30 one, for hamelton bard cylinders and there are adaptors to widget world cylinders. Although sometimes theres a small hollow pin inside it that converts it to a 'pin' valve, which punctures small one-shot gas bulbs held in an injector thing. Gas can be quite expensive; usually the bigger the cylinder the cheaper (for a given volume) it is.

Sometimes theres a separate safety (or pressure release) valve too, though just as often its a single combined injection/safety. If the barrel doesn't need gas to work then some also have basic caps with just a safety valve.

Cheers
Kev

 

[kentmark]

Cheers kev. Its a bottom tap plastic keg so think for ease of use will give a go with sugar and see how i get on.