Setting up hand pull on corny keg

[Siblood]

Hi all. First time we are setting up a beer engine to a corny keg. We have a check valve with beer line going to the keg (John guest fittings) and a 1/2" pipe going from check valve to beer engine.

When we are pulling the beer through its rattling like mad and seems to have air in the pipes. However we have jubilee clips on the ends. Help!!!

Thanks.

 

[AnimatedGIF]

Hi there! I am no expert unfortunately, but what pressure is the keg at? Sounds like it could be too high. I think that can cause some funny sounds.

 

[peebee]

@AnimatedGIF is being far too modest! Everything he thinks is wrong, is wrong!

Get the pressure down. The maximum is perhaps 5psi, should be much less than that. Sounds like you've got it connected to a keg at 10-20psi.

You are in luck for I am an expert ... in something or other; certainly not hand-pumps!

 

[Jordang]

Sounds like over pressure as above…. Mine has started sucking beer back in on the up stroke so about to do a seal check/service ! They’re brill bits of kit though

 

[peebee]

… Mine has started sucking beer back in on the up stroke so about to do a seal check/service ! They’re brill bits of kit though

That will be the "flapper valve" in the piston. There are two, one for beer into the piston, one for beer out. The "beer out" valve isn't closing properly, quite common as those "flapper valves" aren't wonderful bits of engineering. This isn't a particularly useful defect because beer being drawn out of the glass is beer not being drawn out of the cask - and if it gets worse, it may stop pumping beer altogether. If you can, fit a "real" check valve (not a demand valve aka hand-pump check valve) between nozzle and cylinder (there might not be enough room on some pumps) as this "fix" has the added benefit of also keeping the beer in the cylinder fairly sound for 2-3 days.

 

[White Rose Al]

Very common.

You need to drop pressure to under 5psi.

I would also add 2-3 meters of line (3/8)

Depends on your regulator/Secondary as it's difficult to dial down to low PSI on most.

I find 3 meters of 3/8, 2 meters in a coil (insulation tape to hold it) attached to beer post and final meter left lose connected to your check valve works well.